In 2023, the British Council launched its Action Research Grants programme for British Council Partner Schools. The scheme supports educators with funding, mentorship and resources to conduct impactful research in their schools. Participants could choose from one of three themes:

• Leadership at all levels
• Continuous professional development
• Technology and digital learning

Twelve educators were selected for the 2023-24 Action Research Grants programme. Over the past year, they’ve completed their research and they’re now ready to share their findings. British Council Partner Schools is sharing these insights to support educators within the wider global network in addressing common challenges and finding opportunities to improve educational outcomes.

Theme one: Leadership at all levels

Strong leaders can have a significant impact on learning outcomes. When you foster leadership skills among your students and staff, it can strengthen your entire community.

Three of our researchers carried these values over into their projects by exploring the benefits and possible outcomes of different leadership development programmes at their schools.

• Developing leadership skills in Peruvian high school students
  Dr César Morales, Colegio San Andres, Peru

César gathered insights from student focus groups to design a leadership programme for teenagers. He discovered they were deeply committed to initiatives that brought positive change to their school and the wider community. However, for programmes to be effective, educators must involve all stakeholders in the planning and implementation.

• Enhancing learning walks: leveraging focused observation and purposeful feedback
  Ghazala Sajjad, Generation’s School, Pakistan

At her school in Pakistan, Ghazala explored the advantages of structured learning walks, where teachers observe each other’s methods. She also discovered the importance of stakeholder collaboration for the programme. Middle teachers required training to conduct the observations and provide feedback effectively while school heads needed to act as role models.

• Smart leadership for female empowerment in education in Pakistan
  Nayyab Farooq, Peshawar Model Girls High School, Pakistan

Nayyab looked at how we can support teachers in empowering female students through mentorship and training. Her research highlighted the importance of inclusivity in diverse environments. Only holistic practices allow educators to meet the needs of students from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

Theme two: Continuous professional development

Five educators focused their research activities on continuous professional development (CPD) for teachers. They explored a range of possibilities including online platforms, collective training and mentorship programmes. While the projects were diverse, all participants consistently noted how student engagement increased when teachers adopted new strategies.

• Improving student academic performance in Maths and Science
  Benjamin Muridzo, Masuka Christian High School, Zimbabwe

After investing in Science and Maths resources and CPD for teachers, Benjamin observed that students became noticeably more engaged in classes at his school. Teamwork also significantly improved. However, while high-performing students advanced faster than expected, lower-performing students needed more remedial work.

• Sustaining positive classroom culture through teacher development
  Enobong Imaha, Pegasus School, Nigeria

Enobong’s research found that targeted and sustainable CPD helped teachers develop more synergy with their students and manage classroom behaviour. She also saw that involving classes in setting rules made them more willing to participate.

• Unifying school culture through a shared vision: effectiveness of continuous professional development for newly hired teachers
  Marwa Ahmed Atteya, Capital International School, Egypt

Capital International School in New Cairo is growing, so it has many new staff members from different backgrounds. Marwa discovered that CPD on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) helped integrate them into the school culture and foster more unity between teachers and students. However, the programme was most effective when it involved everyone, including leaders, administrators, and parents.

• Impact of online professional development on teacher practice in a secondary school
  Lydia Quansah, Dayspring International Academy, Ghana

Lydia implemented more teacher-focused, practical CPD at her school through the British Council’s Online Support for Schools (OSS) platform. She saw that classes developed a stronger rapport and became more motivated after teachers introduced more hands-on activities they’d learnt.

• Enhancing middle school Mathematics through a professional learning Mathematics community
  Dr Nadia Rashid Inam, Beaconhouse Jauhar Campus, Pakistan

After introducing a Professional Learning Mathematics Community (PLMC) to her school, Nadia found Maths teachers were more confident. The programme involved pairing veteran teachers with novices and having them make action plans to improve areas of weakness. While there were some challenges due to time constraints, Maths results have improved since the PLMC started.

Theme three: Technology and digital learning

The British Council aims to support schools navigating the many and complex new developments in technology and digital learning. We see how technology can increase access to education across our Partner Schools and drive further innovations. What’s more, it’s technology that allows the British Council to stay connected with its global network, facilitating the transfer of knowledge between countries.

Our four researchers who focused on this theme explored how they could leverage different tools to improve the learning experience.

• Developing middle leaders of English and Science in the use of smart board technology
  Aisha Shahzadi, Lahore Grammar School, Pakistan

Aisha used cascading training to show her peers how to improve their integration of smart board technology into lessons. While the programme required a lot of planning and resources, it generated a lot of interest and excitement. Aisha thinks it’s a promising first step to fully integrating these tools into the classroom.

• AI-enhanced Maths: Active metacognition and transformative assessment
  Lina Hoyos, Saint George’s School, Colombia

After introducing an AI platform called Educo to her school, Lina Hoyos saw an improvement in overall academic performance. 87% of student participants said that the tool’s step-by-step guidance helped them learn.

• Leveraging ChatGPT to enhance EFL reading skills for 10–12-year-old students
  Neeti Tripathi, CIDER International School, Bangladesh

As tools like ChatGPT become more commonplace, Neeti wanted to explore their best applications. Her research found ChatGPT could enhance reading skills, provided schools introduce it gradually and create comprehensive policies for its use.

• Levelling up Maths learning through digital platforms: Using digital resources to improve fifth-grade students’ problem-solving skills
  Shireen Hamdan, Al-Ridwan School, Jordan

Shireen Hamdan introduced a variety of interactive resources for Maths to classes. She found her fifth-grade students had a better conceptual understanding of the subject as a result.

All the research highlighted the need for thorough preparation and ongoing support. Technology has the potential to disrupt classes as much as it supports learning. As there are breakthroughs all the time, educational programmes must continuously review and refine their techniques to stay ahead of these challenges.

Looking ahead

As our researchers share their findings, the British Council looks forward to seeing how other Partner Schools may benefit from the key learnings that the researchers present. Our hope is that educators across our Partner Schools network and beyond can apply these findings in their own classrooms. We’re excited to see results from across our network in different environments and how they adapt the projects for their own educational context.

On Saturday, 7 December 2024 our researchers will be sharing the results of their Action Research projects in an online symposium. There will be presentations and panel discussions on each of the three main themes, followed by a keynote session and an introduction to the 2024-2025 cohort of action researchers.

Register now for the symposium, and you’ll also receive exclusive early access to the research publication.