One hundred educationalists from across the UK will gather in Cambridge on Monday (23 September) to discuss the progress of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP).
One hundred educationalists from across the UK will gather in Cambridge on Monday (23 September) to discuss the progress of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP).
The TLRP is the largest co-ordinated programme of research in education and training in the UK with a budget of £26 million. The research programme, which covers all sectors and contexts of education, training and lifelong learning in the UK, is dedicated to finding ways to improve the achievement of learners of all ages.
In December 2002 the Economic and Social Research Council announced that management of the Programme was transferring from the University of Exeter to the University of Cambridge where it is now led by Professor Andrew Pollard, in the Faculty of Education.
Next week's conference is the culmination of eight months of intensive work, establishing the Programme's new Cambridge base. In that time a Director's team of five staff have been appointed and Professor Pollard has been travelling the length and breadth of the country visiting all the existing research teams funded by the Programme.
The Programme is currently commissioning research for its third phase which will look at post-compulsory education. Proposals have been received and projects shortlisted; final decisions will be made in the coming months.
In the last week two newsletters and a new TLRP website have been launched. These activities reflect a new emphasis on facilitating discussion between the Programme's researchers and communicating the work of the Programme to user organisations, from primary schools to government agencies.
Professor Pollard explains the new development:
"The practical aim of this ambitious programme is to improve the achievements of learners - it is a historic opportunity for educational researchers to influence policy-makers and teaching practitioners.
"If we are to realise our aims we need to ensure our research is rigorous, accessible and relevant, something that educational researchers have in the past been criticised for neglecting. This will require vigorous discussion amongst TLRP researchers and between researchers and users. The Director's team are building a communications infrastucture which will facilitate that."
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