The Interactive Whiteboards, Pedagogy and Pupil Performance ...

3.2.4 Pupil Focus Groups
Focus group interviews were conducted with a maximum of six students from each
class observed after the data has been collected. Examples of different texts
observed in use, both those developed for and on the whiteboards, and a selection
of alternative pedagogic resources seen in use in the schools were used as prompts
in the pupil interviews. Interviews focused on students’ response to the subject
content and the purpose of the lesson, issues of motivation and learning style. The
pupils were asked about the use of IWBs in relation to the lessons that had been
observed by the research team to find out if what we had seen was typical, and to
locate our observations in the wider experience of the pupils. The focus group also
gathered data on who uses the IWB, when and how, as well as asking students
about their views on IWBs and their impact on teaching and learning. The pupil focus
groups were audio recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed.
3.2.5 Pupil Survey
A pupil questionnaire on pupils’ familiarity with and expectations of ICT use in school
was administered to all students in the Year group observed (included in annex F).
The survey included questions on how often IWBs are used in the core subjects of
Maths, Science and English, whether or not students interact with the boards, and if
so what kind of activities they are engaged with. Pupils’ views on the impact of IWBs
on learning, motivation, participation, behaviour and the quality of teaching were also
gathered.
3.3 Documenting the Training Environment: Data Sources,
Collection and Processing
To track the structures in place to support implementation and provide appropriate
training in the use of IWBs, researchers attended 3 LGfl Sector meetings where the
SWE rollout was discussed and conducted10 interviews with a range of key players
who had varying degrees of responsibility for policy implementation and or IWB
training in different settings. These included LEA officials with responsibilities for
both developing and delivering policies for ICT; subject consultants working as part
of the KS3 strategy teams; members of CLCs; and private providers of IWB training.
Interviews focused on both the form of training provided and its content and what
interviewees considered to have been its successes and or challenges. These
interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed to identify general patterns in
response.
This data yielded information on the pattern of training provision and how it changed
over time in relation to a variety of factors. For the purposes of analysis this data
was combined with the data on teachers’ perceptions of their training needs,
experience and priorities collected via the teacher interviews and survey instruments.
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