Evaluation of the Scottish Learning Festival (SETT) (2005)
This evaluation presents findings from research conducted by SurveyDigital in the summer of 2005, which evaluated the value and potential of SETT (now called the Scottish Learning Festival).
Research aim
This research aimed to assess the impact of SETT on participants’ professional practice, the extent to which continuing professional development provided by local authorities compliments the ideas generated at SETT and highlight possible areas of development for future events.
Research method
The project was split into three distinct and separate areas of activity: questionnaires distributed to all registered delegates who had completed the SETT 2004 evaluation questionnaire; telephone focus groups, where the delegates were asked to discuss their opinions in an open forum; and case studies developed after the activities were completed. A total of 246 postal forms and 317 online responses were returned.
Key findings
- The majority believed SETT had made a difference to their professional practice - 13% said it had made a significant impact, 42% felt it had a moderate impact, 42% some impact and only 4% felt it had not had any impact at all.
- In terms of professional development, 15% of delegates felt SETT was very supportive. The majority, at 71%, felt that it was quite supportive and 13% felt it was not very or not at all supportive.
- More specifically, 32% of delegates agreed, 8% strongly agreed and 39% were neutral that they had pursued a new avenue of professional development as a result of SETT.
- 63% agreed and 15% strongly agreed that they had incorporated new ideas, skills or resources into their professional development.
- Many felt their pupils had also benefited from their attendance of SETT - 53% agreed, 11% strongly agreed and 31% were neutral.
- Many felt that CPD provided by their local authorities complimented the ideas generated at SETT: 11% felt it complimented SETT to a significant extent and 55% felt it complimented it quite well. However, 27% felt they matched quite poorly or not at all.
- 25% believed SETT offered more scope for investigating innovation than the CPD in their local authority. 24% felt it allowed them to explore their own ideas while a further 20% said the atmosphere was more dynamic than in local authority CPD sessions.
- 40% found a keynote speaker had the most impact on them. A further 23% said a seminar speaker had the most impact, while 18% voted for a hands-on demonstration as having most impact.
User recommendations included:
- Identifying champions in schools to disseminate good practice ensuring the impact of SETT sessions is maximised.
- More opportunity to interact directly with speakers - forums, panel discussions or round tables.
- Establishing a web forum two weeks later in order to continue the discussion.
- Sessions should include more about giving greater control in learning to pupils.
- More interactive sessions with real teachers, real pupils in a real situation.
- Clearer identification of subject-relevant sessions.
- Consider providing an open channel for people to propose session speakers
Full report
Please contact the Research team (research@LTScotland.org.uk) for copies of the full report.