Learning and Teaching Scotland Stakeholder Review 2007
Research method
To fulfil the research objectives, Ipsos MORI developed a two-stage methodology. A small number of stakeholders first took part in qualitative in-depth interviews, which investigated perceptions of Learning and Teaching Scotland. The findings from these interviews were then used to inform the development of the second phase of the research, a quantitative stakeholder survey. The survey was delivered using telephone interviews for all stakeholder groups apart from student teachers, who answered the same questions online. In total, 325 stakeholders completed the telephone survey and 64 student teachers completed the online survey.Key findings
Just over half of the stakeholders surveyed had experienced some form of contact with Learning and Teaching Scotland at least every two to three months. The level of contact varied by stakeholder group.
Stakeholders’ contact with Learning and Teaching Scotland takes a number of forms, with the LTS Online Service accessed by 94% of respondents and LTS events attended by 65% of respondents. Lower proportions of respondents had subscribed to LTS e-bulletins (44%) or the Education News service (27%).
Only one in ten stakeholders reported having less than a fair understanding of Learning and Teaching Scotland’s objectives and key priorities.
The majority of stakeholders were satisfied with Learning and Teaching Scotland’s activities over the 12 months preceding the survey.
Overall, stakeholders felt that Learning and Teaching Scotland had had a positive impact on Scottish education. There were differences in perceptions of LTS’s impact across stakeholder groups, however, with a quarter of partners feeling that LTS had a significant positive impact, compared to almost two thirds of end users.
Stakeholders felt that they were kept informed about Learning and Teaching Scotland’s activities. The majority of stakeholders get most of their information about LTS through its Online Service.
Two thirds of stakeholders reported that they would be likely to speak highly of Learning and Teaching Scotland either without being asked or when asked by others. Those stakeholders with a good understanding of Learning and Teaching Scotland’s objectives and priorities are more likely to speak highly of the organisation.
The majority of stakeholders were satisfied with each of Learning and Teaching Scotland’s core services, with 81% of stakeholders satisfied with Curriculum for Excellence and 78% satisfied with the development of resources to support the curriculum. A third of stakeholders reported being dissatisfied with Glow.
Conclusions and recommendations
The majority of Learning and Teaching Scotland’s stakeholders feel it has made a positive impact on Scottish education, including half who say it has made a 'major' or 'significant' impact.
Views of Learning and Teaching Scotland are more closely related to knowledge of its objectives and priorities than to frequency or type of contact. For instance, partners are less likely than other stakeholder groups to say they have a good understanding of LTS’s objectives and priorities.
Curriculum for Excellence is the area where Learning and Teaching Scotland is felt to have made the greatest positive impact, while Glow is felt to be the LTS activity that has had the least positive impact on Scottish education.
Although satisfaction with Learning and Teaching Scotland’s activities is high, there is significant dissatisfaction with LTS’s activities in encouraging and supporting continuing professional development (CPD) among respondents. The sharing of good practice is the method that respondents felt was most effective at encouraging CPD.
Most stakeholders feel that they are kept at least fairly well informed by Learning and Teaching Scotland about its activities.
There is criticism of the extent to which Learning and Teaching Scotland has direct contact with teachers and schools. End users and student teachers are key stakeholders and engagement with these groups should be improved. For instance, end users do not necessarily expect personal contact with LTS staff. However, many have never attended the Scottish Learning Festival or signed up to an e-bulletin.
Online resources should be supported by face-to-face contact, through the Area Advisers, opportunities to meet other members of LTS staff and conferences.
More could be done to inform stakeholders about Learning and Teaching Scotland’s objectives and priorities, which would be likely to improve levels of engagement among all stakeholder groups.
Full report
Please contact the Research team (research@LTScotland.org.uk) for copies of the full report.