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PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN PROGRAMME: 2002-2004
EVALUATION REPORT
4 QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES
The questionnaire ( Appendix D), based on the SEED 'framework' document was issued to all schools some 15 months into the project. The 31 double items asked respondents to
a) rate the strength of each feature in their PLP project; and
b) rate its importance for PLP development.
Generally, response across all respondent groups to the questionnaire was positive. It should be noted that the analysis provided is relative - highest and lowest responses are separated and ranked. In the case of this questionnaire, even most negatively rated items tend to fall in the upper half of the scale. The most favourable answers on average relate to items within the theme 'impact on pupil attitudes and skills' with individual items concerning target setting and review, self-evaluation and the building of better relationships between home and school, and within school.
The ten highest ranking individual items are listed below.
ID | STRONGEST FEATURES | Score |
18 | Personal Learning Plans include targets for achievement | 3.75 |
10 | The PLP process ensures that pupils' new learning builds upon prior learning | 3.65 |
5 | The PLP process improves relationships between teachers and pupils | 3.56 |
24 | Pupils are regularly involved in joint review of progress and target setting | 3.56 |
15 | The PLP process develops pupils' responsibility for learning | 3.52 |
14 | The PLP process enhances pupils' self-esteem | 3.50 |
23 | The PLP process has a planning and progress record, recognising achievement in relation to targets | 3.50 |
27 | The PLP process provides pupils with a statement of expected outcomes of learning | 3.50 |
1 | In the PLP process pupils evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses | 3.44 |
8 | The PLP process creates partnership amongst professionals and parents/carers | 3.42 |
n = 52
Several of the least favourable responses relate to the effectiveness of the PLP process in taking account of the whole person. It is noticeable that the item 'The PLP process improves pupil attainment' features amongst the 10 least favourably rated items. These are listed below.
ID | WEAKEST FEATURES | Score |
30 | PLPs involve pupils in negotiating their personal learning targets for activities outwith the school | 2.27 |
16 | The PLP process informs decision-making about resources | 2.35 |
21 | The PLP process effectively incorporates information and communication technologies | 2.50 |
19 | Personal Learning Plans include a health programme or health action plan | 2.63 |
12 | The PLP process contributes to the health and well-being of pupils | 2.67 |
26 | Effective learning is supported by pupil information about their health, social and other needs | 2.67 |
7 | The PLP process creates partnership amongst professionals involved in a child's learning /development | 2.77 |
31 | The PLP process is a support for transition across sectors (e.g. primary to secondary) | 2.83 |
11 | The PLP process takes account of pupils' broadest development needs | 2.88 |
9 | The PLP process improves pupil attainment | 2.94 |
n = 52
In terms of professional views of the importance of particular aspects of PLPs, there was correspondence between these and the features seen as strongest in current practice. The item 'Personal Learning Plans include targets for achievement' was most highly rated for both 'strength' and 'importance.'
ID | MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES | Score |
18 | Personal Learning Plans include targets for achievement | 3.88 |
1 | In the PLP process pupils evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses | 3.85 |
24 | Pupils are regularly involved in joint review of progress and target setting | 3.85 |
15 | The PLP process develops pupils' responsibility for learning | 3.83 |
14 | The PLP process enhances pupils' self-esteem | 3.81 |
8 | The PLP process creates partnership amongst professionals and parents/carers | 3.77 |
10 | The PLP process ensures that pupils' new learning builds upon prior learning | 3.77 |
23 | The PLP process has a planning and progress record, recognising achievement in relation to targets | 3.73 |
27 | The PLP process provides pupils with a statement of expected outcomes of learning | 3.73 |
5 | The PLP process improves relationships between teachers and pupils | 3.71 |
Likewise, the there is congruence between the ten features perceived to be weakest in practice and those ten that are considered to be of least importance for the development of personal learning plans.
ID | LEAST IMPORTANT FEATURES | Score |
16 | The PLP process informs decision-making about resources | 2.48 |
30 | PLPs involve pupils in negotiating their personal learning targets for activities outwith the school | 2.58 |
21 | The PLP process effectively incorporates information and communication technologies | 2.92 |
19 | Personal Learning Plans include a health programme or health action plan | 3.00 |
11 | The PLP process takes account of pupils' broadest development needs | 3.04 |
12 | The PLP process contributes to the health and well-being of pupils | 3.21 |
31 | The PLP process is a support for transition across sectors (e.g. primary to secondary) | 3.21 |
26 | Effective learning is supported by pupil information about their health, social and other needs | 3.23 |
7 | The PLP process creates partnership amongst professionals involved in a child's learning /development | 3.25 |
22 | The PLP process ensures confidentiality among agreed partners | 3.27 |
Local Authority Coordinators tended to be most positive in their responses with the very small number of secondary school respondents (4) being the least positive. Across the different groups of respondents there is a fair degree of overlap in the rankings of items, with the exception of the nursery sector. In this sector, several items relating to the broader aims of PLP featured as strengths, whereas in other sectors some occurred in the lists of less favorably rated items:
11 | The PLP process takes account of pupils' broadest development needs |
22 | The PLP process ensures confidentiality among agreed partners |
26 | Effective learning is supported by pupil information about their health, social and other needs |
31 | The PLP process is a support for transition across sectors (e.g. primary to secondary) |
6 | The PLP process is a support for transition from class to class |
25 | The PLP process supports learning and achievement both in and outwith school |
When analysis is done thematically, rather than item by item, for the whole group of respondents, the following list of ratings emerges, ranked in descending order:
- Coverage and content of PLPs (four items)
- Impact on pupil attitudes and skills (seven items)
- Pupil self-evaluation and target-setting (five items)
- Professional and personal partnerships (six items)
- The PLP process (four items)
- Continuity and transition (two items)
- Taking account of the whole person (three items)
While this type of analysis remains a somewhat impressionistic process, it is interesting to note the considerable degree of correspondence between this collation and the case study evidence. In Phase 1, the perceived strengths of the PLP exercise relate to curriculum-based aspects and the immediate effect of the PLP process on pupils' associated skills. The weaker elements relate to the quality of the process itself in addressing continuity from stage to stage and the capacity of current models to take account of the broadest definitions of personal development.
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