Research project overview
The full research project aims to answer the following question:
How can teachers plan and introduce the topic of digital accessibility awareness in the Upper Key Stage 2 classroom context?
This will be answered by a series of sub-questions:
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What prior subject knowledge of digital accessibility awareness and teaching do teachers of Upper Key Stage 2 have to be able to teach the topic? (Initial online survey)
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What type of teaching resources and materials will be developed by teachers for digital accessibility awareness education at Upper Key Stage 2? (Lesson study)
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What is the individual development of teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to be able to deliver digital accessibility awareness education at Upper Key Stage 2? (Semi-structured interviews)
The research process
This project aims to work alongside teachers to pilot the teaching of digital accessibility awareness in the Upper Key Stage 2 school classroom.
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Phase 1: The project will start with an initial online survey. To many teachers the topic of digital accessibility awareness is unfamiliar so using a survey to gain some initial insight more broadly into teacher knowledge and experience will help when planning the teacher training component.
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Phase 2: Once the teacher training has been developed it will form the initial session within the lesson study research process.
Lesson study is about iteratively developing lessons, piloting their use in the classroom and refining them. This will help to develop learning materials and activities, as well as teacher knowledge and practice experience.
This part of the study will be more contextual to a minimum of three schools.
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Phase 3: Finally, teachers who participated in the lesson study process will be interviewed to reflect on their experience and identify the types of pedagogical knowledge and support they needed to be able to teach digital accessibility awareness.
This diagram outlines the research process:
Additional information
A more detailed outline of the research and the rationale behind the study can be found by reading the wider research study document (PDF).