AJW asked 'What evidence do I have that I have influenced the learning of anyone, including myself?'
Institutional level
I have had an influence on learning in the school where I am head teacher. The school underwent two inspections in little more than two years. Marked improvements were noted in the second inspection report.
The first inspection was in January 2001. The inspection report indicated there were significant shortcomings, and the school was declared to be 'underachieving'. Substantial key issues were declared, relating to the quality of teaching in upper Key Stage 2, the standards of attainment in upper Key Stage 2, provision for curriculum ICT, monitoring procedures and the use of assessment information.
In February 2003, when the school was re-inspected, very good improvement was noted. The inspection report stated that all key issues from 2001 had been addressed and the school was judged to be doing well.
The evidence
The contrasting judgements of the two reports support my claim to have influenced learning. The teams of inspectors would not have reached their markedly different conclusions about the health of the school if the quality of children's learning had not improved.
Summary
of inspection report 2001
Summary
of inspection report 2003
The influence
I played a significant part in directing and sustaining the improvements noted by the inspectors in 2003. I was not, of course, directly responsible for the enhanced learning of the children: only their teachers could take the credit for this.
My influence on the institution, and thus indirectly on learning, was effected by:
- Appointing new teachers
- Reviewing, with colleagues, the school's Teaching and Learning Policy and influencing teachers' teaching styles through it
- Reviewing, with colleagues, the school's Assessment Policy and ensuring implementation of agreed procedures
- Arranging training in the appropriate use of computers and updating hardware and software as necessary
- Introducing a Quality Framework, integrating the processes of development planning, performance management and self-evaluation
- Sustaining a positive climate in which improvements were expected
- Sharing teaching in Key Stage 2.
Individual level
I helped my son learn when he sought help with a homework task. Samuel (10) was required to complete ten questions as below:
"Copy the four numbers into the boxes, to make a fraction equivalent to a decimal."
e.g.
The question above was completed unaided, using the example given on the worksheet. The remainder of the questions were initially too difficult.
After approximately twenty minutes all questions were answered correctly , including the final two which proved hardest (because they did not follow the pattern established in earlier questions).
The evidence
Evidence of improvement lies principally in the completed questions themselves, but also in fruitful discussions and informal jottings:
e.g. 
The influence
My first task was to help Samuel believe that he could succeed. He was quick to reply that he didn't know what to do, or shrug his shoulders, when faced with my opening questions. I was frustrated that he answered in this way to questions I thought he should be able answer so had to consciously elect to stay patient.
I offered an opening trial-and-error type solution for the first question. Not having answered the questions in advance I quickly realised that my first effort was not a particularly good way to tackle the question, but it led to a solution. Samuel was involved from the beginning, but mostly passively, answering my closed questions.
Better ways of tackling the problems evolved in our discussions (led strongly by my own growing insight into the questions). The questions followed a strong pattern (the denominators were necessarily 5 in most cases - I pointed this out and explained why) so Samuel was able to proceed. I felt happy to steer him towards more efficient methods as it meant that he experienced fewer setbacks: this boosted his confidence. Initially he had to concentrate on individual steps in the solution, some of which required explanation (e.g. 5/5 = 1), but these processes became noticeably faster and, later, automatic or even omitted. Throughout, we held a running conversation about what we were doing, interspersed with numerous questions from me. I offered less and less assistance and he became comfortable with a strategy that promised success each time.
The last two questions (above) broke the pattern established in earlier solutions. Samuel was now able to begin unaided and did so, trying to replicate earlier successes by using an identical approach. This failed to give the correct solution. I did not intervene. When the answer was seen to be wrong he was able to begin again with an alternative guess: he was willing to do this without being downcast. He did not estimate the answer to judge if the guess was likely to succeed but simply applied the strategy a second time. It failed again, but his third attempt was successful. This process was repeated for the final question.
Personal level
For several years I have been slowly reading Martin Heidegger's 'Being and Time'. I find this text very hard to understand, but have persevered. To help me make sense of this difficult work I have made cumulative notes, section by section.
The evidence
The evidence that I have learnt something is my collection of notes. Each new section of 'Being and Time' is, without exception, impenetrable at first reading. It takes me a good deal of re-reading, and study of published commentaries, to make the text make sense. When it does, the notes that I make for that section are my way of highlighting the important themes and holding on to them. The fact that I can write the notes demonstrates to me that I have understood each section.
Notes on Heidegger's 'Being and Time'
The influence
The idea of influencing my own learning is a curious one: there seems to be an intriguing view of self implied. However, I can certainly say that I am responsible for my own learning and it has undeniably been my self-made task to learn what Heidegger had to say about the world.
If I hope to explain how I have made my own learning possible I have to resort to explanations that appeal to my motivation. There is no external requirement for me to learn this material at all and if I were to stop doing so there would be no repercussions. In addition, I gain no obvious benefit from struggling with the text, certainly no practical insights or skills that could be called useful. So this learning is clearly undertaken 'for its own sake', for 'selfish' reasons. 'Selfish' is an accurate label since I learn with the development of my own self in view. My self-image incorporates the possibility that I could gain a better understanding of the nature of the world so I work to bring this about. Or perhaps it's simpler, and equally accurate, to say simply that I find that I want to know what there really is in the world.
