Action Research in Boys' Schools
In February, 2005 the IBSC launched Action Research in Boys' Schools, an expression of our mission to promote the collaboration of educators in member schools from around the world. Since then, eight action research teams have completed projects, and reported their findings at IBSC annual conferences in South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Whether alone or part of a team, educators who engage in action research identify and ask questions about an area of practice, find out what's known about it, modify or design a strategy, figure out how to measure its impact, and assess how well it has worked, and with what results. It is "research" on the front-line of teaching, and "action" that contributes to ongoing improvement in practice.
Put just a little more formally by expert Geoffrey Mills in Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher (2nd edition):
Action research is any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher researchers, principals, school counsellors, or other stakeholders in the teaching/learning environment to gather information about how their particular schools operate, how they teach, and how well their students learn. This information is gathered with the goals of gaining insight, developing reflective practice, effecting positive changes in the school environment (and on educational practice in general), and improving student outcomes and the lives of those involved. (5)
Teaching and organisational practice that works especially well for boys is at the heart of the mission of boys' schools. Building that repertoire of wisdom and expertise is very much the mission of the IBSC. Action Research in Boys' Schools helps to identify and generate informed reflection and discussion about these practices – and hopefully inspires other educators in the IBSC community.
And uniquely, we believe, Action Research in Boys' Schools brings together teams of educators from all over the world. Its success is striking vindication of the international dimension of the IBSC, and eloquent proof that educators from all our global regions can collaborate and learn from one another – enriching both their professional lives and the quality of education for their students.
Those interested in the projects completed to date can read their reports below. The IBSC especially encourages teachers to consider action research in their own work and professional development. Those seeking more information and direction are encouraged to consult the following publication prepared by IBSC Action Research coordinators Di Laycock and Margot Long:
Application Process for the 2013–14 Action Research Project
The topic for the 2013‐14 cycle of IBSC Action Research is: Boys and Character Education. Please consult Action Research 2013–14 Information Sheet for full details about this exciting topic.
The deadline for application will close on December 1.
Current & Past Action Research Projects
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Action Research in Boys' Schools, 2011–12
Team members convened for the first time before the 18th annual conference in London, and reported their findings at the 19th annual conference in Melbourne, July, 2012. The complete report is available by clicking the link below.
(This file is reduced in size for quicker download. For larger file, contact office@theibsc.org.)
The eight action research reports presented here represent an extension of previous research undertaken on behalf of the IBSC by Michael Reichert and Richard Hawley. In their report to the IBSC, Teaching Boys: A Global Study of Effective Practices (2009), and subsequent publication, Reaching Boys, Teaching Boys: Strategies that Work – and Why (2010), Reichert and Hawley debunk the myth that boys are resistant to schooling. Their large-scale, worldwide study of boys and their teachers emphatically reveals that boys want to succeed at school, and that a significant part of leading them to such success is the forging of positive student-teacher relationships. To complement their findings, Reichert and Hawley provide teachers with a comprehensive toolkit of strategies that work effectively with boys. It is a selection of these strategies that the 2011–2012 IBSC action researchers investigated, implemented and evaluated within their own classrooms, under the research theme, Teaching boys at the coal face: Mining key pedagogical approaches.
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Action Research in Boys' Schools, 2010–11
The 2010–11 action research teams have completed work on the following research topics, and presented their findings at the 18th Annual Conference in London in July, 2011. The complete reports are in the editing room and will be published and posted online as soon as printed publication is complete.
- How can boys' engagement and achievement in the study of Foreign Languages be developed and enhanced?
- How can we create and deepen meaningful and authentic leadership opportunities for boys in our schools?
- How can school library programmes and initiatives support and enhance boys' enthusiasm for and success in reading?
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Action Research in Boys' Schools, 2009–10
Ready, Willing, and Able: Boys and Writing, Volume I [download pdf] 
Members of the fifth cycle of the IBSC Action Research programme addressed the question: How can we help boys become prolific, powerful and confident writers? A team of 22 teachers from Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada, South Africa, the UK and the US worked on a variety of exciting projects during 2009–10.
A number of clear themes are evident in the two volumes of Ready, Willing, and Able: Boys and Writing. The first theme focused on the ways in which Web 2.0 applications such as wikis, discussion boards and blogs can change the way boys feel about writing tasks. A second theme highlighted the importance of audience and feedback for boy writers. The third theme relates to the use of a variety of prompts and stimuli to encourage boys to write, whilst the final area of focus examined the value of collaborative projects in engaging boys in the writing process.
These reports are a treasure-trove of ideas for motivating boy writers, and a celebration of the unique power of action research to generate reflection and change in teaching practice – to the betterment of boys’ education everywhere.
Ready, Willing, and Able: Boys and Writing, Volume II [download pdf]
Members of the fifth cycle of the IBSC Action Research programme addressed the question: How can we help boys become prolific, powerful and confident writers? A team of 22 teachers from Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada, South Africa, the UK and the US worked on a variety of exciting projects during 2009–10.
A number of clear themes are evident in the two volumes of Ready, Willing, and Able: Boys and Writing. The first theme focused on the ways in which Web 2.0 applications such as wikis, discussion boards and blogs can change the way boys feel about writing tasks. A second theme highlighted the importance of audience and feedback for boy writers. The third theme relates to the use of a variety of prompts and stimuli to encourage boys to write, whilst the final area of focus examined the value of collaborative projects in engaging boys in the writing process.
These reports are a treasure-trove of ideas for motivating boy writers, and a celebration of the unique power of action research to generate reflection and change in teaching practice – to the betterment of boys’ education everywhere
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Action Research in Boys' Schools, 2008–09
Journeys into Masculinity:
[download pdf]
The fourth action research team commenced its work on the research question, How can texts be used to extend boys' understanding of masculinities?, and reported at the 16th annual conference in New Zealand in July, 2009. Journeys into Masculinities, the collection of reports, was recently published and is available now.
The reports offer deep insights into the challenges that face boys on their journey into manhood and illustrate the great opportunities that boys’ schools have to assist them in coming to grips with complex and sensitive constructs such as masculinity.
The findings also highlight the vital role that boys’ schools can play in providing safe environments in which boys’ voices are recognised and respected. As one boy wrote: “Masculinity is not about the occupation someone has or the hobbies they participate in. Masculinity is about the hard decisions one has to make and whether or not they believe what they chose was right.”
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Action Research in Boys' Schools, 2007–08
Positive Relationships, Positive Learning
[download pdf]
This collection of reports is the culmination of the creative and inspired work of five educators in the IBSC action research programme for 2007–08. They met at the 14th annual IBSC conference at The Roxbury Latin School, worked on their projects during the year, and presented their findings at the 15th annual IBSC conference in Toronto.
Positive Relationships, Positive Learning is grounded in two principles. Boys learn best in empathy-rich classrooms. And nurturing boys’ social-emotional competency is central to our mission as schools for boys.
The reports explore peer leadership and mentoring initiatives, programmes that promote healthy relationships, and exercises that “engage the empathy muscle for a workout”, in the words of one contributor. Whether on a small or large scale, the projects described here are intriguing and inspiring. These are also vivid stories of the step-by-step process of action research, a brand of inquiry that remains at the cutting edge of educational practice. For front-line teachers and school leaders alike, the journeys recounted here provide compelling testimony of the power of action research to spark professional growth and school change.
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Action Research in Boys' Schools, 2006–07
Boys and Digital Literacy
In the second cycle of the project, the action research team embarked on the investigation of the research question: "How can we improve our teaching of boys by identifying and using specific aspects of digital technology to engage boys in learning?" During the year of the year of investigation, team members explored – often with other teachers in their schools – the use of a variety of digital tools and software that have the potential to boost student collaboration, organisation and engagement with learning. Their findings were reported at the 14th annual IBSC conference in Boston.
2006–07 Action Research findings.
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Action Research in Boys' Schools, 2005–06
Boys and Reading
The topic of inquiry was chosen for the inaugural project because of the widespread concern that many boys are disengaged from reading, and less competent in mastering the skills of literacy, often with significant consequences for their achievement. Boys' schools are uniquely positioned to focus on curriculum, approaches and pedagogy that promote their engagement with literate tasks and outcomes.
2005–06 Action Research findings.
