Please find information below regarding the Government ‘Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research 2016’ survey. It is crucial that we ensure the survey achieves a good response rate again and your efforts to promote the survey will be central to this.
The timings are tight, as the main survey fieldwork is due to begin on the 8th February. The SSTA has been asked to disseminate this amongst its members. The SSTA is anxious that members cooperate as it could be useful in addressing behaviour issues in school.
Behaviour in Scottish Schools
Ipsos MORI Scotland has been commissioned by the Scottish Government to conduct the latest wave of Behaviour in Schools Research. The research is crucial as it will allow the Scottish Government and Education Scotland to review current policy and inform future support in the area of relationships and behaviour, which is fundamental to the school experiences of both pupils and staff. The last wave of the research in 2012 led directly to the publication of new policy guidance in the leaflet ‘Better Relationships, Better Learning, Better Behaviour’. The survey fieldwork will run February-March 2016.
Building positive relationships and behaviour in the classroom is essential to the successful delivery of Curriculum for Excellence and the implementation of Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) and will help improve outcomes for children and young people. In addition, relationships and behaviour within the school have a significant impact on the working lives of teachers and support staff. This research will be your chance to tell the Scottish Government about the reality of pupil behaviour in school, whether different approaches used to promote positive relationships and manage behaviour are working and whether you receive enough support in this area.
This important research is supported by the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) which includes the Scottish Government, COSLA, Education Scotland and all of the teaching unions. The challenges of working in education have been borne in mind in the design of the survey and every step has been taken to try and limit the burden on staff.
The head teacher and teacher surveys should take around 20-30 minutes to complete, and the support staff survey should take around 10-20 minutes. The results will be completely anonymous. No individual will be identifiable to the Scottish Government or in any published outputs.
A representative sample of teachers and support staff from schools across Scotland will be invited to take part in the survey which will cover their experiences of behaviour and relationship in their schools, the impact of different types of behaviour and how staff promote positive and manage negative behaviour. If you are invited to participate the SSTA would urge you to complete the survey to ensure the quality of the data and to allow you to give your opinion on such an important subject.