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Planned projects

This page describes projects which Dr Tony Eaude currently has at the planning/ preparation stage.

Tony Eaude currently has several articles at various stages of planning and writing, including:

• one on the lessons to be learnt about young children's pedagogy from the primary tradition, provisionally called 'Diving for Pearls- the primary tradition revisited'
• one on the different meanings of the term spirituality, currently entitled 'Tangled Roots -exploring the relationship and nature.'
• one called 'Small steps -towards schools as moral communities.'
• one called 'Reflections on how young children develop a sense of beauty and should be guided in doing so.'
• one called 'Revisiting some half-forgotten ideas on children’s spirituality.'

Dr Tony Eaude is hoping to develop a major long term project on the nature of teacher expertise in the primary classroom, which will:

• be collaborative with contributions from different disciplines, within education and possibly beyond;

• have both a philosophical and an empirical element, drawing on evidence gathered from observation of, and discussion with, outstanding classroom teachers, and different research traditions, using this to set out the implications for policy and practice;

• show the complexity of the primary classteacher's task, with outcomes which are accessible, without being simplistic.

A summary of the initial thinking behind the project - and a more detailed paperis - is available from Tony Eaude. Of various avenues being explored, the most promising is a project considering how teachers with a high level of expertise approach teaching the humanities (history, geography and RE) in the primary classroom. He would be especially interested in hearing from other researchers who might wish to be involved.

If any researchers or funders wish to discuss any of these, with a view to discussing or developing a more detailed proposal, please contact Tony Eaude.

One of Tony Eaude's articles which he may revised is called

• 'Other Eyes' based on a small project at St Ebbe's Primary School, Oxford developing co-coaching with the use of video with a group of six teachers, including himself. This was jointly funded by SCETT (the Standing Committee for the Education and Training of Teachers) and the Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Foundation.

  Abstract: This article describes how six teachers in one primary school trialled the use of video evidence to support co-coaching. The distinctive elements of co-coaching are described. The practical and professional implications of observing and feeding back to encourage reciprocal learning, and using video to support this, are considered. It is suggested that co-coaching has considerable potential for enhancing teachers' awareness of how they teach and children respond and promoting professional confidence; and that using video can enhance the opportunities to observe and reflect on the often hidden detail of pedagogy. Concerns and difficulties are outlined to suggest the pre-conditions for this, notably involving only volunteers who agree, understand and follow basic groundrules including that of confidentiality and ensuring that video equipment is easy to use.

A second article is called

• 'Attachment and containment -lessons for mainstream schools and settings'.

  Abstract: The reasons why attachment theory has been so little used to help explain children's behaviour and responses in the mainstream school/setting are considered. The article argues that understanding the nature, and the effect, of deep-rooted models of emotional and behavioural response can help explain how children act and interact. The importance of seeing models of attachment as only one of many factors, including temperament and the social and cultural environment, is emphasised. The lack of containment (of anxiety) helps further to explain why many children, especially those with insecure patterns of attachment, behave in a withdrawn or aggressive manner. While emphasising the importance of expecting self-regulation of emotional responses and behaviour, it is argued that this needs to be supported, especially for vulnerable children, by relationships and an environment which help contain anxiety. This highlights the centrality of reciprocity and of adults being attuned to children's emotional state and being emotionally available.