Students at the front: using performance indicators for professional development

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Abstract
A performance indicator system, the A‐level Information System (ALIS), was used as a basis for an action research project. Teachers identified a teaching technique which had appeared in the ALIS data to be little used and yet associated with good outcomes, both cognitive and affective. The teaching technique consisted of having students present work to the rest of the class, i.e. ‘student presentations’. Teachers deliberately introduced some student presentations into their lessons at intervals during a six‐week period. The students rated their lessons on weekly questionnaires using semantic differentials. There was clear evidence for the positive influence of student presentations on some of the affective measures. One of these measures (stimulating vs tedious) showed a positive effect across all teaching groups, no matter what the nature of the presentations. These findings are discussed in relation to evidence provided by the participating teachers, as well as from other research. Whilst the study provides partial evidence for positive effects from the use of student presentations, it is perhaps of more importance when seen as an illustration of how data from a system of Performance Indicators can be used as a basis for professional development. The use of ‘process indicators’ in this way is close to the kind of activity which is envisaged in ‘total quality’ systems, representing a ‘quality circle’ using data to improve the system.