Choice, Agency, and the "Year 9 Slump"
How One Trainee Teacher Transformed Classroom Engagement
As we reach the end of another academic year - it just seems like a great opportunity to reflect on our work with post graduate trainee teachers from the University of Bedfordshire’s Secondary PGCE programme.
🔗 Read our earlier blog post about this collaboration
In the midst of all they needed to cover - it was great to see that what we offered in terms of providing a space to think about ‘learner voice’ was of real value.
In a conversation with one of the successful Bronze Ambassadors - Gabrielle Phillips she shared just how transformative the experience was for her emerging professional identity:
"It kind of just fitted very well into the course... it was very well integrated. I found it really helpful especially in placement just understanding how to give that ownership and how to improve students' confidence within the classrooms making them feel comfortable. It’s really helped shape my overall teacher persona within the classroom and how I communicate with the children because it offers you a different perspective that you don’t always get when you’re in university looking at the pedagogy of everything."
The Power of Learner Agency in Action
Gabrielle didn't just absorb the LEARN 2050® concepts; she activated them. For her PGCE research project, she designed a choice-led intervention for a challenging Year 9 history class. Moving away from rigid, direct instruction, she provided students with options tailored to their needs—such as creating timelines or newspaper reports.
The results showed the Power of Learner Agency:
Total Transformation: The classroom environment underwent a complete "day and night" shift in engagement.
Broader Participation: Instead of the same 12 students dominating, an average of 15 different students actively contributed every single lesson.
Measurable Progress: Over 73% of the students achieved a larger improvement on their post-knowledge checks by at least two marks under the intervention.
[Image] Infographic of PGCE Research by Gabrielle Phillips (University of Bedfordshire)
Shifting the Educational Persona
The true success of the Bronze programme for Gabrielle was in shaping her relationship with learners.. By finding the space to recognise and engage with their individual motivations and giving them the choice to take more control of their learning she was able to unlock greater participation and engagement.
As Gabrielle beautifully summarized:
"It massively improves your relationship with the students... it makes them feel more respected and like they have a place in the classroom instead of instead of that they are just being taught. It’s like they have a role and they have a purpose in the direction of their own education... I would really encourage anyone to take the opportunity to interact with the course because it kind of does completely change your perspective on teaching."
Gabrielle's journey proves that when we equip educators to look at children as whole, we build communities that can more effectively adapt and thrive.
✨ A special thank you to Mieka Harris - PGCE Secondary Coordinator for all her help in delivering this opportunity.
🎧 Listen to the podcast to find out more about Gabrielle’s experience.
➡️ Contact us to find out more about Learning Allowed® 🟠 Bronze Ambassador Programme to support university students.
