A study in which competition was used to promote a desire to succeed academically in learners. The researchers also explored ways to contextualise this approach to different subject disciplines.
The focus was on investigating if it was possible to use competitive activities to generate any of the ‘Deep Thinking Skills’ identified as important by the Qualifications Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA)
80% of the learners felt that copying from the board helped them to learn better. A third still preferred the teacher to give them all the information, although most (95%) appreciated that finding things out for themselves helped them to become an independent learner. When discussing theory or practical activities, 70% both preferred practical and felt that it helped them learn more effectively. After completing tasks from the Conference all learners felt they had developed ‘Deep Thinking Skills'. The learners also felt that they had played a valuable part in an important event. Data was gathered from interviews/surveys.