Biography
Marilyn Leask is well known for her work on knowledge management in education and in building the evidence and knowledge base for teacher education and classroom practice.
Her current work includes developing national and international models for scaling up promising small scale research.
Her specialist areas are teacher education, change, improvement and development across large systems particularly through online networking and knowledge sharing, the development of approaches supporting evidence-informed policy and practice, and the use of ICT in education.
She has worked as a teacher, researcher and manager in secondary schools, local authorities, universities and two national agencies - The Training and Development Agency for schools where as Head of Effective Practices she brought together subject associations and colleagues across the education sector to establish the Teacher Training Resource Bank (http://www.ttrb.ac.uk ) and the associated subject resource networks, and the Improvement and Development Agency for local government where as Head of Knowledge and Learning she set up online communities for local government using web 2.0 technology (http://www.communities.idea.gov.uk ) She was instrumental in establishing Teachernet (http://www.teachernet.gov.uk ) and the European SchoolNet (http://www.eun.org.uk )
She is co-editor of the Learning to Teach in the Secondary School series of text books which are widely used for teacher training and which cover all subjects. The fifth edition was published in 2009. She has led research projects in a number of countries as well as within the UK.
At Brunel, she is leading the Pedagogy, Professional Development and Policy Research Group which includes teams working on Identities, Models of Teacher Education and Pathways to Learning as well as the use of ICT to support professional development and learning.
With Christina Preston, she has been working with practitioners to develop a new research and evaluation methodology, the PIMMS approach – practitioners and researchers working in a community of practice and using innovative 21C multidimensional mind-mapping as well standard techniques for ideas sharing, research and evaluation. See the publications below for more details.
Examples of her current and recent research projects include:
- Working with Sonia Blandford, Teach First and Christina Preston, Mirandanet on new models for CPD using the power of digital communication technologies – the Society 21 approach – Networking to shape thinking and Practice. Society21:The Vision
- Pathways to Learning – this project is focused on new ways of using ICT to provide access to evidence-based knowledge around issues that teachers face in their daily work. A team of staff and MA, EdD and PhD students is working on this project developing proof of concept materials for Science, SEN and Teacher Education.
- ICT for Future Teachers – this Becta project is concerned with questions about effective digital tools and resources and teachers visions of how ICT could help in the future. Several Futures workshops have been held with teachers to create the vision for the future.
- CPD Leadership in 21st Society – this work, funded by the TDA focuses on identifying the knowledge leaders of CPD in schools need to lead CPD in the school. The focus is very much on the effective use of ICT for knowledge sharing across the sector.
- Reviewing and developing the SEN portal (http://www.sen.ttrb.ac.uk ) June-December 2009: outcomes: 10 technical reports and a briefing leaflet for trainee teachers.
- Evidence informed practice and levers for change.
- TTRB Project: Joint TDA/Microsoft Project - Developing an E-Librarian to answer teachers questions about research underpinning practice.
You can follow the work I am doing on http://twitter.com/MarilynLeask
Collaboration with Industry:
I have for many years benefited from close collaboration with industry partners in exploring how technology might be used to support professional learning. Partners have included: Research Machines, Microsoft, Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Cisco systems, ICI/Fujitsu, Acorn computers.
Research Impact:
Marilyn’s research on knowledge management, mechanisms for leveraging national change in professional practice and the harnessing the power of technologies to support improvement of professional practice across the whole of national public sectors has been used to underpin the following developments:
- The Teacher Training Resource Bank www.ttrb.ac.uk was conceptualised, developed and implemented by Marilyn in her role at the government agency, the Training and Development Agency for schools and the continuance of this initiative is named in the TDA remit letter from the DCSF as one area of work they are required to continue. The resource supports the work of one million employees.
- The online communities of practice for local government www.communities.idea.gov.uk initiative has won two awards and provides knowledge management tools for the whole of local government – 1.24 million workers.
The research around adopting knowledge management practices to the web in order to bring about national change which underpins this work was funded by the EU, the GTCE, the DCSF, SSAT, DFID, Oracle Corporation, Sun Microsystems, ICL Fujitsu, Acorn computers . Her ongoing research is this area has been funded more recently by Becta and the TDA.
The core text book she edits for teacher training, now into its fifth edition, which was based on research into the knowledge base underpinning teacher training, has sold over 90,000 copies and there are twenty or more associated text books with many tens of thousands of more copies sold.
Board memberships
2009 – Invited Member of the Advisory Board meeting for the FutureLab Map of Innovations project
2008 – appointed member of the Editorial Commissioning Advisory Board, Teacher Training Resource Bank www.ttrb.ac.uk
2007 – invited member of the 21st Century Learning Alliance – a partnership between industry, education and government agencies (chair: Tim Brighouse)
2002/3 member DCSF Sustainability group (chair: Rt Hon Charles Clark)
Membership of Professional Organisations, National Panels and Steering Groups
2008 Member of Editorial and Commissioning Board, Teacher Training Resource Bank (www.ttrb.ac.uk )
2004 - 2008 Member of Education Panel Research Assessment Exercise (UK RAE 2008)
2007-08 member Social Care Institute of Excellence Knowledge Management panel.
2005-06 Judge National Teaching Awards
2005 – ongoing: member of the editorial board of JORSEN, the journal for special educational needs.
2005 – 2008: member of the editorial panel of Educational Research
2002 -06 Cross-Agency Research Liaison Group member with selected government agencies GTCE, QCA, NCSL, QCA, GTCE, BECTA: invited member
At the TDA, Marilyn led and managed national steering groups for projects such as:
2004 - 06: Teacher Training Resource Bank
2002 -06: Diversity project – Multiverse
Selected Presentations
2010 April Australian Computers in education conference: Melbourne : Being Observed or Being involved: PPIMMS - an innovative approach to educational research - with Christina Preston
2010 March-April Society for IT in Teacher Education, San Diego, California. O brave new world: the roles of researchers, assessors and evaluators in web based communities of practice - with Christina Preston
2010 Digital technologies and new ways of working? Challenging custom and practice Presentation to Research Branch | Education Policy and Research Division, Government of Victoria, Australia. - with Christina Preston
2008 10 October: Guest speaker Learning & Sharing Knowledge Online at the MetaKnowledge Mash-up 2.0 Making & Organising Knowledge in communities British computer Society KIDMM Group.
2008 25 September 2008: Guest speaker Examining, Implementing, Managing collaborative tools such as social software, particularly via online communities of practice KM for the Public Sector Conference, Ark Group.
2008 A challenge or an opportunity for the academic world? Emerging models of knowledge creation & transfer through the online Communities of Practice for local government BERA, Edinburgh.
2005 Expert Panel with OECD & DFES staff -EPPI Conference on research & evidence informed policy & practice.
2004 November invited presentation to DFES Research Conference & seminars on research & evidence informed practice
2004 10 July Regenerating the teaching workforce UK contribution to International Symposia, Australian Teacher Education Association, June 2004, Bathurst, NSW.
2004 6 May Building the evidence base for educational practice: our respective responsibilities Universities Council for the Education of Teachers, Research Committee.
2003-2004: numerous presentations to government representatives about evidence based policy & practice & the operation of the Teacher Training Agency. Countries included: Australia, Botswana, Canada, China, Russia, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, Russia, Malaysia.
2003 BERA: three presentations on different aspects of evidence based practice, the development & embedding of professional knowledge.
2002 Invited Guest: presentations at all Teacher Education colleges in New Zealand about evidence based practice in teacher education
Selected Publications
As well as the texts listed below, Marilyn is series editor for the Routledge Learning to Teach in the Secondary School series of texts. She developed these with colleagues when in the early 1990s she found that texts documenting the knowledge, concept and skill base which student teachers were required to master did not exist. These texts, a series of around 30 which cover the major curriculum areas are regularly revised and are very widely used. Plans for a supplementary series of practical texts are underway with contributors from many teacher educators around the country.
Texts
ZWOZDIAK-MYERS,P., CAMERON,K., MUSTARD,C.,LEASK,M., GREEN,A (2009) Literature review: analysis of current research, theory and practice in partnership working to identify constituent components of effective ITT partnerships, Brunel University for the TDA
CAPEL, S., LEASK, M. and TURNER, T. (in press) Readings for Learning to Teach London: RoutledgeFalmer
YOUNIE, S., CAPEL, S. and LEASK M (2009) Supporting Teaching and Learning in the Secondary School: a companion for higher level teaching assistants’. London. Routledge.
CAPEL, S., LEASK, M. and TURNER, T. (5th edition). Learning to Teach in the Secondary School. London: Routledge.
LEASK, M. and PACHLER, N. (eds)( 2nd edition 2005). Teaching and Learning with ICT in the Secondary School. London: Routledge.
CAPEL, S., LEASK, M. and TURNER, T. (2nd edition 2004). Starting to Teach in the Secondary School. London: Routledge.
LEASK, M. (ed.) (2001) Issues in Teaching with ICT. London: Routledge.
LEASK, M. with DAWES, L. and LITCHFIELD, B. (2000) Keybytes for Teachers Evesham: Summerfield Publishing.
LEASK, M. and MEADOWS, J. (eds). (2000) Learning to Teach with ICT in the Primary School. London: Routledge.
LEASK, M. and TERRELL, I. (1997). Development Planning and School Improvement for Middle Managers. London: Kogan Page.
GODDARD, D. and LEASK, M. (1992). The Search for Quality: Planning for Improvement and Managing Change. London: Paul Chapman Publishing/Sage Publications.
Articles in Journals & Chapters in Texts
Leask, M. (in press) Improving the Professional Knowledge base: using Knowledge Management and Web 2.0 tools. Journal for Policy Futures (Article, Figure 1, Figure 2)
2009 Leask, M. with Blandford, S and Preston C. (2009) Draft paper: R U up 4 this? A proposal for developing practitioner knowledge from Achievement for All using 21stC ICT professional tools, Brunel University. This paper takes further the PIMMS methodology which is a development of the teacher-researcher approach developed Stenhouse,L.（1975）. An Introduction to Curriculum. Research and Development. Lodon: Methuen.
Preston, C. with Leask, M. and Blandford S. (submitted) O Brave New World’: the roles of researchers, assessors and evaluators in web-based communities of practice for teachers. Society for IT in Education 2010 conference proceedings. This paper includes the definition of the PIMMS methodology
(2008) Planning for learner choice & meeting individual needs – an overview: Curriculum Briefing
2005 with Newman, M., and Elbourne, D. Improving the usability of educational research: Guidelines for the REPOrting of primary empirical research Studies in Education (The REPOSE Guidelines), Evaluation and Research in Education, May 2005. This article and the accompanying synopsis has been widely circulated and used by the DFES and other agencies as it sets out criteria for quality reporting of educational research which is currently failing to have the impact it should. Improving the quality of educational research and its reporting is a key area of my current work.
British Educational Research Association Conference
2003 Using ICT in formal education – maximising value for money. Insights Education #1 Department for International Development www.id21.org/education.
2002 with Younie, S. Communal Constructivist theory: ICT pedagogy & internationalisation of the Curriculum, Journal for IT for Teacher Education, Vol. 10; Nos 1&2, pp117-134. Note: this article-along with the next two are putting forward theories of system improvement that Marilyn has applied in the national work she has been doing at the TDA. These build on the well known Vygotskian theory of social constructivism which underpins theories of teaching generally accepted in the UK.
2001 with Younie, S. (2001) The European Schoolnet. An Online European Community for Teachers? A Valuable Professional Resource? Journal for Teacher Development, Vol 5 No 2 pp 157-175.
2001 with Ramos, J.L. and Younie, S. ‘The Learning School: a multisite case study on using new technologies in education in European schools. The Portuguese case,’ in Inovação Portuguese Ministry of Education.
2000 In Grugeon, E. & Gardner, P. ‘Science from Stories for Seven Year olds’ The Art of Storytelling for Teachers & Pupils: Using Stories to Develop Literacy in Primary Classrooms. London: David Fulton. pp 59-61.
1997 with Pachler, N. The Background & Rationale for the TeacherNet UK Initiative – harnessing the potential of the Internet for improving teachers’ professional development & pupil learning’, Open Classroom II Conference Papers & Presentations. Athens: European Distance Education Network/Lambrakis Foundation.
Articles in Conference proceedings
2004 invited contribution: Time to be bold: mainstreaming models of educational research that respond to user needs, Department for Education and Skills Research Conference: Research in education: What works?
2004 invited contribution: Using research and evidence to improve teaching and learning in the training of professionals – an example from teacher training in England Higher Education Academy Evidence Based Practice Conference Proceedings
(2003a) Professional knowledge building in ITT: a 21st century strategy harnessing the potential of ICT, paper presented at Edinburgh: BERA Conference 2003.
(2003b) ‘Codifying the professional knowledge base of ITT trainers in England – the rationale for the TTA Effective Practices strategy’. Paper presented at Edinburgh: BERA Conference 2003.
Commissioned Reports and Evaluations
Marilyn has undertaken research and evaluations for a range of agencies – central and local government and charitable leading to around 150 reports. Below are some examples of such research Reports for Government and International Agencies. Confidential reports are not included. For example, during 2000-2001, Marilyn produced 11 reports for the DFEE related to teacher professional development and 2 for the General Teaching Council.
Leask, M (October 2009) The Teacher Training Resource Bank (TTRB, www.ttrb.ac.uk ) and Impact Data for the Research Excellence Framework 2013. Briefing paper for the TTRB Editorial and Commissioning Board November 2009. Mimeo. Brunel University.
Leask, M. (February 2003) ICTs in school classrooms: planning to avoid costly mistakes. ID21 Communicating development research, February 2003. DFID/Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-ed01/insights-issed01-art02.html
2002 Teacher Training Agency - commissioned report: The New Opportunities Fund ICT training for teachers and school librarians: Progress review and lessons learned through the central quality assurance process in England.
Leask, M. (2002) 'The New Opportunities Fund ICT training for teachers and school librarians: progress review and lessons learned through the central quality assurance process in England', London: Teacher Training Agency
Leask, M. and Younie, S. (2002) 'The Integration of the European SchoolNet into classroom practice: the dynamics of change' at www.eun.org
Leask, M. 2002 ‘ICT in Education in Mexico, internal report for the British Council, London
Leask, M. 2002 ICT in Education in Hong Kong: internal report for the British Council, London
Leask, M. (2001) 'ICT and Whole School Improvement: an OECD study'
2000-2001 OECD ICT and whole school improvement project within the ICT and Quality of Learning project (DFEE funded) various reports
Leask, M. and Kington, A. (2000) A Case Study of ICT and School Improvement at Littlejohn School, England: Raising pupil achievement and supporting community regeneration:A role for primary school ICT provision. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/61/3/2740131.pdf
1998-2001 Deliverables to the European Commission for the European Schoolnet Multimedia Project.
1999-2000 European Schoolnet Multi Media Project ‘European Knowledge Centre’ UK lead: As well as running seminars bringing together national experts, the reports from the seminars were used to produce a Europe wide report. This work provided research evidence for the development of the TDA funded Teacher Training Resource Bank.
2000a European Knowledge Centre Seminar Report 1 – ‘Classroom Practice and Educational Research: Using ICT to Build European Networks for Change’, Socrates Project 7115, mimeo, Bedford: De Montfort University.
2000b 'European Knowledge Centre within the European Schoolnet', Seminar 2 Report: 'Classroom practice and educational research: using ICT to build European networks for innovation and change', Socrates Project 71151, mimeo, Bedford: De Montfort University.
1999-2000 Evaluation of the Technology Colleges Trust (TCT) New Opportunities Fund (NOF) Training for Teachers
Department of Education and Science/ Department for Employment and Education/ Department for Education and Skills
2000-2002 6 reports for the development of TeacherNet and the DFES international website.
1990 with HARGREAVES, D.H., HOPKINS, D. ‘The Management of Development Planning: a paper for Local Education Authorities’. Cambridge: mimeo, SDP project, Department of Education University of Cambridge/Cambridge Institute of Education.
1990 with HARGREAVES, D.H., HOPKINS, D. School development Planning: a guide for Headteachers and Governors.
Examples of Major Projects
2006-2008 development and implementation of Online communities of practice for local government concept www.communities.idea.gov.uk using Web 2.0 technologies and allowing local government officers to create online workspaces for working with colleagues across local authorities.
2002- 2006 development and implementation of Teacher Training Resource Bank concept www.ttrb.ac.uk Training and Development Agency for schools (TDA) funded. Providing access to the evidence base for teacher training.
2002-2006 Education Evidence Portal (www.eep.ac.uk ) funded initially by a range of government agencies to provide an Education Google type resource.
2000-2002 DFID funded ICT for non-formal education (CERP project)
2000-2001 OECD ICT and school improvement UK lead DCSF funded.
1995 – 2002 Development of TeacherNet concept www.teachernet.gov.uk Department for Children Schools and Families funded.
1995 – 2000 development and implementation of European School net www.eun.org funded by ministries of EU countries plus the European Commission.
1997 – 1999 British Council New Images project – developing the use of ICT to promote shared projects between Australia and the UK
1989-1990 School Development Plans project – funded by the DCSF and leading to change in all schools in the country.
1987-1989 Teacher-Evaluator network – London Borough of Enfield – developing and management of a teacher evaluator network to evaluate the impact of the Technical and Vocational Initiative.
Occasional Papers
Paper no:9
Paper no:8
Paper no:7
Paper no:6
Paper no: 5 Networking the education workforce - Getting order from anarchy
Paper no: 4 Forms of professional knowledge
Paper no: 3 Contribution to Select Committee Training of Teachers Report 2010
