Listening Exercises

Purpose
To get a snapshot of what pupils are talking about in their everyday lives, at different points during the lifetime of their work on the project. They are based on the premise that pupils will talk about the things that they are interested in and we are therefore looking for evidence that sustainability issues have started to permeate their everyday lives.

Preparation

Resources
Diary/notebook for a selected number of pupils.

Teacher time
Before work on the project has started, the teacher organises a group of pupils who will keep a diary over a period of seven days. It need not be a big group; 6-10 pupils would be fine.

Procedure
The teacher makes it clear to the group that the diary is not like the usual kind where you write down what you have done. Instead it is to record what the pupil and others around them (including friends and family) have been talking about.

It is important that the pupils do not know that the listening exercises are being used in conjunction with the project, otherwise you are not likely to get a true picture of what they are talking about.

Once the diaries have been completed the responses are analysed and a record is kept of, for example, how many times ‘sustainable city’ is mentioned (if at all!) and in what context.

Ideally a series of follow up questions should be developed and/or an interview procedure to try and gauge in what contexts the project and related concepts have been mentioned.

Advantages of this methodology

• Pupils are largely in control of types of record
• Relatively informal structure
• Ongoing record
• Does not seem ‘work’ related
• Special’ status?

Disadvantages of this methodology

• Needs some thought to set up, carry out, administer and analyse
• Relies on pupil commitment and regular (and varied?) input
• May seem intrusive
• Exclusive group?
• If no relevant comments, does this reflect on teaching?