If we want our children and young people to achieve then we need to help them engage in activities. If we want them to engage then we need to provide the opportunity to enjoy.
The Finding Enjoyment project is an innovative study into enjoyment and how we can identify, monitor and evaluate its impact on individuals' enjoyment, confidence and achievement levels.
Having recently completed the second phase of this research project darts is working with schools and the Local Authority in Doncaster in line with the Children and Young People's Plan 2006 - 2010, where Doncaster expresses a desire to focus on: "Increasing the opportunity and ability of children and young people to enjoy life."
This phase of the work continued to use creative techniques to investigate the relationship between enjoyment and achievement, also examining how confidence affects the relationship between enjoyment and the impact that has on achievement.
The first phase of the work began in September 2007. With the second phase continuing between May to July 2009.This phase was funded by the Local Educational Authority (LEA) and the research project ran in two schools Carcroft Primary School and Armthorpe Southfields Primary School.
The artists working in both schools delivered a variety of session which provided exciting and different ways of teaching cross-curriculum and discrete subjects. These included teaching different parts of a river through model making and movement and learning about fractions through music.
All sessions with the artists were observed and information recorded for the research. The observers also observed the pupils in their normal classroom environment. Each session finished with pupils self-assessing their own levels of enjoyment, confidence and achievement which were an important aspect the research.
Now that this phase has been completed a report of the finding has been complied. This supports evidence highlighted in the publication ‘Finding Enjoyment, Gaining Achievement’ which was created following the first phase of the work. For a copy of the report please email darts@thepoint.org.uk
Further findings highlight the strength of combing observation and pupil self-analysis to identify those who learn more effectively through the arts.
darts aims to continue developing this area of research and is awaiting securing further funding from Big Lotttery Funding before the work can continue in late 2009 -2010.