From the Director of the Pymble Institute

From the Director of the Pymble Institute

Pymble Institute News

International connections

I recently had the privilege of attending the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools conference in Boston, USA, and hearing of important work in girls’ education from around the world. Schools for girls, girls’ schools, girls’ education and even definitions of girls themselves were openly discussed at the global forum as over 500 educators, leaders and researchers gathered together. Three members of the Pymble community presented research papers and received feedback which will further their inquiry and action in project areas which are making a difference in girls’ education. I have summarised the projects below with suggestions on ways readers can pick up on outcomes from these projects in their own contexts:

Deities of our time: Social media influencing and its impact on senior high school girls

Pymble’s College Chaplain, Rev. Punam Bent, worked with a colleague from St. Catherine’s School, Bramley, UK, as well as Joy Secondary School, Jabalpur, India, to explore who young women follow on social media and what the term ‘follow’ really means. The project, using a cross-cultural methodology, saw Punam and Kate Hawtin, from St. Catherine’s, work alongside senior students in the three schools to design a survey and collaboratively analyse results. Punam and Kate conveyed the quandary many adults feel around social media and the role of influencers in the lives of young people, but their research revealed a strong vein of optimism and conscious selection of people to follow who are role models and inspirations in areas of community benefit.

  • Do you know who your students follow on social media and what motivates their choices? The results may surprise you! Many students in the project follow influencers who advocate for social justice, disability rights and raise awareness of equity issues.

  • Students follow people who make them feel good about the world and whose strategies role model ways of dealing with complex situations. This included slam poets and artists who share their views through creative means.

  • Can you work with someone from another state or country on a research project? Punam and Kate connected via the Bright Field global mentoring initiative coordinated by Ian Wigston and hosted by the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools. They found immense value in the process of collaborating and in the opportunities for their students, as well as their own learning.

A Kindness revolution: How a focus on kindness can help our girls flourish as learners and leaders

Kate Brown, Head of Pymble Ladies’ College Junior School, has a passion for kindness and walks the talk in every way. She recently organised for the College to host a kindness convention and hopes other schools adopt this initiative in their own communities. Kate collected data from students from Kindergarten to Year 6 in ways which were both creative and practical. She conducted discussion meetings, hosted student presentations, encouraged student leaders to define issues, organised smaller action/focus groups and enabled students to create their own artefacts. As a busy Head of School, Kate utilised the data to inform each next step of her project and maintained a commitment to listening to what her students were saying as she planned ahead.

  • As adults, how well do we model ways of being kind to ourselves? A key finding of the research was that students rated kindness to self at a much lower level than kindness to others and kindness to the environment. Further research and action will explore this through deep attention to ways people can be kind to themselves without letting others down, boasting or ignoring the needs of others.
  • How flexible is your research design? Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good! If Kate had waited for the perfect time to collect data, in the midst of a typically busy school year, research output from a Head of School would never eventuate. Work with your opportunities and resources and keep moving!
  • Go with your passions. Kate’s interest in kindness has evolved and been deepened through her research, and with new global connections, is now set to expand. Start your own revolution from where you are and with what you believe is most important.

How does the use of Vertical Whiteboards encourage Year 10 girls to take risks when solving problems in Mathematics?

Former staff member and Pymble Alumni, Katie Jackson, was selected as a Global Action Research Collaborative (GARC) Fellow of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools in 2021/22. The GARC program enables Fellows to work on action research projects with support from academic mentors and peers, world wide. The GARC Initiative is a wonderful addition to the research training schools can offer and provides participants with a global network and platform for sharing. Katie leaves a legacy of pedagogical innovation at Pymble with floor-to-ceiling whiteboards in one of our Maths classrooms, as well as research-based evidence of how this simple and cost-effective design encourages conversations, confidence and risk taking in girls’ mathematical learning.

  • Have you used action research? Do you have questions you’d like to explore to bring about change? 
  • Do you have a critical friend to walk alongside you in your research project? I had the privilege of being in Katie’s classroom as a researcher while students used the vertical whiteboards. I drew maps of the room, noted conversations from students and took photos which Katie and I later discussed. I could not believe the impact the design of the room was having on student learning right before my eyes! Your research can make a difference by involving others in the process as your advocates and critical friends.
  • If you are in a girls’ school, the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools GARC program is a must for you to consider!

I hope you enjoy the updates in this newsletter.

Dr Sarah Loch
Director – Pymble Institute