Essex University REF 2021 – Florence Myles

As part of the Government’s cyclical review of universities’ research, we are asked to capture what impact our research activities have outside of academia. This evaluation is called the REF (Research Excellence Framework) and is taking place at the moment.

The University of Essex is collecting testimonies on the impact of the work of Florence Myles, and in particular the impact of her research on how children learn languages in primary school and on language education policy, both of which have informed the work of RiPL (Research in Primary Languages Network), which she set up and chairs.

We would be very grateful for your help with this; being able to put forward strong evidence to REF evaluators that our work reaches the audiences that can benefit from them is crucial for the continuation of our work in the future. The REF is looking for evidence of impact on thinking and/or practice, for example, on practitioners, delivery of professional services, on policy discussions, and on public and professional understanding, learning and participation.

We know everyone is short of time, so we have provided below suggestions about the information that would be helpful to us. Please address your response to fmyles(at)essex.ac.uk.

We are very grateful for your help with this!

With best wishes,

Florence

Suggestions about the information that would be helpful to us (as appropriate)

• Your role [teacher; teacher trainer; policy maker, governor, headteacher, etc]

• Your relationship/contact with RiPL and how you have used it [website; twitter and social media; publications, e.g. White Paper, Newsletters, Summaries of research; events, e.g. attending our summits and/or our workshops; presentations from us at workshops; the MOOC; consultation; interviews, etc…]

Please expand and give examples:

– the following questions will give you an idea of the information needed; please adapt to your role as not all questions will be relevant to you:

• Who or what has benefited, or been affected by Florence Myles’ research and RiPL’s work, and how? [e.g. your teaching; school curriculum; teacher training; your knowledge/understanding; policy in your school; policy documents or discussions, etc.]

• • How has this work changed your understanding and/or your thinking?

• • Has RiPL influenced your professional practice or influenced policy discussions relating to your professional practice? If so, how?

• • How has Myles’ research or the summaries of research (including the MOOC based on this research) benefited you or changed your practice and/or understanding? For example, as a teacher, or if you are a teacher trainer, is the MOOC now a requirement for your trainees, or do you use the summaries of research from our website?

• Anything else showing the impact that RiPL is having on [your organisation/you or your networks’ practice/thinking]

Please add the following disclaimer (copy and paste)

Please add the following disclaimer (copy and paste):

 I hereby give permission for this testimony to be used as evidence of impact by the University of Essex for its REF2021 submission.* 

 Feel free to pass on this message to any of your contacts, e.g. trainee teachers, colleagues etc.

Thank you for your help!