BP: Educational Service research

The challenge

EdComs Research has fed into the development and review of BP's educational resources and activities since 2004.

During this time, we have piloted and evaluated a number of BP educational projects, roadshows and resources. These include:

  • the Carbon Challenge Roadshow
  • teaching toolkits, websites and other support resources
  • the Trading Challenge roadshow.

The broad aims of the ongoing work have been to:

  • assess the extent to which the activities and resources meet teachers' needs, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects
  • gauge student learning outcomes and the impact on their engagement in, and the enjoyment of, STEM subjects and enterprise activity
  • identify development pointers that will help BP to increase the effectiveness of its resources and activities.

Our approach

The research approach includes a wide range of methodologies. We have conducted:

  • case-study visits to observe activities in action
  • in-depth telephone interviews with teachers before and after activities
  • quantitative teacher and student questionnaires
  • discussion groups with teachers, parents and students
  • usability testing with a range of stakeholders.

Outcomes

We supply ongoing updates and reports to BP, which enable them to closely monitor the value of their activities. Research findings are used as success measures for the educational programme internally. Recommendations have fed back into the programme design, to improve the educational experience for teachers and students.