Improving the quantitative research skills of Welsh Baccalaureate teachers through university engagement

Abstract

In 2015, the redesigned Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification (WBQ) was launched and, for the first time, students undertaking the qualification were required to complete the Skills Challenge Certificate (SCC). Consisting of four components – the Individual Project, the Enterprise and Employability Challenge, the Global Citizenship Challenge and the Community Challenge – the SCC aims to enable learners to develop skills needed for education, employment and life. The Individual Project requires students to undertake a research project that includes analysing data utilizing quantitative data analysis skills. This paper identifies the teaching of such quantitative skills as a difficulty for some teachers involved in the delivery of the qualification, drawing on recent engagement work between Cardiff University and schools and colleges in South Wales. It argues that universities have an opportunity to engage with schools, teachers and school students in the delivery of quantitative research skills that can be beneficial for both schools and universities.