IBSC Action Research Award Winner for 2020: Katy Mellor

St Stithians Boys’ College is a member of the International Boys’ School Coalition (IBSC) which runs an Action Research Programme. This 18-month programme is an opportunity for teachers from top boys’ schools around the world to investigate an aspect of teaching and learning at their own school by means of an action research project. Forty teachers are accepted into the global programme each year who conduct research alongside their teaching and submit a formal research report.

Katy Mellor (Head of Activ8; Mathematics Teacher) took part in the Action Research Programme as part of the 2019-2020 cohort which investigated the theme of ‘Developing Agency: Boy Voice and Choice’. Katy did her research alongside the Activ8 Programme, focusing on the ‘Take Charge’ project. Her research investigated developing self-efficacy in grade 8 boys by means of a self-determined and project-based learning programme. She submitted her final report in May and presented her findings at the IBSC Virtual Global Conference on 8 July 2020.

We are delighted to announce that Katy is the recipient of the IBSC Action Research Award for 2020. This award is presented to the creator of the best research project based on the following main criteria: quality of the project, quality of the final report, and whole-hearted participation in the program. Katy excelled in each of these categories, earning the following comment: ‘Overall, your project is an outstanding and rigorous piece of teacher research.’

This is the third year in which this award has been presented and Katy is the first woman to receive it, as well as the first South African.

In addition to this extraordinary achievement, Katy has managed to take the award-winning project she did last year and adapt it to an ONLINE version. This new version has been run most successfully during the Activ8 lessons this year. It is truly a great task when it can be so agile and adaptive. Our heartiest congratulations to Katy, who has devoted the last two years to drive change in education.

This is a well-deserved achievement.