BPLA in NSW: The Data Story

The success of the Big Picture learning design is demonstrated by its power to attract, retain and engage students, support them to learn through their personal passions, connect them to opportunities to trial their interests in the world outside school, and facilitate their transitions to meaningful post-school pathways.

The significant increase in uptake of the Big Picture learning design in NSW government high schools in recent years has afforded Big Picture Learning Australia (BPLA) the opportunity to capture and analyse many sources of data in order to provide robust evidence of success and growth.

However, data alone cannot always capture the intricacies of personal experiences and stories. Because all members of the Big Picture learning community are viewed as unique individuals and learners, the story of Big Picture is best told through a combination of data and the voices of our students, advisors, and parents.

Download the summary document below and the sources for the data highlights.

Sources and Acknowledgments

The sources of the data referred to in this document are:

• “How Well Are We Going?”  https://www.bigpicture.org.au/how-well-are-we-going
• “Unlocked Potential During Lockdown”,
• https://www.bigpicture.org.au/unlocked-potential-during-lockdown
• School data (SENTRAL, ERN, NCCD, ACARA - my school website)
• “BPLA Key Processes” survey data (2021)
• NSW IBPLC Destination Studies (2020, 2021)
• Observational case studies
• The Graduate Research Project currently being completed in partnership with the University of Newcastle

Research: Dr Deborah Chadwick/Editing: Joanne Pettit/Design: Joe Wickert