Developing oral communication and productive thinking skills in HM Prisons

David Moseley; Jill Clark; Dr Vivienne Baumfield; Dr Elaine Hall; Ian Hall; Jennifer Miller

Developing oral communication and productive thinking skills in HM Prisons Lookup NU author(s) David Moseley Jill Clark Dr Vivienne Baumfield Dr Elaine Hall Ian Hall Jennifer Miller



Author(s)		Moseley D, Clark J, Baumfield V, Hall E, Hall I, Miller J, Blench G, Gregson M, Spedding T
Series Editor(s)		Soden, R; Livingston, K
Publication type		Report
Type		LSRC Research Report
Series Title
Year		2006
Report Number		ISBN: 1845723864
Pages		140



Full text is available for this publication: Full text file 1




This report examines how educators and psychologists seek to foster positive thinking, learning and behaviour change in prisons. Part A focuses on the English Speaking Board’s oral communication courses, looking at evidence from observations, interviews and feedback, and at participants’ reoffending rates. Part B is a complementary account of desk-based research focusing on cognitive skill development programmes. The authors argue that prisons should be designed as ‘thinking environments’, and that oral and thinking skills interventions should continue in the community after prisoners’ release. The report will be of value to policy-makers, managers, teachers and researchers.



Institution		Learning and Skills Research Centre
Place Published		London
URL		https://crm.lsnlearning.org.uk/user/order.aspx?code=052285
Notes		Both parts of the report examine ways in which educators and psychologists seek to foster positive thinking, learning and behavioural change in prisons. Acknowledging that transfer of knowledge and skills to different contexts is problematical, the authors argue that prisons should be designed as ‘thinking environments’ and that oral communication and thinking skills interventions need to be continued in the community after prisoners are released. Other common themes include the importance for learners of motivation, learner interaction, concern for others and formative feedback; and the need for staff to model across disciplines the kind of behaviour they wish to promote. Policy-makers, managers, teachers and researchers will find in this report useful reviews of research into teaching and learning in prisons, together with new evidence about the value of oral communication and group activity in the rehabilitation of offenders.
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