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Discourses about the value of effort and hard work are prevalent and powerful in many western societies and educational contexts. Yet, paradoxically, in these same contexts effortlessachievement is often lauded, and in certain discourses is heralded as the pinnacle of success and a sign of genius. In this paper we interrogate discourses about effort and especially ‘effortlessness’ in Swedish and English educational contexts. Informed, in particular, by interview data generated in upper secondary schools in Sweden and secondary schools in England, we address the questions: why is effortless achievement attractive, and for whom is it possible to be discursively positioned as an effortless achiever? We argue that the subject position of ‘effortless achiever’ is not available to all categories of students equally, and for some it would be almost impossible to attain; the intersections of gender, social class, ethnicity and institutional setting are influential. We end by considering the problematic implications of effortless achievement discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Perhaps the most prevailing inequalities in educational achievement in England are those associated with socio-economic status (SES), ethnicity and gender. However, little research has sought to compare the relative size of these gaps or to explore interactions between these factors. This paper analyses the educational achievement at age 11, 14 and 16 of over 15,000 students from the nationally representative longitudinal study of young people in England. At age 16, the achievement gap associated with social class was twice as large as the biggest ethnic gap and six times as large as the gender gap. However, the results indicate that ethnicity, gender and SES do not combine in a simple additive fashion; rather, there are substantial interactions particularly between ethnicity and SES and between ethnicity and gender. At age 16 among low SES students, all ethnic minority groups achieve significantly better than White British students (except Black Caribbean boys who do not differ from White British boys), but at high SES only Indian students outperform White British students. A similar pattern of results was apparent in terms of progress age 11–16, with White British low SES students and Black Caribbean boys (particularly the more able) making the least progress. Parents’ educational aspirations for their child and students’ own educational aspirations, academic self-concept, frequency of completing homework, truancy and exclusion could account for the minority ethnic advantage at low SES, but conditioning on such factors simultaneously indicates substantial ethnic underachievement at average and high SES. Accounts of educational achievement framed exclusively in terms of social class, ethnicity or gender are insufficient, and the results challenge educational researchers to develop more nuanced accounts of educational success or failure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It has become clear in the 1990s that girls are achieving better results than boys in 16+ examinations in England and Wales. This paper examines some of the dimensions of the debate surrounding this, drawing on new intensive research undertaken in eight mixed selective and comprehensive schools. The methodology used, and the statistical components of the gender gap in these schools, are discussed before moving on to an interpretation of the gap, where we suggest ways in which the ethos of the school affects achievement. We look at the rhetoric and reality of policies aiming to address the gap in individual schools, drawing upon interviews with a range of staff in four schools. We also use quotations from focusgroup interviews with students in all eight schools to illustrate findings about differences in motivation between boys and girls, and the ways in which the schools' values and expectations are communicated to the students, both directly and indirectly, We argue in particular that early setting can have a negative effect on boys, who predominate in lower sets. Finally, we examine formal reward systems operating in the schools, the students' perspectives on these, and the importance of cultivating an ethos of praise in order to foster achievement for all students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, the Department for Education in England decided to reform the vocational qualifications offered in secondary education (i.e., for 14–18 year olds) in order to increase their rigour and status. They set out new criteria that vocational qualifications needed to meet, which changed their nature in fundamental ways (e.g., content, assessment structure, grading and progression requirements). At a time when the reforms to vocational qualifications are settling in, it is important to understand their impact on student engagement in vocational education and, also, how the new categories of vocational qualifications help students progress through education. This research aimed to obtain an up-to-date view of progression from vocational qualifications to post-16 education. Using national data, we investigated whether students with different programmes of study and different vocational qualifications in lower secondary school were equally likely to progress to post-16 education and, if they progressed, what routes and qualifications they took. The research outcomes suggest that, although vocational routes do not close students' options, progression to post-16 education was affected by the proportion of vocational qualifications they took pre-16. More research is needed to find out the reasons behind this association, including whether this may reflect previous experiences with vocational education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Effort’ and ‘ability’ (understood as potential, intelligence or achievement) are concepts widely used in the everyday language of schooling in Britain but each term lacks clear definition of its use in the school context. Meanwhile, the assessment of effort, alongside that of achievement, remains widespread. This article reports on an exploratory case study of conceptions of effort among three major actors in an English secondary school. Qualitative and quantitative data from questionnaires and interviews with teachers, students and parents at an English comprehensive school were collected. Analysis reveals that understandings of ‘effort’ are not uniform. Rather, ‘effort’ is a shorthand term, which can be used variably, therefore can be construed as a tool of negotiation, or a form of investment in a set of aims distinctive to each group or individual case. There is a strong case for more sustained research into the operationalizing of such key concepts in schools and other professional and workplace settings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Whilst practice may always be driven by tacit knowledge and experience, policies should be based on evidence that they do good rather than harm. Intuitions and theories are an insufficient guide to implementing the Hippocratic Oath to at least do no harm. The research literature from the US and UK is used to illustrate the rocky path towards the adoption of standards for evidence-based policies. Illustrations of plausible theories are provided … such as the benefits of high expectations or more time allocated to instruction. Such theories (more properly called hypotheses) have frequently been adopted by policy-makers without adequate tests or cost-benefit analyses. The growth of evaluation as a discipline/profession is discussed and three important influences on research are identified as computers, statistical developments (effect sizes and meta-analyses) and demands for accountability. The combined effects of these could make evidence-based policies feasible, effective and the best thing since sliced bread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summarizes several articles on education in Great Britain. Analysis of the results of voluntary tests to determine academic achievement; Opposition experienced by comprehensive selective schools from both the Conservative and Labour governments; Support of the Scottish government to comprehensive schools; Investigation on the Education Action Zones established by the Labour government in the late 1990s.