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Concerns have been raised globally about the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people (CYP). How prospective headteachers rose to the challenge posed by the pandemic in supporting the wellbeing of their school communities and reaching out to the most vulnerable CYP and families during the recovery phase is the focus of this paper. It is a longitudinal, principally qualitative study conducted in two phases with 60 former students of the Into Headship programme in Scotland. Phase 2 of the study drew on the accounts of eight students drawn from the primary, secondary, and special education sectors using individual interviews and focus group discussions. This paper draws on the accounts of three secondary sector participants in interview. Data were analysed via thematic analysis using a modified framework of King and Horrocks. The respondents had encountered a wide range of challenges and had been highly proactive in their approach through adopting both targeted and universal approaches to meeting need and addressing inequalities. The findings of this paper should inform the development of headship preparation programmes globally and the responses of schools in the recovery phase, furthering our understanding as to what constitutes inclusion in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the establishment and operation of a number of new bodies - variously called councils, boards, collaboratives, groups, forums and panels - concerned with the development of Scottish education. What were the intentions behind their creation during the period 2016-20? Do they amount to a significant reshaping of the policy community, making it more open and democratic, and representing a genuine re-distribution of power, or are they more concerned with public presentation and political positioning? The paper is based mainly, but not exclusively, on publicly available minutes and related papers produced by the various bodies. These allow for an analysis of their composition and remits, as well as an examination of the substantive issues they have considered. The discussion also takes account of earlier descriptions of the character of the policy community, as well as hopes that the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 would lead to greater transparency and accountability in political decision-making. It is argued that, while the new bodies provide opportunities for some previously marginalised voices to be heard, they demonstrate the continuing potency of familiar forms of bureaucratic management and professional protectionism. The paper also indicates a number of areas where further research would deepen understanding of the politics of Scottish education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The starting point of this paper is the Scottish School Grounds Survey of 2005, which provided nationwide insight into the extent to which school grounds were being used as learning environments for children in nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in Scotland. Reflecting specifically on provision for play and the way in which play facilitates formal and informal education, and considering developments in Scotland's school estate over the last decade, this paper argues that Scotland's school grounds are not yet play-full and playful learning environments. The paper concludes by reflecting on ways in which Scotland's school grounds could and should be positioned more centrally in school education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that children in Scotland, as in other high-income countries, are not engaging in sufficient moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), the consequences of which can be adverse for health and wellbeing. In this paper, it is contended that active play (a form of gross motor or total body movement in which children exert energy in a freely chosen, fun, and unstructured manner) has potential to redress this deficit in MVPA. This paper reflects on lessons learned from active play interventions in Scottish schools, providing recommendations for schools on how to encourage more active play. It is argued that promoting active play during school break times and in the after-school period, and participating in active play interventions are promising ways of increasing children's MVPA and improving their fundamental movement skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the opening paper in a Scottish Educational Review collection on Making Space for Play in Scottish Education. It is acknowledged that, historically, a perception of divergent purpose enabled education both to enlist play and to curb play to achieve desired educational outcomes. However, a new understanding of play has emerged in recent years, catalysed globally by the assertion in the UNCRC that play is a fundamental right of the child, and within the UK, by the response of the play sector to the challenge to articulate the value of play that was set by the Dobson report. Scotland is now a globally significant locus for the promotion of play, with strong national play leadership and, since 2013, a National Play Strategy. This paper asserts that it is timely to consider the extent to which Scottish education could and should embrace playful learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the paper "Primary Education in the Eighties" that looks at the practice of primary education in Scotland. Principles that underlie the practice; Reasons why the position document by the Scottish Consultative Committee on the Curriculum on "Primary Education in the Eighties" is in question; Apparentness of the doctrine of liberal education on the document.

An introduction to the November 2013 issue of "Scottish Educational Review" is presented which includes information on educational research in Scotland, the importance of supporting children's learning life course, and the relationship between educational researchers and policy makers.

This paper examines the experiences and aspirations of migrant young people in Scotland. It focuses on students approaching the end of compulsory education and presents findings from a study on the outcomes of young migrants in the transition to adulthood. The research is based on empirical fieldwork carried out with students in two schools (n = 95 in depth interviews). It finds evidence of unique and distinct educational pathways for school leavers with a migrant background. Three themes emerge about the practice of transition for young migrants, (1) the significance of family support and expectations, (2) the impact of the migration process and (3) the changing nature of migrant identity through transition. The study highlights the need for local and national policies which support transition for young migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores some of the unique issues in accessing Higher Education (HE) faced by pupils living in some Scottish rural communities in Argyll & Bute, Highland, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. Many of these communities are hard to reach and in some of the least deprived areas of Scotland. Despite this, some pupils come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. All pupils face large pecuniary and non-pecuniary costs in studying at HE. This paper presents views of barriers to HE entry drawing on interviews with S5 and S6 pupils and their educators living in these areas. All respondents believed that those in rural areas faced higher barriers than for their peers because of additional costs due to their location. The paper also highlights the need for better information about access to HE and improved communication about the transition between secondary schools and HE institutions for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Scotland, the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) provides education practitioners with the opportunity for transformational change through the delivery of a holistic, broad and general education. This paper explores the extent to which play can be used as a pedagogical tool in developing the capabilities of children to realise the ambitions of CfE. The focus here is four of the ten core capabilities identified by Martha Nussbaum in her version of the Capabilities Approach; one of which is play, the others being those with which it is intrinsically linked, i.e. affiliation, 'senses, imagination and thought', and 'practical reason'. This conceptual analysis of play, autonomy and the Capabilities Approach constitutes a theoretical case for playful approaches in all stages of Scottish primary schools. It is argued that this would provide opportunities for human flourishing in the context of the CfE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to discuss performance in postgraduate education in Sweden and Scotland. Drawing on two cases, the paper considers three themes: differences in students|!|#39; performance by study mode, differences in students|!|#39; performance by length of study, and finally comparing performance by study mode between modules in Scotland with an entire programme in Sweden. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; The empirical setting from Scotland builds on an evaluation of online and on-campus study groups with exactly the same module syllabus. The Swedish setting is also based on an evaluation of distance and on-campus study groups with exactly the same module syllabus. The data compiled in both countries arise from student performance scores and grades. Findings |!|#8211; The results indicate that students in both countries foremost use the virtual learning environment (VLE) as a forum for accessing information, to access asynchronous postings in the forums and access streaming-synchronous online lectures which are also accessed asynchronously in the VLE. The results show that there are no differences between the grades or test scores between campus students with face-to-face education and distance students with electronically (VLE) mediated education. These differences and similarities will form the basis of these reflections in this paper. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; The study is limited because the examples given are only a few cases and small samples and there is a need to more rigorously investigate different educational programs in different academic disciplines. Originality/value |!|#8211; The paper contributes to quality issues in distance, online and campus education by taking into account, in the first case, different student performance in the same course over a longer period and in the second case, changes over time within the same educational program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Children's second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure in the home is highest in socio-economically disadvantaged areas. Personalized household air-quality measurements can promote changes in smoking that reduce SHS exposure. The 'First Steps 2 Smoke-free' (FS2SF) intervention is the first to trial this approach delivered as part of health professionals' routine work. This paper reports the findings of qualitative interviews with participants that explored their experiences of the intervention and why outcomes varied. Methods 120 women were recruited from the NHS First Steps Programme, which supports disadvantaged mothers. They received either personalized feedback on their home air quality and advice on reducing SHS or standard SHS advice. Qualitative interviews with 15 mothers were analyzed thematically using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour (COM-B) model. Results The intervention increased women's capability to change home-smoking behaviour, through increasing awareness and salience of SHS risks to their children, and motivation to act. However, taking effective action was constrained by their limited social and environmental opportunities, including others' smoking in the home. Conclusions The FS2SF intervention was ineffective as it was unable to fully address the precarious, complex life circumstances that make creating a smoke-free home particularly difficult for women experiencing intersecting dimensions of disadvantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on results from a recently completed research study conducted with pre-service teachers from Nova Scotia, Canada who completed their final student teacher practicum in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. With our attention directed towards a primary research question related to pre-service teachers' own development, data were collected through synchronous online focus group interviews. Results revealed that pre-service teachers experienced both professional and personal growth, while also experiencing some unanticipated conflict and angst. Herein we present and discuss these results, especially as they relate to relevant literature and our own experiences with international student teacher practicums. This paper should be of particular relevance to those who share an interest in teacher education, practicums/field experiences/internships, and/or international education initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the aims of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) in Scotland is greater inclusion of interdisciplinary learning and teaching in school education. There is, arguably, a limited amount of guidance in the CfE literature to advise and supporf secondary teachers in the practical implications of the planning, preparation and implementation of interdisciplinary learning and teaching. This paper examines this guidance and insights from research literature and presents the findings from a research project, Searching for Meaning, which focused on science and religious education teachers collaborating in planned interdisciplinary learning and teaching in secondary schools. The paper identifies some of the key factors for effective interdisciplinary learning and teaching between science and religious education. These include; supporf from the school leadership; openness to interdisciplinary work and willingness to learn about other disciplines; teamwork, dialogue and joint planning and the need for time and supporf for teachers. These findings are potentially significant for other forms of interdisciplinary learning and teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editors discuss articles in the issue on topics related to Scottish education including the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), teacher collaborations in science and religious education, and outdoor education.

This paper is based on a keynote address to the 2012 Scottish Educational Research Association Annual Conference. It explores the relationship between research and teaching, particularly in the context of teacher education in Scotland but also in terms of wider implications. The paper begins with a discussion of how key terms such as education, teaching, learning and research are approached. The relationship between the tasks of teaching and research in UK teacher education and higher education generally is initially considered from the perspective of Skelton's three identities' for university tutors. The paper moves on to analyse the role which research could play in each of Winch's three models of the teacher: the craft model; the technology model; the professional model. The paper concludes that the craft and technology models provide only limited roles for research, while the professional model requires more significant research skills in methods, theory and scholarship. This model will apply to teacher educators, university teachers more generally, and to the wider teaching profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The achievement of equal access to educational opportunity is an international policy imperative that remains as elusive as it is desirable. Despite a plethora of inclusive policies and initiatives in Scotland such as Getting it Right for Every Child (2008 & 2012), Curriculum for Excellence (2009) and the Scottish Attainment Challenge (2015), significant numbers of young people cannot be said to experience equal access to educational opportunity. This paper draws upon complementary sociological and philosophical perspectives to explore why such barriers to equality of educational opportunity persist, before suggesting ways in which serious engagement with such theory might counter deficit assumptions in play and offer possible new ways forward. The point of departure is Bourdieu's typology of various forms of social capital which highlights how possession of capital is advantageous to upper and middle class families, whereas lack of such capital serves to restrict educational opportunities for young people from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Such an analysis argues that reproduction of social conditions, styles of thinking and decision-making, coupled with oppressive societal structures, all serve to disempower young people and impact negatively upon their educational attainment. This paper explores a variety of ways in which theory might challenge and interrupt assumptions informing discourses associated with inequality and their associated remedies. Through engaging a series of problematics within current framings of inequality, the paper argues that a more sustained engagement with theory offers the possibility of more nuanced understandings of inequality and a provocation to imagine otherwise. Engaging in such imaginative work might, moreover, enable the barriers to equality of educational opportunity to be better addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students in Further Education colleges in England read and write in many different kinds of ways in different areas of their everyday lives. As part of their participation in Further Education, these students face a multitude of literacy demands: through the bureaucracies of the college, the pedagogic content of their courses, the textual nature of assessment, and the development of new practices of reading and writing relating to their intended workplaces. Drawing upon evidence from research with students and staff at four FE colleges in England and Scotland, this paper presents the argument that students actively participate within this textual world. They elect to engage with some texts and to ignore others, depending upon the value they judge the text to have, the relevance they think it holds to their lives or courses, and the extent to which they are able to access the text and its meanings. This challenges a popular deficit discourse which assumes FE students' lack of literacy: rather than seeing the student as the 'problem' behind the lack of engagement with some texts, the text can be seen as the 'problem' if it has failed to engage the student. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the closing paper in a Scottish Educational Review collection on Making Space for Play in Scottish Education. The paper reflects on the key conclusions from the six papers and three notes that comprise the collection. It identifies a baker's dozen of priority actions for those concerned to enrich Scottish education through play, i.e. (i) establishing a shared sense of purpose for play; (ii) crafting a coherent position among those with an interest in promoting play; (iii) acknowledging the role of play in achieving many of the wider goals of school education; (iv) not only promoting the radical potential of play to enhance education, but also thinking critically about it; (v) reflecting on the benefits of playful learning for pupils, wider society and classroom teachers; (vi) sharing exemplars of playful learning and the process through which it is introduced; (vii) reviewing the resources that are available; (viii) specifying minimum play(space) standards; (vix) strengthening the evidence base; (x) reflecting on the significance of the changing nature of play; (xi) engaging practitioners on the value of playful learning beyond the early years; (xii) involving the wider school community in embracing play; and (xiii) supporting teachers and other educational practitioners to utilise playful learning, while being cognisant of the demands and pressures on their time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that play should be central to children's lives throughout early childhood, including their time in school. First, it charts the history of early childhood education in Scotland through four stages; (i) pioneer of kindergarten; (ii) early adopter of formal education; (iii) promise of a recalibration through Curriculum for Excellence; and the (iv) failure to realise the full playful learning potential of CfE. Second, it asserts that there are four problems with an early introduction to formal learning: (i) it is a disservice to children given wider societal trends in play; (ii) it is conductive to testing, which establishes a culture of failure and induces stress; (iii) it is not in the best interests of all children or Scotland as a whole as it attempts to 'close the attainment gap'; and (iv) it lacks what playful learning can offer. This leads to the conclusion that the dearth of play in Scottish childhoods might be considered as an 'Adverse Childhood Experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds upon an ethnographical doctoral study that explored how adults exercise power over children. Anchored in the worlds of children's lived experiences, it explores whether play can be deeper, richer and more meaningful when children are beyond the watchful eye of adults. It focuses on children's play within the spaces they occupied prior to, and after, their transition from nursery to primary school. Participants included children aged between 3 .7 -4 7 years of age, as well as Early Year Practitioners (EYPs) and visitors to the setting. The interactions and behaviours of the participants were observed, ensuring that children were not 'objectified' in the process. Vignettes of play episodes highlight complexities surrounding adult understanding of children's play. In particular the need for adults to be more reflexive in using knowledge from practice to support play and resist assigning false purpose to play episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alexander Sutherland Neill (1883- 1973) is well-known as the leading figure in the 20th century movement for progressive, child-centred education, a movement which attracted both supporters and critics. The independent school which he founded, Summerhill, was located first in Lyme Regis, Dorset and later in Leiston, Suffolk, both in England, but many of Neill's ideas need to be understood as a reaction against his experiences as a pupil and young teacher in Scotland. This paper examines his attitude to Scotland and Scottish education, drawing on his own writings, including his autobiography, the work of Jonathan Croall, Neill's biographer and editor of a collection of his letters, and the testimony of Scottish educators whose work was influenced by Neill. Detailed examination is given to Neill's 1936 book, Is Scotland Educated?, which has received limited attention from commentators. This volume is particularly interesting in relation to Neill's political, cultural and psychological perspectives on Scottish life and their relevance to his educational views. The book reveals the strength of his (mainly negative) feelings about his native land but also his limited awareness of some important developments that were taking place, especially in the field of child guidance. In addition, the paper explores Neill's links to other Scottish progressive educators, most notably John Aitkenhead and R. F. Mackenzie, both of whom sought to introduce qualified versions of Neill's philosophy into schools in Scotland. It is argued that it is not necessary to subscribe to every aspect of Neill's approach to education to appreciate his value as a source of an alternative narrative to official accounts of the Scottish educational tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is an investigation into the experiences of professional development of human resource (HR) practitioners in the North of Scotland, and the use of non-formal learning in that development. Design/methodology/approach - In-depth semi-structured interviews from a purposively selected sample of HR practitioners were conducted. Data from these interviews was analysed on a phenomenographic basis, to discover the qualitatively different ways in which HR practitioners describe, experience, understand and analyse their professional development and the use of non-formal learning in that development. Findings - What emerged from the analysis were two sets of categories of description, one for each of the phenomena. An outcome space for each of the phenomena emerged, illustrating the hierarchical relationship within each set of categories of description as well as the dimensions of variation relating to the phenomena. These outcome spaces represent the collective experience of the practitioners on the subjects of professional development and non-formal learning. Research limitations/implications - Sample size and the specific geographical area are acknowledged as limitations. Another factor which may be considered a limitation is that the author's position as an HR lecturer with a keen interest in the subject could lead to this being considered an "insider" study. All these factors are acknowledged. These have been mitigated against by the careful preparation undertaken during the research process which resulted from the author's awareness of these limitations. Originality/value - This study has given a voice to the HR practitioners in the North of Scotland with regard to their experiences and attitudes towards their professional development and the role of non-formal learning in that development. This study gives employers, other practitioners and professional bodies an opportunity to learn from the practitioners themselves as to how they can help practitioners in terms of their development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This article reports on a mentoring programme which was implemented in selected Scottish secondary schools with the view to supporting students with school work, transition to further education/higher education, careers, and interpersonal skills. Mentoring students can enhance their academic, social, career and other outcomes. Mentoring relationships, when properly implemented, have been found also to yield positive results for mentors. Purpose: This paper is an investigation into a school-based mentoring programme which was implemented in 6 selected Scottish secondary schools. In so doing, we hope to contribute to an evolving framework for designing and implementing successful school-based mentoring. Sample: The sample for this study included 10 students aged between 16 and 17 years old in the second year of a broader 2-year business/education project, which aimed to promote student uptake of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers after secondary school. There were 11 mentors, who were drawn mainly from the science, health and the education sectors. Design and method: Methodologically, this study was qualitative interpretivist in nature. Data collection involved focus group discussion and individual semi-structured interviews. Results: The findings show mentee and mentor preparation, clarity of expectations, mentee–mentor matching, mentee motivation, appropriateness of meeting spaces and power relations, modes of communication including the use of social media, and the role of schools as essential conditions which influenced the quality of mentoring relationships. Conclusion: The findings suggest that mentoring programmes involving students in school and ‘external’ adult mentors need to consider a range of factors to achieve success when designing and implementing mentoring. This paper raises important issues for example, communication using social media, which have implications for practice in business sector and school partnerships involved in school-based mentoring. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Starting in August 2014, all registered teachers in Scotland are now required to engage in a process of Professional Update (PU) managed by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). The aim is to ensure that teachers at every stage of their careers participate in worthwhile professional learning, which can take a variety of forms. PU is, in effect, a system of regular professional reaccreditation. This paper examines the new arrangements, the way in which they have been devised and the thinking that lies behind them. It also looks at the provisions which preceded them and suggests that a change of terminology does not necessarily mean that there will be a significant change of practice. One particular form of Professional Update which is recommended - Practitioner Enquiry (PE) - is shown to have had a long history, but relatively modest results. A number of reasons for the slow pace of change in the field of professional learning and development are considered: these include teacher resistance, bureaucratic obstruction and academic failure. The paper concludes by arguing for greater intellectual freedom in defining what counts as legitimate professional learning and cautioning against the expectation that new systems and structures will by themselves bring about major shifts in attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the light of the Scottish Government's commitment to the principles enshrined in the Christie Commission and developing approaches worldwide to public administration, this article considers the forces at work and the major arguments for suggesting the need for increased and enhanced participation by parents in educational decision-making and school governance by focusing on the early 1980s. This was another period when participative democracy and partnership between lay-persons and public ofticials was widely supported at a theoretical level but often met resistance on the ground. An analysis of the responses to the abortive School Council consultative exercise of 1984 conducted by the Scoftish Education Department (SED) is oftered. The period before the emergence of Michael Forsyth as Education Minister in the Scoftish Office in Mrs Thatcher's era as UK Prime Minister is reviewed. Forsyth's controversial proposals for the establishment of School Boards that caused such consternation among the educational establishment and parents have subsequently been replaced by Parent Councils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the rescaling and re-spatialization of policy and governance in education, including the constitution of a global education policy field. It deals with the changing education policy work of the OECD, particularly the influential Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). We argue that PISA has become the most successful OECD 'product' and as such has become the prototype for other OECD developments, including PISA-Based tests for schools, PISA for development, PIACC and AHELO. These developments help constitute a global education policy field and contribute to the production of a global data infrastructure in education. At the same time, they also have impacts on other spatial relations, including sub-national and local effects in schooling. For example, the PISA-based test for schools programme can be used directly by schools and sub-national systems as part of the new policy spaces in education. In this paper, we document the role of the OECD's education work in respect of these matters. We focus specifically on a video, PISA 2012 - Representing Your Country, produced by the Scottish Department of Education and anchored by the Scottish National Party Minister for Education. The aim of the video is to inspire the participation and strong performance of Scottish students in the 2012 PISA sample. As we will show, using a 'videological analysis', this video demonstrates how Scottish independence and nationalism involve reaching out to draw on the expertise of supranational organisations such as the OECD, while at the same time the OECD is reaching in to nations to shape policy agendas in sub-national spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In a context of significant educational change and financial constraint, this paper explores ways to develop teacher learning. A recent review of teacher education (Teaching Scotland's Future: Report of a review of teacher education in Scotland, Donaldson 2011) coincided with two factors impacting on teaching and learning in Scotland. Firstly, the implementation of a new curriculum entitled ‘Curriculum for Excellence'. This new curriculum is underpinned by a philosophy of active learning, self-evaluation and reflection for all teachers and pupils. The second factor, impacting on teaching and learning, is the cuts being made in education because of financial constraints in the wake of the recession. These cuts include reductions in local authority support staff and opportunities for professional development. Sources of evidence: This paper explores effective models of professional development for teachers and draws on principles of learning in the twenty-first century and the premise that what is known about how people learn should be applied to pupil and teacher learning. It also draws on a range of policy documents published in Scotland 2001–11 that impact on curriculum innovation and teacher education. Main argument: The implementation of the new curriculum and the review of teacher education both focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning in Scottish schools and both offer opportunities for innovation for teachers and pupils. Both also require radical changes in ways of working for everyone. To implement the new curriculum, teachers have to change the ways they work requiring innovative models of continuing professional development to be designed not only to meet the demand for teacher learning but to make the best use of the limited funds. Conclusions: It is argued that the cuts in funding may act as a catalyst for pedagogical change in professional development with increased reliance on school-based professional development. Empirical evidence collected during a research study in Scotland, which analysed feedback about curriculum reform, is used to illustrate both the need for improved professional learning opportunities for teachers and the benefits of facilitated school-based professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Linking theory to practice is an area of concern for ultrasound students, clinical mentors and academic staff. The link between theory and practice requires a robust clinical mentorship scheme in addition to careful curricula design considerations to improve student outcomes. The introduction of interactive technology in education provides ripe opportunity to improve feedback to students to support the link between theory and practice. A series of three interactive learning and teaching activities were designed and delivered to a PostGraduate Ultrasound cohort, after which, evaluation was performed to answer the research question: Which interactive technologies support the link between theory and practice through improved feedback mechanisms? An action research methodology was adopted involving an enquiry based literature review, planning, design and action process. Data were collected following action of three interactive teaching and learning sessions within the Medical Ultrasound cohort of 2013/2014 at Glasgow Caledonian University via a paper based questionnaire. A 100% response rate was achieved (n = 14). All three interactive learning and teaching sessions were considered with 100% highest point agreement to support the link between ultrasound theory and practice via feedback. Students found all three designed and facilitated sessions valuable and relevant to their learning, which in turn provided positive experiences which were perceived to support the link between theory and practice through feedback. These activities can be considered valuable in Postgraduate Ultrasound education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alan Milburn, the Chair of the Government's Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission recently highlighted the role of education in progressing social mobility in Scotland; 'In my view it's a grave social injustice that only one in forty pupils from Scotland's most deprived households...got three As in their Highers in 2011, compared to one in ten across all income levels'. An analysis of the data on school leavers in Scotland also points towards a considerable inequality in access to higher education in particular. This paper reports on a research and development project that progressed the provision of intergenerational mentoring for young people from communities experiencing social and economic disadvantage. The findings affirm the role of research in such innovation and indicate that intergenerational mentoring offers a process, long awaited, through which young people can gain access to the different forms of social and cultural capital that are implicitly essential for progression into higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the frequency and nature of outdoor learning provision in Scoftish schools, with specific attention paid to teachers' approaches to learning outdoors, and it considers what further support and professional development teachers need to progress their practice. This enquiry is timely as limited data has been gathered over the past ten years (see Higgins ei ai. 2006 and Mannion ei ai. 2007) and little is known about how the policy document Curricuium for Exceiience through Outdoor Learning and associated Education Scotland support has influenced outdoor learning provision. Ouestionnaires were administered to primary and secondary schools (n=90 returns) across four local authority areas. The results indicate that secondary schools are keen to develop outdoor learning provision and they need support to do so. Also, there is an increased use of school grounds as a context for learning within the primary school sector. In light of these findings and recent developments within national education, recommendations are made for both in-service and pre-service teacher training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational research in Scotland has a very distinguished history and has made a major contribution in several aspects of methodology, not least in the relationships between researchers, policymakers and practitioners. The paper considers the Scottish contribution to the development of educational research past, present and future and the significance of interactions at three levels - the UK, European and global. Against the backdrop of the forthcoming Independence vote, it is argued that the historic distinctiveness of educational provision in Scotland - both before and after devolution - has been a significant benefit to the research community here. However, there are some internal dependencies that may need active nurturing, if the benefits of this independence are to be sustained. Furthermore there are critical elements of interdependence, at all three levels, which will be important in pursuing an aspiration to maintain research of the highest quality that will support learners and teachers in the years ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently schools in Scotland are engaged in major curriculum and assessment reform entitled Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). In common with other areas of education policy pre- and post-devolution, the CfE development process has been characterised by consultation, but additionally `engagement' has been sought with stakeholders. This paper offers an account of the development of the engagement process and reports key findings to emerge from within the profession. Drawing mainly from data derived from teachers who participated in the process, the paper considers the re-professionalising claims attached to the new flexibilities within the revised curriculum. The paper initially addresses the challenges faced by the profession in working with looser curriculum structures that afford a higher degree of professional judgement to teachers and greater autonomy to school leaders to build the curriculum to meet local needs. In the discussion that follows, it emerges that those teachers who experienced fuller `engagement' with the draft curriculum materials, through piloting them, tended to be more wholehearted in their disposition towards the new curriculum and its associated pedagogy, than those who had only been `consulted', through completing questionnaires, for example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the time of writing, the Donaldson Review of Teacher Education in Scotland is being undertaken for the Scottish Government, covering the continuum from Initial Teacher Education (ITE) through Induction onto Continuing Professional Development (CPD). This paper focuses on ITE, but considers some possible implications for CPD. The paper argues the current Review must take a broader and deeper approach than recent national reviews of ITE, avoiding recommendations which narrow long-term possibilities. The future development of ITE should be based upon a fuller partnership between universities and the teaching profession than currently exists, with a collaborative `inquiry as stance' approach to the knowledge-practice relationship within teacher learning, and with collaborative models of ITE partnership replacing outdated duplication models. The paper considers issues to be addressed, including within universities, if such partnership is to be developed. The potential for creative innovation within this partnership is illustrated through the importance of breadth in any new framework of lIE qualifications as these relate to professional development. Challenges are highlighted in achieving support for innovation from other stakeholders involved in the governance of Scottish ITE. However, the paper concludes that stimulating possibilities may follow for CPD, as well as ITE, if the type of ITE envisaged creates the basis for a truly activist teaching profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws from the experiences of a new adult literacies teaching qualification in Scotland that has been designed for experienced but unqualified adult literacies tutors. Created to respond to an approach to adult literacies as social practices (Scottish Executive 2001, 2005, Tett et al 2006), the course team employs a sociocultural pedagogy that explicitly rejects transmission and seeks to build critical reflection through learning from experience, collaborative activities and the creation of an on-line community (Ackland and Wallace 2006). Recognising that 'moments of conflict and disjuncture may form the spaces in which learning occurs' (Lewis, Enciso and Moje 2007:5) the paper explores whether ideas about liminality and threshold concepts (Cousin 2006:1, Land, Meyer and Smith 2008) illuminate the learning process. It concludes that engagement with these concepts may assist adult literacies tutors to develop transformed practice (Cope and Kalantzis 2003:35). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of the Additional Support for Learning Act (2004) has been a significant milestone in Scotland's understanding of issues of inclusion. The Act is already beginning to have a significant and far-reaching impact on the work of schools; requiring staff to reconceptualise what was traditionally known as 'special needs' and asserting a much more complex and dynamic view of the potential barriers to inclusion. This paper explores the experiences and changing understandings of key staff (pastoral care, learning support, behaviour support) in three mainstream secondary schools as they worked to translate the new legislation into a coherent, holistic and sustainable set of practices. The paper raises some critical and timely questions about the tensions between competing priorities and roles and responsibilities for those working in education in such challenging times but also offers comment on the emerging potential of the legislation for building new confidence and capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the Scottish government renewing the pledge to implement A Curriculum for Excellence (2004) the schools' sector arguably faces a period of radical reform that could fundamentally affect the nature of pedagogy and schooling. This paper explores the disjunction in national policy that is foregrounded by this particular initiative. Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) can be seen as an attempt to move the Scottish approach to school improvement away from an alignment with the tenets of 'hard' managerialism and the requirement for conformity with centrally determined procedures and practices. It can be interpreted as using a 'softer' version of the discourse, where notions of organisational learning and contextualised development are seen as the basis for securing better performance. As such the implementation of CfE might be construed as incompatible with the approach to school improvement embedded in the Quality Initiative in Scottish Schools. This paper argues that the key to curricular reform lies with increasing the capacity for teacher, as well as student, learning in schools and that this requires a major revision of our approach to accountability. Given the recent OECD report on schooling in Scotland, the outcomes of the Crerar review of audit and inspection and the signing of the Government Concordat with local authorities, this is an ideal time for rethinking how we set about achieving quality assurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the implications of adopting social audit approaches in order to implement equality policies in Scottish FE colleges, exploring the tension between surface compliance and deep institutional engagement. It provides a brief overview of the Scottish further education context, before turning to a consideration of social audit and equalities within the sector. The data reported comes from a research study funded by the Scottish Further Education Unit which examined college policies and practices in relation to equalities. The study involved analysis of statistical data, a questionnaire survey of all Scottish colleges and in-depth case studies in five colleges. The paper examines the pros and cons of social audit as a means of achieving institutional changes in the field of equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last fifteen years the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has acquired a high level of professional acceptance and public awareness in Britain. A range of critiques have also developed in relation to the concept of ADHD, the constellation of symptoms that make up the 'disorder', its diagnosis and the use of medication. However diagnoses and medication rates continue to increase. This increasing medicalisation of behaviour is paradoxical in relation to current policy and legislative direction of Additional Support for Learning in Scotland. This paper surnmarises some of the critiques of the concept of ADHD, discusses their minimal impact on practice and refers to research data to highlight some issues for education. The data from a small pilot study highlights the role primary schools take in the diagnosis of ADHD, their relationship with the diagnosing professionals and the management of prescription medication during the school day. Finally the paper argues for further social and educational research on this important issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, formal barriers to gender equality in teaching were justified on the grounds that a predominance of women within the profession would be detrimental to the social and emotional development of male pupils, who needed male teachers as role models. Such arguments continue to be voiced in debates about what should be done to tackle the declining proportion of men in the teaching profession in Scotland. The research reported in this paper investigated the nature of the gender balance amongst teachers in Scottish publicly funded schools, undergraduate students' attitudes to teaching as a career and policy-makers' and practitioners' accounts of the underlying reasons for the growing gender imbalance in teaching. Practical suggestions were sought for possible courses of action to ensure greater diversity amongst the teaching workforce. In this paper it is argued that, whilst there is consensus on the need for a teaching workforce which reflects social diversity, recruiting reluctant men into teaching would be counter-productive. Rather, ways have to be found of promoting the positive aspects of teaching to both men and women, and, at a more general level, encouraging men to place greater value on the caring and empathic qualities which are increasingly required in teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the education remit of the Education and Culture Committee of the Scottish Parliament from September 2015 to February 2016 for the Stage two amendments of the Education (Scotland) Bill including topics on

Introduction: From April 2015, landmark legislation in Scotland established 31 new integrated health and social care organisations[1]. The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act (2014) required NHS Boards and Local Authorities to establish one of two organisational models by April 2016. Each integration authority, with their health, social care and housing providers, community partners, patients, carers and service-users, developed a strategic plan and is using an integrated budget to commission the range of integrated services and community support to improve local population health. This paper discusses the critical capacity building support required to enable progress towards integrated care at scale. Description: Each new Integration Authority oversees an integrated budget of more than 60% of the health and social care resources, including all adult social care, adult primary and community health care, and some aspects of adult hospital care. Local progress is being measured through nine health and wellbeing outcomes supported by a suite of 23 indicators that track activity, resources and care experience. Targeted population: Local integration of adult community health and social care services with the option to include children's health and social care services, criminal justice social work and housing support. Highlights: Capacity building to enable progress in implementing integrated care includes: Additional local analytical capacity to inform commissioning decisions and to make progress in linking health and social care data. Ringfenced funding of £300 million to enable investment in preventative supports and new models of anticipatory care and person centred care in the community. Technology Enabled care programme that has enabled over 25,000 more citizens to live safely in their own home, monitor their health at home and /or access specialised services remotely. A collaborative leadership programme and action learning to support practitioners to build new relationships and design new models of integrated care. Community intermediate care and advanced practice models that have enabled older people to spend around 3 million more days at home than would have been expected based on previous institutional care rates. Transferable lessons: Introducing new models of integrated care has been enabled by a new GP contract and development of enhanced interdisciplinary practice in primary care, supported by education and leadership programmes on people centred integrated care, including a new Masters programme. Progress on data sharing has been slower and a fully integrated electronic record remains elusive. Conclusions: Implementation of integrated care at scale is a long game requiring enabling supports across all dimensions of integration. Legislation, structural and financial integration have built a strong foundation for transformation but continuing support for leadership, workforce redesign, professional and functional integration remain priorities if we are to make integration 'business as usual'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which covers the remit of the Education and Culture Committee from February 2015 to August 2015 in Scotland in which the committee took evidence in several issues including Curriculum for Excellence, British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill, and educational attainment gap.

This qualitative study looks at how an art studio run by children in crisis impacts what we can learn about art and relationships. Room 13, an art studio on school grounds managed by children ages 7-11 years old, began in Scotland in the 1980's and is now worldwide. Room 13 young artists manage the studio, raise funds, and even hire an adult studio artist. In Room 13, the children's art making is expected to be experimental and self driven. West Rise Junior School and Hareclive Primary School in England both each have a Room 13 as well as a large population of children at risk. This research study explores how art can serve such a population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the education remit presented by the Scottish Parliament's Education and Culture Committee between February and July 2013. Topics include the national qualifications for the educational initiative Curriculum for Excellence, an educational research study conducted by the Centre of Educational Sociology at the University of Edinburgh, and the implications of cyber-bullying.

The article presents information on the education remit of Scotland's Parliamentary Education and Culture Committee from February through July 2013. It addresses efforts to change funding to post-16 year-old education in Scotland, issues associated with the ethics of taking children into government care, and a review of teacher employment in Scotland.