382 results
Search Results
2. Evaluating 'Blair's Educational Legacy?': some comments on the special issue of Oxford Review of Education.
- Author
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Whitty, Geoff
- Subjects
EDUCATION policy ,BRITISH education system ,SOCIAL justice ,FORUMS ,BRITISH politics & government, 1997-2007 ,BRITISH politics & government, 2007- - Abstract
The December 2008 special issue of the Oxford Review of Education provided a review of education policy during Tony Blair's tenure as Prime Minister. This paper forms a response to the ten contributions to that special issue and discusses some of the issues raised in them. While a few positive aspects of education under New Labour were identified in the special edition, it focused more on the failures of New Labour than its achievements. A common theme to emerge from the papers included the government's pursuit of neo-liberal market policies at the expense of its professed commitment to social justice. While accepting that the government's failure to tackle the differences in educational outcomes between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils constitutes a major failing, the present author argues that significant achievements, such as early years provision, were neglected in the special issue. He also discusses the electoral considerations facing New Labour and the personal role of Tony Blair in determining policy. The paper goes on to consider whether New Labour's education policy has changed since the departure of Blair and identifies some hints of a potentially more progressive approach developing under Brown. It concludes by suggesting that contributing towards a debate about alternatives to Blairite policies should now become a priority for the 'educational establishment'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. School exclusion policies across the UK: convergence and divergence.
- Author
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McCluskey, Gillean, Duffy, Gavin, Power, Sally, Robinson, Gareth, Tawell, Alice, Taylor, Annie, Templeton, Michelle, and Thompson, Ian
- Subjects
- *
EXCLUSION from school , *STUDENT suspension , *STUDENT expulsion , *EDUCATION policy , *COMPARATIVE studies , *EQUALITY , *EDUCATIONAL equalization - Abstract
Previous comparative research has revealed recent high and rising school exclusion rates in England and a contrasting picture of much lower and reducing rates in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In this paper, we examine findings from new research into school exclusion policies across the four countries of the UK. This interrogates for the first time how the problem of 'school exclusion' is framed within these four distinct policy contexts. We take up the question of how policy levers and drivers may shape patterns and trends in permanent exclusion and suspension/temporary exclusion. This analysis reveals that, despite broad agreement in policy on a need to reduce exclusion and increase equity across the UK jurisdictions, there are diverging policy stances on the purposes of exclusion, responsibilities of schools and the role of the state overall in bringing about change. We conclude that deeper critical engagement with policy contexts is a vital element in understanding the persistence of school exclusion itself but also the differential rates of exclusion across the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. 'Go to Oxbridge, get an education, start a career. Do all the right things': the 'low value' arts degree and the neoliberal university.
- Author
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Darling, Orlaith and Mahon, Áine
- Subjects
- *
ARTS education , *HUMANITIES education , *PHILOSOPHY of education , *GENERAL education , *HIGHER education - Abstract
Departments of Arts and Humanities globally face increasing financial threat from falling enrolment, rising costs, and 'strategic realignment' at university level. In the UK, in particular, cuts to the Arts and Humanities sector are becoming endemic, with complex ramifications for prospective students as well as academic and professional staff. In light of these structural and ideological challenges, this paper proposes a revisiting of the philosophical work of Richard Rorty. Rorty has argued compellingly for the morally educative importance of the arts as well as the distinct gift of a liberal education more generally. Ultimately, however, we argue that Rorty's liberal ideals are radically threatened in the present context of neoliberalism and that they have been particularly problematised in philosophical and literary work since Rorty's death in 2007. The theoretical writings of Lauren Berlant as well as the literary fiction of Nicole Flattery and Natasha Brown are our key exemplars here. Through our analysis of these texts, we interrogate what we might desire of education beyond the liberal paradigm underpinning Rorty's thought; and we sketch a framework for the Arts and Humanities perhaps more responsive to the crises of our contemporary age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. The mainstreaming of charities into schools.
- Author
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Power, Sally and Taylor, Chris
- Subjects
CHARITIES ,SCHOOLS ,FUNDRAISING ,EDUCATION ,ALTRUISM - Abstract
This paper focuses on the ‘mainstreaming’ of charities into schools. There have been growing concerns about the permeation of business and business values in education, but relatively little attention has been paid to the ways in which schools are increasingly engaged in the ‘business’ of fundraising for charities. Drawing on survey data from the WISERDEducation Multi-Cohort Study (WMCS), the paper outlines young people’s relationship with charities. The data show that young people have a high degree of engagement with charities, in which schools play a significant part. There are likely to be many positive aspects to this engagement, inasmuch as it fosters and reflects young people’s sense of collective responsibility. However, there are also issues about the extent to which this high level of involvement marginalises other approaches to promote the social good and increases the permeation of business values and business into school. The paper concludes that the current mainstreaming of charities into schools is not necessarily a self-evident ‘good’ and that this under-researched phenomenon deserves greater critical attention within and outwith schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. A philosophical defence of the university lecture.
- Author
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Fulford, Amanda and Mahon, Áine
- Subjects
PHILOSOPHY of education ,LECTURES & lecturing ,COLLEGE discipline ,HUMANITIES education ,HIGHER education - Abstract
As a host of published books, journal articles and opinion pieces attest, the university lecture is now distinctly out of step with contemporary Higher Education discourse. Academics across university disciplines confidently proclaim the format's obsolescence, arguing that only inertia and familiarity could satisfactorily account for the lecture's survival. We propose in this paper to offer a philosophical revisiting of this most maligned of pedagogical forms. Drawing on the philosophy of Stanley Cavell, we argue for the lecture not as a mode of dissemination but as a mode of address. On this model, the lecture is to be understood as a special form of human encounter where the voice of one is modulated specifically for the hearing of another. Thus, we propose in this paper to offer a philosophical defence of traditional university teaching. We argue that this defence has particular relevance for teaching and learning in the Humanities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Ofsted’s role in promoting school improvement: the mechanisms of the school inspection system in England.
- Author
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Jones, Karen and Tymms, Peter
- Subjects
SCHOOL inspections (Educational quality) ,EDUCATIONAL accountability ,SCHOOL improvement programs ,POLICY sciences - Abstract
Most countries across Europe now have their own Inspectorate as part of a school improvement and accountability system. However, there has been little research on the impact of school inspections or on the aspects of school inspections that maximise the positive effects and minimise the unintended consequences. As a precursor to further research, this paper presents a program theory of the school inspection system in England (Ofsted), highlighting the underlying mechanisms that explain how Ofsted intends to promote school improvement. The program theory is derived in a systematic way using the policy scientific approach, which draws evidence from the multiple methods of interviews and source documents. The key mechanisms that underpin Ofsted’s promotion of school improvement were found to be the setting of standards, giving feedback, the use of sanctions and rewards, the collection of information on schools and public accountability. Details showing the logic behind these mechanisms are presented. The program theory is validated by senior personnel from Ofsted. The paper argues for more research in evaluating the impact of school inspection and the specific mechanisms that underpin it. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Liberal studies and critical pedagogy in further education colleges: ‘where their eyes would be opened’ (sometimes).
- Author
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Simmons, Robin
- Subjects
CRITICAL pedagogy ,BACHELOR of liberal studies ,BRITISH education system ,DIALOGIC teaching ,TEACHING methods ,FURTHER education (Great Britain) - Abstract
This paper revisits the liberal studies movement, a significant feature of the English further education (FE) sector from the 1950s until the beginning of the 1980s. Its central argument is that liberal and general studies (LS/GS) and similar provision offered a vehicle where, at least in some circumstances, certain politically-motivated FE teachers were able to engage in forms of mutual, dialogic teaching and learning which can be conceptualised as critical pedagogy—or at least as close to critical pedagogy as can be achieved within the formal education system in a nation such as England. The paper draws on interviews with former FE lecturers who taught various forms of liberal studies to vocational students in FE colleges across England during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Whilst it is recognised that LS/GS was always contested terrain, data presented in this paper provide evidence to suggest that the spirit of critical pedagogy existed amongst a certain strand within the liberal studies movement, at least for a time—even if not all learners wished to be emancipated by their studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Universities: in, of, and beyond their cities.
- Author
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Brennan, John and Cochrane, Allan
- Subjects
UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,GLOBALIZATION ,URBAN planning ,URBANIZATION - Abstract
Universities are necessarily implicated in processes of globalisation and neoliberalisation. But this also finds an expression in the ways that they operate in the cities in which they are located. They are always located in place, but the question remains whether they can be understood to be of the places in which they find themselves, capable of contributing to their development as learning cities. That is the question explored in this paper, with the help of evidence drawn from a research project in the United Kingdom which examined the regional role of four contrasting universities in four different urban locations. The paper highlights the importance of understanding the complexity of the relationships between universities and their cities—universities negotiate their roles within particular urban settings, and they do so in instrumental ways, reflecting their own distinctive institutional priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Well-being in schools: empirical measure, or politician's dream?
- Author
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Coleman, John
- Subjects
WELL-being ,PSYCHOLOGICAL resilience in children ,HAPPINESS in children ,EMOTIONS in children ,TEACHER expectations ,BRITISH education system - Abstract
This article serves as an introduction to the papers that follow. It shows how well-being has become a significant focus of much educational policy in the UK, and explores how this has come about. Differing definitions of well-being are reviewed, as is the empirical base on which many of the interventions to improve well-being have been founded. Some of the major criticisms of this shift in policy are outlined, and the article includes a consideration of the validity of these criticisms. Finally it is noted that, while some elements of well-being are based on empirical research, much of the impetus for the focus on well-being has stemmed from the political agenda in the UK over the past decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Making teaching a 21st century profession: Tony Blair's big prize.
- Author
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Furlong, John
- Subjects
EDUCATION policy ,BRITISH education system ,TEACHER training ,ECONOMIC policy ,EDUCATIONAL accountability - Abstract
From his very earliest days in office, Tony Blair believed that if he was to achieve his broader educational reforms then the teaching profession itself needed modernising—it had to become a '21st century profession'. This paper charts the background to this aspiration and the complex range of interrelated policies used to achieve that reform. They included: a changed role for initial teacher education; a more differentiated workforce; strategies to 'focus' professionalism (appraisal, standards and CPD); and a redefinition of professional knowledge. Through these policies, the Government hoped to harness teacher professionalism to their broader reform agenda. The paper concludes with a discussion of Tony Blair's legacy in this field both in England and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Transforming the early years in England.
- Author
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Sylva *, Kathy and Pugh, Gillian
- Subjects
EDUCATION policy ,EDUCATIONAL innovations ,EDUCATIONAL planning ,EDUCATIONAL change ,EDUCATIONAL technology - Abstract
The goal of this paper is to explore the design and implementation of early years educational policy in England in the period 1997-2004. First to be described are the innovations in policy (i.e. the promise), followed by the 'evidence base' for new policy (i.e. the research), the delivery of new services (i.e. the achievement), and finally the tensions and gaps which remain (i.e. the shortfall). The paper will focus on evidence concerning expansion of services and on the benefit of early years education on children's development. It is argued that early years education in England has been transformed through the following: integration of education and care at local and national level, the introduction of the Foundation Stage Curriculum 3-6 years and its birth-3 years supplement, and the firm focus on families as well as children in the delivery of services. There are, however, gaps and tensions to be resolved before the overall vision can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Is there a shortage of quantitative work in education research?
- Author
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Gorard *, Stephen, Rushforth, Katie, and Taylor, Chris
- Subjects
EDUCATION research ,QUALITATIVE research ,METHODOLOGY ,PERIODICALS ,SURVEYS - Abstract
This paper considers the range of research methods used by the UK education research community. Using insights from 25 interviews with key stakeholders it describes their views on the current strengths and weaknesses in methods, and of what methodological developments are needed for future improvement in this field. Using survey returns from 521 active researchers, the paper goes on to describe the techniques that are available for use, and those where further 'training' or experience is required. Using the 8,691 individual RAE returns to education, the paper then summarises the methods reported to be in actual use. Finally, it uses a brief analysis of journal contents as triangulating evidence.Our informants were generally in agreement that there is currently a widespread weakness in the quality of UK education research. Much of this weakness is attributed by them to a shortage of skills in 'quantitative' methods. Our other data sources suggest that the latter is less likely than the informants believe. A clear majority of education researchers report having used some quantitative methods, and the substantial number of publications involving quantitative methods supports this view. It is, perhaps, rather the type and quality of both quantitative and qualitative research along with unreasonable expectations by its users that leads to the poor public image of education research. Improvement is not going to come simply by enlarging the group of people using quantitative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. The rise and decline of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the United Kingdom.
- Author
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Bunnell, Tristan
- Subjects
INTERNATIONAL baccalaureate ,EDUCATIONAL change ,EDUCATIONAL finance ,A-level examinations ,EDUCATION policy ,BRITISH education system ,UNIVERSITY & college admission ,SECONDARY education - Abstract
The three main programmes of the Geneva-registered International Baccalaureate (IB) have grown substantially worldwide over the past decade, although the programmes have found a natural ‘home’ in the United States. This paper charts the growth of the IB in the United Kingdom (UK) revealing that involvement there, mainly in England and mainly with the original pre-university Diploma Programme (IBDP), peaked at about 230 schools in 2010, but since then the IBDP has begun suddenly to decline. Yet, in no other country has there been a fall in IBDP provision. This paper offers some key explanations for this phenomenon, where a lack of funding and continued lack of university recognition in the face of Advanced Level (A-Level) reform and numerous ‘baccalaureate’ developments has led to many state-funded schools in particular dropping the IBDP. Thirdly, this paper discusses a number of implications, both for the IB itself and education in the UK in general. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. A review of the services offered by English Sure Start Children’s Centres in 2011 and 2012.
- Author
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Hall, James, Eisenstadt, Naomi, Sylva, Kathy, Smith, Teresa, Sammons, Pamela, Smith, George, Evangelou, Maria, Goff, Jenny, Tanner, Emily, Agur, Maya, and Hussey, David
- Subjects
SURE Start programs ,EARLY intervention (Education) ,EARLY childhood education ,POOR families ,POOR children ,PRESCHOOL education ,SERVICES for poor people - Abstract
This paper presents a review of the family services that were offered by a sample of 121 English Sure Start Children’s Centres in 2011 and 2012. Children’s Centres are community based facilities that aim to improve outcomes for at-risk families and children through the delivery of a range of services largely aimed at families with young children. Services commonly offered include: health advice, childcare and early education, employment advice, informal drop-in facilities, and specialist support on parenting. This paper provides a snapshot of Children’s Centre service provision in 2011 and 2012 and documents the extent of change. A picture of broad stability was observed in the numbers of services that centres reported offering (from a list of 47 services grouped into 11 categories). However, some Children’s Centres also appeared to be changing the focus of the services that they provided. Some centres seemed to be shifting towards providing greater outreach (rather than parent-support) and services which were targeted (rather than universal). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Inequalities in school leavers’ labour market outcomes: do school subject choices matter?
- Author
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Iannelli, Cristina and Duta, Adriana
- Subjects
CURRICULUM planning ,ELEMENTARY education ,SCHOOL dropout recovery programs ,SCHOOL children -- Social aspects ,LABOR market - Abstract
Despite a wide international literature on the effect of vocational and general education on school-to-work transition, relatively little is known about the role of having studied specific subjects in explaining inequalities in young people’s labour market outcomes. This paper aims to fill this gap by examining differences in employment chances of young people who left education early, either at the end of compulsory schooling or at the end of secondary school. Using data from the Scottish Longitudinal Study, a large-scale linkage study created using data from administrative and statistical sources, we found little gender differences but strong parental background differences in school leavers’ employment status and type of occupation entered. Social inequalities in labour market outcomes were only partly explained by curriculum choices. Moreover, after controlling for social origin and grades, only history and business for lower-secondary leavers and maths for upper-secondary leavers were associated with a reduction in the chances of being unemployed/inactive. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Has economics become an elite subject for elite UK universities?
- Author
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Johnston, James, Reeves, Alan, and Talbot, Steven
- Subjects
ECONOMICS education in universities & colleges ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,EDUCATIONAL equalization ,EDUCATIONAL change ,HIGHER education - Abstract
The decline in the number of UK universities offering undergraduate degree programmes in subjects such as sciences, mathematics, modern languages and humanities has been well documented and is now of real concern. It appears that economics may be going through a decline in new (post-1992) UK universities with many economics programmes having been withdrawn altogether. How market forces, government policy and other developments in UK higher education may have combined to stimulate the withdrawal of the undergraduate economics degree is explored in this paper. Data on the current level of provision and how this has changed over the last decade are presented. The study reveals how the economics degree, which until fairly recently was offered by old and new universities alike, appears to be expanding rapidly in the former but not in the latter. The withdrawal of economics undergraduate degree programmes from the UK’s new universities coupled with the fact that these institutions are the primary conduit through which under-represented groups are able to access the UK’s higher education system raises important questions about lack of equality of opportunity. The paper concludes by considering the implications of polarisation of access to economics degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Pedagogy for ethnic minority pupils with special educational needs in England: common yet different?
- Author
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Tan, Andrea Geok Poh, Ware, Jean, and Norwich, Brahm
- Subjects
CULTURAL pluralism ,ENGLISH language ,SPECIAL education ,SPEECH disorders in children ,SCHOOL children - Abstract
The increasing ethnic diversity in the UK has highlighted the importance of supporting primary school pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL), some of whom also have special educational needs (SEN). However, there is relatively little research carried out in the UK on children with both EAL needs and SEN. This paper presents the results of a study which aimed to explore the strategies used to teach and support pupils with the dual needs in four schools in North-West England. It reports research carried out with eight EAL pupils with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN) and four pupils with learning difficulties (LD), and explores the different strategies staff used to support these pupils. The results showed that the two groups varied in the extent to which staff differentiated pedagogical strategies. The paper concludes by pointing to the need for further training and greater collaboration between the fields of EAL and SEN in research and educational practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Media roles in influencing the public understanding of educational assessment issues.
- Author
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Murphy, Roger
- Subjects
MASS media & education ,PUBLIC opinion ,EDUCATIONAL tests & measurements ,EDUCATIONAL standards ,SECONDARY education - Abstract
This paper explores the media coverage of UK national examination results. Utilising the findings from a previous Economic and Social Research Council-funded investigation into the media coverage of the release of General Certificate of Secondary Education and Advanced-level General Certificate of Education results, the paper builds on the findings of that study to explore wider implications. The earlier study had revealed the use of some standard ‘media templates’, which led to a fairly predictable range of news stories whatever the pattern of results might be in any given year. This paper explores ways in which Awarding Organisations and others might be more proactive in trying to improve the way in which assessments and examinations are portrayed in the media. It also considers the wider implications of the role of the media in influencing the public understanding of assessment issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Labour government policy 14-19.
- Author
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Pring *, Richard
- Subjects
EDUCATION policy ,EDUCATION ,SOCIAL policy ,PUBLIC administration ,POLICY sciences - Abstract
The paper, first, outlines the official policy regarding education and training 14-19, second, picks out five areas within which that policy might be assessed, and, finally, raises questions about the educational thinking which underlies the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Young People's Entry into Higher Education: quantifying influential factors.
- Author
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Gayle, Vernon, Berridge, Damon, and Davies, Richard
- Subjects
HIGHER education ,EDUCATION of young adults - Abstract
The government has recently raised the issue of differential rates of participation in higher education. The overall aim of this paper is to present an example of the kind of detailed research necessary to identify factors associated with low rates of participation in higher education by some groups of young people. A number of studies have suggested that in addition to educational attainment, issues such as social class, gender and parental education also influence a young person's likelihood of entering higher education. In this paper we undertake exploratory analysis of a series of nationally representative data and through statistical modelling we then identify the factors that influence a young person's chances of entry into higher education and participating on a degree level course. Through sample enumeration, an innovative statistical methodology, we were then able to quantify the substantive effects of these factors. We found that net of educational attainment a number of factors (e.g. gender and social background variables) influence the likelihood of a young person entering higher education and participating on a degree level course. In addition our analysis highlights the interwoven effects of parental education and schooling and we discuss the complex nature of the effects of ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Evaluating the Performances of Minority Ethnic Pupils in Secondary Schools.
- Author
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Haque, Zubaida and Bell, John F.
- Subjects
MINORITY students ,ACADEMIC achievement ,SECONDARY education - Abstract
This paper investigates the performances and the progress made by pupils of minority ethnic origin between Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 in British secondary schools. The data used in this paper were collected as part of a PhD study by Haque (1999). The paper discusses findings from multilevel modelling analyses carried out on 12 of the 20 schools in the research study. In particular, it reveals that whilst differences exist in the performances and the progress of pupils of minority ethnic background in their Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 examinations, these differences become substantially reduced when background factors (other than ethnic origin) are taken into account. The paper concludes that in order to identify accurately and reduce the nature of disadvantages for pupils from particular minority ethnic groups, policy-makers, schools and teachers need to differentiate these groups beyond their national origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Participation, Inclusiveness, Academic Drift and Parity of Esteem: a comparison of post-compulsory education and training in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Author
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Raffe, David, Brannen, Karen, Fairgrieve, Joan, and Martin, Chris
- Subjects
POST-compulsory education ,EDUCATION policy - Abstract
This paper examines the post-compulsory education and training (PCET) systems of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, using cohort survey data for the early 1990s. It compares these systems with respect to four issues of current policy concern: participation, inclusiveness, academic drift and parity of esteem. It asks how a system's performance on these four criteria varied according to the degree of 'unification' of PCET, that is, the extent to which academic and vocational tracks were linked or combined within a unified system. In the early 1990s Scotland was the most unified system (with the weakest divisions between tracks) and Northern Ireland the least unified (with the strongest divisions between tracks). The paper finds no clear link between unification and participation in PCET. The two systems with the highest levels of participation were Northern Ireland and Scotland, respectively the least unified and the most unified systems. However the Scottish system was slightly less inclusive than the other three systems, as indicated by a slightly stronger association between participation and prior attainment and/or social class. Academic drift - measured by participation in academic rather than vocational tracks - was more pronounced in Scotland than elsewhere. There was no clear association between unification and parity of esteem, as indicated by the relative educational backgrounds of entrants to vocational and academic tracks: entry to academic rather than vocational courses was more skewed towards high attainers in both Scotland and Northern Ireland than in England and Wales. Participation in the academic track was also relatively skewed towards males in England compared with elsewhere. The paper concludes that there is unlikely to be a simple causal connection between unification and participation, inclusion, academic drift or parity. However it suggests that a strong work-based sector is more important for participation and inclusiveness, while a strong full-time vocational sector is more important for parity and for avoiding academic drift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Research and Inspection: HMI and OFSTED, 1981-1996 - a commentary.
- Author
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Smith, George
- Subjects
EDUCATION policy ,GOVERNMENT agencies - Abstract
This paper traces the changing relationship between research and inspection under both HMI and OFSTED, from the early 1980s to 1996. Drawing on a mix of internal and external sources it describes the changes within HMI to make traditional inspection methods more transparent and consistent and to make more use of quantitative data and performance indicators in the 1980s. However, changes within HMI were overtaken by events as education moved rapidly up the political agenda from the mid-1980s. With the demise of HMI in 1992, research within OFSTED took on a more prominent role and a modest but innovative research programme was established. However, the shift by OFSTED in the mid-1990s to take on a more explicit campaigning role to raise educational standards, rather than simply be a regulatory organisation, put the research under pressure to fit in with this new style. The paper draws on examples of the way these pressures worked out in both externally commissioned and internal research exercises. The result was that some studies were sidelined, while others were given excessive prominence that could not be justified by the scale and nature of the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Editorial.
- Author
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Sylva, Kathy
- Subjects
EDUCATION research ,SCHOOLS ,TEACHER training - Abstract
Editorial. Comments on the role of educational research in classrooms and schools in Great Britain. Usefulness of educational research; Different models of research; Links between research and the growth of professional judgement in trainee and experienced teachers.
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Research and the National Literacy Strategy.
- Author
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Beard, Roger
- Subjects
LITERACY programs ,LITERACY - Abstract
This paper outlines the research evidence underpinning the National Literacy Strategy that was implemented in England in 1998. The paper summarises what the Strategy comprises and identifies several 'predisposing' influences. These were the international data on primary school pupils' reading performance, school effectiveness research and the findings from literacy programmes with underachieving pupils in the USA and Australia. School inspections provided additional evidence. The early success of the National Literacy Project provided a 'precipitating' influence, as it reflected much of what was implied in the other sources of research evidence. The main aspects of the National Literacy Strategy are discussed and the relevant research findings are indicated. The broadly complementary nature of these sources is noted and the paper concludes by suggesting that the Strategy offers the promise of significantly raising standards and of improving the life-chances of thousands of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Explaining social class inequalities in educational achievement in the UK: quantifying the contribution of social class differences in school ‘effectiveness’.
- Author
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Hobbs, Graham
- Subjects
EQUALITY ,SOCIAL classes ,ACADEMIC achievement ,SCHOOLS ,SCHOOL children ,ELEMENTARY education - Abstract
There are large social class inequalities in educational achievement in the UK. This paper quantifies the contribution of one mechanism to the production of these inequalities: social class differences in school ‘effectiveness’, where ‘effectiveness’ refers to a school’s impact on pupils’ educational achievement (relative to other schools). It builds on the small number of existing studies, whilst overcoming a number of their limitations. It estimates the effectiveness of the (state) schools attended between ages 7/8 and 10/11 by a cohort of children born in the 1990s in Avon, a former county of England, and then compares the effectiveness of the schools attended by children from different social classes. It finds that ‘higher’ social class children attend more effective schools, on average, and that these social class differences in average school effectiveness between ages 7/8 and 10/11 account for 7% of social class differences in average educational achievement age 10/11. This is not a causal analysis, however. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. A blessing with a curse: model minority ethnic students and the construction of educational success.
- Author
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Wong, Billy
- Subjects
EDUCATION of minorities ,EDUCATIONAL attainment ,EDUCATION research ,EQUALITY ,CHINESE people ,INDIANS (Asians) - Abstract
While concerns around minority ethnic students and underachievement have attracted considerable attention in educational research, such as in England, few studies have examined those who excel, except as reference to justify the equity of the established system. This paper explores the educational success of British Chinese and Indian students, who are synonymously recognised as the model minority due to their tendency to achieve exceptional grades in national examinations. Data in this paper includes four discussion groups and 23 semi-structured interviews with British Chinese and Indian students (aged 11–14) and six teacher interviews. This study explores the social costs and benefits of the label of model minority and how these students attributed with such an identity construct and interpret educational success. Although high expectations by self and by others can positively contribute to the educational success of British Chinese and Indian students, inflated expectations can also generate a continuous sense of insecurity. Model minority students must contemplate the fear of failure and the potential damage they could inflict on the reputation of their family. Implications of the identity of model minority for students, teachers and policy are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. School performance, school effectiveness and the 1997...
- Author
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Gibson, Alex and Asthana, Sheena
- Subjects
EDUCATION policy ,SCHOOLS - Abstract
Argues that the 1997 White Paper, Excellence in Education policy reflects the continuing dominance of the School Effectiveness Research (SER) Paradigm in Great Britain. Origins of the SER Paradigm; Overview on the concept and consequences of a `value-added' methodology; Context of school performance.
- Published
- 1998
- Full Text
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30. Tracking the Phoenix: The fall and rise of the local education authority.
- Author
-
Tipple, Christopher
- Subjects
BRITISH education system ,SCHOOL administration - Abstract
Describes the challenges faced by a local education authority from 1987 to 1997, ten years after the introduction of the Education Reform Act in Great Britain. Analyses on the Conservative Government's White Paper Self Government for Schools and the White Paper Excellence in Schools; Potential role of the local education authority in the future.
- Published
- 1998
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. A degree of waste: A dissenting view.
- Author
-
Johnes, Geraint
- Subjects
HIGHER education - Abstract
Challenges the conclusions obtained in James Murphy's recent article on British higher education which appeared in the `Oxford Review of Education' journal. Suspect interpretation of statistics; Selective reading of the literature; Weak conceptual foundations; Imperfection of markets for both vocational training and higher education.
- Published
- 1993
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Can we reliably compare student engagement between universities? Evidence from the United Kingdom Engagement Survey.
- Author
-
Bokhove, Christian and Muijs, Daniel
- Subjects
STUDENT engagement ,COLLEGE student attitudes ,UNDERGRADUATES ,HIGHER education - Abstract
Policy changes in the higher education landscape have given way to increased interest in the way students perceive engagement in UK higher education. This paper examines whether we can reliably distinguish between institutions and disciplines, and what key student and institutional variables are a predictor of engagement of undergraduate students. Using data from two waves of the United Kingdom Engagement Survey (UKES), a national survey of undergraduate student engagement, we constructed multilevel models for different aspects of student engagement. The results show that the vast majority of the variance of the models is at the student level, indicating that demographic characteristics seem to contribute most to differential aspects of engagement. Some variance at student level could be explained: females, distance learners, part-time students, and disabled student indicators were negative predictors of engagement, while indicators for Black and minority ethnic (BME) students and for students from Africa and Asia were positive predictors of engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Teacher education in the United Kingdom post devolution: convergences and divergences.
- Author
-
Beauchamp, Gary, Clarke, Linda, Hulme, Moira, and Murray, Jean
- Subjects
EDUCATION research ,TEACHER education ,PROFESSIONALISM ,BRITISH education system ,EDUCATION policy - Abstract
This paper examines the roles of research in teacher education across the four nations of the United Kingdom. Both devolution and on-going reviews of teacher education are facilitating a greater degree of cross-national divergence. England is becoming a distinct outlier, in which the locus for teacher education is moving increasingly away from Higher Education Institutions and towards an ever-growing number of school-based providers. While the idea of teaching as a research-based profession is increasingly evident in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, it seems that England, at least in respect of the political rhetoric, recent reforms and explicit definitions, is fixed on a contrastingly divergent trajectory towards the idea of teaching as a craft-based occupation, with a concomitant emphasis on a (re)turn to the practical. It is recommended that research is urgently needed to plot these divergences and to examine their consequences for teacher education, educational research and professionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Inequality and Education: continuing the debate. A special issue of the Oxford Review of Education to mark its 40th anniversary.
- Author
-
Furlong, John and Lunt, Ingrid
- Subjects
EDUCATIONAL equalization ,BRITISH education system ,HISTORY of education - Abstract
The article presents an introduction in which the editors discuss the history of the journal and introduce the special issue's topic of educational inequality in Great Britain.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Teachers’ professional knowledge and state-funded teacher education: a (hi)story of critiques and silences.
- Author
-
Oancea, Alis
- Subjects
PEDAGOGICAL content knowledge research ,TEACHER education ,TEACHER education -- Finance ,PROFESSIONALISM ,DISCOURSE ,TEACHING ,ETHICS ,HISTORY - Abstract
This paper traces long-standing philosophical, sociological and political tensions that have been at the core of narratives about state-funded teacher education, since its inception in England. These tensions are still visible today in debates around the professional knowledge of teachers, such as those described in Furlong (2013). Historiographical evidence leads to questioning the new ‘truce’ being forged at the moment around acceptable ways of settling disagreements about teacher professionalism and teacher education, for example through the discursive redeployment of terms such as ‘common sense’, ‘resilience’ and ‘craft’. From ‘virtuous common sense’, in the mid-19th century, through ‘scientific pedagogy’ near the turn of the 20th century and ‘the science of lighting a fire’ in the mid-20th century, and to the ideological clashes surrounding the turn of the millennium, there have been numerous attempts to construct public accounts of teacher knowledge and attributes, and of teacher education. The absence of teachers as powerful participants in this construction is palpable. Philosophers can contribute to the ‘untelling’ of these stories by carefully picking discursive threads that were not foregrounded in the policy and political filtering of public accounts of teaching, and reconnecting them to traditions of argument about teaching as a practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Recent developments in teacher training and their consequences for the ‘University Project’ in education.
- Author
-
Whitty, Geoff
- Subjects
TEACHER education ,SCHOOL autonomy ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,PROFESSIONALISM ,EDUCATION & society ,ACADEMIES (British public schools) ,HIGHER education - Abstract
This paper discusses one of Furlong’s major areas of work, the theory and practice of teacher education. Taking up where our joint publicationTeacher Education in Transition: Re-Forming Professionalism?(Open University Press 2000) left off, it examines how accelerated moves towards school-based teacher education, as well as increased school autonomy, are impacting upon notions of teacher professionalism and professional formation in England. It looks at how in this context a ‘core’ professionalism mandated by central government through its teaching standards is being supplemented or even replaced by a series of ‘local’ professionalisms and the ‘branded’ professionalisms of Teach First and Academy chains. The paper then considers the implications of these developments for the future of Education as a subject of study in universities and, in particular, for the vision set out in Furlong’s recent bookEducation: an anatomy of the discipline(Routledge 2013). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Making the most of the ‘micro’: revisiting the social shaping of micro-computing in UK schools.
- Author
-
Selwyn, Neil
- Subjects
COMPUTERS in education ,PERSONAL computers ,INFORMATION technology ,EDUCATION policy ,BRITISH education system ,EDUCATIONAL technology ,SOCIAL groups ,HISTORY - Abstract
From the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, schools micro-computing in the UK developed from being a niche ‘hobbyist’ activity to a prominent, officially mandated element of the national education system. Drawing on in-depth interviews with key actors of the time, this paper outlines the initial varied interpretations of schools micro-computing in the UK, identifying the social groups that were involved in pursuing these interpretations, and then considering which meanings and values gained dominance over others. This ‘social shaping’ analysis highlights the processes that underpinned the gradual stabilisation of the meaning(s) around the micro-computer in an educational context. The paper concludes by considering how the eventually dominant interpretations of schools micro-computing can be explained in terms of the technological frames of relevant social groups—not least the differing determinist assumptions of groups hoping to encourage the radical computer-led transformation of schools and schooling, as opposed to those seeking the continuation of established interests. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Lively bureaucracy? The ESRC’s Doctoral Training Centres and UK universities.
- Author
-
Lunt, Ingrid, McAlpine, Lynn, and Mills, David
- Subjects
DOCTORAL students ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,BUREAUCRACY ,SOCIAL sciences education in universities & colleges ,UNIVERSITY & college administration ,HIGHER education - Abstract
This paper explores the changing relationships between the UK government, its research councils and universities, focusing on the governing, funding and organisation of doctoral training. We use the Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs) funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as a prism through which to study the shifting nature of university governance more broadly. Taking up ministerial policy ‘steers’ around research selectivity, knowledge exchange and collaboration, the national research councils position themselves as active partners to universities, working closely with their selected institutional ‘investments’. Drawing on interviews with directors of these DTCs, we document the range of ways in which universities are responding to these dynamic and sometimes unpredictable governance practices. This paper also highlights the growing number of collaborations between universities that are emerging. We use recent work in science governance to argue that, through the Doctoral Training Centres, these ‘lively’ Research Council bureaucracies are reshaping the social sciences and universities more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Exploring teachers’ curriculum decision making: insights from history education.
- Author
-
Harris, Richard and Reynolds, Rosemary
- Subjects
HISTORY education in universities & colleges ,TEACHER training ,CURRICULUM planning ,EFFECTIVE teaching ,EDUCATION of young adults ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges - Abstract
This paper explores teachers’ decision making by examining the topics that 11 history teachers from 10 schools in England chose to teach and how they approached teaching these topics. Data were gathered from curriculum documents and semi-structured interviews in which teachers’ topic choices and approaches to history were explored. Most teachers adopted a disciplinary approach to history teaching but one focused on analytical structures rather than processes. Additionally the findings suggest a large degree of uniformity in the topics chosen despite the freedom provided within the policy documents for history teaching in England. Few teachers had given much consideration to approaches that demonstrate the ‘usability’ of history for young people. This suggests a need to engage teachers more fully in robust curriculum debates given their central role in enacting curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Does what you study at age 14–16 matter for educational transitions post-16?
- Author
-
Moulton, Vanessa, Sullivan, Alice, Henderson, Morag, and Anders, Jake
- Subjects
ACADEMIC achievement ,CURRICULUM planning ,GENERAL Certificate of Secondary Education ,ENGLISH Baccalaureate (Great Britain) ,CAREER development - Abstract
This paper considers whether subject choice at 14–16 influences post-16 transitions, taking into account prior academic attainment and school characteristics, and if so, whether this accounts for socioeconomic, gender, and ethnic differences in access to post-16 education. We consider post-16 progression to full-time education, A-levels, and studying two or more facilitating subjects at A-level. We use ‘Next Steps’, a study of 16,000 people born in England in 1989–1990, linked to administrative education records (the National Pupil Database). We find that students pursuing an EBacc-eligible curriculum at 14–16 had a greater probability of progression to all post-16 educational outcomes, while the reverse was true for students taking an applied GCSE subject. Curriculum differences did not explain the social class differences in post-16 progression, but an academic curriculum was equally valuable for working-class as for middle-class pupils. Pursuing an EBacc-eligible curriculum particularly strongly increased the chances of girls and white young people staying in the educational pipeline, whereas applied subjects were particularly detrimental for girls. An EBacc-eligible curriculum at age 14–16 increased the chances of studying subjects preferred by Russell Group universities at A-level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Philosophical debates on curriculum, inequalities and social justice.
- Author
-
Pring, Richard
- Subjects
CURRICULUM planning ,TEACHING methods ,SOCIAL justice ,CITIZENSHIP ,EDUCATION & politics - Abstract
The paper provides an historical but critical context for examining the relation of the pursuit of greater equality in schooling to the development of curriculum. This requires a brief account of what one means by the principle of equality, before showing the different ways in which there have been curriculum responses underpinned by philosophical understandings which need to be examined closely. These different ways are explained in terms of:• ‘rational curriculum planning’ with its detailed definition of ‘aims, objectives, methods and evaluation’—and thereby a ‘science of teaching’;• ‘forms of knowledge’ or ‘realms of meaning’ to enable all pupils to have a basic understanding of the physical, social, and moral worlds they inhabit;• the pursuit of enquiry through which, for all learners, understanding is enlarged;• provision of common curriculum experience as a basis for citizenship;• taking diversity seriously; and• equalisation of opportunities through a common system of national standards and assessments. However, in the light of greater government involvement in the minutiae of curriculum reform, mainly through changes in qualifications and examinations, there is clearly a need to ask what sort of evidence is relevant to ‘what works’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Youth work, social education, democratic practice and the challenge of difference: A contribution to debate.
- Author
-
Batsleer, Janet
- Subjects
SOCIAL work with youth ,NEOLIBERALISM ,SOCIAL services ,EDUCATION - Abstract
This paper highlights the contribution of theoretical discussions of social education in UK youth work to debates about ‘social pedagogy’, arguing that the analysis of power and difference, in particular the impact of gender difference, which has occurred in youth work is essential in discussions of ‘social pedagogy’ too. Since ‘social pedagogy’ has been discussed as a source for transformed visions of schooling, the paper extends and develops discussion of pre-figurative counter-practice and how it can be sustained through an engagement with difference, drawing especially on the work of Luce Irigaray. Ideas and practice associated with social pedagogy have been drawn on to illuminate a radical vision of the common school as a counter-practice to the neo-liberal credentialisation of schooling. Such approaches resonate strongly with so-called romantic models of youth work in the UK (Wylie, 2010) and their associated traditions of social education. The emphasis on the relational and the social in education might enable a fruitful engagement with feminist approaches especially that of the philosopher Luce Irigaray (1932–present) whose work forms the basis of the engagement with difference which is advocated here. Such an engagement with difference is essential to any democratic project which resists pressures simply to normalise, standardise and contain those involved in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. Differentiation and social segregation of UK higher education, 1996–2010.
- Author
-
Croxford, Linda and Raffe, David
- Subjects
HIGHER education ,SEGREGATION in education ,DIFFERENTIATION (Sociology) ,PRIVATE schools ,SCHOOL integration - Abstract
Policies to expand higher education (HE) in the UK have emphasised the importance of widening participation by under-represented groups. However, the attention has shifted from who participates in HE (and who does not) to the different institutions attended by students from different backgrounds. Researchers have typically investigated this issue by comparing rates of entry to different types of university. This paper proposes an alternative approach; it uses concepts of social segregation, hitherto applied mainly to secondary schools, to analyse UCAS data on the social and demographic characteristics of entrants to HE. It estimates indices of segregation between HE institutions, and between subject areas within institutions, for selected cohorts of entrants to full-time undergraduate courses between 1996 and 2010. Levels of segregation during this period have been relatively high in relation to ethnicity and independent schooling, lower in relation to age and lowest in relation to gender, disability and social class. Most indices show stability over time, with a decline in the segregation of non-white ethnic groups and a small increase in segregation of independent school students. Levels of segregation differ across the four UK home countries, and tend to be highest in England. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. The public understanding of error in educational assessment.
- Author
-
Gardner, John
- Subjects
ERRORS ,EDUCATIONAL tests & measurements ,PUBLIC opinion ,GRADING of students - Abstract
Evidence from recent research suggests that in the UK the public perception of errors in national examinations is that they are simply mistakes; events that are preventable. This perception predominates over the more sophisticated technical view that errors arise from many sources and create an inevitable variability in assessment outcomes. The public perception also seems to invest assessment grades and marks with the precision and accuracy of scientific measurements; a perception that does not sit easily with the academic and professional understanding that grades and marks are assigned rather than measured. However, growing numbers of successful challenges by students to their examination results present an interesting challenge for examination bodies. Such evidence could point to a number of possible causes. For example, there might be an increasing awareness among students of the uncertainty surrounding the grades assigned to their work; or their confidence in the capacity of such assessments to reflect the true quality of their performance may be decreasing. As the numbers of challenges increase year on year, there is growing consensus among assessment experts that public confidence needs to be strengthened. Clearly this may be achieved in a number of ways, e.g. by reducing the incidence of human errors and system breakdowns or by improving the public understanding of the assessment process. The latter tactic prompts calls for greater openness and transparency in all aspects of assessment design and process. However, such calls rarely touch on one of the most enduring dimensions of the problem: the public’s perception of precision and accuracy in educational assessments. This paper argues that this problem partly arises from a misuse of the term ‘measurement’ in educational assessment and that in addition to openness and transparency, any public understanding strategy should seek to reduce the misconceptions it causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Trainee teachers, gender and becoming the ‘right’ person for the job: care and authority in the vocational habitus of teaching.
- Author
-
Braun, Annette
- Subjects
STUDENT teachers ,ACADEMIC achievement ,EFFECTIVE teaching ,TEACHER training - Abstract
Drawing on a qualitative study of 32 UK student teachers, this paper asks what constitutes the vocational culture of teaching by exploring contradictory discourses of care and authority as they are presented to, and interpreted by, trainee teachers along their journey to becoming newly qualified teachers. Introducing the concept of ‘vocational habitus’ in relation to teaching, ‘ideal teacher narratives’ recounted by respondents are examined and mismatches between the expectations of individuals, institutions and wider policy contexts are explored. The later part of the article focuses specifically on three trainee teachers who struggled more than other research participants with their new roles as teachers. Their experiences suggest that simultaneous and gendered notions of caring and commanding respect can present considerable obstacles for the acquisition of a ‘successful’ vocational habitus. In light of proposed changes to teacher training in England, this paper argues that for government teacher education policies to be successful, they need to demonstrate an awareness and consideration of these contradictory notions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Mathematics and science inequalities in the United Kingdom: when elitism, sexism and culture collide.
- Author
-
Boaler, Jo, Altendorff, Lori, and Kent, Geoff
- Subjects
MATHEMATICS education ,SCIENCE education ,EDUCATIONAL equalization ,SOCIAL classes ,ETHNICITY ,SEXISM in education - Abstract
An examination of gender, social class and ethnicity performance and participation patterns in different UK countries shows that inequities occur in relation to gender, class and ethnicity but that the patterns of inequity look quite different in the three domains. Achievement is equal for different genders but many more males take mathematics forward to advanced levels; social class differences persist in both achievement and participation; and ethnicity shows a varied pattern with some groups performing and participating at particularly high levels and some particularly low. This paper identifies some critical issues that we face in making mathematics and science equitable and begins to analyse some of the barriers that stand in the way of students who are female, and from some ethnic and social groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. The impact of mothers' adult learning on their children's academic performance at Key Stage 3: evidence from ALSPAC.
- Author
-
Sabates, Ricardo, Duckworth, Kathryn, and Feinstein, Leon
- Subjects
ADULT learning ,EDUCATION of mothers ,ACADEMIC achievement ,KEY Stage Three National Tests ,LONGITUDINAL method ,BRITISH education system - Abstract
This paper investigates whether the inter-generational benefits of parental adult education exist over and above the achievement of parental educational qualifications during schooling and whether returns to parental adult learning are greatest for children of parents with low levels of education. Using data from the UK Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, ALSPAC, results show that mothers' participation in adult education is not associated with improvements in their children's academic attainment in English and mathematics at age 14 once the previous parental academic qualifications are included. This lack of relationship was found for the overall sample, and for subgroups defined by the type of adult education (accredited, unaccredited or informal learning), the intensity of learning (duration and engagement) and by mothers' prior educational qualifications. Although our results suggest that maternal adult learning is not a key factor for improvement in children's test scores at age 14, further research is needed to investigate the role of parental adult learning at other stages of children's cognitive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Maternal schooling and children's relative inequalities in developmental outcomes: evidence from the 1947 school leaving age reform in Britain.
- Author
-
Sabates, Ricardo and Duckworth, Kathryn
- Subjects
POST-compulsory education ,HOME schooling ,PARENTS as teachers ,PARENT-student relationships ,EDUCATIONAL equalization ,MATHEMATICS education ,READING ,COHORT analysis - Abstract
This paper investigates whether mothers' participation in post-compulsory education impacts on children's relative inequalities across four developmental outcomes. The empirical analysis uses information from children born in 1958 in Britain. Mothers of the 1958 British cohort were affected by the 1947 school leaving age reform, which increased the age of compulsory schooling from 14 to 15 years. We selected the first-born cohort members whose mothers were born in 1933 and 1934 and whose mothers completed compulsory schooling only. We found that the additional year of maternal schooling was significantly associated with relative improvements in mathematics attainment for their children, but no significant differences for reading or behavioural outcomes. The impact on mathematics was mainly for boys. These results suggest wider dispersion in mathematics attainment between sons whose mothers benefited from the additional year of schooling in 1947 and those whose mothers did not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. Seen and heard, and then not heard: Scottish pupils' experience of democratic educational practice during the transition from primary to secondary school.
- Author
-
Deuchar, Ross
- Subjects
CITIZENSHIP education ,CURRICULUM ,INSTRUCTIONAL systems ,EDUCATION research ,SOCIAL science research - Abstract
Education for citizenship is firmly on the policy agenda throughout Britain, and there is an expectation that teachers will create a participative, consultative ethos in schools. This paper identifies three main vehicles for pupil consultation: elected pupil councils, democratic and participative classrooms and opportunities for pupils to engage with controversial issues within the curriculum. It focuses on a longitudinal study of pupils' experience of democratic practice in Scottish schools in relation to these vehicles. Evidence from a diverse sample of primary schools illustrates the way in which upper-stage pupils are encouraged to participate in decision-making processes and engage in the discussion of contemporary social issues of their own interest both in the classroom and during pupil council meetings. In addition, further evidence of the extent to which these same pupils' experience of the democratic process evolves following their transition to secondary school is reported. The paper raises new questions about the extent to which Scottish pupils may be exposed to a progressive model of democratic education, and suggests that children may be given more opportunities for consultation in primary school than they are in the early stages of secondary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Academies and diplomas: two strategies for shaping the future workforce.
- Author
-
Hatcher, Richard
- Subjects
EDUCATION & economics ,BRITISH education system ,EDUCATION policy ,HUMAN capital ,VOCATIONAL education ,BUSINESS & education - Abstract
The unprecedented extent of privatisation of provision in the school system on a for-profit basis is clearly one of the most significant transformations accomplished by the Blair government. However, another aspect of private sector involvement has proved much more problematic: the direct involvement of employers in the formation of the future workforce, in two forms: employer-led vocationally-oriented diplomas and state schools—Academies—run by business interests. Both strategies remain key policies of the Brown government and have been endorsed by the Conservative opposition. However, whether these two strategies can provide the basis of a stable policy settlement depends upon the extent to which they prove capable of delivering the 'human capital' the economy is claimed to require. This paper assesses the evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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