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This paper is a reflection upon the research findings of Rebecca Allen and Anne West in relation to religious schools in London. While welcoming this contribution to the systematic study of faith schools (a neglected area of empirical inquiry), the paper argues that the use of 'religious schools' as a unitary category is problematic for the analysis. It also suggests that certain historical and cultural contextual knowledge is required when analysing the characteristics of different categories of religious schools. This response is intended to be helpful for future researchers into the different types of faith school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A response by to a letter to the editor about the article "Religious schools in London: school admissions, religious composition and selectivity" is presented.

This paper explores the way in which the concept of utopia is employed within contemporary educational theory. Confronted with the relentless marketisation and managerialisation of education, there is a growing willingness to embrace utopianism as a means of bolstering hope, opening up new possibilities and catalysing change. At the same time, there is a concern to avoid utopianism's more fanciful and coercive associations. The paper focuses on two approaches to education that seek to harness the spirit of utopia while emphasising the need for realism and the need to avoid proffering 'closed' and 'totalistic' blueprints. These are the 'utopian realist' approach to policy issues and the 'concrete utopian' approach to pedagogy. The paper explores the different understandings of 'utopia' underpinning these approaches. It also argues that they suffer the same fundamental weakness. For in striving to avoid the 'bad' aspects of utopianism, much of the vitality and direction that a utopian approach can offer is lost. Utopianism is on the agenda in education because of widespread frustration and anger at current policy initiatives. If utopia is to operate as a means of opening up possibilities and catalysing change, then a prescriptive totalising vision, with all its associated dangers, may be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of the discipline of geography to the field of education is complex since they have both been dependent upon the contributions of other social science disciplines, particularly those in the mainstream of social sciences (economics, sociology and political science). Indeed, the number of researchers who would consider themselves as working within the sub-discipline of the geography of education is small, but apparently growing. While the paper suggests that to date there has been relatively little debate at the intersection of these two fields of enquiry it goes on to propose that the potential contribution this would have for both fields remains significant. The pivotal contribution of geography to all the social sciences, that of space (and place), has been central to UK education research since the early origins of a national education system and the roles education and curricular developments have played in nation building. The role of space has also featured heavily in analyses of territorial justice and governance at the level of local authorities and further down in scale to spatial analyses of the classroom. But in order to fully appreciate its contribution the paper utilises the related concept of scale to systematically explore the relationship between space and education, in terms of its analytical, theoretical and methodological uses. The paper also considers the recent 'spatial turn' in education (and the social sciences more generally) and the equivalent focus on education matters within the field of human geography. In developing this approach it becomes apparent where interdisciplinary research across and between the disciplines of geography and education remains limited and what further contributions from geography would be beneficial to the field of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faith identity is emerging as significant for Muslim students in the post 9/11 scenario, with implications for their education and wider social cohesion. This poses challenges to school leaders, raising issues not only linked to student achievement and performance, but also with regard to students' identity constructions and their educational engagement. The paper draws on data collected from a small number of teachers and Muslim students from two secondary schools in England, looking at how Muslim students experience their identity in the school context and with what implications for their educational engagement. It also discusses the challenges for educational leaders/teachers in managing 'Muslimness' on educational sites. The data indicate that the increasing engagement with faith identity can be a response to experiences of discrimination, marginalisation and negative media. The paper highlights the need for communication and understanding across differences, underpinned by an equally pressing need for the recognition of religious and cultural diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a truism that giving people multiple reasons to engage in some activity will increase the chances of that activity¿that two reasons are better than one. It is another truism, in the developed, Western world, that more freedom brings more well-being, and that more choice brings more freedom. In education, these truisms have led to the use of financial incentives (along with the intrinsic incentives already presumed to be present) to motivate students and teachers alike, and to expanded curricular choice for students, and expanded school choice for students and their parents. The thesis of this paper is that both truisms, though plausible, are false. First, the paper reviews evidence that incentives extrinsic to the tasks at hand¿whether administered to teachers or to students¿can undermine intrinsic motivation to teach and to learn, resulting in worse performance than would have resulted without extrinsic incentives. Because of this 'motivational competition', I argue that standard extrinsic incentives should be used in educational settings only with great care. Second, the paper reviews evidence that there can be too much choice, resulting in paralysis, inferior performance and dissatisfaction. Though choice, autonomy and personal control are important contributors to well-being, there can be too much of a good thing. Both extrinsic incentives and excessive choice can threaten well-being associated with the educational process, the first by taking meaning and engagement out of educational activities, and the second by undermining satisfaction with those activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

This paper reflects upon the nature of a target-setting and mentoring scheme in an 11-16 school in England, through a series of retrospective interviews with students who continued into further education. It considers the extent to which the initiative impacted both upon students' formal academic achievement at 16+ and upon the subsequent longer-term aspirations of these students. Interviews with students who achieved considerable 'value-added' in their GCSE examinations suggested that the impact of mentoring was strongest amongst those students who came from homes where there was less expectation of them participating in further and higher education, and that this effect was not differentiated according to gender. The paper suggests that longer-term transformation of students' aspirations, and the challenging of gendered course and career stereotypes, will only be achieved if schools adopt a more holistic and proactive approach to careers education and to widening participation for their students, and that the absence of such proactivity will limit the longer-term gains initiated by successful mentoring activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Germany, a remarkable number of young people leave school with the qualification required for entrance to higher education (Abitur) but do not actually go on to university. Instead, these young people—known in German as Abiturienten—start an apprenticeship within what is known in Germany as the Dual-System. Indeed, the numbers of Abiturienten with both an apprenticeship qualification and a university degree have grown considerably and now make up a significant minority of school-leavers. From an international perspective in particular, this pathway through the education system is puzzling: why would someone with the qualifications to go on to higher education decide to acquire what the Germans call a Doppel-Qualifikation, or 'double qualification'? This paper explains the transition process from secondary education to the apprenticeship system and higher education. It also tentatively identifies factors that may account for the motives of these particular school-leavers: for instance, Abiturienten undertaking an apprenticeship may rather be more risk-averse than other, less academically able, students. In such cases, an apprenticeship provides practical experience and allows students to keep their options open. Moreover, by comparison with a number of other countries, the apprenticeship system in Germany is held in high esteem. Finally, the paper discusses some of the weaknesses of the Dual-System and their implications for trainees with the Abitur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

This paper critically examines the application of research into cognitive neuroscience to educational contexts. It first considers recent warnings from within the neuroscientific community itself about the limitations of current neuroscientific knowledge and the urgent need to dispel popular 'neuromyths' which have become accepted in many classrooms. It also criticises the use of over-simplified neuroscience to add scientific credibility to curricular reform, as has been the case in the rationale behind the recent implementation of the Northern Ireland Revised Curriculum. The paper then draws on the philosophy of Wittgenstein to highlight a further conceptual confusion which often surrounds the application of neuroscience to education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Policy debates on employability, lifelong learning and competence-based approaches suggest a convergence of VET approaches across European countries. Against the background of the creation of a European Qualifications Framework, this paper compares the VET systems of England, Germany and The Netherlands. The analysis reveals the distinct understandings and meanings of outwardly similar terms. These meanings are deeply rooted in the countries' institutional structures and labour processes and still inform national debates and policies today. The paper identifies a major distinction between a 'knowledge-based' VET model in Germany and The Netherlands and a 'skills-based' model in England. There is a need to develop trans-national categories that take into account the social construction of terms such as 'skills' and 'qualifications'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formative assessment has attracted increasing attention from both practitioners and scholars over the last decade. This paper draws on the authors' empirical research conducted over eleven years in educational situations ranging from infant schools to postgraduate education to propose a theorisation of formative assessment. Formative assessment is seen as taking place when teachers and learners seek to respond to student work, making judgements about what is good learning with a view to improving that learning. However, the theorisation emphasises formative assessment as being a discursive social practice, involving dialectical, sometimes conflictual, processes. These bring into play issues of power in which learners' and teachers' identities are implicated and what counts as legitimate knowledge is framed by institutional discourses and summative assessment demands. The paper argues that, rather than only paying attention to the content of learning, an ambition for formative assessment might be to deconstruct these contextual issues, allowing a critical consideration of learning as a wider process of becoming. The article suggests a model that might be useful to teachers and learners in achieving this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to make a methodological contribution to the education segregation literature, providing a critique of previous measures of segregation used in the literature, as well as suggesting an alternative approach to measuring segregation. Specifically, the paper examines Gorard, Fitz and Taylor's finding that social segregation between schools, as measured by free school meals (FSM) entitlement, fell significantly in the years following the 1988 Education Reform Act. Using Annual Schools Census data from 1989 to 2004, the paper challenges the magnitude of their findings, suggesting that the method used by Gorard et al. seriously overstates the size of the fall in segregation. We make the case for a segregation curve approach to measuring segregation, where comparisons of the level of segregation are possible regardless of the percentage FSM eligibility. Using this approach, we develop a new method for describing both the level and the location of school segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the challenges faced by organisations and individual professionals, as new practices are developed and learned in multi-agency work settings. The practices examined in the paper involve working responsively across professional boundaries with at-risk young people. The paper draws on evidence from the Learning in and for Interagency Working Project, a four year ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme study of inter-professional learning which has examined the challenges involved in what Victor and Boynton (1998) term co-configuration work. In the context of professional collaboration for social inclusion, co-configuration involves on-going partnerships between professionals and service users to support young people's pathways out of social exclusion. This work demands a capacity to recognise and access expertise distributed across local systems and to negotiate the boundaries of responsible professional action with other professionals and with clients. The paper outlines the activity theory derived theoretical platform adopted by the project and describes the intervention methodology that is being developed, as we study the learning challenges identified by children's services practitioners in UK local authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws upon data from a longitudinal, multi-site, mixed methods project which found that commitment and resilience are fundamental to teachers' effectiveness, and that variations in professional, personal and workplace conditions in different professional life phases affect these. It found also that teachers do not necessarily learn through experience; that expertise is not acquired in an even, incremental way; and that teachers are at greater risk of being less effective in later phases of their professional lives. The paper develops these findings. Moreover, it argues that the contexts for teachers' professional learning and development are, by definition, different from those who do not work in human service organisations, since teachers are essentially engaged in work which has fundamental moral and ethical as well as instrumental purposes. Their capacity to exercise these effectively relates to their ability to manage positive and negative 'scenarios' in different professional life phases. It suggests, therefore, that to be effective, professional learning opportunities must be designed which take account of the personal, workplace and external scenarios which challenge their commitment to these core purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education in Israel is often described as caught between two ends: state-formation and nation-building. In the last decade civic education in Israel has been undergoing some changes. The civic compulsory curriculum for state high schools was unified across all educational sectors in Israel with the aim of creating a more inclusive, universal civic curriculum that would be used as a platform for creating a common civic culture. The tension between state-formation and nation-building, between universalism and particularism, thus, has become even more prominent where civic education is concerned. To a significant extent, civic education in Israel is one place where contesting messages about the meaning of membership in the Israeli collective are negotiated and debated. This paper explores the tensions between inclusion and exclusion and between universalism and particularism as they emerge from the official civic education curriculum in Israel. It does so by examining the representations and positions of the Palestinian citizens in the official discourse of civic education. The analysis suggests that civic education in Israel at best represents an ambivalent stance that is caught in the tension between inclusion and exclusion. But more often than not, it still reproduces the marginal position of the Palestinian minority in Israeli society. In light of this, this paper concludes by discussing the possible implications these dual messages might have for Palestinian students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed development of extended schools in England is part of an international movement towards community-oriented schooling, particularly in areas of disadvantage. Although on the face of it this movement seems like a common-sense approach to self-evident needs, the evaluation evidence on such schools is inconclusive. In order to assess the likelihood that community-oriented schooling will have a significant impact on disadvantage, therefore, this paper analyses the rationale on which this approach to schooling appears to be based. It argues that community-oriented schools as currently conceptualised have a focus on 'proximal' rather than 'distal' factors in disadvantage, underpinned by a model of social in/exclusion which draws attention away from underlying causes. They are, therefore, likely to have only small-scale, local impacts. The paper suggests that a more wide-ranging strategy is needed in which educational reform is linked to other forms of social and economic reform and considers the conditions which would be necessary for the emergence of such a strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper takes the external quality assurance of English universities and colleges as an example of regulation in higher education as undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Regulatory scholarship generally has been largely disinterested in higher education and the paper applies a 'regulatory lens' to higher education quality assurance. It reports the findings of a research project on the role identities and perceptions of the auditors recruited by the QAA from the academic community for undertaking institutional audits. It suggests that such a group may be regarded as 'regulatory intermediaries', facing both 'upwards' to the regulator, and 'down' to those being regulated. As such, they have an important function in the delivery of external quality assurance regulation and the paper reports on how they mediate and understand a range of frequently conflicting pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has indicated significant variation between schools in the proportion of their students who go on to higher education. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the specific school characteristics influencing application and entry to tertiary education. This paper sets out to analyse the individual and school factors which influence the transition to higher education in the Irish context. The paper draws on a large-scale study of 4,400 students within 108 secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland. Almost three-quarters of the students in the sample applied for a higher education course. However, schools varied in the application rates of their students. These differences are found to be related to the background characteristics of students (in terms of gender, social class and prior ability) along with the institutional habitus of the school. It is found that school factors associated with increased college application rates do not necessarily appear to yield higher rates of college entry but rather that successful entry to tertiary education is related to general academic effectiveness in the school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Claims are often made in British education about the extent to which policy reforms have been ‘borrowed’ from overseas. Based on interviews with senior civil servants and HMI, this paper addresses the extent to which such claims apply to central government educational policy‐making at school level in England between 1985 and 1995. This was a period which saw the collapse of traditional ‘partnership’ modes of educational reform (central and local government, schools, teachers, educationists), which was replaced by major centrally directed legislation from Kenneth Baker’s 1988 Education Reform Act onwards. It was also a period in which the OECD promoted the use of educational ‘performance indicators’ to facilitate cross‐national comparisons of educational quality. The paper finds that, while overseas developments were frequently cited during this period of radical legislative change, these were largely convenient examples from countries with particular ideological closeness to the English climate, promoted by ‘New Right’ think tanks, to lend legitimacy to what were primarily ‘home grown’ policy solutions. Overall, their effect was marginal. Reforms in England took place both prior to and in parallel with similar reforms elsewhere; hence examples from overseas were more often used to confirm developments in England rather than to initiate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the ways in which the results of the OECD Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) have influenced educational discourse in Germany. It argues that the results caused shockwaves in the educational landscape and led to a re‐evaluation of other international comparisons which had presented an unfavourable picture of education in Germany. The paper outlines three main areas affected by the reception of the PISA study in Germany: political discourse, curriculum development processes and academic discourse on education. Changes in the political discourse resulted in a wide‐ranging reform agenda, with the introduction of national educational standards being the most significant of a number of initiatives and programmes. In terms of curriculum development processes, the paper argues that PISA has led to the growing importance of principles such as outcome control, competence orientation and external assessment. The post‐PISA academic discourse in Germany can be characterised by the re‐orientation of educational studies towards a greater emphasis on the empirical research of pedagogic practice (empirische Unterrichtsforschung). All three areas of change are informed by more or less systematic comparisons with educational structures in other countries and, therefore, it is argued that PISA has contributed to a rediscovery of comparative education in the German discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a case study of the London Education Authority of Barking and Dagenham’s borrowing of Swiss educational practices, and the implementation and internalisation of those foreign practices in the teaching of mathematics in primary schools. The study employs analytical frameworks that might be used by policy makers or researchers looking at ‘borrowing’ educational practices and policies from elsewhere to use at home. The significance of context (e.g. social, economic, political and demographic) is highlighted, both in the process of educational borrowing and in the implementation of these ideas to improve education at home. In conclusion, the paper reflects upon ‘best practices’ and strategies that might serve as lessons to others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the educational provision for, and general treatment of, refugee and asylum seeker children in Australia, using a framework of governmentality. The paper describes the regimes of practices which govern refugees and asylum seekers in Australia, including mandatory detention and a complex set of visa categorisations, and considers their consequences for the educational provision for children. It addresses three questions: How is it possible that the rights of children have been rendered invisible in and by a democratic state? How are repressive and even violent practices normalised in a liberal state, so that ordinary citizens show so little concern about them? And what should our response be as educators and intellectuals? In conclusion, it explores Foucault’s notions of ethics and fearless speech ( parrhesia ) as a basis for an ethics of engagement in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on Matthew’s story to illustrate the conflicting discourses of being a boy and being a student. Matthew is 12 years old and in Grade Six, his final year at Banrock Primary (a K‐6 Australian State School). School is far from a happy place for Matthew—his tearful accounts of his combative relationships with his peers and his teacher highlight his emotional distress. The paper’s analytic focus draws attention to some of the ways Matthew’s harmful storylines of hegemonic masculinity are made possible through, in particular, his teacher’s gendered philosophies and her strategies of individualism and control. In this regard, Matthew’s story provides insight into the potentially counterproductive realities of teacher practice in relation to addressing issues of masculinity within the school environment. Against this backdrop, the paper stresses the importance of teachers drawing on a sound research‐based framework of gender knowledges that can illuminate how masculinities are constructed, regulated and, indeed, transformed through the power relations of everyday social practice, including teacher practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper distinguishes the key dimensions of professional value in teaching under three headings: (i) deontic norms; (ii) aretaic norms; and (iii) technical norms. With regard to (i) it is held that aspects of the professional conduct of teachers are properly (though not exclusively) implicated in the observance of moral principles and duties—especially in so far as education may also be considered a human right. With regard to (ii), however, it is argued that professional development is not exhausted by fidelity to obligations, and also needs to be understood in terms of the development of personal qualities of character. That said, some criticism is here offered of a recent critique by Chris Higgins (2003) of the ‘ascetic’ ideal of teaching, and of his defence of a more ‘self‐regarding’ conception of professional development. The final section of the paper argues that insofar as it seems difficult if not impossible to separate the technical from the moral in teacher expertise, contemporary conceptions of professional teacher education and training appear to mislocate the true epistemic character of pedagogical engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his ‘Perspectives on the Philosophy of Education’ John Wilson laments the confusion that surrounds the current state of the philosophy of education. Unlike other branches of philosophy, he claims, it is not clear what the philosophy of education is about, and a snapshot of current work in the field reveals its lack of coherence. To remedy this he advocates starting ‘from scratch’: the philosophy of education is to be understood as a discipline concerned with the logic of value judgements and focused on questions of learning. While the present paper acknowledges the extent of Wilson’s contribution to the field, it draws attention to the confusion in the position that he holds, and shows that his assessment of the current state of the philosophy of education is both inaccurate and politically blinkered. In the process, the paper challenges his account of the philosophy of education as a branch of philosophy and offers a more coherent characterisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the idea of thinking skills approaches as tools for pedagogical inquiry and in so doing seeks to develop the link between the promotion of inquiry‐based learning, which is a central tenet of thinking skills, and inquiry‐based teaching as an approach to professional development and school improvement. The first part of the paper examines the impact of teaching thinking skills on teachers by drawing upon a systematic review of research evidence. The second part of the paper sets the characteristics identified in the context of research into teachers’ development and considers the contribution of a pedagogy based on thinking skills approaches to continuing professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A. H. Halsey has been a professorial fellow (now emeritus) at Nuffield College in Oxford University since his appointment in 1962 as Director of Oxford’s Department of Social and Administrative Studies. This paper explores his contribution to education throughout his career, as an academic and as a national and international policy advisor, and the interface between these two. Halsey worked in what he termed the ‘political arithmetic’ tradition throughout his career, with the dual tasks of documenting the state of society, and addressing social and political issues through ‘experimental social administration’, that is the field testing of social innovation and social policy in advance of national implementation. The paper focuses on Halsey’s ‘activist’ role in policy development in the UK and internationally, through his work on educational reform at the OECD and as research advisor to Crosland at the DES with the introduction of comprehensive schooling in the UK and in particular the Educational Priority Areas (EPA) programme, and traces through the impact of his work. His major contribution as one of the leading sociologists of education in the second half of the 20 th century is also discussed, but the wider impact of this aspect of his work requires a much more extensive assessment than is possible in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers the influence on British education (particularly schools) of Alan Bullock, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University from 1969 to 1973 and distinguished contemporary historian. It quotes extensively from Bullock’s own writings, including his developing personal views on education, and reflections on his own experiences. Following a brief biographical section, the paper reviews his work as chair of Government committees and advisory bodies, notably the Schools Council and the eponymous ‘Bullock Committee’ to consider all aspects of the teaching of English. These experiences contributed to his increasing disillusion with formal political power structures as a means of bringing about social change. I examine Bullock’s long period as a dominant figure in the administration of the University, and the consequences for schools of the changes which occurred over that time, especially the move towards admissions policies based almost entirely upon academic merit, and towards becoming a leading scientific university. St Catherine’s College, which he founded, played a significant part in these changes. Bullock’s personal views on the need to offer in schools a broader education, which would be attractive to young people searching for values of their own, were developed in his later writings and are briefly summarised. The paper speculates that he would not have been happy with the competitive and measurement-oriented system of today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

British‐Chinese pupils are the highest achieving ethnic group in the British education system, and British‐Chinese boys’ performance equals that of girls. This paper investigates aspects of British‐Chinese pupils’ constructions of learning, focusing particularly on subject preferences and their constructions of themselves as pupils. The results are analysed according to gender as well as social class, and demonstrate that British‐Chinese pupils’ constructions of gender, subject preference and self‐image as pupils differ in some respects from those of pupils from other ethnic groups. Reasons for such differences are considered, and the paper also reflects on the implications of these findings in relation to broader findings concerning the stereotyping and ‘othering’ of the British‐Chinese within the British education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence suggests that teacher shortages in Western Society, largely attributable to social and economic change, are threatening the future of school education in many developed economies. Questions concerning the subject areas affected and the impact teacher shortages have on schools and on pupil learning are topics of mounting speculation. In contrast to the increasing body of research undertaken to explore these issues in other parts of the UK, much less is known about staffing patterns in post‐primary schools in Northern Ireland. This paper seeks to inform the debate and to present findings from the perceptions and experiences of 136 post‐primary school principals. Results suggest that most principals have experienced recruitment difficulties in a range of subjects; those most frequently cited include the sciences, particularly physics, mathematics, technology and design, home economics and ICT. Principals believe that staff shortages not only have a negative impact on teaching and learning but are also set to increase. This paper discusses these findings and argues the need for intervention and a change in government policy to break this self‐perpetuating cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essay‐based examinations form a cornerstone of the public assessment system in the UK, but comparatively little research has been conducted into the processes involved in designing, answering and appraising essay‐based questions/responses. This study explores the idea of examination validity through a qualitative review of these processes, based on materials sourced from the June 2002 OCR Politics AS/A2 module 2596 (Politics of the UK). Through a detailed analysis of question papers and candidate scripts (informed by mark schemes, curricula and examiner reports), a model of current processes is advanced. Issues related to question design are highlighted, and a methodology for future quality assurance in essay‐based examinations is derived from philosophical considerations such as ‘fairness’ and ‘validity’. This paper resulted from research conducted as part of the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate’s ongoing work to develop a system of procedural guidelines and example questions to facilitate robust question design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One way to manage marking error, in a large-scale educational testing context, is to establish a mechanism through which appeals can be lodged. While, at one level, this seems to offer a straightforward technical solution to the problem of marking error, it can also result in unintended consequences, with political, social or educational ramifications. It is therefore important to monitor the operation of any appeal system, to determine how effectively it meets its objectives. The present paper was based on an evaluation of the system which operates for National Curriculum testing in England. Four underlying objectives were identified: the measurement objective, the political objective, the educational objective and the psychological objective. Although there is reason to believe that such goals can be achieved through appeal systems, there are major threats to achieving them, many of which appear to be inevitable. These threats are examined within the paper and implications for policy and practice are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

This paper reports on a research project involving a sample of 19 state-educated students in their first year of a German course at Oxford University. The project is one of a number of research studies into widening participation issues funded by the Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE) and the Sutton trust. The paper describes the students' motivation for applying to study German at Oxford and their experiences of the transition from school to university. This is part of a larger scale study looking at access and transition data. The findings, based on data from semi-structured interviews, suggest that the students had instrumentally oriented motivation for wanting to do a language course which was qualitatively different from the one experienced at A level. Although several factors might have alienated the students, most managed to adapt to the academic requirements at Oxford. It is argued that the students' ability to adapt and succeed is due to a high level of preparedness and to a flexibility of motivational orientation. The study contributes to the widening participation debate in general by commenting on issues of transition in terms of how well matched certain prestige university courses are to the aspirations of the applicants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

The formative Assessment for Learning proposals outlined by Black and Wiliam (e.g. Black et al. , 2002 ) have been well publicised. Since 2002, in its Assessment is for Learning programme, the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) has been exploring ways of bringing research, policy and practice in assessment into closer alignment using research on both assessment and transformational change. This paper focuses on one project within Assessment Is for Learning, in which pilot primary and secondary schools across Scotland were encouraged to develop formative assessment approaches in classrooms. They were supported in this by researchers, curriculum developers and local and national policy-makers. The paper examines the rationale and methods behind the enactment of formative assessment in these schools. It draws upon evidence provided by the interim and final reports of participating schools to draw conclusions about areas of success within the project and potential barriers to the project's future in its evolution from pilot to national programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon a programme of comparative studies in three European countries, England, France and Denmark, this paper discusses some of the particular issues and problems that can arise in comparative research. It outlines some ways in which the research has attempted to resolve these and to shed light on the complex interplay of factors—personal, social and structural—that influence young people's engagement with learning. It argues that comparative approaches which combine careful measurement with ‘up-close’, deep understanding of real-world contexts, can be a very powerful mix. The paper proceeds to discuss some innovative features of comparative research design such as the use of student quotations from the three countries as a stimulus to group interviews with students and the employment of an ‘insider-outsider’ perspective, both in the development of research instruments and in fieldwork, by collaborators from more than one country working together and writing up their observations of countries other than their own. It is argued that such an approach can give valuable insights to other comparative researchers who wish to acknowledge the importance of both structure and agency in order to illuminate the complexities of the interaction between culture, social structure and institutions and individual action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing learning programmes to enhance the formation of generic skills is an international concern in education and training policy. This paper provides a broad survey of the development of generic skills policy in England from 1975 to 2002, drawing on both the economic and educational literature. It demonstrates that, despite an evident demand for generic skills in the English economy, successive waves of education and training policy intended to stimulate the supply of such skills have failed to deliver the desired results. Such failure is accounted for using a policy instruments and institutions framework. This suggests that the failure of generic skills policy can be attributed to a combination of weak policy design, the interaction of generic skills policy with other market-led reforms of education and training in England, and broader exogenous socio-economic trends. The paper concludes that current initiatives to develop key skills for all 16-19 learners in England are unlikely to succeed without substantial changes in the current education policy environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the reflections of two lecturers from higher education who worked through several cycles of action research with a group of teachers in a school over a period of eight years trying to improve learning in the school. Very many of the factors identified in the literature as being essential for sustained change were in place, and there were successful outcomes associated with each cycle of action. Nevertheless, our reflections on the whole process highlight some complexities of working with teachers in this way. In this paper we examine the difficulty of attending to contextual factors within the project; we identify links between teacher change and perceptions of risk; we explore a confusion which emerged over the role of such a group within the school. In addition, we argue that the deficit approach which characterises action research is unhelpful to some teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his recent paper, 'Cautions on OECD's recent educational survey (PISA)' ( Oxford Review of Education , 29, 2), S.J. Prais questioned the outcomes of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's PISA survey of the reading, mathematics and science attainments of 15-year-olds. Prais suggested that methodological flaws in PISA had resulted in an apparent improvement in the attainment of British students--particularly when compared to their Swiss and German counterparts. This paper responds to Prais's criticisms, noting that when Prais's conjectures are tested with empirical data they are not supported. Further it is noted that many of Prais's criticisms are due to an incomplete understanding and knowledge of the methodology of international studies, and of PISA in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of choice of schooling for their offspring is one which exercises many parents based in different parts of the world. For parents whose employment takes them away from their home country and whose children accompany them on such postings, the issue--while different from the experience of parents based solely within national systems--is no less important or complex. This paper investigates the issue of parental choice and priorities within the context of three international schools in Switzerland, where a study was undertaken to establish the basis on which parents had elected to send their children to one or other of the schools in question. Based on a survey model of questionnaires and follow-up interviews with parents, the research concludes that a major factor influencing parents is the perceived importance of an English-medium education. Interesting similarities in perceptions to emerge from the study are found amongst parents from the different schools and amongst parents of primary and secondary age children, while differences in perceived levels of importance clearly emerge between fathers and mothers, and between parents from different geographical backgrounds. The paper suggests some preliminary explanations for such differences, and highlights areas which could form the basis for further pieces of research in this growing and increasingly important context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new survey of the educational attainments of 15-year-olds was undertaken by OECD in Spring 2000 (the 'PISA survey'). Surprisingly, British pupils appeared to perform in mathematics much better than in an IEA survey carried out only one year previously. This paper examines four main differences in the objectives and methods adopted in the two surveys. (a) Questions in the previous IEA survey were directed to the mastery of the school syllabus by the relevant age-groups, whereas PISA was ostensibly directed to so-called 'everyday life' problems--which provides less guidance for policy on schooling. (b) The IEA survey was based on samples of whole classes including, for example, older pupils who had entered school late, or had repeated a class: PISA excluded the latter pupils as it was based strictly on a 12-months' period of birth; issues of variability of pupils' attainments within a class--important for a class's teachability--cannot therefore be examined in this OECD survey. (c) England's response rate for schools was particularly low (60%, compared with 95% in leading European countries), raising serious doubts as to the inclusion of low-attaining schools. (d) The response rate of pupils (within participating schools in the PISA survey) was lower in England than in any other country, and lower than in the previous IEA survey, suggesting a greater upward bias in reported average scores. The paper concludes that it is difficult to draw valid conclusions for Britain from this survey and planned repeats should be postponed until the underlying methodological problems have been resolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a multilevel modelling approach to the analysis of social segregation in schools. Using data on free school meal eligibility it shows that the underlying variation between schools for the period 1994-1999 has increased. It also shows that the change is greater for selective than non-selective local education authorities (LEAs). It is suggested that the approach of this paper can be applied generally to the modelling of social segregation at institution level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the educational attainment of the total primary school population (13,984 children) of a city based on a series of tests between the ages of 6 and 12. The children were surveyed in Aberdeen in the 1960s. The attainment of each age-group in each school is analysed against the background of their parental class, the social status of their neighbourhood and the life style of their family. A steep gradation of attainment across all class levels, already apparent in early school years, persisted unchanged up to the age of 12. Class influence on physical development was similarly marked at school entry. School intakes reflected the social character of their neighbourhood which in turn dominated the schools' educational potential. The paper looks at attainments atypical of nominal class and asks why a system based on equality of input produces gross inequality of outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coming of LEAs in 20th-century England presented an administrative challenge and an information explosion as the local state worked to meet both local and national educational policy demands. This paper will analyse the ways in which the organisation of knowledge was enlisted into the service of local education policy-making. It will argue that the collection of data by the local state involved both the construction of knowledge and its ordering. These processes in turn involved the creation of an 'education archive', an archive in which ideas about pupils and communities were embedded and genealogies of identity created. The paper will be illustrated through a case study of Birmingham LEA. In particular, use will be made of the Education Census, 1907-1970. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

This paper summarises the debate on modularisation in initial vocational training provisions in Germany in the context of the German 'dual system'. This system has been increasingly criticised in recent years and the paper describes the on-going discussion regarding potential strategies for the modernisation of this system. The paper then introduces three different concepts of modularisation in training provisions that have emerged from the recent debate in Germany. They are each evaluated in terms of their potential application to the German training framework. Finally, a potential strategy for the modularisation of initial training in Germany is proposed. It draws on research regarding modules and units in training in other European countries and shows how it might be possible to embed the concept of modularisation within the pre-existing training frameworks in the German context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]