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2. Learning To Compete: Education, Training & Enterprise in Ghana, Kenya & South Africa. Education Research Paper.
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Department for International Development, London (England)., Afenyadu, Dela, King, Kenneth, McGrath, Simon, Oketch, Henry, Rogerson, Christian, and Visser, Kobus
- Abstract
A multinational, multidisciplinary team examined the impact of globalization on education, training, and small and medium sized enterprise development in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. The study focused on the following issues: developing a learner-led competitiveness approach; building learning enterprises; education for microenterprises and macroeconomic growth; and training for self-employment and competitiveness. The study documented the importance of learning-led competitiveness and identified obstacles to development of learning enterprises in all three countries. The following are among the 12 recommendations offered to national governments and international agencies with development concerns: (1) insert learning-led competitiveness into development debates; (2) understand the implications of globalization better; (3) address the range of barriers to development of learning enterprises; (4) consider interenterprise linkages and the role of learning therein; (5) place learning-led competitiveness at the heart of small enterprise development policy; (6) broaden the universal primary education vision; (7) construct a curriculum for competitiveness; (8) improve public training's ability to support competitive self-employment; (9) empower training providers to be more market responsive; and (10) emphasize skills transfer from large to small firms. (The bibliography lists 139 references. Brief profiles and addresses of the research team members and a list of project papers are appended.) (MN)
- Published
- 2001
3. Delivering Modern Apprenticeships. FEDA Paper.
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Further Education Development Agency, London (England). and Armstrong, Paul
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Modern Apprenticeships, which were introduced in 1994, allow young people in the United Kingdom who do not want to commit to full-time further education the chance to achieve a National Vocational Qualification in their field while continuing in employment. The different models for delivery of Modern Apprenticeships that have been developed in further education were examined in a study of 12 further and higher education colleges delivering one or more Modern Apprenticeships. The sample, which was selected to reflect a cross-section of program sizes, occupational areas, geographic locations, and college settings, represented more than 25 different Modern Apprenticeships. Data on models of delivery, funding matters, partnerships and competition, and progression were collected through two site visits of each college and a questionnaire administered to college representatives. Each college supported more than one delivery scheme. Modern apprentices were employed predominately by small- to medium-sized enterprises. It was concluded that delivery of Modern Apprenticeships could be facilitated by General National Vocational Qualifications. In 75% of colleges, funding was allocated on an outcome basis. (Appended are the numbers of current registrations of modern apprentices on schemes offered by colleges in the project and the study questionnaire.) (MN)
- Published
- 1997
4. Bringing about Curriculum Innovations. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 82
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and Karkkainen, Kiira
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Innovation is essential for the education sector. The ways in which curriculum decision making is organised reflects different implicit approaches on how educational systems pertain to promote innovation in education. Curriculum holds an outstanding place when seeking to promote innovation in education, as it reflects the vision for education by indicating knowledge, skills and values to be taught to students. It may express not only "what" should be taught to students, but also "how" the students should be taught. Curriculum innovations can include new subjects, combinations of old subjects or cross-cutting learning objectives. They may also take a form of new content, concepts, sequencing, time allocation or pedagogy. This paper characterises two contrasted approaches to curriculum decision making and bringing about innovations in education. At one extreme, a prescriptive central curriculum implicitly places the initiative for educational innovations at the level of the central administration. This approach provides strong incentives for schools and teachers to adapt innovations that would not otherwise take place. Innovations, supported by policy measures and informed by research, are brought within the reach of all schools and teachers in an equitable manner. The challenge is then to accommodate local needs and ensure the commitment to and implementation of innovations by schools and teachers. At the other extreme, decentralised curriculum decision making provides schools--and perhaps even teachers--with room to create their own educational innovations. This approach allows for experimentation relevant to individual students and local communities. Innovations are meant to spread through horizontal networks of schools and teachers. The challenge is then to provide incentives for individual schools and teachers to innovate or adapt innovations and ensure that they have equal capacity to do so. The paper provides an overview of various possible approaches linking curriculum policy to educational innovation, it shows that OECD countries can mix these approaches and it discusses elements that can affect those innovations in reality. Focusing on public lower-secondary education, it draws on various OECD and UNESCO data. First, the paper suggests that OECD education systems differ clearly when looking at formal curriculum decision making, although no system relies on a purely central or school-based approach to curriculum innovations. Second, several elements can reduce the "innovation power" of the central curriculum and the "innovation flexibility" of the decentralised curriculum. Third, stakeholders--such as experts, teachers and parents--are able to influence curriculum innovations differently at central and school levels. Innovations in central-level curriculum appear to have widespread possibilities to rely on expert knowledge with consultation with practitioners, parents and the wider public. School level curriculum innovations appear to build mainly on principals and teachers' knowledge with an indirect influence from experts and parents. Annexed are: (1) Emerging Curriculum Themes in OECD Countries; (2) Approaches to Bringing About Competence-Based Curriculum; (3) Central Level Curriculum in OECD Countries; (4) Details on the Implicit Approaches to Curriculum Innovations; and (5) Roles of Parents in Decision Making on Education Policy. (Contains 13 tables, 4 charts, 5 boxes and 20 notes.)
- Published
- 2012
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5. Library Schools and Other Training Aspects Section. Education and Research Division. Papers.
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International Federation of Library Associations, The Hague (Netherlands).
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Papers on the education and training of librarians, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "The Role of New Technology in the Librarianship Syllabus," in which J. A. Large and R. F. Guy (United Kingdom) describe possible problems related to the integration of new technology in library school curricula and the experience of introducing such instruction at the College of Librarianship Wales; (2) "Teaching New Technologies: Whose Role Is It?" in which G. Edward Evans (United States) outlines his view that library schools must teach students about operations, applications, and use of information/telecommunications technology; (3) "The Codified System of Post-School Training of Librarians in the Slovak Socialist Republic," a report by Horst Hogh (Czechoslovakia) on that country's permanent cyclical continuing education system for librarians; (4) "Comparative Trends in Library and Information Science Curricula in the USA, Canada, and the Federal Republic of Germany--A Study Originating from the IFLA Project 'Equivalency and Reciprocity'," in which Diann D. Rusch focuses on educational requirements and specializations and on the response of library schools to changes in the job market; and (5) "The Training of Librarians for Technological Society. Polish Experience and Problems" by Stefan Kubow (Poland). (ESR)
- Published
- 1983
6. Curriculum and Democracy: Lessons from a Critique of the 'New Sociology of Education.' Occasional Paper No. 5.
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London Univ. (England). Centre for Vocational Studies. and Young, Michael
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The topic of this paper is the "new sociology of education" (NSOE) and its origins in the early 1970's. One aim of this paper is to argue that the regressive return to a rigid and ahistorical academic curriculum is not the only alternative. A second theme is the suggestion that the NSOE took a highly unreflective view of the role of academic subjects in educational studies. The paper argues that academic work in education is inescapably involved in the wider movements and forces for social change and therefore there is no escape from a clearer and more explicit sense of its political purposes. Three aspects of the NSOE are discussed: (1) its relation to the questions of educational inequalities; (2) its prioritizing of curriculum as a topic for the NSOE; and (3) its emphasis on teachers and teacher educators as agents of progressive change. The focus of the NSOE on the school curriculum is also considered. The final section is a sketch of the implications of the arguments offered as they relate to the different circumstances found in the United Kingdom. Appended are 34 references. (SI)
- Published
- 1988
7. Exploring the declared and the formal and informal taught curricula at a UK dental school through the lens of pulp management.
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Brooks L, Edwards D, Field J, and Ellis J
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- Humans, Learning, Students, Surveys and Questionnaires, United Kingdom, Teaching, Schools, Dental, Curriculum
- Abstract
Introduction This paper explores the declared and formal and informal taught endodontic curriculum within an undergraduate dental programme in the UK as part of a wider study, which also investigates the learned curriculum. Management of the dental pulp was chosen due to the availability of clear internationally recognised guidelines.Method The declared curriculum was identified through existing course guides and seminar and practical session plans. The formal taught curriculum was identified by cataloguing all lectures, practical teaching sessions, seminars and handouts available to dental students. Questionnaires using clinical vignettes were used to explore the informal taught curriculum.Results Valid responses to the questionnaire were received from 25/40 (62.5%) clinical supervisors. Disparities between national guidelines and the declared and taught curriculum were primarily due to broad learning objectives and disparate information from lectures and supervising clinicians. Although the majority of formal teaching aligned with national guidelines, the main deviation occurred within the informal taught curriculum.Conclusion This study highlights disparities between current evidence-based guidelines and the declared and taught curriculum in relation to pulp management in a UK dental school. Recommendations are that all policies, procedures and protocols are updated and aligned to a contemporaneous evidence base annually, plus engagement with clinical lecturers, to enable more standardised teaching., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the British Dental Association.)
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- 2024
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8. Binary and Non-Binary Trans Students' Experiences in Physical Education: A Systematic Review
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Angélica María Sáenz-Macana, Sofía Pereira-García, Javier Gil-Quintana, and José Devís-Devís
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The purpose of this study was to review academic papers on the experiences of binary and non-binary trans people in physical education (PE), published between January 2000 and August 2022. The selection process yielded 16 articles from Brazil, the UK, Spain, Canada, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and the USA. The discussion focuses on five themes for analysis: (a) school policies and control, (b) curriculum activities, (c) social environment, (d) transgendering while surviving, and (e) trans-positive experiences. The systematic review highlights the fact that heteronormativity is still present in schools and PE spaces, positioning, categorizing, and policing dissenting bodies and gender identities, which means that many trans students did not have good memories of PE classes. Many similar situations were faced by both binary and non-binary trans students, although with some notable differences. It is thus necessary to deconstruct the prevailing cis-heteronormativity during PE lessons to eradicate the discrimination that (re)produces a hostile environment for these students.
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- 2024
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9. Walking a Desire Track: Montessori Pedagogy as Resistance to Normative Pathways
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Nathan Archer
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Following calls to 'bewilder' (Snaza 2013) the pioneers of early education, this article positions Montessori pedagogy as a 'desire path' that acts as resistance to normative policy-driven pathways in early childhood education and care. Desire paths are alternative tracks made aside from officially established walking routes. In this paper I think with the metaphor of pathways and desire paths positioning an educator's choice to practice Montessori pedagogy as an approach which wanders outside of mainstream qualifications and education. To do this, I take fragments of a professional life story that chart the agentic nature of choosing Montessori pedagogy as a way to problematise how walking that desire line challenges, and defies normative pathways. I also propose a re-reading of Montessori's pedagogy, not as pioneering but as nomadic, and suggest that "social" desire paths enable Montessori education to be viewed as multiple, situated, alternative tracks to prescribed pathways.
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- 2024
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10. Subjects, Not Subjects: Curriculum Pathways, Pedagogies, and Practices in the United Kingdom.
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Hamilton, David and Weiner, Gaby
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To follow a curriculum is to be inducted into a social order. From this perspective, curriculum practice has the intention to foster social identities. The visible curriculum and the hidden curriculum are rendered as inseparable. This paper discusses curriculum research in the United Kingdom, adopting the framework sketched above. The paper pays attention to the pre-figurative relationship that exists between curriculum and social structure. It assumes that courses of schooling foreshadow specific forms of social order, and, in turn, it recognizes that curriculum change has a functional relationship to changes in the social order. It also recognizes, however, that this functional relationship is problematic: curricula, like schooling, may work to maintain the social order, or they may operate to change the social order. But, the paper asks, "What is the social order and how does it operate at local, regional, national, European and global levels?" To explore these questions, the paper focuses on four areas of curriculum and practice: (1) the association of curriculum with social order; (2) the growth of curriculum federalism in the United Kingdom under the shadow of the fragile hegemony of the super-national state; (3) the advancement of new pedagogic identities as a means of injecting social justice into curriculum practice; and (4) the centralist promulgation of a school effectiveness ideology/discourse as a technology of professional and pedagogic differentiation. (Contains 43 references.) (BT)
- Published
- 2000
11. What the papers say: science coverage by UK national newspapers.
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Hyden, Fiona and King, Chris
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SCIENCE ,NEWSPAPERS ,PRESS ,SCIENCE education ,CURRICULUM ,LIFE sciences - Abstract
Science curriculum development is currently focusing on 'scientific literacy', that is, that a science curriculum should prepare all young people for life, enabling them to understand and engage with scientific reports in the news media. So, what do the news media say about science? A UK newspaper survey conducted in spring 2003 showed that most science stories were related to life science, some to technology and earth science, a few to physics and none directly to chemistry. This 'snapshot' survey of one of the news media suggests that, in future, elements of physics and chemistry might best be taught through life, earth and technological contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
12. Exploring Enduring Employment Discrimination in Favour of British and American Teachers in 'Traditional International Schools'
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Bunnell, Tristan and Atkinson, Cherry
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Volume 2 of this journal included an article (Canterford, 2003) which discussed 'segmented labour markets' in 'international schools'. Using an economics lens, that paper investigated the predominance of British and American educators, concluding that a form of discrimination existed which was driven by demand-side factors. In particular, Canterford identified a labour market dominated by British and American actors, asserting that 'requirements discriminate very effectively against teachers from certain areas of the world.' Our paper re-visits and advances Canterford's discussion, and argues that not only does there still seem to be a reliance on native English-speaking Anglo-American actors in what might be described as 'traditional international schools', but there is a further need to move beyond economic theory towards the application of a sociological one. By applying Pierre Bourdieu's "Social Field Theory" we show how positive discrimination in favour of native English-speakers from certain Western/Global North nations can occur within a discrete level of activity, creating a condition that is evident yet most often "misrecognised." A complex set of "doxa" endures within the arena, beginning at recruitment level and continuing within curriculum-delivery and teacher-retainment levels. We show how the field in general possesses a normative belief-system that promotes division within the labour market, yet at the same time makes it seem natural, legitimate, and 'legal'. This situation, the "nomos," is a powerful, structural condition that helps make positive discrimination in favour of British and American actors seem so fundamentally normal as to remain, for the most part, unremarked. The topic still requires substantially more investigation and validation. However, by theorising it, and thus better confronting it, we can arguably begin to deal with it.
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- 2020
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13. Psychology, Biology and the Market Place
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Dickins, T. E.
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Early in his paper, Radford discusses the origins of Western universities and argues that they were designed to provide a "very practical preparation for life and particularly for the professions, specifically law, medicine and theology." Radford then mentions how a core part of such education was grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic. Radford's purpose is to emphasise the practical nature of university education from the start and to imply that this should be its aim now. Throughout much of the paper he discusses the putative benefits of psychology and in so doing he is commenting on the nature of the modern world and its demands. Radford espouses a strange relativism about the subject, arguing that people ought to take seriously the "psychologies" of other cultures and embrace allied disciplines. This author does not share Radford's anthropocentric vision of psychology, which is about all behaving creatures, but rather advocates organising psychology along Niko Tinbergen's lines, which have emerged from the production of knowledge in the behavioural sciences and from a recognition of the explanatory requirements. The author's advocacy of Tinbergen comes from scientific judgement. In effect, market forces have tested Tinbergen's framework and the market has decided that it has value. The author argues that this market has not fully included psychologists who make curriculum decisions and claims that psychologists should pay attention to those in the human evolutionary behavioural sciences. Dickins stresses that academic psychology must be allowed to pursue scientific methods, develop new theories and falsify old, change frameworks, and follow particular interests as the market of ideas dictates. (Contains 1 footnote.)
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- 2008
14. Enhancing Self-Perceived Employability via a Curriculum Intervention: A Case of 'The Global Marketing Professional' Module
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Padgett, Rebecca C. and Donald, William E.
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Purpose: Drawing on human capital and sustainable career theory, this paper aims to explore university students' views regarding their self-perceived employability following participation in a mandatory module titled "The Global Marketing Professional". Design/methodology/approach: Overall, 80 students studying a full-time postgraduate master's degree in international marketing management at a northern Russell Group university participated in a two-wave study by completing a questionnaire during Weeks 1 and 9 of the module in the 2021/2022 academic year. Descriptive statistics, paired samples "t"-tests and quantitative content analysis were subsequently applied to the data set. Findings: Students' confidence in their self-perceived employability rose from 37.5% to 92.5%. This was supported by the paired samples "t"-tests' findings of increases at the item and composite scale levels. The quantitative content analysis found benefits of the module to include increased confidence, interactive classes, skills development, knowledge of the recruitment process, CV development, proactive career ownership, interview guidance and networking. Suggestions for improvement included increasing the amount of lecture time provided, increased accessibility via subtitles and opportunities for real-world experience. Originality/value: The contribution comes via the advancement of human capital and sustainable career theory by identifying empirically informed strategies for enhancing students' self-perceived employability within the university curriculum. Implications subsequently extend to universities, organisations and national economies.
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- 2023
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15. A Health(y) Subject? Examining Discourses of Health in Physical Education Curricula across the UK
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Gray, Shirley, Hooper, Oliver, Hardley, Stephanie, Sandford, Rachel, Aldous, David, Stirrup, Julie, Carse, Nicola, and Bryant, Anna S.
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Abstract In this paper, we present the findings from our critical analysis of the health discourses evident with physical education (PE) curricula in each UK home nation--England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We carried out a critical discourse analysis of those curriculum documents that talk directly to PE teachers about how to organise, enact and assess PE curricula in schools. The results from our analysis uncovered that, with the exception of the curriculum in England, all PE curricula conceptualise health and wellbeing holistically. However, our analysis also uncovered complex health landscapes within curricula, where discourses move from notions of supporting and enabling pupil health and wellbeing towards a more concrete (and measurable) concept of health-related learning, often associated with public health goals of promoting physical activity. Furthermore, although the public health discourses are presented in a way that suggests that young people will develop knowledge and skills to support their health, closer scrutiny reveals that they may be more associated with discourses of risk, promoting 'healthy' behaviours to avoid 'ill health'. We conclude by suggesting that PE teachers need to develop a critical understanding of the health discourses within their PE curriculum. This will help them to navigate, interpret and enact curricula in an informed way, enabling them to challenge discourses that are deficit in nature, where pupils are taught how to be healthy, rather than having the freedom to learn about themselves and their health.
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- 2022
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16. No Outsiders in Our School: Neglected Characteristics and the Argument against Childhood Ignorance
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Moffat, Andrew and Field, Lewis
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Aims: The present article seeks to explore the historical context of relationships and sex education (RSE) and examine the positioning of 'No Outsiders' within this. Consideration is given to the credibility of arguments against the implementation of No Outsiders in education settings and examination of whether diversity strands of 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' deserve the disproportionate amount attention they receive. Method: The paper utilises Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development (1950, 1963) to interpret the capacity of understanding of children and young people (CYP) in relation to an RSE curriculum. Contemporary research outlines the need for an environment which enables exploration. Further consideration deconstructs the argument for childhood innocence as a reason for not providing an informed RSE curriculum. Findings: The paper reports on the inherent difficulties of delivering an RSE curriculum, which may require the reconciliation and compromise of personal and societal values. Equally, there is a clear need for schools, institutions and society to remain steadfast and resolute in the face of discriminatory views. Limitations: The challenges in unifying groups who divide themselves on core issues is recognised, however a legislative backdrop frames the foundation for how this can be achieved. Conclusions: The 'No Outsiders in Our School' resource offers a fresh approach to the teaching of relationships education in primary schools (Moffat, 2015). Despite its seemingly harmonious early existence, the programme has suffered significant scrutiny, precipitating protests, vilification and condemnation by some sections of society. Matters of sexual orientation and gender reassignment deserve equal recognition as protected characteristics under the Equality Act (2010). Too often, the legitimacy of these protected characteristics are questioned or presented as 'other' within the context of equality. The move towards a more inclusive RSE curriculum should be brave in its embodiment of legislative policy.
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- 2020
17. One Direction: Strategic Challenges for Twenty-First Century Secondary School Music
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McNeill, Jeff and McPhail, Graham
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This paper reports on the second stage of an international study exploring the future of secondary school music education. Within a discursive context that tends to regard music education as failing to meet the needs of many students, we instigated a three-step Delphi study to capture views from educators across the English-speaking world. Interviews with leading music education researchers reported on in our first paper [McPhail, G., and J. McNeill. 2019. "One Direction: A Future for Secondary School Music Education?" "Music Education Research," 21 (4): 359-370.] identified a disconnect between how music education is currently realised in secondary school and how these researchers thought it should be taught. The findings from this expert panel were used to seed a two-round Delphi study where a wider international panel explored strategic issues facing the sector. In this paper, we report on the data generated from the first of these two wider Delphi rounds. Four areas were identified where gaps exist between actual and desirable classroom music teaching: the core purpose of music education, curricula content, curricular delivery, and context. Although panellists reached consensus on many issues, they held markedly different positions on others. These findings provide an agenda for exploration and reflection by researchers and practitioners, and raise the question -- is there a single desirable direction for twenty-first century secondary school music education?
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- 2020
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18. Education Policy and Practice on Intimate Partner Violence among Young People in the UK
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Sheng, Xiaomin
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This paper presents a qualitative systematic review of educational policy and practice on tackling intimate partner violence (IPV) among young people in the UK. Up to date, the majority of school-based IPV interventions were conducted in the US and now there is growing consensus among UK policymakers, researchers and practitioners as well to address IPV issues through educational practice. This review aims at gathering evidence of the type and nature of policies and institutional level practice adopted to tackle IPV issues among young people within an educational context, and what impacts these interventions have on mitigating the occurrence of IPV. In undertaking this review, three databases (Eric, BEI and Scopus) were searched and grey literature was manually added. Findings from the review suggest that the majority of interventions were effective in altering attitude and promoting awareness of IPV. Still, longitudinal studies are needed to see if changes in attitude can be translated into the effective behavioural alteration in real-life situation. Although most students expressed satisfaction toward the existing interventions, it was also found that lack of consideration of gender can lead to uncomfortable feelings among students. There were contradictory views regarding whether teachers or external experts would be a better person to deliver the intervention and who was the person students preferred to turn to for help. Besides, country-wide interventions are needed to make sure all schools have an opportunity to provide IPV education, and the support from the UK government is of crucial importance to make this happen.
- Published
- 2020
19. Curriculum Knowledge, Justice, Relations: The Schools White Paper (2010) in England.
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Winter, Christine
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- *
EDUCATIONAL equalization , *ACHIEVEMENT gap , *PHILOSOPHY of education , *EDUCATION policy , *EDUCATION , *CURRICULUM , *THEORY of knowledge - Abstract
In this article I begin by discussing the persistent problem of relations between educational inequality and the attainment gap in schools. Because benefits accruing from an education are substantial, the 'gap' leads to large disparities in the quality of life many young people can expect to experience in the future. Curriculum knowledge has been a focus for debate in England in relation to educational equality for over 40 years. Given the contestation surrounding views about curriculum knowledge and equality I consider the thinking of two philosophers, Jacques Derrida and Emmanuel Levinas, and their work on justice, to trouble the curriculum framework and discourse of knowledge promoted through the policy text of The Importance of Teaching: The Schools White Paper (2010) and later associated policy reforms to the General Certificate of Secondary Education ( GCSE) curriculum in England. The Schools White Paper aims to make the curriculum more challenging to students by introducing tight controls in terms of the assessment framework and curriculum knowledge. I argue that, when considered through Derrida's perspective on language and meaning and Levinas' view on the ethical responsibility for the other, the reforms present obstacles to the search for a just curriculum. I look to the work of Sharon Todd and Paul Standish for a re-imagination of curriculum as or through relations in the light of Derrida's and Levinas' philosophies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2014
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20. The Educational Is Political
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Standish, Paul
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Many approaches to political education take it to involve the construction of particular sections of the curriculum in which political matters are addressed -- named perhaps "civics" or "citizenship education". While these approaches have often been beneficial, they are all also problematic and controversial in some degree. Moreover, it is sometimes said that political education operates across a wide range of what happens in educational institutions -- for example, in the ways of behaving that are promoted inside and outside the classroom, in the general ethos of the school or college, and through its marking of significant dates or events. The approach adopted in this paper takes a more radical line, however, in that it resists the restriction of the political that these approaches assume. This is not to argue for the mobilization of schools and other educational institutions as instruments of politics. It is rather to try to show that matters of political significance are pervasive in the curriculum. The substance of the curriculum is an expression of what the culture takes to be important and of the values that the culture wishes to pass on. The fostering of those values must have some effect on the kind of society that is then promoted, and indeed this must be inherent in the aims of education.
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- 2019
21. Proceedings of the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) International Conference on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in Digital Age (CELDA) (Madrid, Spain, October 19-21, 2012)
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International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS)
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The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a fast pace and affecting academia and professional practice in many ways. Paradigms such as just-in-time learning, constructivism, student-centered learning and collaborative approaches have emerged and are being supported by technological advancements such as simulations, virtual reality and multi-agents systems. These developments have created both opportunities and areas of serious concerns. This conference aimed to cover both technological as well as pedagogical issues related to these developments. The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference received 98 submissions from more than 24 countries. Out of the papers submitted, 29 were accepted as full papers. In addition to the presentation of full papers, short papers and reflection papers, the conference also includes a keynote presentation from internationally distinguished researchers. Individual papers contain figures, tables, and references.
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- 2012
22. Supporting the T and the E in STEM: 2004-2010
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Harrison, Matthew
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Engineering, the "E" in STEM, is seldom taught as a distinct curriculum subject in English and Welsh schools to pupils under the age of 14 years. This contrasts with design and technology (D&T), taken in this paper to represent the largest contributor to the "T" in STEM (the remainder being taken to be the computing and digital communications aspects of ICT), which is currently taught to all pupils up to the age of 14 and remains a very popular option thereafter. The UK Government STEM programme (with sister projects: the LSIS 16+ STEM programme, the London Engineering Project and the 14-19 Diploma in Engineering) has provided large-scale action-research opportunities to better understand the nature of the T and E in STEM. This paper describes how the T and E in STEM have been found to be subjects in their own right and also to provide practical context for other STEM subjects. Some effective-practice guidelines have been established as a result, and these are discussed, but the paper concludes there is still much to do to fully establish the identity and character of the T and the E in STEM. Ideas for how this might develop are offered. (Contains 3 figures.)
- Published
- 2011
23. 'By the End of the Course All Students Should Know...': Setting Coherent Aims for the Teaching of Psychology in School, College and University
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Rowley, Martin
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As J. Radford (2008) points out in "Psychology in its place," the question of what role psychology should play in Higher Education is merely a subsection of the question, what is (Higher) Education for? In light of the large number of psychology undergraduates who do not go on to pursue careers in psychology, Radford argues cogently for a re-evaluation of the content and purpose of the psychology degree. This article presents the author's response to J. Radford's paper. This brief response goes further to examine the coherence of the current provision for studying psychology in post-compulsory education in the UK, and to ask whether the time has come to think more widely about the role psychology could play in the education of all children in the UK, through its inclusion in the compulsory school curriculum. There are practical problems involved with introducing psychology into the compulsory school curriculum and, justifiably, teachers will say that the curriculum is already too crowded. The author stresses that it is possible, therefore, that greater integration of psychology into the school curriculum could have the effect of reducing the gender imbalance. In Radford's terms, the teachers' challenge is to decide how the discipline of psychology should be presented by psychology the subject at each educational level, taking into account the aims of the course, the aspirations of the students and, at higher levels, the requirements of professional bodies. In presenting a coherent picture of the discipline of psychology to their students, teachers should ensure that, even at more basic levels, the subject of psychology emphasises the scientific nature of psychology the discipline.
- Published
- 2008
24. The Rationale for Embedding Ethics and Public Value in Public Administration Programmes
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Fuertes, Vanesa
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When crises occur, revisiting given knowledge and practices seems sensible and necessary. For instance, the recent financial crisis in 2008 lead to questioning the role played by financial institutions and business schools in precipitating the crisis by allowing questionable professional ethics to go unchallenged. There is a current crisis in public administration in the UK, visible in the growing challenges to public sector professionals in their practice and in the increased questioning of the government as a guarantor of public services and welfare. To understand the current situation, exploring the role of public administration teaching and professional organisations in the UK is key. Have we perhaps neglected the teaching of ethics and public value as crucial tenets to the profession and to its practice? This paper explores the necessity, merits, and difficulties of embedding ethics and public value concepts into the curriculum.
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- 2021
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25. Disciplining Psychology Education -- A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis
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Dempsey, Imogen
- Abstract
This paper explores: (a) the impact of psychology education governance on our understanding of subjectivity and (b) how this functions for neoliberal capitalist structures. The ways-of-knowing, power relations and perceptions of subjectivity are approached through texts selected from official documents governing the curriculum, and qualitative interviews with psychology students, including postgraduates with teaching responsibilities. Discourse is analysed using Foucauldian theory. The key findings are that a positivist psychology curriculum (a) is largely market driven, (b) is a way-of-knowing that subjugates and objectifies the subject (c) works to substantiate individualist discourses and that, finally, (d) despite claims of neutrality, constructs a subject that works to meet neoliberal capitalist objectives.
- Published
- 2018
26. Reflections on integrating bioinformatics into the undergraduate curriculum: The Lancaster experience.
- Author
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Gatherer D
- Subjects
- Humans, Students, United Kingdom, Universities, Computational Biology education, Curriculum, Educational Measurement
- Abstract
Bioinformatics is an essential discipline for biologists. It also has a reputation of being difficult for those without a strong quantitative and computer science background. At Lancaster University, we have developed modules for the integration of bioinformatics skills training into our undergraduate biology degree portfolio. This article describes those modules, situating them in the context of the accumulated quarter century of literature on bioinformatics education. The constant evolution of bioinformatics as a discipline is emphasized, drawing attention to the continual necessity to revise and upgrade those skills being taught, even at undergraduate level. Our overarching aim is to equip students both with a portfolio of skills in the currently most essential bioinformatics tools and with the confidence to continue their own bioinformatics skills development at postgraduate or professional level., (© 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)
- Published
- 2020
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27. A New Shape for Post-16 Education and Training. Submission to the Department for Education and Employment Review of Local and National Arrangements for Lifelong Learning, Skills and Workforce Development: Outcome of the TEC Review.
- Abstract
The National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE), which represents 65,000 academic staff working in further and higher education (FHE) institutions across the United Kingdom, reviewed the current state of post-16 education and training in the United Kingdom and submitted its views on how the system should be improved. NATFHE's submission focused on a new framework encompassing structures at every level of government. Key recommendations for action that were included in the submission are as follows: (1) give coherence to post-16 education and training by developing a whole new framework built on accountability and entitlement to lifelong learning; (2) underpin the framework by the principle of subsiduarity that planning, regulation, accountability, funding, and delivery should occur at the point nearest the learner and nearest delivery; (3) make local communities the cornerstones of the new framework, with local lifelong learning panels and plans; (4) move speedily to pass legislation to embed a statutory framework for entitlement to learning, including individual rights to paid educational leave; (5) conduct an independent review of pay and conditions for FE staff to reverse the current chaos in employment matters; and (6) ensure that the new framework provides mechanisms at every level for the views of staff and their representatives. (MN)
- Published
- 1999
28. Defining textile technology as a scientific discipline: a historical perspective.
- Author
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Jackson, Kenneth C.
- Subjects
TEXTILE technology ,SCHOLARLY periodicals ,APPLIED sciences ,ELECTRONIC journals ,TRADE associations ,HIGHER education - Abstract
The launch of the Transactions in 1923, exclusively for the publication of original scientific work, consolidated the standing of the Journal of the Textile Institute as a scholarly periodical, although the timing was fortuitous, reflecting the needs of the industrial research associations, then newly established in the UK following the 'neglect of science' controversy in 1916. The burgeoning output of papers from this source in turn acted as a major competitive stimulus for the transformation of textile technology in higher education from craft-based empiricism to scientific discipline, albeit incrementally. In the background was the apparent dichotomy between the industrial practitioner and the academic scientist. Higher education sought to bridge this gap while simultaneously adopting the ethos and practices of the applied science model for textile technology, thereby creating tensions internally which took many years to resolve. The paper reviews the emergence of textile technology as a scientific discipline during the inter-war years and acknowledges the defining role of the Transactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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29. Autonomy and Accountability in Schools Serving Disadvantaged Communities
- Author
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Klein, Esther Dominique
- Abstract
Purpose: Increased school autonomy and accountability have been a common denominator of national reforms in otherwise heterogeneous governance systems in Europe and the USA. The paper argues that because schools serving disadvantaged communities (SSDCs) often have lower average performance, they are more often sanctioned or under closer scrutiny, but might also receive more additional resources. The purpose of this paper is to therefore analyze whether SSDCs have more or less autonomy than schools with a more advantageous context in four countries with heterogeneous autonomy and accountability policies. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on the data from the Programme for International Student Assessment 2012 school and student questionnaires from Finland, Germany, the UK, and the USA. The choice of countries is based on different governance models described by Glatter "et al." (2003). The data are used to identify SSDCs and analyze the reported autonomy in resource allocation and curriculum and assessment. Using regression analyses, patterns are analyzed for each country individually. They are then juxtaposed and compared. Differences are related back to the governance models of the respective countries. Findings: The results indicate an association between the communities the schools are serving and the autonomy either in the allocation of resources, or the curriculum and assessment. SSDCs appeared to have a little more autonomy than schools with a more advantageous context in Finland, Germany, and the UK, but less autonomy in the USA. The comparison suggests that in the USA, autonomy is rather a reward for schools that have the least amount of need, whereas in the other three countries it could be a result of strategies to improve schools in need. The paper discusses possible explanations in the policies and support structures for SSDCs. Originality/value: The effects of increased school autonomy and accountability on student achievement have been discussed at length. How different accountability policies affect the autonomy of schools with the highest needs has so far not been studied. The study can be understood as a first step to unravel this association. Following steps should include in-depth investigations of the mechanisms underlying increased or diminished autonomy for SSDCs, and the consequences for school improvement in these schools.
- Published
- 2017
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30. Qualifications for the Future: A Study of Tripartite and Other Divisions in Post-16 Education and Training.
- Author
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Further Education Development Agency, London (England)., Stanton, Geoff, and Richardson, William
- Abstract
This document contains eight papers examining different aspects of categorization, divisions, and choice in further education (FE) that were commissioned during a study of tripartite pathways (for example, academic, vocational and applied) in education and training for 16-19 year olds in the United Kingdom. The following papers are included: "The Historical Perspective: Myths and Realities behind Tripartite Divisions in FE" (Bill Bailey); "The Consumer Perspective: Tripartism as a Response to Market Pressures" (Alison Wolf); "The Psychological Perspective: Tripartite and Other Divisions in Post-16" (Bryan Dockrell); "The Sociological Perspective: Post-compulsory Education Policy in Transition: From Crowther to Dearing and Beyond" (Denis Gleeson); "The Curriculum Perspective: Education and Training: The Prevocational Tradition" (Richard Pring); "The Employment Perspective: Stakeholders, Skills and Star Gazing: The Problematic Relationship between Education, Training, and the Labour Market" (Prue Huddleston, Lorna Unwin); "The International Perspective: Learning from International Comparisons" (David Parkes); and "Overview: Developing Qualifications for the Future" (Geoff Stanton). (Chapters contain references.) (MN)
- Published
- 1997
31. A Curriculum Philosophy for Higher Education: Socially Critical Vocationalism
- Author
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Peach, Sam
- Abstract
This paper presents a philosophical approach to undergraduate curricula. The approach, informed by research, has been conceptualised as "socially critical vocationalism" (SCV). SCV is neither training nor pure traditional academic provision but an approach to curriculum that is academically defensible, practically relevant and socially responsive and may therefore go some way towards resolving the academic versus vocational tensions in higher education (HE) curriculum debates. The ramifications for the change in emphasis from traditional liberal HE towards more utilitarian, vocational and functional curricula are significant and it is hoped this paper will stimulate and contribute to the debate about this re-orientation of the HE curriculum. The paper offers new insights into curriculum philosophy and argues that SCV could provide a theoretical and evidence-based framework for the development of future HE curricula.
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
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32. My Journey into the 'Heart of Whiteness' Whilst Remaining My Authentic (Black) Self
- Author
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Pennant, April-Louise M. O. O.
- Abstract
The dire implications of navigating the overwhelming whiteness of the education system for Black women is foregrounded by the author's autoethnography about her educational journey and experiences. Within it, the author illustrates the key role of her Black identity - despite being immersed in whiteness-- to provide a strong sense of self, pride and resilience, which ultimately leads to her survival in the unequal spaces of the education system. By way of her own educational experiences, the author shares how she becomes motivated to embark upon a PhD as a way to centre and affirm Black identities and in order to make palatable spaces within the hostility of whiteness. Drawing on her PhD research, which is framed by Black feminist epistemology, Critical Race Theory and Bourdieu's theory of practice, her findings, based on the semi-structured interviewing of 25 other Black British women graduates, illustrates that the participants share similar educational experiences and responses. The paper concludes by asserting that the attainment of Black girls and young women often does not reflect their strong commitment to education- which evidences one consequence of journeying into the 'heart of whiteness'. Therefore, the author argues for the necessity of more research and support for this diverse group.
- Published
- 2021
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33. Primary Physical Education: A Complex Learning Journey for Children and Teachers
- Author
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Jess, Mike, Keay, Jeanne, and Carse, Nicola
- Abstract
Primary physical education (PPE) is increasingly being recognised for the role it can potentially play in setting a foundation for lifelong engagement in physical activity. However, the majority of the literature continues to focus on the negative features of the subject within the primary context. Whilst acknowledging the existence of these barriers, this paper sets out to take a proactive approach by presenting a conceptual framework for PPE that seeks to support a renewed and positive vision for the future. Based on ideas from complexity thinking, the framework represents a move beyond the more positivist and linear approaches that have long been reported to dominate practices in PPE and recognises learners as active agents engaged in a learning process that is collaborative, non-linear and uncertain. While acknowledging the contested nature of the complexity field, the paper explores how key principles, including self-organisation, emergence, similarity, diversity, connectedness, nestedness, ambiguous bounding, recursive elaboration and edge of chaos, offer a lens that views PPE as a complex system. With the children's learning positioned as the focus of PPE in the educational setting, the paper discusses how complexity principles interweave with the ecological components to help us better understand and more creatively engage with the complex nature of PPE developments. Specifically, these components are identified as PPE learning experiences and their associated pedagogy, teachers and their PPE professional learning and key environmental factors that include the physical environment and key stakeholders who influence developments across the different levels of the education system. The paper concludes by suggesting that this complexity-informed PPE framework represents an open invitation for the all those involved in PPE to engage in a collective process of exploration and negotiation to positively influence developments in PPE.
- Published
- 2016
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34. A New Pedagogical Model for Adventure in the Curriculum: Part One-Advocating for the Model
- Author
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Williams, Andy and Wainwright, Nalda
- Abstract
Background: In recent years increasing attention has been given to models-based approaches to physical education as a way of promoting standards and particular types of learning through better alignment of teacher planning and delivery with pupil learning and achievement. However, little attention has been given to the specific contribution a pedagogical model for outdoor adventure education (OAE) has to make to pupils learning. Purpose: This paper is presented in two parts. Part one is an advocacy paper and draws upon the broader discourse around models-based practice to make a case for the development of a pedagogical model for OAE. Drawing upon guidelines for models based approaches to physical education, this paper considers the theoretical foundation, rationale, review of research findings and major theme that inform the development of a model of OAE. Conclusions: The selected review of the research suggests that the major impact of OAE is upon the affective domain, particularly in relation to pupils developing a positive self-concept. Learning is also evident in the cognitive and physical domains, but this is secondary to learning in the affective domain. Drawing upon the analysis of the research literature, the major theme for the model is identified as "personal growth through adventure" and "OAE" is suggested as the name of the model. Part two of this paper builds upon these foundations to outline what a pedagogical model for OAE might look like in a secondary school in the UK.
- Published
- 2016
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35. A New Pedagogical Model for Adventure in the Curriculum: Part Two--Outlining the Model
- Author
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Williams, Andy and Wainwright, Nalda
- Abstract
Background: This paper is part two of a discussion about a new pedagogical model for adventure in the curriculum. It builds upon part one, the advocacy paper, which considered important theoretical foundations, historical influences and research outcomes of outdoor adventure education (OAE) in the UK. Purpose: This paper outlines how a model for OAE might be implemented in practice in schools in the UK. Four non-negotiable features of a pedagogical model for OAE are identified as essential for pupils to gain maximum benefit from their outdoor adventure experiences. Consideration is also given to other essential features of models-based approaches to physical education that teachers need to consider to underpin the model's authenticity, including pupils' readiness for learning, teacher expertise and knowledge, and assessment and future model validation. Conclusions: Four non-negotiable features of a model for OAE are identified as being mainly outdoors, experiential learning, challenge by choice and managed risk. Key concerns arising from the implementation of these non-negotiable features are considered. These include encouraging pupils to take more responsibility for their own learning, developing closer links between school OAE and local opportunities, supporting teachers in making judgements about pupils managing their own risk, developing teachers' expertise in reviewing and developing assessment tools that measure pupils' affective learning. [For Part One, see EJ1107185.]
- Published
- 2016
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36. A Curriculum to Think With: British Colonialism, Corporate Kleptocracy, Enduring White Privilege and Locating Mechanisms for Change
- Author
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Parsons, Carl
- Abstract
Each country should look beyond the nationalistic stories and the everyday self-images popularly disseminated. UK students deserve an environment where school curricula, public debate, politics, media and memorials give balanced, factual and ethically informed narratives about Britain's past and current dealings with other races and nations. A mythical 'great' Britain underpins a 'racialized consciousness' shaping attitudes to race equality issues at home today and how of contemporary commercial colonialism is evaluated. 'White' is a socially constructed composite ethnicity with exclusionary and subjugating characteristics. With different national roots, and played out differently in different countries, the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests point to common, enduring global inequalities and injustices with 'white priority' at their root. This paper focuses principally on the school curriculum, its content and, how it is experienced and assessed. It examines understanding of, and attitudes towards, five interlocking themes: slavery; colonialism; 'righteous' wars; contemporary exploitative engagement with lesser developed nations; and racial and class inequalities in today's Britain. The limited current state of understanding of these issues poses challenges to the extension of multicultural education into meaningful antiracism and action for social justice. The school curriculum is only one part of wider action required to address (mis)understandings of Britain's past and present colonialism, to recognise current race related injustices at home and abroad and to resituate notions of 'belonging', ethnicity and equal worth. Even 'correcting' these perceptions, bolstered by the widespread 'Black Lives Matter' protests in many countries, will not lead to sustained improvements in racial justice without significant adjustments to legal, social and especially economic infrastructures.
- Published
- 2020
37. Perceptions of Teachers towards Assessment Techniques at Secondary Level Private School of Karachi
- Author
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Fatemah, Henna
- Abstract
This paper sets out to explore the perceptions of teachers towards assessment techniques at a secondary level private school of Karachi. This was conjectured on the basis of the circumstances of parallel boards in the education system of Pakistan and its effectiveness within the context with respect to the curriculum. This was gauged in line with the forms and techniques of assessment corresponding with the curriculum. A qualitative research design based on interviews was chosen for this study. Purposive sampling was used to select the teachers from a school. The findings of the study revealed that the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is best suited to assess students' knowledge and skills and the teachers viewed that in order for students to be accomplished in this board, the ways of assessment must take a more meaningful measure of evaluating students' progress.
- Published
- 2015
38. To What Extent Have Learners with Severe, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties Been Excluded from the Policy and Practice of Inclusive Education?
- Author
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Colley, Andrew
- Abstract
The article is a position paper on inclusive practice in education with respect to students with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties (sld/pmld). It asks if children and young people with sld/pmld have been excluded from the policy and the practice of inclusive education. A review of the literature found that there is a research gap around inclusive education for learners with sld/pmld, and a review of historical and current practices indicated that this group of learners has indeed been excluded from both the policy and practice of inclusion in the United Kingdom with the use of curricula based on a mainstream linear and academic model reinforcing this exclusion. The study makes a theoretical and practical contribution to the continuing debate about inclusive education and will be of interest to teachers, parents, policy-makers and the learners themselves.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
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39. Facilitating LGBT Medical, Health and Social Care Content in Higher Education Teaching
- Author
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Davy, Zowie, Amsler, Sarah, and Duncombe, Karen
- Abstract
Increasingly, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) health care is becoming an important quality assurance feature of primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare in Britain. While acknowledging these very positive developments, teaching LGBT curricula content is contingent upon having educators understand the complexity of LGBT lives. The study adopted a qualitative mixed method approach. The study investigated how and in what ways barriers and facilitators of providing LGBT medical, health and social care curricula content figure in the accreditation policies and within undergraduate and postgraduate medical and healthcare teaching. This paper illustrates opposing views about curricula inclusion. The evidence presented suggests that LGBT content teaching is often challenged at various points in its delivery. In this respect, we will focus on a number of resistances that sometimes prevents teachers from engaging with and providing the complexities of LGBT curricula content. These include the lack of collegiate, colleague and student cooperation. By investing some time on these often neglected areas of resistance, the difficulties and good practice met by educators will be explored. This focus will make visible how to support medical, health and social care students become aware and confident in tackling contemporaneous health issues for LGBT patients.
- Published
- 2015
40. Teachers and Their Ideologies As Mediators of Change. Primary Assessment, Curriculum and Experience: A Study of Educational Change under the National Curriculum.
- Author
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Bristol Univ. (England). and Osborn, Marilyn
- Abstract
This paper reports on findings from a 1990-93 PACE (Primary Assessment, Curriculum and Experience) study concerning the impact of the United Kingdom's Education Reform Act on teachers' professional perspectives and responses to change. Data are drawn from interviews with a national sample of 88 teachers and more intensive classroom study interviews with 9 teachers. The majority of teachers in 1990 felt the impact of the National Curriculum on their work and their role was largely negative, involving more administration, increased planning, and increased stress and anxiety. By 1992 and 1993, these negative feelings had intensified. From 1990 to 1993, an increasing proportion of teachers felt that their strengths and skills and their relationships with children were being eroded by the National Curriculum. However, about one-fifth of teachers saw the National Curriculum as enhancing their skills and providing the opportunity to develop them further. Nearly half the teachers felt a loss of autonomy in pedagogic decision making. A significant minority of teachers felt that a new professionalism involving creative ways of working with children and assessing them was possible, provided they had the confidence to shape the imposed changes to more professionally acceptable ends. Factors which enabled teachers to take control of the changes and selectively adapt them are examined. (Contains 19 references.) (JDD)
- Published
- 1994
41. Primary Teachers' Perceptions of Multi-Grade Classroom Grouping Practices to Support Inclusive Education
- Author
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Casserly, Ann Marie, Tiernan, Bairbre, and Maguire, Gabrielle
- Abstract
Previous research has focused on inclusive classroom practices in mainstream primary schools but little is documented regarding practices in multi-grade classrooms. The purpose of this paper was to report mainstream primary teachers' perceptions of multi-grade classroom grouping practices to support inclusive education specifically for students with special educational needs (SEN). The findings indicated that despite the difficulty of covering the curricula of the various grades, multi-grade teachers reported the implementation of flexible grouping practices (ability, mixed ability, social) for academic or social reasons. However, the tension between meeting the needs of the grade groups and the individual student with SEN were apparent, with some practices documented not necessarily inclusive. The importance of using appropriate grouping practices to enable teachers to include all students, thereby avoiding potentially negative effects of treating some students differently was emphasised.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
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42. TASC: Thinking Actively in a Social Context. A Universal Problem-Solving Process--A Powerful Tool to Promote Differentiated Learning Experiences
- Author
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Wallace, Belle, Bernardelli, Alessio, Molyneux, Clare, and Farrell, Clare
- Abstract
All children are born with the gifts of curiosity and creativity--and an insatiable appetite for asking questions to find out about the world in which they live. Fostering these questions and developing inquisitive and investigating minds is one of the essential roles of parent and teacher, and the processes of enquiry are the necessary routes for nurturing and developing all children's potential for thoughtful discovery. The ethos of this paper is that "every child matters", and the underlying message is one of "inclusion with differentiation". The theme flowing throughout is that teachers and learners need to work interactively to construct knowledge; and, together, through this interaction, deep and sustained learning is promoted. When learners are truly involved in constructing knowledge for themselves, their motivation is high and both individual and group effort is sustained. Importantly, children in many communities are born into a rapidly changing technological world: they grow up using technological tools naturally, with ease and without fear, and they are often more proficient than their teachers! Learners are communicating globally, but all too often their technical skills and powers of communicating are not utilized in schools. In this paper Belle Wallace explains the Thinking Actively in a Social Context (TASC) Framework for thinking and problem-solving; Alessio Bernadelli recommends a wide range of software tools that he uses to develop TASC at secondary level; and Clare Molyneux and Clare Farrell describe a very successful primary project using TASC and Studywiz. (Contains 2 figures and 1 note.)
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
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43. Too Many Competing Imperatives? Does RE Need to Rediscover Its Identity?
- Author
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Teece, Geoff
- Abstract
The intention of this paper is to make a contribution to religious education (RE)'s constant search for a rigorous curriculum identity. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)/Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) project "Does RE work?" has recently reported its findings, in which it concludes that RE suffers from too many competing expectations. A major reason for this is that, according to the report, policymakers have "freighted it with too many competing imperatives". Such imperatives range from religious literacy, through multicultural awareness, philosophical understanding, moral development and understanding heritage to sex and relationship education. In all, the project lists 13 such imperatives! It is little wonder then that the project echoes OfSTED's recent finding that teachers were under-confident and unsure as to the aims and purposes of the subject. The AHRC/ESRC project's findings also reflect a theoretical debate in RE that has been going on for some time. This debate might be termed "religious education and disciplinary identity". So, should RE be regard as a discipline in its own right, rather like history is regarded as a discipline, or is RE better understood as employing a number of disciplines such as philosophy, anthropology, psychology in its pursuit? This question of the subject's identity did not simply arise out a move from a "confessional" Christian identity to a multi-faith identity in the 1970s but was a live issue well before then. This paper takes the view that RE needs to prioritise its aims for the subject and place the aim of pupils' spiritual and moral development at the forefront of its concerns. In so doing religious educators need to continue the debate about the representation of religion in RE. (Contains 4 notes.)
- Published
- 2011
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44. Annotation in School English: A Social Semiotic Historical Account
- Author
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Jewitt, Carey, Bezemer, Jeff, and Kress, Gunther
- Abstract
What exactly has changed in the production of secondary school English over the last decade? To provide one part of an answer to that question, this paper takes the practice of annotation--a defining activity of the subject English in the UK seldom researched--and uses it as a device for uncovering aspects of changes in the subject. The theoretical approach is that of multimodal social semiotics with an historical perspective. A multimodal approach looks beyond language to all forms of communication. The approach used in this paper allows investigation of the interactions among changes in the social environment, policy, curriculum, technology, and student resources. The authors draw on illustrative examples from three research projects around subject English. Their analysis shows that by 2009, the policy, technological, and communicational landscape of school English had changed dramatically. Now the majority of English lessons are taught on an Internet-enabled interactive whiteboard (IWB) supported by scanners, visualizers, and wireless peripherals such as slates. (Contains 3 figures.)
- Published
- 2011
45. Cultural Capital and Agency: Connecting Critique and Curriculum in Higher Education
- Author
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Clegg, Sue
- Abstract
This paper explores some of the unresolved tensions in higher education systems and the contradiction between widening participation and the consolidation of social position. It shows how concepts of capital derived from Bourdieu, Coleman and Putnam provide a powerful basis for critique, but risk a deficit view of students from less privileged backgrounds. These students are more likely to attend lower-status institutions and engage with an externally focused curriculum. The paper argues for greater attention to agency, and community and familial capital, in conceptualising the resilience of those from less privileged backgrounds. While the recognition of "voice" is important, a curriculum that acknowledges the context independence of knowledge is essential if these students are not to be further disadvantaged.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
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46. Underachievement, Failing Youth and Moral Panics
- Author
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Smith, Emma
- Abstract
This paper considers contemporary "moral panics" around the underachievement of boys in school examinations in the UK and America. In the UK, in particular, the underachievement of boys is central to current "crisis accounts" about falling standards and failing pupils. "Underachievement" is a familiar word to those who work with young people, however, the term itself is not unproblematic. Indeed, for such a widely reported phenomenon, it is perhaps surprising that different perspectives as to the nature and importance of the concept exist. It is these different perspectives on a seemingly well-established discourse, along with an examination of the concept we call "underachievement" that form the focus of this paper. The importance of ensuring a fair and equitable schooling experience for all students is implicit in many societies, and a consideration of current moral panics surrounding the underachievement of boys provides a useful case study to help us consider what it is that we can reasonably expect from our schools and exactly which (if any) groups of young people are being let down by our education system. (Contains 3 tables, 1 figure, and 2 notes.)
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
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47. Entrepreneurship Education and Veterinary Medicine: Enhancing Employable Skills
- Author
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Henry, Colette and Treanor, Lorna
- Abstract
Purpose: This paper has the purpose of exploring the potential for entrepreneurship education within veterinary medicine. It aims to examine some of the key themes in the entrepreneurship education literature, discuss the make-up of the UK veterinary sector, consider veterinary curricula requirements and illustrate how entrepreneurship education can benefit veterinary students. Design/methodology/approach: The approach adopted by the authors includes a literature review, in-depth discussion and the development of hypotheses for further study. Findings: Entrepreneurship education has the potential to make a valuable contribution to veterinary medicine curricula. This is due to the fact that the majority of veterinary graduates will work in or even own/co-own a veterinary business (i.e. a small veterinary practice) at some point in their career. In this context, the authors illustrate how entrepreneurship education can enhance both employable and day one/year one skills. The high entry requirements for veterinary programmes and the gender shift towards a predominantly female under- and postgraduate population add further interesting dimensions to the paper and present possible avenues for further research. Research limitations/implications: This is a conceptual paper and it is fully recognised that the concepts and hypotheses proposed need to be further developed and tested at the empirical level. Some interesting avenues for future research that could contribute significantly to this field are also identified. Originality/value: The paper highlights the potential value of incorporating entrepreneurship education within veterinary curricula. It also identifies how such incorporation can enhance students' employable skills and deliver many of the skills included in veterinary medicine's day one/year one competences' agenda.
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
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48. Risk: The Ethics of a Creative Curriculum
- Author
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Hargreaves, Janet
- Abstract
Higher education in the UK espouses to develop intelligence and critical skills in undergraduates. To do this requires exposing students to challenge and thus risk. However, current models of quality assurance are risk-averse and thus potentially limit the scope of creative learning and teaching strategies. Using two case studies, this paper argues for a utilitarian risk-management model that can accommodate creative learning and teaching strategies, while making sensible decisions about risk management. (Contains 2 figures and 1 note.)
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
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49. Levels on the Playing Field: The Social Construction of Physical 'Ability' in the Physical Education Curriculum
- Author
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Evans, John and Penney, Dawn
- Abstract
Background: This paper develops an analysis of how "educability" and "physical ability" are socially configured through the practices of physical education (PE) in schools. We pursue this interest as part of a broader project, shared by many in the wider community of social science researchers in PE, to better understand how "knowledge of the body" is produced, transmitted and "received" in and through the educational practices of schools, and how these processes relate to social justice, inequality, cultural reproduction and change. Purpose: Our specific interest here is in how the physical education curriculum is "encoded" with particular conceptions of education, childhood, development and "educability" and how these, when expressed through various pedagogical modes, may impact a child's opportunity to display or perform "ability" in PE classrooms and, ultimately, their "desire" to learn. Research design: Drawing on sociological concepts from Bernstein, the paper undertakes a comparative, narrative analysis of two curriculum texts, "Movement and Growing" (HMSO) and the "National Curriculum PE" (DFEE), both of which have sought to define thinking and practice in PE in the UK over the last 50 years. The former, influential in the 1950s and 1960s, is now a "redundant pedagogy"; the latter has defined PE in England and Wales since the 1990s. Findings: The analysis suggests that in the contrast between these texts we can identify two forms of pedagogy, each representing and reflecting distinctive political ideologies, versions of education and social control. The former ("Movement and Growing") predicates "horizontal relationships", the recognition and acceptance of diverse "abilities", shared needs and interests, and the achievement of personal value and status. The latter ("National Curriculum PE"), "vertical relationships", differentiation and the creation of "ability" hierarchies, and the ascription of positional status and value. Conclusion: The analysis invites teachers to consider whether modern variants of PE have liberalised or limited teachers' understandings of "ability", "educability" and how children learn to succeed and fail in PE. (Contains 4 notes.)
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
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50. Politics, Culture, and School Curriculum: The Struggles in Hong Kong
- Author
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Ho, Wai-Chung
- Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to describe the Hong Kong (HK) school curriculum, especially the general curriculum for civic education and other social subjects, in relation to the political events of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, the 1989 Tiananmen Square Incident, and the return of HK's sovereignty from the United Kingdom (UK) to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1997. This paper will argue that since 1984, the school curriculum of HK has been marked by tensions brought about by political cultures shaped by the UK and the PRC, the bureaucratic mechanisms of which are used to make sure that those curriculum contents that are judged to be politically correct are taught in school. Over the last two decades the school curriculum has been depicted as being shaped by the emergence of the nation-state and the transfer of sovereignty. Granted that political and national education forms part of the school culture, the question of how to shape students to be patriotic through the curriculum will continue to be contentious.
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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