Showing papers in "Oxford Review of Education in 2001"

A Solution to the Problem of Generalisation in Educational Research: fuzzy prediction

Abstract: This paper substantiates a way of encapsulating the claims to educational knowledge of empirical research and communicating them simply to would-be users by drawing on a concept of fuzzy logic. A fuzzy prediction replaces the certainty of scientific generalisation ('x in y circumstances results in z') by the uncertainty, or fuzziness, of statements that contain qualifiers ('x in y circumstances may result in z'). The paper also tentatively suggests that the likelihood of 'z' occurring can be indicated by a best-estimate-of-trustworthiness which, in the absence of empirical evidence, is based on the researchers' professional judgement (arising from the literature and experience). Alone, a fuzzy prediction is no more than the researcher's equivalent of the politician's sound-bite, and as such may have little credence, but when supported by a research account which makes clear the context of the statement and the evidence justifying it, the fuzzy prediction provides a powerful and user-friendly summary which...

Education for all - in whose language?

Abstract: In the first part of this article the question of the language of instruction is seen in relation to questions of poverty, power and partnership. In the second part the fate of the African languages in some selected countries is given a closer look. Two distinct trends are noted, one strengthening the dominant languages which, in the context of Africa, means the former colonial languages and one focusing on a growing concern for a preservation and revival of African languages as languages of instruction in at least the primary schools in Africa. The battle between these two trends is discussed. The article builds partly on discussions the author has had with policy-makers in African countries.

Citizenship Education and National Identities in France and England: Inclusive or exclusive?

Abstract: This paper examines and compares recent citizenship education policy documents from France and England and explores the extent to which they encourage inclusive or exclusive concepts of national identity and citizenship. Current policies are being developed in a context of perceived disillusionment and political apathy amongst the young. Whilst citizenship education has traditionally aimed to prepare young people to take their place in adult society and a national community, today the notion of a single national identity is increasingly questioned. Using framing questions from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) survey of civic education, we examine programmes of study in each country to determine the extent to which they promote human rights as shared values, make positive references to cultural diversity, and conceptualise minorities. We consider the potential of citizenship education thus defined to contribute towards the development of justice and...

Children with Specific Speech and Language Difficulties—the teachers' perspective

Abstract: Children with specific speech and language difficulties are frequently placed in mainstream classrooms with varying degrees of support. Yet little attention has been paid to class teachers’ views about the children’s problems and educational needs. This paper reports the findings of a two-stage project in two local education authorities investigating the characteristics and needs of children with specific speech and language difficulties (SSLD). Teachers, educational psychologists, and speech and language therapists in two local education authorities identified 133 eight year-old children who experienced primary difficulties with speech and language. Fifty-nine children and a subsample of 10 children of the same age who attended specialist regional schools participated in further investigations. Each of the children was assessed using a battery of instruments covering language, basic attainments and self- esteem. In addition, their teachers completed behaviour rating scales and an individual interview. The teachers comprised those working in specialist provisions, but also those in mainstream schools. In this paper data derived from the interviews with the teachers supplemented by information from the assessments of the children’s skills will be reported. The teachers faced three challenges: the additional difficulties experienced by the children, their own knowledge gaps, and the barriers to meeting the children’s needs. The implications of the results for inclusive education are addressed.

Schools for Muslims

Abstract: Muslim schools are a relatively new phenomenon in British education. This article surveys the situation of such schools in Britain today with particular reference to the city of Birmingham. In the second part, it examines some of the issues thrown up by such school for the State, Schools and Religion debate.

Religious Segregation and the Emergence of Integrated Schools in Northern Ireland

Abstract: A distinctive characteristic of the education system in Northern Ireland is that most Protestant and Catholic children attend separate schools. Following the partition of Ireland the Protestant Churches transferred their schools to the new state in return for full funding and representation in the management of state controlled schools and non-denominational religious instruction was given a statutory place within such schools. The Catholic Church retained control over its own system of voluntary maintained schools, initially receiving only 65% of capital funding; however all grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland are now eligible for full funding of running costs and capital development. This paper highlights the emergence of a small number of integrated schools since the 1980s. Catholic and Protestant parents have come together as the impetus for these schools and this presents an implicit challenge to the status quo of church involvement in the management and control of schools. In practical terms the integrated schools have had to develop more inclusive arrangements for religious education, and legislation that permits existing schools to "transform" into integrated schools also presents new challenges for the society as a whole.

Challenges for Educational Research: International development, partnerships and capacity building in small states

Abstract: Educational research is being increasingly challenged for not contributing effectively enough to the improvement of policy and practice worldwide. Critics call for more relevant, cumulative, accessible and cost-effective studies. This paper examines the implications of this contemporary debate for small states, as they engage with increasingly powerful international development agenda's while dealing with their own distinctive educational needs and priorities. Specific attention is given to different conceptions and traditions of educational research; to the potential of participatory and partnership models; to the process of educational research and evaluation capacity building; to the sociopolitical implications of 'genuine' North-South partnerships; and to the lessons that can be learned by all engaged in educational research from the comparative and international experience.

Young Lives, Learning and Transformation: Some theoretical considerations

Abstract: The term 'learning' is now used to signal a range of political, social and economic aspirations. At the same time, the political, economic and cultural conditions under which learning occurs are changing. In these circumstances, it is appropriate to return to some fundamental questions about what learning is. This paper draws from a four-year longitudinal study of young people and their experiences of learning, jointly directed by Phil Hodkinson and myself. The study was based upon semi-structured interviews commencing with 50 young people in their final year of compulsory schooling. Over the four-year period, it witnessed transformations in their lives, including transformations in their dispositions to learning. In the paper, I draw from a range of theoretical sources for the illumination of these transformations and attempt to ground the work in a critical theoretical framework. I argue that theory must acknowledge the situated, positional, relational and participatory nature of learning if it is to ca...

Single-sex Classes and Equal Opportunities for Girls and Boys: Perspectives through time from a mixed comprehensive school in England

Abstract: The recent concern with the apparent 'under-achievement' of boys in England's comprehensive schools has led schools to review the potential of single-sex classes as a means of improving performance. This paper reviews the arguments for such a strategy, in the context of one school where such an approach has underpinned the organisation of the school through the last three decades. We examine the rationale behind the original decision to implement single-sex teaching, consider the evolution of the curriculum through time, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this mode of organisation from the varying perspectives of parents, students and teachers. We consider whether the strategy has contributed to an improvement in the achievement levels of girls, and discuss the extent to which single-sex teaching has the potential to have a positive impact in raising boys' performance. In reviewing the evidence, we conclude that the single-sex mode of teaching in the school is effective in contributing to high ac...

Faith-based Schools and State Funding: A partial argument

Abstract: It is frequently asserted that some public services, including the provision of schooling, might with advantage be committed, together with appropriate financial assistance, to voluntary faith-based bodies There are however serious disadvantages in this particular mingling of 'private' and 'public' provision The arrangements currently in force in the various parts of Britain are the result of complex historical compromises and any further extension of state aid to faith-based schools is likely to lead to an unwelcome fragmentation of society and a diversion of resources from schools committed to developing a common culture, while respecting a diversity of cultural identities

Evaluating the Performances of Minority Ethnic Pupils in Secondary Schools

Abstract: This paper investigates the performances and the progress made by pupils of minority ethnic origin between Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 in British secondary schools. The data used in this paper were collected as part of a PhD study by Haque (1999). The paper discusses findings from multilevel modelling analyses carried out on 12 of the 20 schools in the research study. In particular, it reveals that whilst differences exist in the performances and the progress of pupils of minority ethnic background in their Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 examinations, these differences become substantially reduced when background factors (other than ethnic origin) are taken into account. The paper concludes that in order to identify accurately and reduce the nature of disadvantages for pupils from particular minority ethnic groups, policy-makers, schools and teachers need to differentiate these groups beyond their national origin.

Meeting the Challenge: The Jewish schooling phenomenon in the UK

Abstract: The development of a Jewish schooling system in the UK has reflected sociological, political and historical situations spanning four centuries. In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the proportions of Jewish children receiving full time Jewish education. The causes of this change, and its impact on both the Jewish and wider community will be considered in this article, which seeks, within a historical framework, to understand the factors which have led to a resurgence of commitment to Jewish schooling in the past 25 years. The unique relationship of Jewish schooling to the State as it exists in the UK will also be explored as a means of contextualising the Jewish school system within a state denominational system.

Discourses and Identities in a Multi-lingual Primary Classroom

Abstract: This paper argues that, whether it is officially accepted in education policy and school curricula or not, where bilingual children are present in classrooms, so are their languages, and those languages are put to use in their learning. The increasingly sophisticated technologies of sound and visual recording have opened up new possibilities in revealing the sub rosa world of pupil interaction, and the part that languages play in the construction of pupil identities in the classroom. A detailed study of children at work in one inner city primary classroom illustrates the way in which pupil identities are jointly constructed through interaction. Children are not passive pawns in the socialisation processes of the school, but active participants, taking up different positions within the alternatives open to them through both pedagogic and peer discursive practices.

Motivation in the Junior Years: International perspectives on children's attitudes, expectations and behaviour and their relationship to educational achievement

Abstract: This paper reports findings from a large-scale international investigation of a number of factors that are considered to impact upon educational motivation and achievement. Following on from an earlier investigation of adolescent attitudes, the present study involved a detailed survey of nearly 3,000 children, aged 9-10 from districts in England, Russia and the USA, together with teacher reports and the employment of a test of basic mathematical computation. The Russian sample scored significantly more highly on the computation test and showed no large tail of underachievers, as was the case with the other groups. Findings from the survey indicate that many of the differences found in the earlier adolescent study are equally true for younger children. The Russian children were less likely to express satisfaction with their abilities or workrates, were more positive towards school, more likely to see education as intrinsically valuable and tended to spend significantly more time on homework tasks. Data obtained also suggest that the Russian sample experienced classrooms with far less disruption and stronger prosocial peer influences than did the English and American children. Teacher understandings of what is considered to be acceptable behaviour appeared to differ, however. The paper notes that the Western samples overestimated their teachers' views of their ability while the Russian children provided underestimates. Possible reasons for, and implications of, these differential teacher messages are discussed. The paper concludes by examining the implications of the findings from the study for increasing motivation and achievement in countries with very different sociocultural contexts.

Mature Graduates I: Occupational attainment and the effects of labour market duration

Abstract: This paper examines occupational attainment among mature graduates as compared with early graduates using data from the General Household Survey (GHS) (1982-1993). These surveys yielded a sample of 1025 mature men and 654 mature women graduates; 5365 men and 3465 women graduates at the conventional age. Mature graduates now compose about one quarter of the undergraduate population and it is believed that the level of mature participation will remain high. It was found that although mature graduates are disadvantaged on entry to the labour market, after about 15 years they have similar attainment to early graduates. Mature graduates primarily work in the public and welfare services, while conventional age graduates increasingly work in the private sector, with rising percentages of both women and men in the financial and business services sector. The concentration of mature graduates in the public sector has consequences for pay, which is discussed in the light of the current student funding system.

The Anglican Perspective on Church Schools

Abstract: Many of the contemporary issues in education in Britain have their roots in the conflicts and compromises of the past. This is particularly so of the place of church schools in the overall provision of education nationally. Our increasingly secular and multicultural society naturally questions the ongoing relevance of explicitly Christian schools in the state education system of the 21st century (cf. Times Educational Supplement , 23 February 2001); yet the demand for pupil admissions to church denominational schools remains strong. The current government is committed to raising standards in all schools and acknowledges the significant contribution that the ethos and value-systems of church schools play in their success; yet it is aware that the 'dual system' of secular and religious schools, as an historic compromise, has given rise to considerable tensions with the state in the past (Chadwick, 1997) and could well do again in the future.

Effective Classroom Organisation in Primary Schools: Mathematics

Abstract: One of the greatest problems in teaching mathematics arises from the diversity of pupils' attainments. For decades, this has been managed by primary class teachers in England by adopting an approach of within-class grouping or differentiation according to attainment-level. During the last two years, however, government initiatives have increased the focus on a whole-class approach to teaching mathematics. This has led to an increase in the number of schools adopting a policy of grouping between parallel classes, or 'setting' by attainment within classes in order to contain the range of attainment in each teaching group and to make whole-class teaching a realistic possibility. Earlier research studies have outlined the benefits of grouping by attainment for subsequent learning in mathematics, especially for higher-attaining pupils; the results this article uses challenge the findings of earlier studies. Newly available data from a large-scale primary mathematics project are examined which indicate that the...

Regional and Local Differences in Admission Arrangements for Schools

Abstract: This paper describes the results of an analysis of the secondary school admissions arrangements, current and past, published by 40 Local Education Authorities in England and Wales. Arrangements are separated here into application procedures and school allocation criteria, and explored through an examination of specific examples of each type. The potential impacts of these arrangements for school admissions and for the changing social composition of schools are discussed. Perhaps the most significant finding is the scale of variation, even between apparently similar regions, in the nature of the admissions process, given that all procedures are presented as being in accordance with national legislation. Because the local implementation of national policy gives authorities this leeway in interpretation, many areas have not changed their procedures much, either in response to the Education Reform Act 1988, or the subsequent School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

Participation, Inclusiveness, Academic Drift and Parity of Esteem: A comparison of post-compulsory education and training in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Abstract: This paper examines the post-compulsory education and training (PCET) systems of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, using cohort survey data for the early 1990s. It compares these systems with respect to four issues of current policy concern: participation, inclusiveness, academic drift and parity of esteem. It asks how a system's performance on these four criteria varied according to the degree of 'unification' of PCET, that is, the extent to which academic and vocational tracks were linked or combined within a unified system. In the early 1990s Scotland was the most unified system (with the weakest divisions between tracks) and Northern Ireland the least unified (with the strongest divisions between tracks). The paper finds no clear link between unification and participation in PCET. The two systems with the highest levels of participation were Northern Ireland and Scotland, respectively the least unified and the most unified systems. However the Scottish system was slightly less inclusive t...

On Michael Bassey's Concept of the Fuzzy Generalisation

Abstract: This article is a response to Michael Bassey's argument that case study research, and educational and social research generally, ought to be aimed at producing 'fuzzy' generalisations and predictions. His characterisation of these is examined against the background of the other types of generalisation he discusses. The conclusion reached is that what he has identified is not a distinct type of generalisation but a mode of formulation that ought to be employed in all predictions for practical use derived from scientific generalisations.

Youth Development Circles

Abstract: Restorative justice circles or conferences have shown considerable promise in the criminal justice system as a more decent and effective way of dealing with youthful law breaking than punishment. The social movement for restorative justice has a distinctive analysis of the crisis of community and the possibility of community in late modernity. This paper raises the question of whether this approach might fruitfully be applied to the holistic development of the learning potential of the young and the whole range of problems young people encounter - drug abuse, unemployment, homelessness, suicide, among others - in the transition from school to work.

Mature Graduates II: occupational attainment and the effects of social class

Abstract: This paper compares occupational attainment among mature graduates, both male and female, from working-class origins with outcomes for mature graduates from middle-class origins. Data from the General Household Survey, (1982-1992) was used yielding 4265 male and 2869 female early graduates, 700 male, and 448 female, mature graduates. It was found that proportionately more people from working-class than middle-class origins study as adults than at the school leaving stage. Nonetheless, mature graduates from middle-class origins still outnumber those from working-class origins. However, it was found that people from working-class origins had increased their take-up of higher education as mature students over time and are reaching parity with people from middle-class origins. Working-class mature graduates are more likely to have studied in less prestigious institutions and at an older age than middle-class mature graduates, although the effects are small. These characteristics were associated with lesser oc...

A Very Scottish Affair: Catholic education and the State

Abstract: This paper draws on key features of Scottish religious and political history as the backdrop to understanding the very particular place occupied by Catholic education in Scotland. This place, it is suggested, is quite different from that of religiously denominated schooling in other parts of the United Kingdom and is subject to a more comprehensive and sustained critique from politicians, academics and the media. Some of the criticisms levelled partake in general philosophical criticisms of publicly funded denominational schooling but are refracted through the lens of Scottish cultural history. The paper outlines three key issues worthy of reflection—divisiveness, church rights to approval of teachers and identity within the polity. It goes on to suggest that much of the opposition to the continued existence of such schools has philosophically and empirically weak foundations but that for Catholic schooling to continue to make a meaningful contribution to the polity it must remain ethically and culturally...

Evangelical Christian Schools in England and The Netherlands

Abstract: The Netherlands is well known for its great diversity of state-funded schools (including faith-based schools) and it is widely believed that starting a new school is a relatively easy process. This paper reflects on the process of policy-borrowing that occurred when British Evangelical Christian pressure groups looked to The Netherlands for inspiration. It shows that the reality of the Dutch situation is some distance from the rhetoric and that, until recently, it has actually been very difficult to start an Evangelical school. It describes the process by which two Evangelical Christian schools were established, and outlines the nature of the nine-year legal battle that one of them fought to obtain funding. The paper then discusses some of the ironies of this particular piece of policy-borrowing.

The State and Catholic Schooling in England and Wales: Politics, ideology and mission integrity

Abstract: Changing relations between the English State and the Roman Catholic Church in the sphere of education policy are examined in two historical periods. Between the 1870s and the 1970s, despite initial anti-Catholic prejudice, the Catholic hierarchy was able to negotiate a favourable educational settlement in which substantial public funding was obtained without serious loss of autonomy and mission integrity for the Catholic schooling system. The existence of a liberal State, a voluntarist tradition in schooling and the relative social and political unity of the Catholic community all contributed towards this settlement. The inauguration of an ideologically 'Strong State' in the 1980s and 1990s, pursuing an interventionist strategy in education driven by New Right market doctrines, threatened the whole basis of this settlement. The Catholic hierarchy had to develop new strategies to respond to this situation, complicated by the fact that the Catholic community was now more socially differentiated and more div...

Public Funding for Religious Schools: Difficulties and dangers in a pluralistic society

Abstract: In the United States, payment of public tax money to religious institutions— including religious educational institutions—has traditionally been subject to rigorous restraints. Interpreting the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Supreme Court has long held that state-mandated financial support of religious institutions tends to corrupt both religion and government, and is a violation of conscience for those who must fund religions with which they may bitterly disagree. Recently, advocates of state aid for religious education have attacked these principles, arguing that they fail to recognise the religious tolerance that American society has achieved. This article defends the traditional restraints. It argues that Americans in fact embrace a limited form of religious diversity, one that tends to be tolerant of familiar, mainstream religious groups, but is distinctly intolerant of others. Indeed, recent polls indicate that the equal funding of all religious groups—as the Constitution's p...

Activities and Attitudes of Retired University Staff

Abstract: A national sample of 1662 academic and academic related university staff, who had retired 3-5 years earlier, completed a postal survey about their current employment, research, other academic activities, and the academic resources available to them, and about their attitudes to retirement, and the extent of their leisure, voluntary, and other caring activities. Over two-thirds of academics and four-fifths of academic related staff had retired early. Younger staff were more often currently employed, but the employment rate amongst academics aged 66-73 was very much greater than in the general population. The extent of research and other academic activities was related to university rank rather than age, with professors and readers more committed, and less involved in leisure activities. The most frequent reasons for early retirement were dissatisfaction with changes in the universities and financial inducements. The majority said they were more contented because of retiring, and most would not have wanted to retire later than they did, but concerns were expressed about the failure of universities to give adequate status and resources to retired academics. There was some evidence that women were discriminated against in retirement.

Policy Trends and Structural Divergence in Educational Governance: The case of the French national ministry and US Department of Education

Abstract: The world market, information technologies and the increasing influence of both supra- and sub-national organisations defined the latter part of the century. In the 1980s, many conservative governments responded to these new realities and pressures through neo-liberal market-focused policies, while centre-left governments in the last decade have sought to reconcile these ideas with the traditional Welfare State, a goal which has been labelled the 'Third Way'. The implications of these changes and ideologies for the governance of education have only begun to be explored. The aim of this article is to analyse in comparative perspective how the education ministry in France and the Department of Education in the USA are mediating their role against pressures for policy convergence. While it is evident that there is a significant degree of 'policy convergence' in terms of discourse and objectives between the two countries studied, this article seeks to understand if there is also a similarity in terms of proce...

Curriculum Development and HM Inspection of Schools: a Scottish case-study

Abstract: HM Inspectors of Schools in Scotland, alongside their inspection role, have a responsibility to give a lead in curriculum development, including the provision of professional advice to the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED), (formerly the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department (SOEID)) and Scottish government ministers. This paper looks at the relationship between the two aspects as seen through the eyes of inspected schools, within the context of broader aspects of the duality of role with its potential both for harmony and conflict.