The leadership crisis – can Action Learning Questions provide any answers?

This article provides a reflective account of the author's experience over the past 12 years of introducing a structured approach to accredited action learning to corporate organisations. The generic Action Learning Question method is outlined and specific examples of programmes in the financial services/banking and education sector are described. Included is an example of how Action Learning Facilitators have been developed. It is proposed that this approach has a place in supporting leadership development in a period of great uncertainty and change.     

From real life to real life: bringing ‘double awareness’ from Action Learning programmes into organisational reality

In Action Learning programmes, it is held central to work on real business challenges (task) while learning about team and self (process); staying mindful aware of the process is referred to in this paper as ‘double awareness’, and emphasises noticing and acting on process cues while working on the task. As business challenges within Action Learning programmes are real, pertinent, and worked with in the context of the organisation, implementation of potential solutions to the challenges is proved to be efficient. However, less is known of how individual participants manage to stay with double awareness upon re-entry into the organisational routines left behind. The aim of this paper is to explore when, why, and how participants manage to maintain double awareness and act on what they notice when back in organisational reality – and what characterise the moments where they struggle to do so. A study will be shared, where participants have been followed for a period of time after an Action Learning-programme. The study takes a psychodynamic stance and contributes to the knowledge of the individual re-entry by exploring individual, group and organisational dynamics promoting and hindering double awareness. The concepts ‘mindful avoidance’ and ‘mindful alertness’ are introduced as essential conceptual findings. Finally the paper will explore how the overall findings can be applied back into Action Learning-methodology as enablers for improvement.     

From nurturing the H in HR to developing the D in OD – systemic benefits where action learning and organisational development combine

The authors review the Organisational Development and Design (OD&D) capability building programmes they have facilitated in the UK Civil Service and consider the learning and impact which they have had at an individual and organisational level. These programmes have been delivered to over 350 professional civil servants across a broad range of business functions, ministries, departments and agencies. This paper builds on the article published in this journal entitled ‘Nurturing the H in HR’ (Hale, R. and Saville, M. 2014. “Nurturing the H in HR: Using Action Learning to Build Organisation Development Capability in the UK Civil Service.” Action Learning: Research and Practice 11 (3): 333–351) which explained the early stages of programme roll out. Data to inform these findings has been drawn from a desk based review of the postgraduate level accredited papers written by participants as an integral requirement of the programme and an impact review exercise which used a storytelling approach in order to understand and interpret real accounts of practice. It can be seen how combining the Action Learning Question methodology with a humanistic approach to organisation development has made a significant cultural contribution beyond individual learning and this is impacting the wider system of a complex and dynamic government organisation that has faced, and most likely will continue to face, unprecedented and unpredictable political, social and economic change.     

Developing social inclusion through after‐school homework tutoring: a study of African refugee students in Greater Western Sydney

Schools represent the primary setting where refugee children learn about Australian life and culture. They serve as a broad context for acculturation not only for academic development and language acquisition but for cultural learning too. This paper focuses on the after‐school homework tutoring programme that uses University of Western Sydney (Australia) secondary teacher education students as tutors for African refugee students in secondary schools to facilitate their inclusion into Australian society. African refugees may receive lower returns for education in comparison with other Australian migrants. Using Bourdieu’s theory of social capital and cultural reproduction as a conceptual framework, this paper discusses the part played by schools in constructing barriers that prevent under‐represented groups such as refugees participating in the education process. It aims to explore the success of community engagement programmes like Refugee Action Support, which is designed to act in the interests of others (refugees) characterised as socio‐culturally disadvantaged.     

Learning support assistants can deliver effective reading interventions for ‘at-risk’ children

Evidence suggests that phonic interventions delivered by trained researchers improve early reading and spelling. This study sought to explore whether school Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) can also improve performance using these methods. Four groups (each of n?=?27) of the poorest reading 6-year-old children in nine schools were screened and selected for this study. LSAs were briefly trained to administer phonic programmes as small group interventions for nine weeks. Rhyme- and phoneme-based programmes were also contrasted with controls receiving the National Literacy Strategy. At post-test, all intervention group children were better decoders, and had better phonological awareness and letter?–?sound knowledge than controls. The phoneme-based group had better letter?–?sound knowledge than the other intervention groups. It is concluded that trained Learning Support Assistants can deliver effective early preventive programmes for literacy difficulties.     

Every child matters? An evaluation of “Special Educational Needs” programmes in England

The need for education to help every child has become more important for policy in the US and the UK. Remedial programmes are often difficult to evaluate because participation is usually based on pupil characteristics that are largely unobservable to the analyst. We evaluate programmes for children with ‘Special Educational Needs’ in England. We show that the decentralized design of the policy generates much stronger differences across schools in access to remediation resources for children with moderate learning difficulties than for children with either no difficulties or severe difficulties. However, these differences are not reflected in subsequent educational attainment – suggesting that the programme is ineffective for children with moderate learning difficulties. Also, we use demographic variation within schools to consider the effect of the programme on whole year groups. Our analysis is consistent with no overall effect on account of the combined direct and indirect (spillover) effects.     

Action Learning—a learning and teaching method in the preparation programme for supervisors of midwives

Supervision of midwives is a statutory responsibility, which provides a mechanism for support and guidance to every practising midwife in the United Kingdom. To be eligible for appointment as a supervisor, midwives are required to undertake a preparation programme successfully. Because of the changing nature of the professional role and education, the level of the programme of preparation has evolved from an attendance course, to programmes delivered at diploma, degree and, more recently, Masters' level. In collaboration with clinical colleagues and the statutory authorities, the University of Hertfordshire has presented a programme of preparation at Masters' level since 1997. Revalidation in 2001 provided the opportunity to review the learning and teaching methods, and a decision was made to use Action Learning as an important component of the new programme that commenced in 2002. Alongside the normal university quality assessment mechanisms, a systematic evaluation was undertaken to explore the acceptability and perceived usefulness of Action Learning by the students of the second and third cohorts. This paper presents the findings of this evaluation.     

Action Learning Projects For Management Development

The origins and characteristics of Action Learning together with some of its uses in business/industry and education are described. Methods of assessment for Action Learning projects in education are suggested. The approach to Action Learning in courses at the Middlesex University Business School are used to illustrate the wealth creating aspects of the Action Learning process.     

Who is responsible for vulnerable pupils? The attitudes of teacher candidates in Serbia and Slovenia

In the ongoing trend towards inclusive education, initial teacher education programmes must ensure that prospective teachers are prepared to teach all pupils effectively. The study presented in this paper aimed to explore the attitudes of teacher candidates in Serbia and Slovenia towards responsibility for the teaching and learning of vulnerable pupils in mainstream elementary schools. Using a quantitative approach, the study sought to elicit teacher candidates’ views about division of responsibility for the academic achievement and additional support of vulnerable pupils and their views on the factors that most affect learning difficulties in those pupils. Our findings indicate that teacher candidates’ feelings of responsibility are unlikely to help when instructing vulnerable pupils. The implications of these findings are discussed and we suggest several ways to improve teacher education programmes to promote inclusive education based on the concept of quality education for all.     

Integration of students with severe and multiple learning difficulties

Abstract

Students with severe and multiple learning difficulties have traditionally been excluded from mainstream education. Three arguments are put forward for integrating these students: social and humanitarian motives; interpretations of the ‘least restrictive environment’ as one in which interactions with non‐disabled peers are least restricted; and a changing concept of education to include a range of functional skills which provide preparation for adult life. Ways of implementing integration are discussed, including location of special classes in regular schools, integration into regular classes, and partial integration through links between regular and special schools. Although many existing integration programmes appear promising, there has been little systematic research in the area and few attempts at independent evaluations. Fears about potential loss of support services in integration appear to have some justification. Fears about adverse behaviour by non‐disabled peers have proved to be largely unfounded, but opportunities need to be deliberately structured to ensure that positive interactions occur between integrated students and their peers. Long‐term outcomes for students with severe and multiple learning difficulties integrated into regular schools have not been considered.     

数字校园——农村小学提升的新增长点

农村小学校点分散,教师人数少,学生家庭教育环境受限,课外活动面窄,导致农村小学的办学质量提升困难,具体表现在教学手段落后,教师现代教育技术能力提升困难,教学管理粗放,学生在校活动单调.当前,农村小学的教育技术装备的硬件条件有了很大提高,应该加大数字化农村小学建设,从师资提升、管理优化、课程建设等方面着力,有效提升农村小学的办学水平,促进城乡教育均衡发展.     

Unlearning,critical action learning and wicked problems

This paper explores the idea of unlearning in Critical Action Learning (CAL) as applied to the wicked problems of organisations and societies. It draws on data and ideas developed during a research project conducted for Skills for Care by Pedler, Abbott, Brook and Burgoyne (Skills for Care 2014) and from experiences on development programmes for social workers on action learning facilitation in 2012 and 2013 with Christine Abbott of the Centre for Action Learning Facilitation (C-ALF).     

Supporting African refugees in Greater Western Sydney: a critical ethnography of after-school homework tutoring centres

This paper discusses the Refugee Action Support Partnership Project between the University of Western Sydney, The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation and the NSW-Department of Education and Training (DET). The critical ethnographic method is used to evaluate the after-school homework tutoring centres as a vehicle of literacy development and youth transitions. Given the nature of strife and unrest in the African Continent, refugee children may have been unable to attend school before coming to Australia, or obtained only interrupted schooling at best. Since parents are unfamiliar with the education system and because many do not speak English, they cannot help their children as they would wish to, and children may be left to deal with difficulties alone. The School of Education at UWS offers service learning programs like the after-school homework tutoring centres, to deliver effective and sustainable support to schools so that refugee students can feel safe and begin to learn.     

School Mapping Restructure in China: What role for the small rural school?

Despite significant progress over the past fifteen years associated with School Mapping Restructure (SMR) in Chinese rural schools, many small schools have been closed or have merged with larger primary schools. This has resulted, among other things, in difficulties for many students in rural areas who now have to travel longer distances to a central (primary) school and whose families generally have to bear greater expenses for schooling. This paper examines the role of small rural schools in the Chinese education system, looks at the context and impacts of SMR on these schools in terms of quality, cost and access indicators, and highlights some of the key difficulties faced by these schools in the restructured education system. We argue that small rural schools have a significant role to play in delivering education services in rural China and should therefore be retained, supported and equipped with the right levels of facilities and quality services for them to fulfill their role. The policy implications of these findings for education officials are discussed in the context of continuing SMR.     

Difficulties in promoting inquiry in teacher education partnerships: English and Canadian perspectives

This comparative study of two pre‐service teacher education programmes in England and in Canada focuses on the relationship between inquiry and the partnership structures within which the universities and schools work together. Despite the very different jurisdictions and cultures of the two systems, the two universities seem to experience similar difficulties in relation to their commitment to inquiry and to working in partnership with schools. At both the Canadian and the English sites, definitions of inquiry varied within institutions as well as between universities and schools, and inquiry was a university rather than a school priority. These differences between the schools' and the universities' views on inquiry are significant for the partnerships in which the programmes operate. It is these differences and difficulties—which often seem context‐related but which, through the authors' comparative work, have come to seem more systemic—that are explored in this article.     

Biology and Health Education

The Health Promoting Schools in Europe initiatives have highlighted the importance of health education in schools. Although health education is inter-disciplinary, biology teachers have an important role in teaching about health and in the formation of policy. Health education needs therefore to be part of initial teacher education programmes for those who are preparing to teach biology in secondary schools. Student teachers in England and Sweden have been involved in a pilot study that is investigating two aspects of teaching health education. The first element of the study has used questionnaires and small group discussions to explore biology student teachers’ perceptions of teaching about health as part of biology. In the second phase student teachers have been investigating secondary pupils’ understanding about aspects of health. In this paper we report on the initial findings and consider the implications of these results for the teaching of biology in secondary schools.     

“课堂学习研究”对香港教育的影响

世界上不少地方正在进行教育及课程改革，然而不少教育研究的结果却告诉我们，绝少教育改革能真正对学生学习产生正面的影响；而能够产生明显作用的，都是那些直接涉及学习内容的改革。课堂学习研究就是针对学习内容为出发点，以变易学习理论为基础，运用行动研究的模式，聚合教师、教育研究员的集体智慧，解决学生的学习困难，帮助每个学生学得更好。经过六年的探索、实践及研究，香港已有超过100多所学校参与，并已开展了130多项课堂学习研究。在这过程中，课堂学习研究被发现不仅能帮助学生学得更好。更是一个成就教师发展、校本课程发展及学校改革的有效工具。本除阐述课堂学习研究在香港的发展外，更探讨其对教师发展、校本课程发展及学校改革的影响，以及其未来发展所要面对的挑战。     

Safe or unsafe? The paradox of action learning

Business Driven Action Learning (BDAL), as a learning philosophy that attempts to create real value for business is often used by executive education providers in their management development programmes. As the action learning facilitator, I found that the learning that took place during such a management development programme resulted in participants experiencing stress, anxiety and high levels of frustration, which threatened the learning process. The resulting paradox in the learning environment is that the same anxiety that is necessary to ensure that learning took place has the propensity, if too high to hamper learning. Utilising the findings from this research, this account of practice makes recommendations for the action learning facilitator to consider while guiding action learning sets (groups). The facilitator can alleviate many of the fears by emphasising that anxiety is necessary in the learning process. The facilitator can mediate the learning relationship between the individual participant and the learning environment as depicted in the model at the end of the article.