Relooking Assessment: A Study on Assessing Developmental Learning Outcomes in Toddlers

In most countries the funding for early childhood education has increased and governments in some countries have taken serious steps to bring about positive change in the profession. However, the increase in funding by governments and other funding organisations around the world has, understandably, attracted increased accountability as these organisations need to know that their financial investments are achieving desired outcomes. To seek evidence that positive learning outcomes have indeed been achieved through these investments is a reasonable request, and there is a shared responsibility and accountability for professionals to provide appropriate evidence. The downside, however, can be the request for standardised test information, as if performance on such tests provides proof of all desired outcomes. More than ever before, it is important for early childhood educators to be able to provide accurate, objective information about children’s assessment in ways other than by standardised testing, which may not reflect the complex reality of children’s lives. This paper reports on a research study in Singapore that investigated curriculum effectiveness using developmental learning outcomes as a means of assessing children. The research was devised to examine if eight specified broad developmental learning outcomes could measure the effectiveness of the curriculum by assessing children’s learning as shown in qualitative data. Practical examples showed evidence of children’s learning and the role of the educator in facilitating and documenting developmental learning outcomes.     

Looking to the future: producing transdisciplinary professionals for leadership in early childhood settings

This paper reports on an Australian initiative Developing and Sustaining Pedagogical Leadership in Early Childhood Education and Care Professionals, where academics and professionals shared knowledge, experience and research about transdisciplinary practice. The project aimed to develop an understanding of the strategies and skills early childhood professionals and practitioners required to strengthen pedagogical leadership when working in multi-agency organisations. The conceptual framework underpinning the design, analysis and evaluation of the project was bricolage. Bricolage enabled the researchers, professionals and practitioners and other organisational members to consider the principles of multiplicity, complexity, relationality and criticality. The use of bricolage created an opportunity for a more comprehensive level of analysis to occur. A model of professional development emerged from the analysis of the data and was subsequently used to develop an open source learning website.     

Enacting educational partnership: collective identity,decision-making (and the importance of muffin chat)

The rhetoric of partnership is ubiquitous in the current policy context. In education, partnerships take a number of forms among which is ‘interorganisational collaboration’ (IOC), defined as a partnership between institutions/organisations aimed at developing synergistic solutions to complex problems. But policy has a tendency to veneer, obscuring its enactment. The purpose of this paper is therefore to examine what such partnerships look like on the ground. Here we present an empirical analysis which aims to produce knowledge about the working of such collaborative groups and to provide insights into leadership within such partnerships. Drawing on communicative constitution of organisations operationalised within a schema for understanding the emergence of collective identity in IOC, we undertake an analysis of meetings held by a working group comprising academics and local authority staff set up to develop masters-level work-based professional learning for teachers. We ask, how do professionals working within different contexts create a collective identity that supports decision-making, and what are the implications for leadership?     

Children and young people's inclusion in public decision‐making

In this article Alison Partridge considers two examples of developing the participation and inclusion of children and young people in public decision‐making in Oxfordshire. The projects are compared with research findings focusing on the impact of participation on children, young people, adults and organisations. The author highlights the value and the challenges of such activity and outlines the learning in relation to developing a culture of participation within organisations. She concludes positively in relation to the depth of the contribution and the creativity that children and young people bring to decision‐making, while emphasising that the commitment, skills and resources required to effectively embed such approaches are considerable. At root involving young people in public decision‐making demands a willingness to challenge deeply held assumptions about children's rights and the existing power relationships between adults, professionals, organisations and children and young people.     

Teachers’ conceptions of quality and organisational values in higher education: compliance or enhancement?

Teachers are often assumed to have a negative attitude towards quality endeavours of their institutions and to hold defensive organisational values. However, there is little empirical research on this issue. This study focuses on teachers’ conceptions of quality, on their preferred organisational values and on the relationships between the two. A written questionnaire was presented to the teaching staff from 18 departments of universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands (N?=?266). It comprised 18 questions about teachers’ conceptions of quality, representing two quality scales: compliance and accountability and enhancement and improvement. A further 24 questions, related to organisational values, represent two scales that typify flexible organisations, and two that typify control-oriented organisations. The results reveal a neutral score on the compliance and accountability conceptions of quality and on the control-oriented organisational values, and a high score on enhancement and improvement and on the flexibility-oriented values. Both pairs appear to be moderately positively correlated. Despite the need for further qualitative research, it can be concluded that teachers perceive quality first and foremost as enhancement and improvement, rather than as compliance to external standards and accountability. These findings offer interesting perspectives for the further development of an internal quality culture in higher education.     

Varieties of work related learning

Based on 30 interviews with and observations of professionals, 5 prototypical metaphors of learning are described and related to existing theories about learning. Two of the metaphors were previously described by Sfard: the acquisition and participation metaphors. As well, three new metaphors were found: the discovery metaphor, the apperception metaphor and the exercising metaphor. In an initial study, a newly devised questionnaire was tested with 713 elementary teachers, 92 principals and 33 support people. The five learning metaphors could be distinguished and proved to be reliable, although improvements were necessary. The correlations between the scales were as expected. Meaningful relations were found with the variables of the educational system, age, experience and educational level. In a second study, a revised questionnaire was tested with 556 professionals from 12 different organisations. The five learning metaphors proved to be more reliable than in the first study. The correlations between the scales were in line with expected patterns of correlations: implicit, explicit and social preferences correlated more with each other than with the other preferences. The expected differences between organisations, professions and groups were apparent and could be interpreted meaningfully. The discussion describes the practical use of the metaphors and suggestions for further research.     

Professional Learning Through Everyday Work: How Finance Professionals Self-Regulate Their Learning

Professional learning is a critical component of ongoing improvement and innovation and the adoption of new practices in the workplace. Professional learning is often achieved through learning embedded in everyday work tasks. However, little is known about how professionals self-regulate their learning through regular work activities. This paper explores how professionals in the finance sector (n-30) self-regulate their learning through day-to-day work. Analysis focuses on three sub-processes of self-regulated learning that have been identified as significant predictors of good self-regulated learning at work. A key characteristic of good self-regulation is viewing learning as a form of long-term, personalised self-improvement. This studyprovides a foundation for future policy and planning in organisations aiming to encourage self-regulated learning.     

The problem-solving process as part of professionals’ boundary work in preschool to school transition

ABSTRACT

A successful transition from preschool to school demands continuity in education between the institutions: continuity in pedagogy, values and institutional structures. One way to achieve continuity is to learn how to do boundary work in the borderline of two activity systems. This article examines what kinds of discourses frame the problem-solving process in the context of inter-professional collaboration. The data consists of video-recorded, inter-professional discussions in the 2012–2013 (a total of 22.5?h). The project, called Flexible Preschool and School, aims to develop a new model for a smooth transition to school. In the project, professionals from preschool and school create joint activities and co-teaching, which is assumed to bridge the gap between pedagogies and assure the continuity of learning. The professionals’ cultural thoughts in different kinds of problem-solving situations become visible in the discourses produced in the talk. These discourses describe their capacity for solving shared problems. Creating new innovations demands an understanding that complex problems require diverse knowledge. Considering the shared knowledge as valuable enough to put into practice is the way to create new forms of problem-solving. This is implemented by taking on the responsibility to be an active actor.     

Challenging the post‐Fordist/flexible organisation thesis: the case of reformed educational organisations

This paper examines claims that recent reforms to UK education have led to significant organisational changes in primary school and higher education. It also examines two main theoretical explanations for these, namely post‐Fordism and New Managerialism. Examples of changes in both schools and universities, including flexibility and teamwork, are explored. Up to the mid‐1980s, publicly funded educational organisations did display bureaucratic features, including rules, staff hierarchies and complex procedures. However, professionals employed in these organisations retained discretion and autonomy in their work. Since then, the introduction of an audit culture and a greater emphasis on management and regulation of the work of teachers and academics has decreased discretion and autonomy. This paper suggests that theories of New Managerialism offer a more satisfactory explanation of the changes explored than post‐Fordism, which has more often been used as a normative model of what contemporary organisations should look like.     

Cultural Diversity and Civic Education: Two versions of the fragmentation objection

According to the 'fragmentation objection' to multiculturalism, practices of cultural recognition undermine political stability, and this counts as a reason to be sceptical about the public recognition of minority cultures, as well as about multiculturalism construed more broadly as a public policy. Civic education programmes, designed to promote autonomy, toleration and patriotism, have been justified as a corrective to the fragmentary tendencies of multiculturalism. This paper distinguishes between two versions of the fragmentation objection, in order to evaluate this particular justification of civic education. The cultural fragmentation version of the objection emphasises the importance of a common identity and a shared sense of belonging for political stability, whilst the value fragmentation version of the objection emphasises the importance of shared values for political stability. It is argued that neither version of the objection successfully demonstrates that multiculturalism is incompatible with political stability. However, narrow versions of each objection provide reasons to favour the promotion of toleration in public schooling, and reasons to be sceptical about the promotion of patriotism. Meanwhile, justifications of the cultivation of autonomy must appeal to values other than political stability.     

A measure of cultural competence as an ethical responsibility: Quick‐Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Test

This article presents the psychometric qualifications of a new video‐based measure of school professionals' ethical sensitivity toward issues of racial intolerance in schools. The new scale, titled the Quick‐Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Test (Quick‐REST) is based on the ethical principles commonly shared by school‐based professional organisations and James Rest's model of moral decision making. The validation of the measure is established through two separate studies: one conducted with 238 school professionals, including teachers, administrators, psychologists, coaches and others who work in diverse schools; and the other conducted with 57 student teachers. The results, with regard to the internal reliability of the items and convergent and overall construct validity, showed that the Quick‐REST is a psychometrically sound measure of school professionals' ability to recognise violations of ethical principles as depicted in two five‐minute videotapes illustrating instances of racial intolerance in schools. There was no evidence of bias due to social desirability. Areas of use for the Quick‐REST in teacher education and ways to improve the scale are discussed.     

Evaluation of a school‐based sex education programme delivered to Grade Nine students in Canada

The effectiveness of a multidimensional Canadian sex education programme was evaluated using 240 Grade Nine students. The intervention was offered by representatives from various community groups and involved instructional classes on anatomy/physiology of the reproductive system and sexually transmitted infections, a video and group discussion on healthy relationships, a form of ‘peer education’ and discussion on teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS, as well as a parent workshop and newsletter on teen sexuality. Respondents in the intervention and control groups completed a self‐administered questionnaire at baseline and one month after the programme. Compared with the control group, students in the intervention group showed positive changes in the areas of knowledge, sex‐role attitudes, sexual interaction values, and the perception that birth control is important. These results suggest that a collaborative effort of outside professionals from various community organisations and involvement of ‘peer educators’ to provide sexual health education in Grade Nine high school classes may be a useful strategy.     

'Celebrating Families': an Inclusive Model of Family-Centred Training

This article describes an innovative week of training days, entitled 'Celebrating Families', which took place at Sunfield, Worcestershire, in July 2002. The week, for and around families of children with special needs, arose from a shared vision and philosophy held by three host organisations. Representatives of all three organisations have contributed to this article. Barry Carpenter is chief executive of Sunfield, an independent school which provides education and care for children with severe and complex learning needs, and Sally Conway is the school's co-ordinator of family services. Mandy Addenbrooke is currently working as an independent consultant in communication and autistic spectrum disorders, and, at the time of the training week described here, was regional development officer for Contact a Family in the West Midlands. Elizabeth Attfield is children's services training and advisory officer for Autism West Midlands.
The week of events was underpinned by the notion of the self-defined, extended family. T he format and content of the week were designed to highlight and celebrate the vital roles that extended family members play in supporting one another, and in educating professionals. Workshops and a conference were planned to explore common themes and illuminate unique contributions, and family members were actively involved as 'trainers' as well as delegates. Outcomes were highly positive. Evaluations from participants not only validated the inclusive training model, but also inspired a series of further events for families at Sunfield during 2003 and 2004. 'Celebrating Families' week delivered a clear message: families of children with special needs must be recognised, involved and celebrated.     

An alternative framework for conceptualizing and analysing special education research

People with severe disabilities (SD) communicate in complex ways, and their teachers, parents and other involved professionals find it difficult to gain knowledge and share their experiences regarding the person with SD’s communication methods. The purpose of this study is to contribute to our understanding of how parents and professionals share learning about communication and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for people with SD by participating in blended learning networks (BLNs). Thirty-six parents and professionals participated in online web-based BLNs according to a prepared format; four groups were formed, and all of the groups participated in four discussion sessions and an evaluation session. Detailed minutes from the 16 BLN sessions, an evaluation session and course evaluation data were thematically analysed. The theoretical frameworks were different perspectives on disability within communication research and special education research, and theories about shared learning in networks. The analyses revealed themes that focused on communication partners’ knowledge, attitudes and strategies regarding communicating with people with SD; the importance and power of using multimodal AAC; and the universality, user-friendliness and empowering aspects of iPads and apps. The findings suggest that participants perceive communication and AAC with people with SD from relational, dialogical and interactional perspectives, whereas the categorical perspective was less pronounced. In accordance with other professional competence research, the use of online web-based BLNs with mixed groups that was described in this paper yielded positive evaluations from the participants. The opportunity for meeting others involved in caring for people with SD, the actual blended groups and the sharing of technology and AAC experiences in particular were highlighted.     

A complex matter: charitable organisation or corporate institution? A reflection on charity and its applicability in an era of market-driven higher education in Australia

ABSTRACT

Universities represent institutions of learning, research and knowledge but are also not-for-profit charitable organisations delegated the charitable purpose of advancing education and public benefit. Charity law differentiates the obligations, values and philosophies of not-for-profit and for profit organisations. Policy and economic imperatives to reform universities in Australia should raise questions about potential compromises to charity values, social justice objectives and public benefit. The disjuncture between the values of charity and profitability draws attention to issues of public benefit in a market-oriented higher education economy and obligations delegated by charity laws. More research is needed into the investment of charity capital and obligations of public benefit delegated to Australian public universities.     

The education of women for citizenship: the National Federation of Women’s Institutes and the British Federation of Business and Professional Women 1930–1959

This article focuses on how citizenship education was built into the organisational practices as well as the formal instructional programmes of women’s organisations in Britain in the pre‐ and post‐Second World War period. It compares the efforts of two such organisations, the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) and the British Federation of Business and Professional Women (BFBPW), to train women in the skills of citizenship. Despite their differences in constituency and structure, these two organisations had remarkably similar views on citizenship education and shared similar educational approaches until the end of the 1950s. This article argues that the NFWI and BFBPW’s understanding of political engagement and their efforts to educate the woman citizen are important historical examples of how women have negotiated issues of involved versus informed citizenry. The educational model they used is relevant today given the renewed interest in the strengthening of civic society as a key mechanism for political engagement.     

How (and why) to avoid making rational decisions: embracing paradox in school leadership

In delivering ‘school improvement’ school leaders must decide between competing and conflicting demands in the context of uncertainty. Confronted with this there may be a temptation to reduce the complexity, in other words to rationalise the situation. While this may lead to short-term gains, over the longer term such decisions can prove detrimental. In responding to these kinds of situations organisational research has recently taken something of a paradox turn. Indeed, developing practices which are accommodating of paradox is increasingly being seen as a productive and powerful creative strategy for business leaders. The aim of this article was therefore to explore ‘the paradox turn’ for its relevance and utility to school leadership and to examine the implications this gives rise to for schools considered as pluralistic organisations with multiple stakeholders. This pluralism produces layers of complexity and tensions which have their origins in diverse and possibly incommensurable values, calling into question the received wisdom around entrenched concepts such as the necessity for the head teacher to ensure a ‘shared vision’ underpinned by commonly held values.     

Analysis of leadership dynamics in educational settings during times of external and internal change

Background: The article concerns the tensions that can arise during demanding external, and consequential internal changes and considers how educational leadership is able to respond to them. Leadership is here understood as a collaborative endeavour, producing shared sense-making in situations of tension.

Purpose: The main research question was: what kinds of leadership dynamics underlie situations of tension brought about by external and internal change? The sub-question was: what kind of micro-level sense-making processes, argued to be the true source of change, assist in revealing these dynamics?

Programme: Educational organisations increasingly face demanding external changes, such as the two mergers described in this article. Tensions can easily be brought about during such external changes and the consequential internal changes, such as two pedagogical innovation projects in this article.

Sample: The study was conducted with three leadership teams within two organisations. The first organisation was a vocational education organisation with around 4000–5000 students and 500 staff members. The leadership team that was studied was followed for almost two years. The other organisation was a business school which comprised of around 7000 students, 150–200 professors and 500 staff members. There, two leadership teams were investigated and followed for almost three years.

Design and methods: The data for the sense-making process was selected by way of qualitative content analysis and an experimented model called TenKeys®. This data were analysed using a grounded theory approach to uncover the underlying leadership dynamics.

Results: Ten micro-procedural leadership dynamics were identified. Actions related to the pedagogical projects were then interpreted by means of these dynamics.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that understanding underlying leadership dynamics might help educational organisations respond to possible tensions brought about by external and internal change and, consequently, support learners’ learning processes, albeit indirectly.     

A taxonomy of duties to report child sexual abuse: Legal developments offer new ways to facilitate disclosure

Background: Child sexual abuse is undisclosed for many reasons that are resistant to change. Citizens can play an important role in disclosing cases of child sexual abuse to authorities. Professionals who deal with children also play a crucial role. Office-holders in organisations have a clear responsibility to prevent cover-ups of sexual abuse. Recently, some countries have created important new legal duties for adults to disclose child sexual abuse.Objectives: This article creates a contemporary taxonomy of duties to disclose cases of child sexual abuse, and explains their nature and justification.Participants and setting: Citizens, professionals dealing with children in the course of their work, and managers of child and youth-serving organisations.Methods: Legal analysis created a taxonomy of reporting duties. Analysis of these duties from perspectives of criminal jurisprudence, public health law, children’s rights and ethics considered their justification.Results: Seven legal duties now exist, in criminal law, civil law and child protection law. Some apply to all citizens; others to managers in organisations; others to professionals dealing with children in the course of their work. All the duties are directed to early detection of cases; some are directed towards prevention; and some are focused on avoidance of institutional corruption.Conclusions: These developments represent historic progress in overcoming normally intractable barriers to disclosure of cases of child sexual abuse. New legal duties are consistent with principles from criminal jurisprudence, public health law, children’s rights and ethics. Where adopted, societies should ensure the creation and maintenance of ecological conditions in which these duties can be observed.