Is ADHD a ‘real’ disorder?

In many western countries, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has achieved celebrity status, such that it probably no longer requires introduction. The disorder is a global phenomenon, spreading rapidly as result of the increasing dominance internationally of US psychiatric models, the need for new markets for major pharmaceutical companies, increasing use of the internet by parents and professionals and changing approaches to schooling. There is a broad consensus among international experts and organisations that ADHD is a genuine neurodevelopmental disorder based on empirical research. However, many critics have questioned the legitimacy of ADHD. This paper reviews the arguments for and against the ADHD construct. First, the review examines the literature and research endorsing ADHD as a ‘real’ disorder. Second, the criticisms levelled against the ADHD construct are examined.     

‘Building Schools for the Future’: ‘transformation’ for social justice or expensive blunder?

This article is based on research undertaken between 2009 and 2012 into the former Labour government's extremely ambitious ‘Building Schools for the Future’ (BSF) Programme and its withdrawal by the Coalition government. The project, which utilises analysis of policy documents, case studies in six local authorities (LA) and semi‐structured interviews with national and local policy actors, is being funded by Roehampton's Centre for Educational Research in Equalities, Policy and Pedagogy and the British Academy (SG100363). The focus of this article is the implications for social justice of BSF and its subsequent withdrawal. The structure of the article comprises an introduction to BSF and a summary of some of the main issues arising from it. We then move on to explore the social justice dimension of BSF as it is expressed in LA documents and in relation to the social policy aspirations of the former Labour government. In July 2010 the Coalition government discontinued the BSF programme and we track events and policy from that time, particularly focussing on the radical shift away from Labour's transformational and communitarian agenda in favour of criteria based on efficiency and value‐for‐money. We present data from our interviews with local actors on the equality and social justice impacts of this re‐orientation of policy. We conclude by arguing against the view that Labour abandoned social justice suggesting that BSF was one of a number of policies through which equality was pursued, albeit by stealth.     

‘In’ or ‘For’ the Learning Society?

The Dearing Report on higher education in the UK places itself in the context of 'he learning society' It notes a world of change and unpredictability and looks to higher education to assist in the development of the 'nation's people' so as 'to sustain a competitive economy'. To this end, the Report places significance upon 'learning'and the need for learners to be 'enthused' However, the Report also places a heavy emphasis on the need to develop a range of 'skills' thereby falling back onto assumptions of stability – of situations and human responses – which an unpredictable world denies. The Report offers a view of higher education 'in' a learning society, responding to given and understood parameters of change. It could, instead, have offered a vision of higher education developing human dispositions capable of creatively helping to generate an uncertain but reflexive world. That would have been a higher education 'or'a learning society.     

Rolling out ‘good’, ‘best’ and ‘excellent’ practice. What next? Perfect practice?

The identification and dissemination of ‘good practice’ has for years been a central part of the Government's strategy for radical change of the education system. ‘Good practice’, however, is no longer good enough, nor is ‘best practice’. The requirement now for post‐compulsory education and training (from which all our examples are taken) is nothing less than ‘excellent practice for all’. This article critically examines these highly significant shifts in the rhetoric of policy, finds them wanting and argues that we need to face up to the complexities involved in deciding not only what is ‘excellent practice’ but also in working through all the stages which would be needed to transmit it throughout the sector. In particular, recent documents from the Quality Improvement Agency and the Learning and Skills Council on the pursuit of excellence are critically appraised. The views of those practitioners who are part of the authors' project in the Economic and Social Research Council's Teaching and Learning Research Programme are also explained in relation to ‘good practice’. The authors attempt to explain the frenetic activity of politicians and policy makers in this sector, and end by moving from critique to construction by considering what can be rescued from the inherently contestable notion of ‘good practice’, and, in doing so, draw heavily on the work of Robin Alexander.     

Exclusion from school: What can ‘included’ pupils tell us?

Indiscipline in schools in the UK continues to be the subject of fierce debate. The views of young people as pupils in these schools continue to be marginalised despite their centrality to this debate and their ability to offer a unique set of perspectives. An exploration of the views of a generality of pupils suggests the need to challenge many of the most powerful assumptions about issues of exclusion, non‐attendance and disruption in schools but, significantly, also gives grounds for new hope.     

Is ‘first in family’ a good indicator for widening university participation?

Universities use ‘first in family’ or ‘first generation’ as an indicator to increase the diversity of their student intake, but little is known about whether it is a good indicator of disadvantage. We use nationally representative, longitudinal survey data linked to administrative data from England to provide the first comprehensive analysis of this measure. We employ parametric probability (logit) and non-parametric classification (random forest) models to look at its relative predictive power of university participation and graduation. We find that being first in family is an important barrier to university participation and graduation, over and above other sources of disadvantage. This association seems to operate through the channel of early educational attainment. Our findings indicate that the first in family indicator could be key in efforts to widen participation at universities.     

Can ‘Philosophy for Children’ Improve Primary School Attainment?

There are tensions within formal education between imparting knowledge and the development of skills for handling that knowledge. In the primary school sector, the latter can also be squeezed out of the curriculum by a focus on basic skills such as literacy and numeracy. What happens when an explicit attempt is made to develop young children's reasoning—both in terms of their apparent cognitive abilities and their basic skills? This paper reports an independent evaluation of an in‐class intervention called ‘Philosophy for Children’ (P4C), after just over one year of schooling. The intervention aims to help children become more willing and able to question, reason, construct arguments and collaborate with others. A group of 48 volunteer schools were randomised to receive P4C (22 schools) or act as a control for one year (26). This paper reports the CAT results for all pupils in years 4 and 5 initially, and the Key Stage 2 attainment in English and Maths for those starting in year 5. There was no school dropout. Individual attrition from a total of 3,159 pupils was around 11 percent—roughly equal between groups. There were small positive ‘effect’ sizes in favour of the P4C group in progress in reading (+0.12) and maths (+0.10), and even smaller perhaps negligible improvements in CAT scores (+0.07) and writing (+0.03). The results for the most disadvantaged (free school eligible) pupils were larger for attainment (+0.29 in reading, +0.17 writing and +0.20 maths), but not for CATs (–0.02). Observations and interviews suggest that the intervention was generally enjoyable and thought to be beneficial for pupil confidence. Our conclusion is that, for those wishing to improve attainment outcomes in the short term, an emphasis on developing reasoning is promising, especially for the poorest students, but perhaps not the most effective way forward. However, for those who value reasoning for its own sake, this evaluation demonstrates that using curriculum time in this way does not damage attainment (and may well enhance it and reduce the poverty gradient in attainment), and so suggests that something like P4C is an appropriate educational approach.     

‘Content’ versus ‘style’: Acquiescence in student evaluation of teaching?

Structural equation modelling is used to measure the existence of a response style (in particular, acquiescence) behind three balanced Likert scales measuring different concepts in a questionnaire for student evaluation of teaching in higher education. Exploration with one sample (n = 1125) and confirmation in a second sample (n = 710) from a different population (different students, different courses) shows the existence of a common factor behind these scales. However, the weak correlation with the variable ‘sum of agreements’ does not support the idea of acquiescence in student evaluation of teaching. Instead, the common factor could be interpreted as a halo factor influencing different scales in the questionnaire. The implications of this exploratory study for future research on acquiescence in student evaluations of teaching are discussed.     

An ‘at‐risk’ curriculum for ‘at‐risk’ students? Special educational needs and disability in the new Australian Curriculum

The number of students who are ‘at risk’ including those with special education needs and or disabilities is increasing rapidly worldwide in all schools. This has prompted widespread debate regarding the impact of initiatives in Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting for this group of students. Teachers, parents and administrators need to have further information to enable them to contribute to the development of content, assessment and reporting processes in the curriculum that are inclusive, relevant, reliable and valid. This paper explores some of the issues and dilemmas raised by recent policy discussions regarding the inception of a first national Australian Curriculum. It draws purposively on literature relating to developments in England and Wales, where national curriculum provision has existed for over 25 years, as well as the responses of a group of stakeholders (teachers and leaders) from both England/Wales and Australian schools and settings. These data highlight both tension and opportunity in this area of work.     

‘What's a fixed‐term exclusion,Miss?’ Students' perspectives on a disciplinary inclusion room in England

Marginalised students in education are often formally excluded and further disadvantaged by school disciplinary approaches. This leads to school behaviour codes not being followed by students. This result is often linked to individualised student disciplinary responses. Further, formal student exclusion from schools remains a controversial international practice driven by eclectic government policy. Yet there is limited research on student perspectives within debates on the value of interventions designed to reduce fixed‐term exclusion and promote children's participation in education. This study, by Gwen Gilmore of the College of Education at Victoria University, Melbourne, presents the perspectives of five Year 8 and 9 students who participated in a disciplinary inclusion room designed to reduce fixed‐term exclusion in a secondary school located in England. The research methodology is framed by a cultural historical activity theory approach, and mixed methods reported include document analysis and student interviews. Students stated that the disciplinary inclusion room enabled them to continue their learning and that this discipline model complemented the processes of education. These students' perspectives challenge recent narratives on disciplinary provision and provide possibilities for schools to consider how discipline can be organised towards practices that are more inclusionary and potentially educative.     

Experimental trials and ‘what works?’ in education: The case of grammar for writing

The place of evidence to inform educational effectiveness has received increasing attention internationally in the last two decades. An important contribution to evidence‐informed policy has been greater attention to experimental trials including randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The aim of this paper is to examine the use of evidence, particularly the use of evidence from experimental trials, to inform national curriculum policy. To do this the teaching of grammar to help pupils’ writing was selected as a case. Two well‐regarded and influential experimental trials that had a significant effect on policy, and that focused on the effectiveness of grammar teaching to support pupils’ writing, are examined in detail. In addition to the analysis of their methodology, the nature of the two trials is also considered in relation to other key studies in the field of grammar teaching for writing and a recently published robust RCT. The paper shows a significant and persistent mismatch between national curriculum policy in England and the robust evidence that is available with regard to the teaching of writing. It is concluded that there is a need for better evidence‐informed decisions by policy makers to ensure a national curriculum specification for writing that is more likely to have positive impact on pupils.     

Crossing ‘other cultures’? Reading Tatamkhulu Afrika's ‘Nothing's Changed’ in the NEAB Anthology

In 1998 the Northern Examination and Assessment Board selected the poem ‘Nothing's Changed’ by the South African writer Tatamkhulu Afrika as the last of its ten Poems from Other Cultures and Traditions. Published in the NEAB Anthology (1998), ‘Nothing's Changed’ became a favourite at GCSE for its vivid depiction of apartheid and its effects. This article revisits Tatamkhulu Afrika's poem, situating it in the context of educational policy, the creation of the NEAB Anthology, the poem's initial use by Devon Curriculum Services in the 1990s, and its emergence as an object of national study in Britain. It examines how the poem was read under the conditions of its anthologisation and the pressures of examination, highlighting how specific reading practices typically stumbled on the problems of history, cultural representativeness, and literature's capacity to offer a transparent window onto experience.     

What really matters for students’ school satisfaction in Bangladesh?

School satisfaction is the reflection of students’ comprehensive evaluation of their school experience. This study reports the level of school satisfaction among students in Grades 6 and 8 in Bangladesh to perceive and the factors that might contribute to it using a cross‐sectional research design. A 61‐item survey questionnaire was utilized to collect data. The students’ mean score on the school satisfaction subscale of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale equated to a slightly positive attitude towards school. Three demographic factors including students’ academic achievement, gender, and grade level; and two school climate factors of perceived teacher–student relationship, and perceived academic support, emerged from the multiple regression analysis. The study findings are discussed from the perspective of self‐determination theory with implications for practice and avenues for future research offered.     

The power of ‘evidence’: Reliable science or a set of blunt tools?

In response to the increasing emphasis on ‘evidence‐based teaching’, this article examines the privileging of randomised controlled trials and their statistical synthesis (meta‐analysis). It also pays particular attention to two third‐level statistical syntheses: John Hattie's Visible learning project and the EEF's Teaching and learning toolkit. The article examines some of the technical shortcomings, philosophical implications and ideological effects of this approach to ‘evidence’, at all these three levels. At various points in the article, aspects of critical realism are referenced in order to highlight ontological and epistemological shortcomings of ‘evidence‐based teaching’ and its implicit empiricism. Given the invocation of the medical field in this debate, it points to critiques within that field, including the need to pay attention to professional experience and clinical diagnosis in specific situations. Finally, it briefly locates the appeal to ‘evidence’ within a neoliberal policy framework.     

What does ‘inclusion’ mean for pupils on the autistic spectrum in mainstream secondary schools?

The last decade has seen a groundswell of developments in educational policy in the UK relating to inclusive education for students with special educational needs (SEN). However, whether government policy has been fully implemented in schools remains a concern. The experience of students with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) provides an excellent case in point. An increasing number of such students are now educated in mainstream schools, but the limited research in this area has indicated that their experience of school is often marked by bullying, social isolation and anxiety. In light of this, the aim of the current study was to examine the extent to which inclusive educational policy was actually reflected in the practices of four mainstream secondary schools. An exploratory case study approach was adopted, utilising interviews with pupils, teachers, other school staff (e.g., senior managers, learning support assistants) and parents, observations of lessons and other contexts (e.g., lunch time), and document analysis. Our findings highlighted a number of school practices which acted as facilitators or barriers to students’ learning and participation, some of which were generic to SEN provision, and some of which appeared to be specific to those on the autistic spectrum. A discussion of these is presented to enable further understanding of, and inform practice relating to, the inclusion process for students with ASDs.     

‘Are we being de‐gifted,Miss?’ Primary school gifted and talented co‐ordinators’ responses to the Gifted and Talented Education Policy in England

Over a decade ago the UK government launched its gifted and talented education policy in England, yet there has been very little published research which considers how schools and teachers are interpreting and implementing the policy. By seeking the views of the gifted and talented co‐ordinators (For ease of reference, the term gifted and talented (G&T) co‐ordinator is used throughout the paper as a generic shorthand for the research participants who were either designated school gifted and talented co‐ordinators or teachers or head teachers with responsibility for policy implementation) with responsibility for addressing the requirements of the policy, the study reported in this paper explored how primary schools in England responded to the policy. Drawing on data gathered using questionnaires with a national sample of primary schools as well as follow‐up in‐depth interviews with a sample of G&T co‐ordinators, the authors report their findings. The study found that there was considerable unease about the concept of identifying and ‘labelling’ a group of pupils as ‘gifted and talented’. G&T co‐ordinators found it difficult to interpret the policy requirements and were responding pragmatically to what they considered to be required by the government. Curriculum provision for the selected group of gifted and talented pupils was patchy. The paper concludes by identifying a need for further professional development for teachers and by challenging the policy's over‐emphasis on identifying and labelling gifted and talented pupils. We posit whether the gifted and talented education policy would have been better introduced and enjoyed greater success by leaving the identification of pupils to one side and by placing greater emphasis on developing effective learning and teaching strategies instead.     

The school meals service: a necessity or a luxury good?

This article looks at the school meals service and argues that it is an important topic which lies at the interface of educational and social policy. It reviews the history of the service as one of changing ideas and emphases, particularly, but not exclusively, influenced at various times by changing knowledge about the relationship between nutrition and health. It discusses when, and under what circumstances, school meals are seen as a legitimate part of social and educational policy. It discusses the impact of current policies in relation to nutrition and health, with particular reference to changing modes of provision. Finally, using a small piece of empirical research done in Yorkshire, it discusses the impact on the domestic economy of family households of policy since the 1980 Act.