Enabling positive change in primary school: learner-led research in a Scottish context

The relevance and value of increased learner participation in effect change research is increasing in its significance and importance across the education sector, guided by current national governance and the move of local authorities to implement action research models to drive improvement. This paper reports on a study led by primary seven pupils in a remote rural Scottish primary school, working collaboratively towards planning, developing, implementing and evaluating learner-led research. The pupil researchers created their own initiative, introducing dogs to the classroom, which was designed to increase self-esteem and self-efficacy for all learners in their school. Through the implementation of the initiative, they were observed to develop their own social and emotional well-being as they engaged in the process of interviewing, results analysis and subsequent resource dissemination. This article discusses the collaborative and supportive relationship alongside the desire to bring about positive change that must underpin genuine collaboration.     

Teachers talk about inclusion… but can they implement it in their classroom? Exploring teachers’ views on inclusion in a Scottish secondary school

Although there is much research regarding the inclusion of pupils with additional support needs (ASN) in mainstream secondary education, there is little research specifically exploring the perspectives of staff who support and teach this population. This small-scale exploratory study in a Scottish secondary school investigated staff perspectives, aiming to provide unique insights and personal accounts of issues pertaining to inclusion. The findings suggest that there is a need to increase the skills of staff in order for them to be suitably equipped, competent and confident to meet all pupils’ needs.     

Working within and against neoliberal accreditation agendas: opportunities for Professional Experience

Over the past decade in Australia, a neo‐liberal political climate has delivered to universities and schools increasing expectations concerning accountability and conformity within professional standards frameworks. This has contributed to growing pressure around Professional Experience programs within teacher education. In light of such accountability agendas, this paper analyses impacts arising from the emergence of institutions such as the New South Wales Institute of Teachers. In response to an insistent discourse of ‘partnerships’, it draws on the work of Lave and Wegner (1991 Lave, J. and Wegner, E. 1991. Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Crossref] [Google Scholar]), as well as Engeström (1999 Engeström, Y. 1999. “Activity Theory and individual and social transformation.”. In Perspectives on Activity Theory, Edited by: Engeström, Y, Miettinen, R and Punamäki, R.‐L. 19–38. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Crossref] [Google Scholar]), to pose a reconceptualised model of Professional Experience based on the concept of Activity Systems. An approach to partnerships that structures Professional Experience in schools around the notion of ‘communities of learning’ is presented. By shifting power relations and roles around Professional Experience, it is claimed a co‐learning environment that more effectively and concurrently attends to the professional learning needs of student teachers, as well as those of practising teachers, can be developed.     

A four-stage longitudinal study exploring pupils’ experiences,preparation and support systems during primary–secondary school transitions

A longitudinal study was conducted over four stages of three school years across the primary – secondary transition. The purpose was to understand the dynamic transition experience of pupils, investigate the effectiveness of preparation by schools to support transitions and understand pupils’ most important support networks. Using online questionnaires, data were collected from pupils at four time points, twice from secondary school professionals and their parents, and once from primary school professionals. Results highlight the ongoing and dynamic nature of transitions. What pupils were excited about were still seen to be good once they were in secondary school , and aspects that worried them declined over time. Some pupils experienced problems and adapted at different times, whereas for some, problems emerged later. It seems that those who anticipated problems when in primary school were more likely to experience problems; this has implications for the discourse around transitions and its impact on pupils’ anticipation of transition experience. Although transition planning and preparation by schools were important and varied, they were not always effective, not provided in a timely manner and did not tap into their naturally occurring support networks in the home and community. This study makes unique contributions in terms of highlighting the dynamic transitions process and change in pupils’ experience over time; various aspects of transitions that children are excited and concerned about and how these changed over time; professionals’ conceptualisations of transitions; pupils’ and parents’ views of the effectiveness of transition practices at various stages; and pupils’ real support networks.     

Teacher Resistance and the Construction of More Educative Text

“How can we develop forms of collegial association that might support our efforts?” (Simon, 1988, p. 4)

     

Mother Goose and Mother Nature: Designing Stories to Communicate Information About Climate Change

Narratives have the ability to highlight climate change information in a relatable and engaging format. The purpose of the present investigation was to test the effects of five story structure types containing climate change information on perceived message effectiveness. Furthermore, we measured whether political affiliation moderated persuasive effectiveness of climate change messages among U.S. eligible voting adults (N = 594) who identified as Republican, Democrat, and Independent. The highest rated story overall was situated in the past, was realistic, and had clear moral values, indicating that certain appealing stories can serve as effective conduits for persuasive messages across the political spectrum. There were few differences between political affiliations, namely, that Democrats and Republicans rated messages differently on effectiveness when they differed on moral themes.     

Between work and learning: on pedagogic practice and interstitial space

In this paper I develop a response to a continuing problem in work–learning research, the connections between education, learning and work. These connections are commonly conceived in terms of the concept of transfer, integration or boundary crossing. Thinking these connections in this way, I claim, serves to consolidate a unitary, stable and fixed idea of the relationship between learning in educational institutions and work and inadvertently reduce its complexity. Drawing on empirical data collected over the course of qualitatively exploring the links between a problem-based program of teacher education (‘learning’) and the practice of participants in this program upon initial employment in schools (‘work’), and deploying actor network theory, I trace new sorts of associations between work and learning and propose a relational conception of their connection. Challenging the common counter-positioning of work and learning, empirical analysis reveals their mutual constitution and partial connection in practices, here, of a predominantly pedagogic and spatial/material kind. Practices that occupy interstitial spaces have a particular resonance with regard to challenging this counter-positioning and unsettling the hierarchies of value which often arise from it.