Lessons from the UK: Curriculum, Pedagogy and Evaluation Professor Bob Lingard, The University of Queensland

1
Lessons from the UK Curriculum, Pedagogy and
EvaluationProfessor Bob Lingard, The University
of Queensland

• Independent Schools Association Conference, 26
  May, 2009

2
Sociology of Curriculum

• How a society selects, classifies, distributes,
  transmits and evaluates the educational knowledge
  it considers to be public, reflects both the
  distribution of power and the principles of
  social control. (Bernstein, 1971, p.47)
• From this point of view, differences within and
  change in the organization, transmission and
  evaluation of educational knowledge should be a
  major area of sociological interest. (Bernstein,
  1971, p.47)
• Formal educational knowledge can be considered
  to be realized through three message systems
  curriculum, pedagogy and evaluation. (Bernstein,
  1971, p.47)

3
Research Two Major Contributing Factors to
Student Learning and Achievement

• Out of school SES background of students
  Bourdieu cultural capital and Coleman et al.
  (1966).
• School teacher pedagogies Newmann and
  Associates (1996) authentic pedagogy improve
  academic outcomes Lingard et al. (2003)
  productive pedagogies improve academic and
  social outcomes.
• School variance in student performance
  attributable to schools around 5-10,
  attributable to teacher classroom practices
  35-55 (Townsend, 2001119)

4
(No Transcript)
5
Policy Borrowing, Policy Learning

• Comparative Education.
• Beyond borrowing globalized policy discourses
  emergent global education policy community.
• Human capital approach education (expressed as
  quality and quantity of human capital) central to
  national economic competitiveness related,
  growth of international comparative data on
  student performance (PISA and TIMSS).
• Pursuit of this agenda different approaches
  Anglo-American versus Scandinavian, East Asian
  developmental state, Chinese market-socialism
  approaches.
• Anglo-American neo-liberal approach through
  restructuring of the state, new
  accountabilities/audit culture, public/private
  partnerships, private finance initiatives, market
  reforms, parental choice, school improvement,
  focus on early years.
• Soft policy convergence, but vernacular
  national responses.
• Learning for educational leaders/teachers
  includes policy learning.

6
The UK

• Need to disaggregate the UK post Blair (1997)
  devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales,
  Scottish parliament more powerful than Welsh
  assembly, also Northern Ireland
  education/schooling a devolved power (always the
  case in some ways in Scotland)
• Thus in relation to schooling, need to talk about
  England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
• Scots England a negative reference society, also
  for Welsh strengthened with rise of Scottish
  Nationals and Plaid Cmyru case of Northern
  Ireland.
• The location of all, including the UK within
  Europe as well and the Lisbon Declaration, 2000
  goal, Europe as the strongest knowledge economy
  on the globe by 2010 EU educational indicators
  in relation to this and the rise of a European
  Educational Space, despite the subsidiarity
  argument.

7
Scotland and England

• Positives and negatives learning, warnings.
• Positives mainly Scottish and negatives mainly
  English.
• Respect amongst teachers and policy makers,
  particularly in Scotland, for the Queensland
  system of school-based, teacher moderated upper
  secondary assessment considerable knowledge and
  awareness of the New Basics and associated
  reforms.
• In both - big policy push improving quality and
  quantity of education provided for all young
  people requires a focus on improving outcomes
  for young people from poor families (social
  justice purposes), all within a human capital
  framework.

8
Comparison Schooling in Scotland and England

• To summarise differences from England, there
  is a broader conceptualisation of educational
  purposes, a much less prescriptive take on
  curriculum and pedagogy, acceptance of the
  professional voice in policy-making (including
  the strong place of local authorities), and very
  little promotion of the parent as consumer. This
  follows directly from continued adherence to
  comprehensive organisation of schooling and to
  the principle of common provision that it
  represents. (Jenny Ozga, 2005, p.5)

9
Scotland

• 1696 Education Act worlds first Education Act
  by a national parliament a school in every
  parish, a fixed salary for the teacher and
  funding first literate society 1980s/90s no
  discourse of derision of teachers (cf England,
  Thatcher)
• McCrone Report (Teaching Profession for the 21st
  Century, 2000) good salaries, high respect,
  preparation and correction time for primary
  teachers comparable to that of secondary teachers
  (22.5 hours contact for all teachers in all
  sectors per week).
• Chartered Teacher approach university study
  linked to promotional position and high salary.
  Masters degree.
• Scottish Qualification for Headship
  universitybased, Local Authority select
  candidates. Masters degree.
• Comprehensive system, academic curriculum, still
  mixed ability teaching 4 in private sector
  constant for past 50 years (3 primary, 5
  secondary)(25 in Edinburgh).
• Low between school variation in performance
  (primary) (PISA) similar to the Scandinavian
  countries.
• Structure diffuse, not centralised Scottish
  Executive Education Department (SEED) and 32
  Local Education Authorities HMIE Scottish
  Qualifications and Authority (SQA) (exams)
  Teaching and Learning Scotland (curriculum and
  syllabuses) General Teaching Council for
  Scotland (GTCS)(mutual recognition of Australian
  qualifications) The Educational Institute of
  Scotland (1847 first teacher union, 80
  membership).

10
Scotland contd.

• Policy documents and reforms seem to respect
  teacher professionalism and inclusion of the
  professional voice in education policy making
  e.g. A Curriculum for Excellence (successful
  learners, confident individuals, responsible
  citizens, effective contributors) and
  Assessment is for Learning (as, of, for
  learning) McCrone implementation.
• Policy focus on those not in education,
  employment or training (NEET), Ambitious
  Schools.
• England as a major reference society
  Scotlands negative other positive reference
  societies northern European social-democratic
  polities.
• No top-up fees in universities.
• Applied Educational Research Scheme (AERS).

11
Lessons from Scotland

• Status of teachers professional standing
  (history, Scottish Enlightenment)
• Trust of teachers
• Chartered Teachers Scottish Qualification for
  Headship
• Comprehensive schooling system (in government
  schools, school choice and market discourse by
  and large absent)
• Academic curriculum
• Inspection formative, supportive, improvement
  focused not punitive
• Targeted equity approach NEET focus
• Many layers of educational policy making
• European rather than North American focus

12
England

• Thatcher/Conservative education project
  1979-1997 discourses of derision of teachers
  attacked so-called provider-capture in
  education policy introduction of national
  testing, publication of test results (SATs) and
  public exam results (GCSE and A levels) and
  National League Tables, as part of creation of a
  quasi-market in schooling National Curriculum
  (Education Reform Act, 1988) weakened Local
  Authority input and strengthened central
  bureaucracy (DfES, now Department for Children,
  Schools and Families (DCSF)) school
  reform/improvement movement - improvement to be
  achieved through high stakes testing (new forms
  of accountability), league table, parental choice
  and competition between schools neo-liberal
  approach.
• Blair (1997-2007), Brown (2007-) built on and
  modified Conservative Project through Third Way
  discourses motivation positive re enhancing
  quantity and quality of schooling with social
  justice focus policy as numbers as part of audit
  culture and school improvement agenda huge
  investment in long term in infrastructure hybrid
  neo-liberal response.

13
England

• Goals appropriate now better quality, enhanced
  retention and more equity, motivation good, but
  policies wont achieve desired goals.
• English exceptionality, leading the world in the
  policy as numbers approach with consequent
  effects on teachers, their practices and
  professionalism.
• Engagement with Europe and OECD not as strong or
  as significant as in Scotland.
• Look more to North America, across the Atlantic.

14
England structures and policies

• Centralising control/power to DfES, DCSF
  weakening of LEAs strong OfSTED (Inspectorate,
  punitive linked to audit culture).
• Headteachers as spearheads of reform (National
  College for School Leadership) develop
  excellent leadership to transform childrens
  achievement and well-being, receiving annually
  the targets from the DCSF.

15
Centralising power, audit culture and
deprofessionalising teachers

• Steering at a distance through policy as numbers
  as part of the audit culture standards agenda
  driven by targets and school improvement focus.
• Significance/effects of Standard Assessment Tests
  (SATS) linked to National Curriculum taken at end
  of Key Stage 1 (age 6/7 Yr2), Key Stage 2 (age
  11/Yr4) , Key Stage 3 (age 14/Yr 5/6) in English,
  Maths and Science on pedagogies, curriculum,
  teachers, students, streaming and rejection of
  mixed ability teaching.
• Role of GCSE (the Gold Standard, number of A-Ds)
  and A levels as well in audit culture,
  accountability of schools triage approach.
• Effects of this policy as numbers and target/test
  driven school improvement agenda
  de-professionalising of teachers transfer of
  authority from professional expertise to
  standardised testing instruments, thinning out of
  purposes of schooling, pressures on children and
  young people, teaching to the test, culture of
  performativity.
• SATS scores and GCSE achievement up cf OECD PISA.
• Policy focus on literacy and numeracy the
  Literacy Hour implies teacher pedagogies
  deprofessionalising.

16
The next stage in policy as numbers

• Making Good Progress How can we help every child
  to make good progress at school? (DCSF, 2006)
  being trialed in 10 LEAs from 2007.
• Concerned to develop even better ways to
  measure, assess, report and stimulate progress in
  our schools.(p.1)
• It asks whether without compromising the
  framework of tests, targets and performance
  tables which have helped drive up standards so
  sharply over the past decade we could adapt the
  system to support a focus on progress as well as
  absolute attainment.(p.2)
• If Making Good Progress became national policy
  target setting for schools would involve
  attainment and progress targets. Also a new
  individual student focus, blocks in progress
  funding support for individualised extra
  tuition/tutoring. (Sophisticated measures value
  added, contextual value added)
• Reconstitution of Principals work and teachers
  work (individualised and personalised programmes
  for students new individualism)

17
Restructuring of DfES to Department of Children,
Schools and Families (DCSF)

• Legislation Every Child Matters (2003), Children
  Act, 2004
• Education reconstituted as a Childrens service
  working across home, childrens centres, early
  years provision, schools, extended schools and
  communities
• This policy requires collaboration joined-up
  policy, joined-up professional practice,
  inter-agency and inter-professional working
  (social workers/teachers etc).
• Conflicting policy goals parental choice, school
  competition as a way of improving outcomes versus
  collaboration/sharing etc.

18
Lessons from England

• De-professionalisation of teachers through
  specificities of the audit-culture and policy as
  numbers.
• Mistrust of teachers.
• Policy in its reductive effects means schools
  cannot meet their policy goals.
• Significance of inter-agency and
  inter-professional work.
• Significance of the early years focus and school
  community relationships and post-compulsory and
  higher education agenda (School Leaving Age to be
  raised to 18 years by 2015).
• Implications of privatisation/competition in
  government sector.
• PISA understandings and other international
  comparative data extent of Gini coefficient
  (measure of inequality) and extent of
  differentiation of schooling provision linked to
  strong social class/school achievement
  correlations with school performance (Green et
  al., 2006)
• English exceptionality should remain just that a
  warning.
• Warning watch the flows of policy
  entrepreneurs from Blair/Brown UK to Australia.

19
Finnish Model policy learning, not borrowing

• Good schooling systems, that is, achieving high
  equity and high quality, Finland cf
  Anglo-American school reform model (high stakes
  testing, mistrust of teachers, improvement in
  test scores but).
• Finnish schooling teachers high status for
  teachers, teachers well respected, reasonably
  well paid, highly qualified (Masters degrees),
  professional autonomy within frame of intelligent
  accountability.
• No high stakes testing.
• Pedagogies teacher centred, but also
  intellectually demanding.
• Only government schools all attend the same
  school.
• SES low Gini Coefficient of social inequality
  and ethnic homogeneity.

20
National Policy Developments

• National level recognition of the research
  realities presented at the outset (SES background
  and teacher pedagogies), but also new
  accountabilities and testing.
• NAPLAN Masters Report (2009) recommendations.
• Need for test literacy, but
• Most effective long term response for enhancing
  test outcomes enhanced quality of pedagogies,
  mediated through teacher professional learning
  communities and school leadership.

21
Negative Potentials in National Developments

• Testing and accountability potential to forget
  social purposes and to reduce academic purposes
  to test scores results and improvement.
• Accountability to give an account broader
  definition than test results and different
  directions of accountability (horizontal,
  vertical).

22
Conclusion

• Policy learning must be aware of context, must
  recontextualise insights to local cultures,
  histories and politics.
• Policy learning sometimes requires that we see
  developments elsewhere as warnings.
• Julia Gillard, the federal Minister, has it
  correct, I think, when she says that
  socio-economic or social class variables
  (parental income, education, occupations,
  cultural capital, social capital, aspirations)
  and teacher practices (pedagogies) are the most
  significant determinants of student learning and
  outcomes from schooling. Correct but how ought we
  respond to that recognition? How ought the
  federal and state governments respond to that
  recognition in policy and funding terms? Some
  lessons from the UK, more from Scotland than
  England.
• How will testing and accountability agenda work
  in relation to the broad policy mix and to
  national curriculum?

23
Must remember that old aphorism

• data isnt information, information isnt
  knowledge and knowledge isnt wisdom

24
References Scotland

• OECD (2007) Quality and Equity of Schooling in
  Scotland. Paris OECD.
• Scottish Executive Education Department (2007)
  OECD Review of the Quality and Equity of
  Education Outcomes in Scotland Diagnostic
  Report. Edinburgh SEED.
• Lingard, B. (2008) Scottish Education
  Reflections from an International Perspective in
  Tom Bryce and Walter Hume (3rd edit) (eds)
  Scottish Education. Edinburgh The University of
  Edinburgh Press.
• Paterson, L. (2003) Scottish Education in the
  Twentieth Century. Edinburgh The University of
  Edinburgh Press.

25
References England/UK

• Ball, S.J. (2007) Education plc Understanding
  private sector participation in public sector
  education. London Routledge.
• Ball, S.J. (2008) The Education Debate. Bristol
  Policy Press.
• Beckett, F. (2008) Will they ever learn? The
  Sats fiasco reveals all thats wrong headed about
  Labour education policy, The Guardian, July 18.
• Lingard, B., Nixon, J. and Ranson, S. (2008)
  Remaking Education for a Globalized World
  Policy and Pedagogic Possibilities in Lingard,
  B., Nixon, J. and Ranson, S. (eds) Transforming
  Learning in Schools and Communities, London
  Continuum, pp.3-33.

26
References

• Green, A., Preston, J. and Janmaat, J.G. (2006)
  Education, Equality and Social Cohesion A
  Comparative Analysis. Basingstoke Palgrave
  MacMillan.
• Lingard, B., Hayes, D., Mills, M. and Christie,
  P. (2003) Leading Learning Making Hope Practical
  in Schools, Buckingham Open University Press.
• Newmann, F. and Associates (1996) San Francisco
  Jossey-Bassey.
• Townsend, T. (2001) Satan or Saviour? An
  Analysis of Two Decades of School Effectiveness
  Research, School Effectiveness and School
  Improvement, 12 (1) 115-129.