Scottish Education Research Articles

Social justice, equality and inclusion in Scottish education

Social justice, equality and inclusion are complex and inter-linked concepts and feature prominently in Scottish social policy rhetoric. This paper begins with an overview of the discourses surrounding these concepts and the ways in which they are used in Scottish education policy, which, in general, is founded on principles of universalism. The need for some degree of redistribution has been recognised for certain children, but less attention has been paid to recognising the identity of marginalised groups. Children with additional support needs are seen as a group requiring extra resources, but decisions on the nature of that support and which groups should be prioritised has been left to professionals, with little input from parents or children. Overall, there has been inadequate additional resourcing to support mainstreaming, which has made little progress despite having become the policy orthodoxy. There is also evidence to suggest that categories such as learning disabilities and social emotional and behavioural difficulties are applied disproportionately to children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, cementing rather than challenging their marginalisation. Major beneficiaries of inclusion policies, particularly in relation to disabled students in higher education, are students with a diagnosis of dyslexia, who are particularly likely to be male and middle class. The paper concludes by suggesting that children with additional support needs require more, rather than less, redistribution and recognition, but policies need to be couched within a discourse of rights, rather than individual needs.

And the winner is…

There were around 600 nominations for this year's Scottish Education Awards, which recognise teacher achievement across the country. Sam Phipps has been speaking to some of the winners

Marketisation, Choice, and Scottish Education: enhancing parent and pupil voice?

Current educational policy in many parts of the world is dominated by the discourse of the market. Choice is seen as a lever by which quality will be enhanced through its direct effects on providers. Choice is intended to provide an exit for users but, in doing so, it is argued by policy makers that it makes user voice more effective. This paper examines the relationship between exit, voice and loyalty in public services using Scottish education as a case study where choice is constrained by both geography and political factors. We consider the implications of Le Grand’s (2003, 2007) analysis of public services in terms of characterising providers as “knights” or “knaves” and users as “queens” or “pawns” and discuss the advantages and difficulties of maintaining a system of knightly providers and queenly users.

Scottish education: Beyond devolution

Scottish education: Beyond devolution (3rd edition), edited by Tom Bryce and Walter Humes, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2008, 1024 pp., £27.99 (paperback), ISBN 9780748625932 Reading, let...

Book Review: Les Bell (2007) Perspectives on Educational Management and Leadership

Humes, W. & Bryce, T. (2003) The distinctiveness of Scottish education. In W. Humes & T. Bryce (eds) Scottish Education: Second Edition Post-Devolution. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Perceptions of personal development planning in sociology and social science: the Scottish higher education context

AbstractIn the United Kingdom (UK) it has been just over ten years since personal development planning (PDP) was proposed by the National Commission into Higher Education (Dearing 1997), and, since then, it has become a central feature which has been put into operation across the sector. This has come about as the result of an awareness that in a globalised education and workplace market, students will need to be more competitive in developing and marketing their academic and other skills. Nowhere is this more keenly pursued than in the Scottish higher education system which has adopted a quality-enhancement approach. In this context, PDP is viewed as crucial ‘added value’ aspect of students’ higher education experience.However, whilst the basic principles of PDP are generally accepted, there is something of a paradox, for at a time when education and work are becoming more globalised, students are being encouraged to look inward at themselves in order to become more self-determined. Yet, setting aside wh...

Social capital and the evaluation of inclusiveness in Scottish further education colleges

Educational establishments are now legally bound to create inclusive learning environments. However, successful implementation will depend on changes in the culture and ethos of these institutions, as well as shifts in the attitudes and practices of staff. This article reports on the findings of an evaluation of staff development sessions led by the Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU). The social model of disability developed by disabled people was used to analyse the barriers to inclusiveness as identified by staff and students. Through the concept of ‘social capital’, which focuses on the networks, norms and trust between individuals, the extent to which SFEU staff development activities had led to more inclusive practice was assessed. An example of the way in which SFEU staff purposefully encouraged the establishment of social capital is given. Finally, the possibilities for the development of more inclusive further education contexts are discussed.

Investment in the Scottish further education estate 1999‐2006

Purpose – The paper aims to examine the investment in Scotland's further education (FE) estate as an example of public sector capital investment. It looks at the sector's modernization, which has previously suffered from under‐investment, to provide a built environment that meets the educational requirements against a background of constrained resources.

An educated clergy. Scottish theological education and training in the kirk and secession, 1560–1850. By Jack C. Whytock. (foreword A. T. B. McGowan.) (Studies in Christian History and Thought.) Pp. xxvii+466. Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2007. £24.99 (paper). 978 1 84227 512 2

An educated clergy. Scottish theological education and training in the kirk and secession, 1560–1850. By Jack C. Whytock. (foreword A. T. B. McGowan.) (Studies in Christian History and Thought.) Pp. xxvii+466. Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2007. £24.99 (paper). 978 1 84227 512 2

Changing Identities: Intercultural Dimensions in Scottish Educational Contexts

Students enter higher education with multiple identities that reflect their social, ethnic and cultural origins. Students from minority ethnic groups (as opposed to ‘new immigrant’ or international students) straddle more than one cultural and language setting. This paper reports a Scottish study which suggests that, as university students, both dominant and minority ethnic groups encounter similar challenges in the acquisition of academic literacies. However, it appears that for some resident bilingual minority ethnic group students the development of these literacies is closely related to their English language learning experience and, consequently, this may be a factor in the adoption of surface rather than deep approaches to learning at university level. Although the students in this study identified their own strengths in oral expression of their knowledge and understanding, they lamented their weaknesses in reading comprehension as well as in writing in academic genres. The research underpinning this study indicates that several factors could account for these weaknesses including limited specialist language teaching for resident bilingual pupils and lack of training of mainstream teachers in the primary sector in the language development needs of these pupils. Later in the educational journey through school and into university, a similar failure to identify the need to help resident bilingual learners to advance from their personal ‘language plateaux’ as a step in the development of their cognitive academic language proficiency inhibits potential growth. The paper suggests that a holistic approach to the acquisition of academic literacies across the school and university for students of all ethnicities would enhance opportunities for all who aspire to study in higher education. Les étudiants, lors de leur entrée à l'université, possèdent de multiples identités qui reflètent leurs origines sociales, ethniques et culturelles. Ceux qui appartiennent à des groupes ethniques minoritaires (à ne pas confondre avec les immigrés récents ou les étudiants internationaux) se trouvent partagés entre plusieurs situations culturelles et linguistiques. Cet article présente les résultats d'une étude écossaise qui suggère que, en tant qu’étudiants, les membres des groupes ethniques dominants aussi bien que ceux des groupes minoritaires sont confrontés à des problèmes pareils dans l'acquisition des compétences académiques. Il paraît cependant que, pour certains étudiants venant des groupes ethniques minoritaires domiciliés dans le pays, le développement de ces compétences est intimement lié à leur expérience de l'apprentissage de l'anglais, expérience qui pourrait les pousser à adopter une approche superficielle en préférence à une approche profonde à l'apprentissage au niveau de l’éducation supérieure. Bien que les étudiants de cette étude aient identifié eux-mêmes leurs propres capacités à exprimer oralement leurs connaissances et leur compréhension, ils se sont plaints de leur incapacité à bien comprendre et à écrire des textes académiques. Les recherches sur lesquelles se base cette étude indiquent que ces faiblesses pourraient être dues à plusieurs facteurs, y compris l'insuffisance de l'enseignement linguistique spécialisé pour les élèves bilingues domiciliés dans le pays et le manque, dans la formation des instituteurs, d'une sensibilisation aux besoins linguistiques en anglais de tels élèves. Plus tard dans leur expérience de l'enseignement, au lycée et en université, leur capacité à faire des progrès est également limitée par un défaut pareil – le manque dans ces établissements de stratégies institutionnelles visant à identifier les besoins d'apprenants bilingues installés dans le pays. De telles stratégies permettraient de les encourager à progresser au-delà de leur plateau linguistique personnel, et à faire le premier pas dans le développement de compétences linguistiques cognitives et académiques. L'article suggère qu'une approche holistique à l'acquisition de compétences académiques, tant à l’école qu'en université, et pour tous les étudiants de n'importe quel groupe ethnique, devrait améliorer les chances de tous ceux qui ont l'ambition de faire des études supérieures.

As Others see us: A Commentary on the OECD Review of the Quality and Equity of Schooling in Scotland

The OECD’s Review of the Quality and Equity of Schooling in Scotland provides a welcome opportunity to see the familiar in an unfamiliar light. It confirms that Scotland is a well-schooled nation, but it also identifies challenges, particularly with respect to social inequalities in achievement, the academic tradition of secondary education, the organisation of post-compulsory learning and the governance of Scottish education. The review is timely, and current developments (including Curriculum for Excellence, the reunification of education under a single Cabinet Secretary and the concordat with local authorities) provide opportunities to address these challenges. The review is intended to stimulate a debate within Scottish education; this commentary offers a research-based contribution to that debate.

‘If you Happen to be the Right age, have the Right Colour, no Disability ... You’re sorted’: Social Audit and Equality Policies for Staff in Scottish Further Education Colleges.

This paper focuses on the implications of adopting social audit approaches in order to implement equality policies in Scottish FE colleges, exploring the tension between surface compliance and deep institutional engagement. It provides a brief overview of the Scottish further education context, before turning to a consideration of social audit and equalities within the sector. The data reported comes from a research study funded by the Scottish Further Education Unit which examined college policies and practices in relation to equalities. The study involved analysis of statistical data, a questionnaire survey of all Scottish colleges and in-depth case studies in five colleges. The paper examines the pros and cons of social audit as a means of achieving institutional changes in the field of equality.

The Dark Side of Glow: Balancing the Discourse

Glow is a £40m public-private partnership project that aims to connect 800,000 Scottish pupils, parents and teachers, equipping them with online tools and resources for email, electronic conferencing and file sharing, that will support the new Curriculum for Excellence. The discourse that has developed around Glow focuses almost exclusively on the technology’s intended outcomes, all of which are said to be benefits. However, as with all technology, there will also be some unintended outcomes, some of which may be unwelcome. This paper explores what might be termed ‘the dark side of Glow’: the opportunity costs of the project and its risks and threats, including those of project failure, managerialism, inequity, cultural trivialisation and surface change. It is argued that an acknowledgement of the dark side is essential in order that risks and threats can be addressed and mitigated. At present, the lack of balance in the discourse not only reflects badly on the quality of critical thinking in Scottish education but also increases the likelihood of unwelcome outcomes.

Desirably Different: Recontextualising the Role of Scottish Culture in the Secondary Curriculum

Over the last decade, academic conceptions of the nature of Scottish identity have been changing. Critics have re-examined the underlying sources which gave rise to metaphors of illness or inferiority or division which were used to describe literary culture, in particular, and have argued that the phenomena which gave rise to them can be interpreted more positively. Thus conceptions now embrace the plural identities which can be found in Scotland and also point out the extent to which beliefs or practices, commonly thought of as ‘distinctively’ or ‘essentially’ Scottish can be paralleled by other societies. Scotland thus becomes a nation defined by the actions and aspirations of its inhabitants. This lively debate is taking place as the changes associated with devolution and the setting up of a new Scottish Parliament are becoming more apparent. Such strengthening of local identity, paradoxically, enables a country to interact with globalising processes without being consumed by them. The impact of globalisation is already being felt in Scottish education. The increased mobility of services and labour means that 106 different languages are now spoken by pupils in Scottish schools (Scottish Executive 2006). Given the radical nature of the changing world in which Scotland finds itself, the Scottish Executive

Through a Glass, Darkly: Reflections on the ‘Presumption of Mainstreaming’ in Scottish Education

This article draws upon a two-year research project commissioned by the Scottish Executive Education Department in November 2003. The aim of the study, which was conducted at the SCRE Centre and the Department of Educational Studies at the University of Glasgow, was to evaluate the impact of the 'presumption of mainstreaming* contained within Section 15 of the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000. The evaluation comprised an examination of the response of education authorities throughout Scotland to the implementation of Section 15; and assessed the impact on pupils, parents and teachers, as well as other professionals and agents involved in the care and education of pupils with special educational needs. Data were gathered by means of a postal survey to the 32 local authorities, and a postal survey of 183 free-standing special schools in Scotland. The fall report of the findings,

Diagnosing and Supporting a Culture of Organizational Learning in Scottish schools

This paper reports an empirical study of the extent to which the 93 schools in a Scottish education authority were 'learning organizations'. A 22 item questionnaire to assess learning organization culture, defined as shared vision, openness to criticism, knowledge sharing and administrative support, was distributed to school staff. Analysis of the 753 replies indicated an overall conviction that these schools werde learning organizations, although school leaders were more likely to believe this than class teachers, and primary teachers more than teachers in secondary schools. The exception was the item 'opportunity to discuss best practice with staff from other schools', which the majority of staff believed was limited. Measures were developed to strengthen this aspect of the education authority's culture. (DIPF/Orig.)

Student teachers' perception of their role and responsibilities as Catholic educators

This article is concerned with 26 primary and secondary student teachers' early perception of themselves as Catholic educators in Scotland. It analyses their perspectives on what it means to be a Catholic teacher, what is expected of them by the Church and what motivated them to choose this particular career path. Discussion of these issues reveals an astute awareness of their role in the Catholic sector but a deep apprehension about their ability to succeed in fulfilling this. Their religious biographies and identities highlight much about the Scottish context of which they are a part, yet their responses to faith indicate differing levels of confidence in teaching, particularly with regard to the content of the Religious Education curriculum which they are expected to implement. The challenge these students present to the major stakeholders in Scottish education is to provide them with adequate support in developing their own faith—and knowledge and understanding of it—in order to enable them to carry out their role as Catholic teachers effectively within the state‐funded system. Cet article se base sur 26 instituteurs et professeurs en formation et leur auto‐perception comme formateurs catholiques en Ecosse. L'article analyse leur compréhension de ce que veut dire être professeur catholique et de ce que l'Eglise attend d'eux ainsi que les raisons de leur choix particulier de cette profession. La discussion qui s'ensuit révèle une comréhension pointue de leur rôle dans l'éducation catholique ainsi qu'une inquiétude marquée de ne pas être à la hauteur de cette tâche. Leurs biographie et identité religieuses révèlent clairement le contexte écossais dont ils font partie, quoique leurs différentes réponses devant la foi ne manifestent pas le même niveau de confiance en tant que professeur surtout à l'égard du curriculum de l'enseignement religieux qu'ils sont censés maîtriser. Le défi, présenté par ces étudiants aux intéressés de l'éducation écossaise, est de leur apporter le soutien nécessaire au développement de leur foi, à sa connaissance et à sa compréhension afin qu'ils puissent bien remplir leur vocation d'enseignants catholiques dans l'enseignement public. Dieser Artikel handelt um die anfaengliche Einschaetzung von 26 Referendaren der Grund‐ und Hoeherenschulen ueber sich selbst als katholische Paedagogen in Schottland. Er analysiert ihre Perspektiven darueber, was es fuer sie heisst ein katholischer Lehrer zu sein, was die Kirche von ihnen erwartet und was sie motiviert hat diesen beruflichen Werdegang auszuwaehlen. Diskussionen ueber diesen Themen zeigen eine aufschlussreiche Bewusstheit ihrer Rolle im katholischen Bereich, aber geleichzeitig verbunden mit einer tiefen Besorgnis dies selbst erfolgreich erfuellen zu koennen. Ihre religoese Biografien und Identitaeten sagen viel aus ueber die schottischen Umstaende dem sie angehoeren. Dabei zeigen die Schwankungen in ihren Antworten, in Punkto Glauben, unterschiedlichen Grad an Vertrauensniveau zur Lehrtaetigkeit, besonders in Bezug auf den Inhalt des Lehrplans aus dem Religionsunterrichts, den man von ihnen zu leisten erwartet. Die Herausforderung, die diese Studenten den Haupt‐Interessensvertreteren der schottischen Bildung darlegen, ist ihnen die entsprechende Unterstutzung zu bieten, ihren eigenen Glauben zu entwickeln—und das Wissen und das Verstehen darueber—um ihnen zu ermoeglichen, ihre Rolle als katholische Lehrer innerhalb des staats finanziertem Bildungssystem effektiv durchzufuehren. El artículo constituye un estudio de veinte‐seis individuos que quieren ser profesor(a) o maestro(a) y sus percepciones instintivas de ellos mismos como formadores Católicos en Escocia. Esta es el análisis de sus perspectivas sobre la significación de ser un profesor Católico, las expectaciones de la Iglesia Católica, y las razones por qué están inspirado por esta carrera específica. Una discusion de esos asuntos no solo revela un conocimiento astuto de sus papeles en el sector Católico pero tambien una aprensión muy profunda de su capacidad tener éxito y realizar sus papeles y tareas. Sus identidades y biografías religiosas subrayan mucho el contexto escocés en que ellos participan, sino la variedad de sus respuestas a la fe ilustra distintas calidades de confianza para enseñar, especialmente con respecto a lo que está incluido en la curricula de la educación religiosa que tienen que enseñar. El desafío que esos estudiantes presentan a los que estan encargado de la educación Escocésa es proveerles—a los estudiantes—de apoyo suficiente para desarrollar sus propias fes—y conocimiento y entendimiento de ella—para permitirles cumplir eficazmente sus papeles como profesores(as)/maestros(as), especialmente dentro de un sistema que depende de fondos del Estado Civil.

Using a Virtual Research Environment to support new models of collaborative and participative research in Scottish education

Drawing on research supported within the Scottish ‘Applied Educational Research Scheme’ this paper explores the use of the Virtual Research Environment (VRE) in developing ‘communities of enquiry’ in Scottish education and research. It focuses on the role of VREs in influencing collaborative working and educational research. The paper uses three vignettes to illustrate the ways in which VREs have the potential to transform the processes of collaborative enquiry and research in education, by offering new ways of conducting research and engaging various stakeholders (the policy, practice and research communities). The paper argues that, while initially the work conceptualised VREs essentially as tools to support communities of enquiry, it has become clearer during the analysis of emerging data from the project that VREs are developing as new environments in which participants engage and generate new forms of knowledge. They pose ethical dilemmas and challenge the status and analysis of data. The authors conclude that practitioner use of VREs needs to be recognised as a legitimate approach to collaborative working and that virtual dimensions to communities of enquiry require careful nurturing if they are to prove successful.

ScotGEN: The Scottish Genetic Education Network

ScotGEN: The Scottish Genetic Education Network

Exploring the work/life/study balance: the experience of higher education students in a Scottish further education college

This study explores the dimensions of the work/life/study balance and its influence on student participation in higher education, through a case study of the experience of higher education students, studying both full time and part time, in a Scottish further education college. The experience of the students and the work/life/study challenges that they face stand in marked contrast to the traditional conception of university students, on which higher education policy is usually based. The majority of the students in this case study combined study with work and/or family commitments and the normal ‘working’ week was of 59–71 hours. Full time and part time students experienced different but equivalent demands on their time and were equally at risk of overload. Over half of the students achieved a good or manageable work/life/study balance, whilst some experienced stress caused by conflicting priorities. The students' success in balancing study with work and family life was influenced by their coping strategies and by the nature and quality of the support they received from families and employers. It is recommended that there is scope for the further development of an institutional culture and ethos that is compatible with the reality of the students' busy lives. A case is made for the equalization of financial support for full time students and part time students.