Reforming or Re-inventing Schools?: Key Issues in School and System Reform

What has changed and what will change in the next decade? Reforming or Re-inventing Schools revisits some of the key issues in school and system reform, with a reflection of international developments to those in the English education system. It offers an insightful review and critique of education principles and their relationship to school practice, exploring some of the myths as well as examining the potential value of comparative data. Drawing on new evidence and interviews with a group of policy makers and academics on the British and international stages, this book asks: <ul> <li>What do parents, children and 'society' want from a system of education?</li> <li>What motivates teachers to join the profession and why do such large numbers leave so soon?</li> <li>What are the roots of misunderstanding and mismanagement in provision, support and accountability?</li> <li>How do teachers communicate, support and exchange ideas with each other?</li> <li>How do we measure positive change?</li> </ul> Examining the roots and conditions for growth, and comparing and contrasting the situation in the United Kingdom with innovative development taking place elsewhere in Europe and Asia, Reforming or Re-inventing Schools is an essential read for anyone interested in school and country performance at a national and international level.

Reforming or Re-inventing Schools?

Education & Teaching

MacBeath, John

Galton, Maurice

Bangs, John

Schools & Teaching

Routledge

Basing their study on the findings of a survey of curriculum provision rather than merely on opinion ,Galton and Patrick show that pupils in small schools do not necessarily get a better deal than pupils in larger schools. This book should be of interest to students of primary education, curriculum studies and educational administrators.

Curriculum Provision in the Small Primary School

In recent years primary education has been the subject of continuing debate with questions of standards and their apparent decline being raised with alarming regularity. Central in informing these debates has been the ORACLE study of groupwork in primary classrooms. Published during the 1980s, the study described in detail the daily life of the primary classroom, the teaching styles used by teachers and the responses of pupils. That research has now been replicated - with over two thirds of the schools originally studied being revisited, using the same tests and observation instruments. This book presents the findings of this second round of research, and is therefore unique in being able authoritatively to document the changes - or lack of them - in primary education and teaching practice over the last twenty years.

Inside the Primary Classroom: 20 Years On

Hargreaves, Linda

Comber, Chris

Wall, Debbie

Transfer from the Primary Classroom

The ORACLE (Observation and Classroom Learning and Evaluation) and its follow-up study address the following questions: Has teaching in the primary school changed over the past twenty years? Has pupil performance improved or declined? Are the links between certain teacher approaches and pupil achievement still the same? Has the National Curriculum had any important consequences for the way in which transfer is conducted? One of the main claims of the National Curriculum is that it has provided greater continuity through the various stages and this should be reflected in smoother transition from one school to the next. This book focuses on the issue of transfer from the primary to the secondary school, using data from the ORACLE project. This study which took place from 1975 to 1980, followed by 'Son of ORACLE', the study of group-work in the primary classroom 1980 to 1983, has had an enormous influence on the debate on primary education. The studies described in detail what took place in primary classrooms, the teaching styles used by teachers and the responses made by pupils. It linked these processes to pupil performance. Finally, it followed the pupils as they transferred out of the primary school into the secondary phase of education. At present a new research project is being carried out in Leicester. It involves studying primary schools for one year and then following the children as they transfer to the secondary phase or to a middle school. The project involves two thirds of the schools used in the original ORACLE research. In addition, the same observation instruments and the same tests, modified for cultural differences, are being used.

The ORACLE (Observation and Classroom Learning and Evaluation) and its follow-up study address the following questions:Has teaching in the primary school changed over the past twenty years?Has pupil performance improved or declined?Are the links between certain teacher approaches and pupil achievement still the same?Has the National Curriculum had any important consequences for the way in which transfer is conducted?One of the main claims of the National Curriculum is that it has provided greater continuity through the various stages and this should be reflected in smoother transition from one school to the next. This book focuses on the issue of transfer from the primary to the secondary school, using data from the ORACLE project.This study which took place from 1975 to 1980, followed by 'Son of ORACLE', the study of group-work in the primary classroom 1980 to 1983, has had an enormous influence on the debate on primary education. The studies described in detail what took place in primary classrooms, the teaching styles used by teachers and the responses made by pupils. It linked these processes to pupil performance. Finally, it followed the pupils as they transferred out of the primary school into the secondary phase of education. At present a new research project is being carried out in Leicester. It involves studying primary schools for one year and then following the children as they transfer to the secondary phase or to a middle school. The project involves two thirds of the schools used in the original ORACLE research. In addition, the same observation instruments and the same tests, modified for cultural differences, are being used.

What lessons can we learn from the relationship between policy-makers and schools over the life of the ‘New’ Labour and its predecessor Conservative government? What happened to ‘Education, Education, Education’ as it travelled from political vision to classroom practice? What are the lasting legacies of 13 years of a reforming Labour government? And what are the key messages for a coalition government? These are the questions addressed to the architects of educational reform, their critics and the prophets of better things to come. The 37 interviewees include ministers past and present, journalists, union officials, members of lobby groups and think tanks. Reinventing Schools, Reforming Teaching considers the impact of educational policies on those who have to translate political priorities into the day to day work of schools and classrooms. The authors argue that an evidence-informed view of policy-making has yet to be realised, graphically illustrating how many recent political decisions in education can be explained by the personal experiences, predilections and short-term needs of key decision-makers. The interviews, which explore the dynamics behind the creation of education policies, cover a wide range of themes and issues, including: <ul>
<li>policy-makers' attitudes to schools, the staff who work in them and the communities they serve </li> <li>the drivers of politicians' reform agendas and the constraints on radical reform</li> <li>the shaping and reshaping of curriculum and assessment</li> <li>the search for a more effective marriage between inspection and school self evaluation</li> <li>the relationship of academic research to policy making</li> <li>how a vision for teaching and teachers might be constructed for the 21st century</li> </ul>
Contributions from leading figures including; David Puttnam, Kenneth Baker, Estelle Morris, Gillian Shepherd, Jim Knight, Pauline Perry, Michael Barber, Peter Mortimore, Judy Sebba, Paul Black, Mary James, Kevan Collins, David Hargreaves, Mike Tomlinson, David Berliner, Andreas Schleicher, Tim Brighouse, Conor Ryan, Keith Bartley, Michael Gove and Philippa Cordingley are woven in with the insights of teachers and headteachers such as Alasdair MacDonald and William Atkinson. The book's findings and proposals will be of interest not only to professional educators and those with an interest in the current and future state of education but to those interested in the process of policy-making itself.

Reinventing Schools, Reforming Teaching: From Political Visions to Classroom Reality

Learning to Teach Small Classes

The justification for smaller classes has traditionally been that students can receive more individual attention and be provided with a curriculum that promotes student centred learning. However, in Asia where student engagement is generally over 90% in primary school classrooms, the focus of smaller classes is for teachers to increase the quality of their teaching, building on the already impressive levels of student engagement. 
Learning to Teach Small Classes comprehensively instructs teachers on ways they can utilise the advantage of a smaller class to its fullest potential. It works through different case studies and gives examples of successful classroom practice in each of the core subject areas (Chinese, English and Mathematics). Chapters include: <ul>
<li>Setting Objectives, Asking and Answering Questions </li> <li>Sustaining Successful Group and Pair Work </li> <li>The Use of Feedback and Assessment for Developing Independence in Learning </li> <li>Bringing it all together and Sustaining Effective Practice </li> </ul>
With questions for discussion and further suggested reading, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in small class teaching, and East Asian teaching and education policy.

Chan, Kam Wing

Lai, Kwok Chan

The justification for smaller classes has traditionally been that students can receive more individual attention and be provided with a curriculum that promotes student centred learning. However, in Asia where student engagement is generally over 90% in primary school classrooms, the focus of smaller classes is for teachers to increase the quality of their teaching, building on the already impressive levels of student engagement.  Learning to Teach Small Classes comprehensively instructs teachers on ways they can utilise the advantage of a smaller class to its fullest potential. It works through different case studies and gives examples of successful classroom practice in each of the core subject areas (Chinese, English and Mathematics). Chapters include:   Setting Objectives, Asking and Answering Questions    Sustaining Successful Group and Pair Work    The Use of Feedback and Assessment for Developing Independence in Learning    Bringing it all together and Sustaining Effective Practice   With questions for discussion and further suggested reading, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in small class teaching, and East Asian teaching and education policy.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Galton, Maurice. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Galton, Maurice

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Galton, Maurice. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Reforming or Re-inventing Schools?

Reforming or Re-inventing Schools?: Key Issues in School and System Reform

Curriculum Provision in the Small Primary School

Inside the Primary Classroom: 20 Years On

Inside the Primary Classroom: 20 Years On

Transfer from the Primary Classroom

Transfer from the Primary Classroom

Reinventing Schools, Reforming Teaching: From Political Visions to Classroom Reality

Learning to Teach Small Classes

Learning to Teach Small Classes