Maurice Galton

John Bangs

John Macbeath

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: policy-makers' attitudes to schools, the staff who work in them and the communities they serve the drivers of politicians' reform agendas and the constraints on radical reform the shaping and reshaping of curriculum and assessment the search for a more effective marriage between inspection and school self evaluation the relationship of academic research to policy making how a vision for teaching and teachers might be constructed for the 21st century 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.

From Political Visions to Classroom Reality

Reinventing Schools, Reforming Teaching

John MacBeath

`This is a well written and thoroughly researched book on an issue of vital importance. It places the experiences of individual teachers under pressure into the larger UK and worldwide context. Policy makers need to wake up to its messages' - Sara Bubb, Institute of Education, University of London What is it really like to be a teacher in today's demanding classrooms? Maurice Galton and John MacBeath spoke to teachers, parents and students in England, and compared their responses to similar inquiries in Asia, America, Australia and New Zealand. Their findings were disturbing. Teacher stress and workload were persistent themes in the four studies, with teachers frequently stretched to breaking point as they endeavour to 'make a difference' to their pupils' learning and welfare. Issues examined in the book include: - frustrations facing those trying to make inclusive education work in practice - effects of constantly changing policies on the staff required to implement them - loss of status within the teaching profession - reasons for teachers choosing to leave the profession - the consequences of staying on and fighting for what one believes in This fascinating read will be of interest to anyone involved in teaching, school leadership and educational policy.

Teachers Under Pressure

Sara Delamont

Focusing on pupils moving from primary to middle or secondary school, it describes and evaluates the schools’ programmes to ease transfer, and includes material provided by the pupils themselves. The main body of the book is a rich and detailed account of the first months of life in new secondary schools, where the pleasures and perils of new friends, new teachers and new subjects, and a new approach to teaching are encountered. The book conveys vividly how pupils experience a new environment, and meet its dangers, rules and regulations, timetable, complex groupings and ideology. Inside the Secondary Classroom was the first comparative ethnography of school life in Britain, carried out in six schools. It reveals surprising similarities and differences between them.The cases studied range from highly successful pupils with nine ‘O’ levels to others with severe social and personal problems.

Inside the Secondary Classroom (RLE Edu O)

Linda Hargreaves

Maurice J. Galton

Focusing on the issue of transfer from primary to secondary school, this study is based upon data from the ORACLE study. This monitored and described teaching styles, pupil responses and the link between these processes and pupil performance.

Maurice Galton

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