Formative assessment has been identified in the School Improvement literature as an intervention which could significantly improve teaching and learning in the classroom and raise standards of student attainment for students of all ages (Black and Wiliam, 1998a). In order for this to happen, there is a need for an adequate conceptualisation of the process of formative assessment which seeks to identify the key components and their interrelationships. The Literature Review of this thesis demonstrates that the current understanding of formative assessment is focused on three key components, namely, assessment tasks, teacher feedback and pupil self-assessment. The research studies as well as the major reviews in the area, mainly focused on teacher feedback, and pupil self and peer-assessment. The component which is given less emphasis in the literature, is the nature of assessment tasks and the identification of criteria for devising it to facilitate formative assessment. The research for this thesis mainly investigates how geography Key Stage 3 teachers understand and use formative assessment in their practices. Specific emphasis is given to understanding the criteria that teachers employ when they devise tasks. To deepen the understanding of formative assessment, two selected classrooms were observed and pupils' views were gained relating to assessment issues. Research took the form of 12 in-depth interviews with heads of geography departments, 14 hours of recorded classroom observations and 20 Key Stage 3 pupil interviews. The research indicates that teachers' assessment task design was mainly informed by the geography level descriptions but their incorporation into practice was problematic due to the difficulties of interpretation. Target setting appeared to be powerful, and was the commonest strategy for communicating to pupils what they needed to do to improve their learning and thereby facilitate formative assessment. Teachers and pupils acknowledged the benefits of pupil self and peer-assessment. Teachers had varied ways of facilitating pupil self-assessment, however, pupil-peer assessment was quite rare. The predominant challenge for teachers appeared to be the planning for progression in pupils' learning, which required a conceptual understanding of the nature of progression in Geography KS 3 and the ability to interpret level descriptions. The majority of teachers felt that they needed external support to facilitate progression more effectively.

The purpose of this study is to characterise the emotional competencies of principals in the Irish voluntary secondary school sector, determining what level of association these have with collaboratively-mediated change management and identifying professional development potential arising from the findings. Emotions act as heuristics-of-value which influence school leaders’ behaviour and an improved qualitative understanding of their emotional competencies can support an enhancement of principals’ action, complementing cognitive/rational approaches in their management of collaboratively-mediated change. A pragmatic methodological perspective is adopted and this is supported by a mixed methods approach. Overall coherence is achieved by undertaking data analysis and conceptual development within a grounded theory framework. The initial study, a focus group, provided rich data from which themed extracts were used to frame a large-scale survey questionnaire distributed electronically to the entire cohort of 380 secondary school principals in Ireland. Findings from this survey and from three subsequent semi-structured interviews were analysed and supported the development of a conceptualisation called ‘affectively-attuned change-management’. This theory argues that in seeking to bridge the gap between having a vision for improvement and the achievement of transformational change, a school leader will require to incorporate attunement to emotion, both intrapersonal and interpersonal, in the establishment of a moral and ethical basis for change (‘Foundations’); the deployment of one’s affective acumen and capacity to sustain (‘Agency’); the activation of a climate of authentic collegiality (‘Connection’) and, ultimately, the mobilisation of energy and empowerment for collaboratively-mediated change (‘Synergy’). This conceptualisation thus presents a synthesis of four overarching processes, each of which is examined in detail, grounded in the numerical and narrative data and linked to the literature. The conceptualisation is then examined for applicability and an actionable heuristic developed, integrating both cognitive and affective considerations into the school leader’s transformational efforts. Implications of the findings for professional development are then explored.

No description available.

This thesis presents an in-depth, idiographic analysis of the lived experiences and perceptions of women deputy headteachers: a relatively under-researched professional group. The study aimed to explore the ways in which twelve women deputy headteachers, as potential aspirants to headship, perceived the secondary headteacher role. Given the persistent under-representation of women in secondary headship, it sought to investigate participants’ career histories and how these had informed their professional aspirations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve participants. All interview transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Three super-ordinate themes emerged from the data: ‘managing constraint’, ‘motivating forces’ and ‘perceptions of secondary headship and the future’. Detailing different aspects of the deputies’ experiences, the themes highlighted the complexity of the women’s impressions of secondary headship, the heterogeneity among potential headteacher aspirants and the importance of critical reflection while deciding one’s professional future. Drawing on Margaret Archer’s theory of reflexivity as a mediatory mechanism between structural forces and human agency, this thesis proposes three types of potential headteacher aspirant: ‘the strategic and decisive leader’, ‘the values-oriented professional’ and ‘the person-centred educator’. These ideal types illustrate the heterogeneous ways in which a small sample of women deputies had reflected on, positioned themselves towards and navigated their way through their careers in secondary education. This typology together with the nuanced analysis advanced throughout this thesis offers a unique contribution to knowledge. Various implications for practice and research are discussed. I conclude by arguing that the under-representation of women in secondary headship is a complex phenomenon, and that the career narratives of individual potential aspirants deserve a place at the heart of our theorising and understanding of it. The findings reported in this thesis may be of interest to potential headteacher aspirants as well as those tasked with identifying and training tomorrow’s leaders.

This research is an embedded case study in a secondary school in the UK, reconfigured as four small, distinct, ‘schools within schools’ (SWS). Research in the USA emphasises the success of this model but accepts that there are challenges, particularly in relation to change management, creating a culture of collegiality and improving the pedagogy of teachers. This study makes an original contribution to knowledge in that it explores leadership and vision building in a SWS configuration. The study is grounded in the views of participants, leaders and teachers, through an inductive, exploratory approach. Semi-structured interviews, participant observation and shadowing were employed as the main methods of data collection. Data were coded and processes of constant comparison were used to develop key themes. Findings from the study show that the development of constructive interpersonal relationships are critical and often challenging within this model, that there are challenges in how teachers collaborate together around a common pedagogy for teaching, and building active participation of staff in creating a shared vision is an underused and perhaps poorly understood strategy. The findings point very strongly indeed to the challenges involved in developing a shared vision which devolves considerable autonomy to each of the constituent schools while at the same time seeking to retain a strong corporate character and purpose: competitiveness and lack of sharing best practice between SWS; the difficulties of building personal relationships; and the need to balance the distinctive nature of SWS with the need for a strong, central, organisational vision. The primary importance of this study has been to contribute to the development of contextualised policy and practice at the site of the research. But it may also have significance to leaders, educationalists and academics with an interest in school improvement, change management, small schools and personalisation.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the International Baccalaureate’s (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) motivates students to become self-regulated learners. Boerkaert’s model of self-regulated learning is particularly drawn on through this research. Questionnaires were given to 20 teachers and their 404 students from twelve schools in eight countries. The student questionnaire was developed, piloted, distributed and analysed. The Problem in Schools questionnaire was given to the teachers of the students in the study to ascertain their stance toward autonomy support. Five of the schools were IB curriculum schools and the other seven comprised UK National Curriculum, South African and Nigerian schools. The study found that 83.5% of the total students surveyed attained a high total self-regulated learning score. Examining the data and the published curricula backgrounds of the schools demonstrated that, although the IB’s PYP does motivate students to become more self-regulated, other curricula schools also promote student self-regulation. The emphasis of the study shifted to the importance of the individual teacher in the development of self-regulated students. Teacher training is seen as of paramount importance in producing autonomy supportive teachers who encourage self-regulated learners. The data suggested a modification to Boerkaert’s model of self-regulation and a revision is proposed to include an emergent level of self-regulation provision for younger students. Aspects of the curriculum are also raised in the conclusion as to the components of a curriculum that supports the importance of student autonomy.

The focus of this research was an exploration of pupils’ perceptions of their experiences in mixed ability and ability grouped lessons within a selective independent girls’ secondary school in West London, which presents the case study for the research. Previous research into ability and mixed ability grouping has shown the area to be contentious, leading to different outcomes and recommendations. Also, there is limited research into this area within independent schools and looking at a range of curriculum areas, and these were the unique contributions that this study made. For this Case Study research, data was gathered using questionnaires and focus groups. A total of 260 girls across years 8-11 (aged 12-16) completed a Likert scale questionnaire, which was analysed using the Software Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). A paired samples t-test was completed, which allowed comparisons to be made between responses given by participants in the curriculum subjects of Science, Modern Foreign Languages, English and Physical Education. Four focus groups were carried out, involving 24 girls across all four year groups, with six from each year group. Using a coding process the data from the focus groups was analysed and four key themes and categories were identified. With the use of content analysis it was possible for the frequency of phrases, categories, and comments to be identified and calculated. Three key findings were obtained; first, that ability grouping can create pressure on pupils with regard to maintaining a standard or creating a fear of being moved down; however some pupils reacted in a positive way to this pressure. The second key finding linked to ability grouping was the advantage gained from being able to work with others of the same ability, allowing for tasks and the pace of the lesson to be pitched at the right level. Third, mixed ability grouping allowed pupils to feel more relaxed and confident; however there were instances where pupils reported that they felt anxious about trying to keep up with others or feeling frustrated about having to wait for others to catch up. The results are discussed in relation to existing literature and recommendations are made, including; the benefits of creating a positive learning environment, the importance of reducing anxieties and pressures about being in the top sets, including having transparency with the system of ability grouping, and specifically for this Case Study school the potential to begin ability grouping earlier within Science. The findings should be useful to practitioners, as well as those in the Case Study school, to inform the principles and practices for organising groupings in order to create a positive learning experience for pupils. This research adds to the body of knowledge that already exists regarding ability grouping, and offered a new contribution with the insights from an independent secondary school and looking at a range of curriculum subject areas. The findings were equivocal, with both positives and negatives identified for mixed ability groupings and ability groupings in different curriculum subject areas.

This thesis outlines contemporary transfer experience for students continuing education at sixteen, subsequent to experience of full-time compulsory education. There is a special concern to contrast experience along lines of ethnicity. This thesis utilises research evidence gained between 1997-1998 as well as enlisting support from other studies and theoretical models. Questionnaire responses of 315 Year 11 school students and 210 college students are used to develop the picture of transfer experience. More detail is gained from interviews involving college students and teaching staff. Evidence is considered in relation to two dominant themes; Student Orientation and Student Identity. Student Orientation discusses motivations for choices, peer relationships, tutor relationships, adjustment and satisfaction. Student identity explores the importance of ethnic identity, self-esteem and locus of control within the transfer context. Overall, a period of adjustment and evaluation is involved in this phase of transfer and the experience is positive for most. However, exploration of peer contact reveals a greater sense of isolation among minority ethnic groups. Students from minority ethnic groups also tend to attach more importance to ethnicity. Conversely, various configurations emerge concerning self-esteem and locus of control. However, no single ethnic group demonstrates any propensity to positive or negative extremes. A review of research and theoretical models has led to the conclusion that ethnic identity, self-esteem and locus of control are flexible, inter-related and often contingent upon social context. An appreciation of these characteristics assists in explaining inconsistent results that emerged. This thesis aims to highlight similarities as well as differences in experience and promotes an understanding of this inconsistency in relation to flexible notions. Consequently, a strong challenge is made against essentialist and stereotypical philosophies.

No description available.

This professional doctorate research focuses on the early headship experience of a small group of female secondary school head teachers in Scotland. A key feature of the research is that the researcher is a head teacher and her narrative of headship is considered in an analytical autoethnographic approach, alongside the experiences of the sample group of head teachers. The autoethnography is included, as an appendix, as it provided a major data source, which was considered within the context of the literature. This in turn provided a framework that allowed the generation of areas for exploration in open-ended interviews with the other head teachers. This is an important feature of the research as it allowed the head teachers to co-construct the areas of investigation and expand on the topics explored, which permitted the surfacing of key challenges in early headship allowing the participants to make explicit how they felt and how they coped with these challenges. The research focuses on the interface of professional socialisation and the development of professional identity, especially in the reaction to specific ‘crisis’ situations in the early days of headship. Individual career trajectories on the journey to headship have also been considered. The complexity of the conceptual framework of career trajectories, socialisation and identity, lies in the interaction of these areas and with individual responses to the varying factors which influence them, particularly individual differences relating to specific school contexts as well as to the different personalities of head teachers. A conceptual framework for head teacher development was developed, suggesting that head teacher preparation should extend into the first year of appointment. Head teacher development can therefore be viewed in two phases: pre and post appointment. The head teacher is shaped by her individual career trajectory and personal and professional socialisation prior to taking up post, all within a specific policy context. Having been appointed, her professional identity is shaped by these aspects as well as her conception of the role and her values and relationships. Her reaction to and reflection on a crisis situation will subsequently impact on her professional identity. By considering individual experiences of early headship, this study has revealed: • The influence of role models and previous SMT experience for head teachers; • The emotional intensity and all-consuming nature of the job, particularly in the early days in post; • The inevitability of an early critical incident; • The impact of legacy issues on head teachers’ early experiences; • The role of emotional intelligence in headship, in particular the need for self-awareness, resilience and finely tuned interpersonal skills; • The importance of self-reflection in successfully building head teacher identity; • The need of support from head teacher colleagues. Of particular importance has been the emergence of the inevitability that there will be a crisis situation during the early years of headship, the handling of which will impact on the head teacher’s developing identity, as well as the staff’s perception of the new head teacher, both of which are intertwined. The back-drop to the research was the influence of national policies and the impact of the performativity and accountability agenda on the role of head teacher, as well as the international challenges of recruitment and retention of head teachers. By a detailed consideration of early headship experiences, it will contribute to the discussion on recruitment and retention, in that if new head teachers are more prepared and supported in post others may be encouraged to apply.