Antonio Bolívar

¿Donde situar los esfuerzos de mejora?: política educativa, escuela y aula

This paper reviews the current theories on educational changes, specifically the role of educational establishments as basic units of educational action and improvement. It accounts for the ground covered in search of this improvement: from external centralized policies that make school into a strategic unit to, in the past decade, highlighting the increase in student learning as a privileged topic. Based on the lessons learned, a new paradigm of educational policy and innovation argues for a balance between the external pressures that stimulate improvement and the necessary school autonomy, where the learning of all of the students becomes the focus of changes. Bearing this in mind, we look into curricular and organizational changes or supports for educational policies that can promote such changes.

The professional identity of secondary school teachers in Spain Crisis and reconstruction

This article examines the problems of lower secondary education in Spain (ESO, or compulsory secondary education), in view of the implementation of several education reforms, focusing on their effect on the crisis in secondary teachers’ professional identity. Using research data, we analyse their experience of the crisis and the problems involved in rebuilding teachers’ identity in times of change. Finally, some guidelines are provided for reaffirmation of teachers’ professional status.

The Dissatisfaction of the Losers

In Buddhism the term “Duhkha”, related to suffering, is difficult to translate. It consists of a feeling of discontent, dissatisfaction, discomfort, disillusion or frustration, normally produced by not having something one desires or misses. We can say that the reaction to the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in the Ibero-American countries has been one of “dissatisfaction”.

Impacto del modelo español de dirección escolar en la identidad profesional los líderes escolares

espanolEspana presenta un caracter singular en su modelo de direccion escolar: quien ejerce la direccion escolar es un docente elegido por sus propios companeros que luego de su paso por la direccion (4-8 anos) retorna al cuerpo docente. Dicho itinerario de “ida y vuelta” supone, en terminos de identidad, la presencia de una serie de duplicidades: gestor y/o lider; representante de la administracion y/o de los companeros docentes; agente de rendicion de cuentas y/o agente pedagogico; etc. El articulo hace una revision actual de la literatura sobre identidad de la direccion, especialmente en el marco del proyecto ISSPP (International Successful School Principals Project), asi como de las caracteristicas del modelo espanol de direccion. Metodologicamente, desde una perspectiva biografico-narrativa el estudio profundiza en el impacto del modelo espanol de direccion escolar en la identidad de los directores escolares. Para ello, se analiza el testimonio de 15 directores de centros educativos (entrevistas no estructuradas) aplicando la tecnica del analisis de contenido. Como resultado del proceso de estructuracion y categorizacion de los datos emergen una serie de categorias que responden a un indice de frecuencia categorial. En este orden, las categorias: identidad personal; identidad profesional (perspectiva interna); identidad profesional (perspectiva externa); identidad social; profesionalizacion; [y] doble identidad; hacen referencia a aquellas dimensiones de la identidad de los directores escolares en las que se observa el impacto del modelo espanol de direccion escolar. Finalmente, se cuenta con los fragmentos extraidos de los testimonios de los entrevistados en pos de avanzar en la construccion narrativa e interpretativa del estudio (teoria fundamentada). EnglishSpain presents a unique school management model: a teacher chosen by his own workmates (teachers) exercises the management of the school, and after this term of management (4-8 years), returns to the teacher staff. Such an itinerary of “back and forth” presents a series of duplications in identity: manager or leader; representative of the Administration and/or teaching colleagues; accountability agent and/or pedagogical agent; etc. This paper reviews the literature on management identity, especially under the ISSPP (International Successful School Principals Project), as well as the characteristics of the Spanish management model. Methodologically, from a biographical-narrative perspective, the study looks to understand the impact of the Spanish model of school management upon the identity of the principals through content analysis of the testimony of 15 school principals (in depth interviews). As a result of the data categorization process, a group of categories emerged: Personal identity; Professional identity (internal perspective); Professional identity (external perspective); Social identity; Professionalization; [and] Double identity – that reference those dimensions of the school principals’ identity impacted by the Spanish school management model. Finally, fragments and excerpts extracted from the interviewed testimonies are used in order to advance in the narrative and interpretative construction of the study (grounded theory). portuguesEspanha, tal como Portugal (ate 2008), apresenta um carater singular no seu modelo da direcao escolar: quem exerce a lideranca escolar e um professor eleito pelos seus proprios colegas que depois da sua passagem pela direcao (4-8 anos) retorna ao corpo docente. Este itinerario de “ida e volta” pressupoe, em termos de identidade, a presenca de uma serie de duplicidades: gestor e/ou lider; representante da administracao central e/ou dos colegas professores; responsavel pela prestacao de contas e/ou agente pedagogico, etc. O artigo faz uma revisao atual da literatura sobre a identidade da direcao, especialmente no âmbito do projecto ISSPP (International Successful School Principalship Project), bem como das caracteristicas do modelo espanhol de direcao. Metodologicamente, a partir de uma perspectiva biografica-narrativa, aprofunda-se o estudo do impacto do modelo espanhol de lideranca escolar na identidade dos diretores de escola. Com esse objetivo, analisa-se o testemunho de quinze directores de escolas (entrevistas nao estruturadas) aplicando a tecnica da analise de conteudo. Como resultado do processo de estruturacao e categorizacao de dados emergem uma serie de categorias pelo estabelecimento de indices de frequencia categorial. Nesta ordem, as categorias: identidade pessoal; identidade profissional (perspetiva interna); identidade profissional (perspetiva externa); identidade social; profissionalizacao; [e] dupla identidade; fazem referencia aquelas dimensoes da identidade dos diretores de escola nas quais se evidencia o impacto do modelo espanhol de gestao escolar. Finalmente, recorremos aos extratos dos depoimentos dos entrevistados para avancar na construcao narrativa e interpretativa do estudo (teoria fundamentada).

Efficacy of the Educational Leadership in the Spanish Context: The Perspective of Its Agents

Our study aims to discover the degree of efficacy of the principal’s performance in relation to the learning objectives, curriculum, and results, and explore the relationship among the perceptions of the inspectors, teachers, and management teams about the principal’s efficacy in promoting students’ learning. The Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education (VAL-ED) questionnaire was applied. Contingency analyses were calculated. We concluded that the three sectors considered the principal’s work to be effective in actions related to the learning objectives, curriculum planning, and responsibility for the outcomes.

Individualismo y comunidad profesional en los establecimientos escolares en España: limitaciones y posibilidades

Cuando los profesionales comparten su saber hacer practico sobre los aprendizajes de los estudiantes, como muestra la investigacion, eso tiene un impacto en la calidad de la educacion. No obstante, en los establecimientos escolares espanoles domina una cultura de solipsismo docente, falta de trabajo en colaboracion, como ha documentado la investigacion y los informes internacionales (Teaching and Learning International Survey – TALIS). Para diagnosticar los grados de cultura de aprendizaje compartido hemos adaptado y validado uno de los mejores instrumentos existentes (el cuestionario Professional Learning Community Assessment-Revised – PLCA-R) y aplicado a una muestra representativa en Andalucia. Recogemos algunos de los resultados referidos a esta dimension. Finalmente discutimos los resultados y senalamos implicaciones y lineas de accion para reconstruir las escuelas como comunidades profesionales de aprendizaje.

Individualismo e comunidade profissional nos estabelecimentos escolares na Espanha: limitações e possibilidades

Cuando los profesionales comparten su saber hacer practico sobre los aprendizajes de los estudiantes, como muestra la investigacion, eso tiene un impacto en la calidad de la educacion. No obstante, en los establecimientos escolares espanoles domina una cultura de solipsismo docente, falta de trabajo en colaboracion, como ha documentado la investigacion y los informes internacionales (Teaching and Learning International Survey – TALIS). Para diagnosticar los grados de cultura de aprendizaje compartido hemos adaptado y validado uno de los mejores instrumentos existentes (el cuestionario Professional Learning Community Assessment-Revised – PLCA-R) y aplicado a una muestra representativa en Andalucia. Recogemos algunos de los resultados referidos a esta dimension. Finalmente discutimos los resultados y senalamos implicaciones y lineas de accion para reconstruir las escuelas como comunidades profesionales de aprendizaje.

Individualism and professional communities in schools in Spain: limitations and possibilities

Cuando los profesionales comparten su saber hacer practico sobre los aprendizajes de los estudiantes, como muestra la investigacion, eso tiene un impacto en la calidad de la educacion. No obstante, en los establecimientos escolares espanoles domina una cultura de solipsismo docente, falta de trabajo en colaboracion, como ha documentado la investigacion y los informes internacionales (Teaching and Learning International Survey – TALIS). Para diagnosticar los grados de cultura de aprendizaje compartido hemos adaptado y validado uno de los mejores instrumentos existentes (el cuestionario Professional Learning Community Assessment-Revised – PLCA-R) y aplicado a una muestra representativa en Andalucia. Recogemos algunos de los resultados referidos a esta dimension. Finalmente discutimos los resultados y senalamos implicaciones y lineas de accion para reconstruir las escuelas como comunidades profesionales de aprendizaje.

The comprehensive school in Spain: A review of its development cycle and crises

The purpose of this study is to describe, analyse and evaluate the successive comprehensive reforms in Spain as a paradigmatic example of the emergence, evolution and crisis of the comprehensive school. In the first part, we describe the development of the comprehensive school project (1970–2013), using the image of the life cycle, with its corresponding turning points. The second part consists of a diachronic and retrospective critical review of why a progressive educational reform like the one passed in 1990, which was intended to be comprehensive, has paradoxically led to high rates of academic failure and early school leaving. What factors managed to undermine the proposal, leading to the current return to less inclusive solutions? From the perspective of a certain change in cycle, a more objective view is possible.

Indicators of Staff Development

ABSTRACT Quality indicators of staff development has become increasingly important to educators in the debate about the quality of inservice education. This research discusses a fundamental issue of an Inservice Leadership Program (I.L.P): how I.L.P. quality indicators — grounded in practice — can be selected, defined and reported. Quality indicators came out of several inservice category combinations. Our analysis indicates that experienced principals differed in their perceptions of I.L.P. quality indicators. Implications for policy and research are presented.