Jane Brown

Schools for the 21st century: The national debate on education in Scotland

In 2002, the Scottish Executive Education Department launched a national debate on schools for the 21st century. The debate elicited over 1500 responses and it is estimated that 20,000 people took part. This paper describes the main themes arising from the debate, highlighting the support for comprehensive education and the high level of trust in the quality and professionalism of teachers. The agenda for change was in terms of greater flexibility and choice in the school curriculum and of the need for well‐built and well‐resourced schools. The paper discusses this approach to policy formulation in the context of voter disengagement from politics and suggests that the Scottish Executive should attempt to sustain civic participation in education policy‐making as a way of developing a new politics in Scotland.

Take More time to Actually Listen: Students' Reflections on Participation and Negotiation in School.

Behaviour in schools is an emotive topic and one of enduring political interest and sensitivity. The media often portrays schools as violent and dangerous places and young people as ever more unruly. This paper explores findings from a recent large-scale national study on behaviour and focuses on the data from primary and secondary school students within this study. The comments and suggestions offered by students move beyond a discussion of behaviour to focus on the broader questions of participation, engagement and meanings of active citizenship in school.

‘School violence’ as a social problem: charting the rise of the problem and the emerging specialist field

In the past 10 years, violence taking place in schools has entered both popular and academic discourse. Frequently, the term ‘school violence’ is used as a catch‐all concept to refer to disorder and disruption in schools, as well as the unruliness of contemporary youth. This is apparent not only in the North American context, but in highly politicised debates regarding standards of pupil behaviour in countries across Europe. A related and significant development is the emergence of the study of violence in schools as a specialist area of enquiry. Drawing on sociological theories of the emergence of social problems, and social constructionist approaches in particular, this paper addresses the rising concern with ‘school violence’ as a social phenomenon. First it addresses the rise of the problem, emphasising connections with wider agendas, particularly anxieties about dangerous youth. The role of the media and academics is also considered. Moreover, this paper explores the emergence of the specialist field and related debates about meaning. It is argued that the present disquiet about ‘school violence’ requires to be understood in the context of modernity and accompanying concerns about social cohesion.

A comparison of staff perceptions of behaviour in Scottish schools in 2009 and 2006

Behaviour in schools is an enduring public policy concern not only within the UK, but internationally also. Current concern should come as no surprise as behaviour is intimately connected with policy priorities for schools, namely raising standards of attainment and promoting social cohesion. Clearly, standards are threatened where disruptive behaviour takes place and teacher time is spent on maintaining an orderly classroom rather than on the formal curriculum. This article reports findings from two major surveys of perceptions of behaviour commissioned by the Scottish Government. It locates the work in the Scottish policy context and describes the contextual framework used to guide the collection and analysis of data. It highlights a positive move in perceptions particularly amongst secondary school teachers and suggests why this may be so.

Judgement Day is Coming!': young people and the examination process in Scotland

There is mounting evidence to suggest that the examination process is assuming greater importance in young people’s lives. Economic change has intensified demand for academic qualifications. An emphasis on viewing young people in terms of outcomes related to future identity and their success or failure within this context involves substantial pressure on pupil self esteem as a result of performance in high-stakes testing. Yet little is known about young people’s views about the examination process and what success or failure means from the perspective of pupils. This article draws on findings from a study focusing on the significance of exam taking from the perspective of pupils, parents and teachers living in Scotland. Drawing on interviews with pupils, teachers and a survey of parents in two Scottish high schools, we begin to explore the exam process and its impact upon the lives of young people, their families and school communities.

Citizens fit for the 21st century? The role of school design in facilitating citizenship and self-governance in young people

This article explores the relevance of school design in providing an important social-spatial context for promoting citizenship in young people. Drawing on a small-scale study that investigated the perspectives of pupils and teachers, it contrasts the ways in which the social control and monitoring of pupils differed in two secondary schools. Comparing features of everyday life in one new and one old-build school, this study found that school design could either heighten or lessen the need for teacher control of pupils. As a consequence the layout of the schools could enable or restrict young people’s opportunities for self-determination, as well as encourage the normalization of the acceptance of control by others. The implications of this for the production of autonomous and self-governing citizens will be addressed.

Citizens fit for the 21st Century

This article explores the relevance of school design in providing an important social-spatial context for promoting citizenship in young people. Drawing on a small-scale study that investigated the perspectives of pupils and teachers, it contrasts the ways in which the social control and monitoring of pupils differed in two secondary schools. Comparing features of everyday life in one new and one old-build school, this study found that school design could either heighten or lessen the need for teacher control of pupils. As a consequence the layout of the schools could enable or restrict young people’s opportunities for self-determination, as well as encourage the normalization of the acceptance of control by others. The implications of this for the production of autonomous and self-governing citizens will be addressed.

Institutional narratives and the struggle for inclusive communities in the Greek context

ABSTRACT Drawing on research into three case study schools in the Greek context, this paper builds on narrative identity theory to conceptualise the nature of inclusion as part of institutional identity. The voices of head teachers, teachers and parents were analysed as they struggled with policy demands, pupil needs and lack of resources at a time of particular economic uncertainty at local and national levels. The narratives of stakeholders provide a rich account of the complexity of narratives within a web of influences which form divergent institutional stories as teachers and parents grapple with inclusion and inclusive practices. The study identified three forms of inclusion in case study schools: deep, surface and segregated, co-existing to a lesser or greater extent within institutions and their communities.

Citizens fit for the 21st Century?: The role of school design in facilitating citizenship in young people

This article explores the relevance of school design in providing an important social-spatial context for promoting citizenship in young people. Drawing on a small-scale study that investigated the perspectives of pupils and teachers, it contrasts the ways in which the social control and monitoring of pupils differed in two secondary schools. Comparing features of everyday life in one new and one old-build school, this study found that school design could either heighten or lessen the need for teacher control of pupils. As a consequence the layout of the schools could enable or restrict young people’s opportunities for self-determination, as well as encourage the normalization of the acceptance of control by others. The implications of this for the production of autonomous and self-governing citizens will be addressed.