Teacher Agency and Education Policy Change

Paul Campbell –Twitter: @PCampbell91 M.Ed. Student – University of Strathclyde

Scottish Education Policy Context

Do we currently have effective and meaningful ways for stakeholders, particularly teachers/lecturers, beyond trade union representation, to share and express new ideas and views on systemic practices, and for these views to have a genuine and recognizable impact on the outcomes from policy debates, recommendations and subsequent implementation and evaluation (Boyer, 2010).

Why is it relevant? It has serious implications for the effectiveness and impact of policy change and ultimately how policy is translated into meaningful and positive outcomes for learners (Spillane, 1999).

The Context Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) – Building the Curriculum

Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC)

Advancing Professionalism in Teaching – McCormac

Teaching Scotland’s Future – Donaldson

Commission on School Reform

Quality and Improvement in Scottish Education Report

Curriculum for Excellence Impact Reports

On-going work of the National Partnership Group

CfE Implementation Plan 2014-15 (CLPL)

Establishment/ Authority Improvement Plan

Implications of Current Policy Development

• The Journey from Good, to Great, to Excellent…(?)

• The approach, the involvement, the expectations of, the practice and the rights of those involved in the education and learning of our children and young people

WHO?CONTEXT?

WHAT/HOW?

Policy Making - The View of a Teacher

Feedback used to make decisions about next steps for policy development or change.

‘Implementation’ evaluated/ reviewed and continued planning for successful ‘implementation’ or realisation of policy in practice.

(Stated) policy set and stakeholder (leadership) engagement events to support ‘implementation’.

Call for evidence/ Consultation and information gathered.

Policy agenda set. Information disseminated to stakeholder group. 1

2

3

4

5

Agency and Policy

Biesta & Tedder (2007) argue that the concept of agency is the actions people take by means of their environment rather than simply just acting in their environment. It’s the actions that are a result of an interplay between individual effort, resources one has access too and contextual or institutional influences that come together in what can be unique situations for each individual.

Policy being the stated principles and actions that underpin organisation, structure, practice etc.

‘All those working in schools and colleges must make sense of their policy context. Policy agendas require a response as those in the institution are faced with the task of implementing policy directives. Those in senior leadership positions face a particular challenge as they often represent the interface between the organization and the external policy environment. Key decisions must be made relating to the interpretation and implementation of external policy agendas – those decisions will in turn reflect a complex mix of factors including personal values, available resources and stakeholder power and perceptions.’ (Bell & Stevenson, 2006)

Justification Personal Relevance

The predominant absence of teachers in this process, results in numerous agencies consulting on and redeveloping policy in an attempt to guide teacher’s practice in a way that will make the change intended, however due to the often ambiguous objectives of policy redevelopment, inconsistencies between what related bodies advocate as a result, practice isn’t changed, rather, the policy change facilitate what Spillane (1999) describes as ‘local inattention’ – the goal of making policy change fit in or merge with current institutional or professional practice and cause minimal disruption.

Professional Relevance

Career-long professional learning is a policy area currently under-going large scale reform. Stemming from Graham Donaldson’s review of Teacher education in Scotland, we have seen the revision of the professional standards for teachers, the creation of the new Standards of Career Long Professional Learning (GTCS, 2012), the on-going work of the National Partnership Group in actioning the recommendations of Teaching Scotland’s Future (Donaldson, 2011), and the creation of the Scottish College for Educational Leadership; including in its remit the supporting of professional learning and development of aspiring and current leaders in education. The implications of reforms in the area are intended to be high impact for teachers and their professional practice.

Future Relevance

Despite the collective representation of teachers through professional associations and trade unions, many teachers are not aware of the reforms to career-long professional learning and the implications for their professional practice , never mind the rationale behind them and the expected outcomes (Beck, 2014).

The lack of involvement and understanding of policy development on behalf of teachers has implications for the involvement and impact of teachers in the reform or change process and thus the engagement in the implementation and evaluation process based on pre- determined policy goals and importantly, the perception and reality of policy success (McConnell, 2010).

Purpose – Gap in the Research Field

Research in the area of policy change and systemic improvement in education has predominantly looked at how well equipped teachers are to ‘make the change’ or make a policy reform a reality as well as how the institutional or systemic context is ready for such a change or why it is needed at all (Bell & Stevenson, 2006; Boyer et al, 2010; Christie, 2008; Menter, 2008; Mourshed et al, 2010; Oancea & Orchard, 2012; and Smith 2010).

The current gap in the research field is looking at how teachers are involved in the early phase of policy development and the implications that has for the success, sustainability and scalability of a policy change or reform.

What needs considered?

‘Programs and policies are well organised, efficiently operated, adequately financed, and generally supported by major interest groups, we may still want to ask, So what? Do they work? Do these programs have any beneficial effects on society? Are the effects immediate or long range?... Unfortunately, governments have done very little to answer these.’ (McConnell, 2010)

Teachers

Professional Learning

Curriculum

Research Questions

1. How does the educational policy community frame the role of teachers in the policy development process?

2. How do teachers position themselves in relation to policy discourse and the policy development process?

3. What role do teachers consider they should have in the process of policy development?

Definition of policy…?

Literature Review

The lack of involvement of teachers and their understanding of policy development has implications for the involvement and impact of teachers in the reform or change process and thus the engagement in the implementation and evaluation process based on pre- determined policy goals and importantly, the perception and reality of policy success (McConnell, 2010).

Research in the area of policy change and systemic improvement in education has predominantly looked at how well equipped teachers are to ‘make the change’ or make a policy reform a reality as well as how the institutional or systemic context is ready for such a change or why it is needed at all (Bell & Stevenson, 2006; Boyer et al, 2010; Christie, 2008; Menter, 2008; Mourshed et al, 2010; Oancea & Orchard, 2012; and Smith 2010).

The current gap in the research field is looking at how teachers are involved in the early phase of policy development and the implications that has for the success, sustainability and scalability of a policy change or reform.

Literature Review

More involvement in decision making and policy development for teachers is one of the strongest predictors of both teachers’ sense of efficacy and professional satisfaction (Sarafidou & Chatziioannidis, 2013).

However, teachers’ willingness to participate in different decisions varies depending on the context or topic of the decision and their beliefs about the rationale or value of the potential change (Smylie, 1992).

Despite this, what is made clear across the literature is that policy and legislation can often not be sufficient to realize a discernable and sustainable change at institutional level (Mourshed et al, 2010; Nudzor, 2012).

The knowledge and ideas held by individuals as to what constitutes their professional role, their remit and the impact they can have on policy development, change and implementation, how this is conceptualized in policy, social structures or the relationships between groups within and across hierarchies, and the physical resources and spaces teachers have access to all impact a teachers capacity for agency (Priestly, et al, 2011).

Research Methodology (1 of 4)Phase 1: Review of the literature and key Scottish educational organizations’ policies relating to the review of teacher education

Aim: How does the Donaldson review conceptualize/frame the representation and involvement of teachers in the policy development process.

Method: A discourse analysis using the key themes from my review of what research/ theory indicates as being the successful securing of a teachers’ sense of agency in policy development (Bell, 2010).

Process: After a review of the literature, select three to four key themes arising from the review to then use these as the framework for a critical discourse analysis. Discussion of whether or not these themes are evident.

This will be done through a genre orientated analysis; using the key features of the type of text, in this case policy documents/ reports, through the use of and placing of diagrams, the textual prominence of certain key words and phrases, the absence of certain information that the average reader may not pick up on and the use of certain words that take certain ideas for granted in relation to the themes pre-selelcted as being dominant in the associated literature (Huckin, 1997; McGregor, 2003).

This would then lead on to a more acute level of analysis looking at specific use of sentences, words and phrases that contribute to the initiation, maintenance and reproduction of specific social or political goals in the policy development process within the context of Donaldson’s review of teacher education in Scotland (Donaldson, 2011).

These words could be ‘consultation’, ‘professionalism’ and phrases such as ‘leadership of change’ and ‘achieving the best outcomes for all learners’. These words and phrases are heavily value based, with expectations through implication, and dependent on the automatic ‘buy in’ and acceptance of the teachers that are one of the key groups focused on within the subject matter (McGregor, 2003).

Research Methodology (2 of 4)

Phase 2:Key Informant Interviews with Policy Makers at Institutional Level

Aim: How does the educational policy community frame the role of teachers in the policy development process?

Method: Themes from the review of literature and critical discourse analysis will frame an interview schedule for semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders within the policy making process from key organisations that lead and coordinate policy.(GTCS, Education Scotland, EIS, SSTA)

Process: Semi-structured interviews.

A thematic analysis focuses on identifiable themes and patterns that arise from the data collection; in this instance, the key informant interviews (Aronson, 1994). The thematic review of the interviews will allow me to attend to emerging themes and use these to compare with the critical discursive analysis of the related policy documents and review of the literature. This may highlight possible correlations and tensions. In addition, these themes will form the framework for the semi-structured interviews in the next phase of the research with the teacher participants (Mills, 2011).

Research Methodology (3 of 4)

Phase 3: Interviews with Purposive Sample of Teachers

Aim: How do teachers position themselves in relation to policy discourse and the policy development process? What role do teachers consider they should have in the process of policy development?

Method: The next phase of the research will involve taking the transcription of the interviews with key informants from the associated organizations and use these to formulate talking points and initial questions for further semi-structured interviews, this time with my purposive sample of teachers (Arthur, et al, 2012).

Process: Teachers (primary) who are also union representatives.The planning, structure and format of the interviews will remain the same as with Phase 2 of the research.

Research Methodology (4 of 4)

Phase 4: Final Analysis and Synthesis

Bringing together the data from each phase in order to identify any common themes across the policy stakeholders and undertake more detailed comparisons where significant differences may be emerging (e.g. between how key informants from education organizations and teachers in schools perceive the role of the teacher currently in the policy development process and how it should or could be.) (Mears, 2012; Arthur et al, 2012).

From this, we can draw an understanding of the complexity of the interplay between various stakeholders perceptions of each others’ roles in the policy making process; within the context of Donaldson, whether or not mechanisms used to involve teachers in the policy development process were effective enough to lead to large-scale and sustainable impact on the experiences of children and young people in our schools.

Ultimately, it could result in offering a clearer insight into the realisation of teacher agency in education policy change in Scotland, how this is portrayed in literature and policy, and the subsequent implications of this in teachers evolving perceptions of the policy development process and their self- conception as part of the policy making process.

Ethical Considerations/ Next Steps

RQs put the focus on the teachers’ perspectives, could be a mismatch between the RQs, the methodology and participant sample. It would seem more appropriate that aspects of the RQs are explored either by a document analysis or by recruiting teachers, conducting a survey, looking at minutes of meetings or a combination of these.

There are issues around anonymity if interviewing high profile key informants in this field.

A wider notion of policy could be considered and embedded in the study.

Representative teacher group?

Professional Initiated

Recognising Potential

Facilitating Opportunity

Trust, Support, Celebration

Effectiveness

Leadership

Management

Responsibility

Ownership

Lifelong learning

Commitment

Dedication

Improved outcomes

Children’s Learning and Experiences

Practice and Achievements

Professional Growth and

Personal Development

21st Century Professional and

Learner

National Education Bodies/ Agencies

Continually growing/inquiring(?) professional

OR

National Education Bodies/ Agencies

Continually growing/inquiring professional

Key Challenges – Practice/ Policy

Time

Family circumstances

Geography

Lack of confidence

Unfamiliarity

With barriers come ideas and approaches that can overcome them. But it takes time, as well as active and sustained dialogue between relevant stakeholders with a practical focus on improving experiences, achievements and outcomes of all learners.

Professional Learning and Development –

Next Steps for Policy and Practice Establishing effective practice at local levels with mechanisms to

collaborate a share between professionals, parents and community partners, devised, developed and sustained locally.

Broader range of communication tools and mechanisms advocated and in place; harnessing the full potential of technology and social media.

Move beyond the ‘call for evidence’, ‘opportunities to respond’, ‘representatives from all parties’ to a model of localised community partnership working/implementation (and interpretation)/review groups (e.g. curriculum, qualifications, assessment, reporting, partnership mechanisms) …with regular meaningful opportunities for feeding back to national groups/bodies.

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7 Student: 201270689 Master of Education Degree Research Proposal X7826

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