Interdisciplinary Learning: A Chimera of Scottish Education?

Interdisciplinary learning (IDL) is cited as one of the four contexts for learning alongside Curriculum areas and subjects, Ethos and life of the school and Opportunities for personal achievement. As a result, interdisciplinary education has become a prevalent topic, over the past decade, in both primary and secondary schools. IDL has been linked with promoting higher order, critical thinking, where participants are given opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills (Education Scotland, 2012). It is unclear, however, how IDL is understood and implemented by practitioners in Scottish schools, as little research has been done in this area. This thesis attempts to address this situation, by taking a closer look at the nature of interdisciplinarity and investigating how IDL is understood by primary classroom practitioners and translated into practice. The aim is to investigate whether authentic interdisciplinary work exists, or if like the chimera, a hybrid monster from Greek mythology, it is something which remains illusory. A Macro level policy analysis examines the policy context surrounding IDL and two case studies, from different Scottish primary schools, where teachers’ understandings and classroom practices are examined and provide an empirical basis for the research. To analyse the data generated, a cross-case analysis mixed with a narrative approach is used. Factors such as policy context, environment, school cultures and traditions are taken into consideration, in order, to understand their impact on teacher agency and make sense of the findings. It is hoped that this thesis will provide some clarity around interdisciplinary practices and open discussion on the subject among practitioners. Recommendations for future practice regarding IDL are made at the end

St Theresa of Lisieux in Scotland 2019; St Therese of Lisieux in Scotland 2019: Liturgical Resources

No abstract available

Enhancing the agency of senior school leaders through professional learning:A qualitative study of Into Headship, the national headteacher preparation programme in Scotland

This article presents the original and significant findings of a research project which used an ecological model of agency to explore the lived experiences of aspiring headteachers (school principals), undertaking masters level professional learning through the Into Headship programme in Scotland. Headteacher recruitment and retention problems exist internationally therefore understanding factors which can enhance or impinge on the agency of potential school leaders can help ensure that educational systems foster leadership aspirations in teachers and prepare and support them adequately in senior leadership roles. A qualitative approach was adopted which involved one national cohort of Into Headship participants from three different Scottish universities who undertook their studies during the COVID-19 crisis. The findings highlight a number of key themes in terms of developing professional identity and the effect of professional learning on the agency of school leaders in relation to their ability to lead school improvements. It is concluded that Into Headship impacted positively on the agency of participants in a range of ways and that these findings will be useful to those involved in school leadership preparation and educational system level strategic planning

Interdisciplinary learning: addressing the implementation gap

Interdisciplinary learning (IDL) features heavily within Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) and is promoted as a way to develop skills building and conceptual creativity in students, factors which are now seen as crucial for the twenty-first century education system (Khadri, 2014; Kolmos, 2016). Recent studies suggest, however, that although teachers welcome the idea of IDL in principle, there is a serious policy implementation gap (Harvie, 2018, Graham, 2019). While it is recognised that the structure as well as the culture of organisations can hinder policy enactment (Thorburn, 2017), this article focuses on the issue of conceptual clarity as a barrier to implementation and aims to address this by considering an epistemology and conceptual framework through which IDL can be better understood. Factors which promote IDL are explored along with examples of practice which match the conceptual model. A structure for planning IDL tasks is also suggested with the intention of opening discussion around this topic and providing practitioners with practical ideas

Education governance and the role of the headteacher: the new policy problem in Scottish education

As part of the current Review of Education Governance in Scotland, the Headteachers’ Charter is perceived as a central policy solution. The Charter changes the responsibilities of the headteacher by altering the relationship between headteacher and local authority, and thereby bringing about changes to the governance of education. If these changes are perceived as the solution, what is the perceived policy problem? This article examines policy documents to explore the policy problem using Bacchi's (2012a) ‘what's the problem represented to be’ (WPR) approach, which uses a framework of six questions to analyse policy texts. The article begins with a brief overview of the policy programme, the ‘Empowerment Agenda’. The article discusses Bacchi's WPR analysis framework and then presents the findings, using this framework. The article ends with a discussion of the impact of the reform of educational governance including the Headteachers’ Charter on the role of the headteacher

Leadership and Management: A Relevant Distinction for Leadership in Education?

No abstract available

Career-long Professional Learning in Scotland: Questions for the Future

No abstract available

Physical activity referral to cardiac rehabilitation, leisure centre or telephone-delivered consultations in post-surgical people with breast cancer: a mixed methods process evaluation

BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) programmes effective under ‘research’ conditions may not be effective under ‘real-world’ conditions. A potential solution is to refer patients to existing PA community-based PA services.MethodsA process evaluation of referral of post-surgical patients with early-stage breast cancer to cardiac rehabilitation exercise classes, leisure centre with 3-month free leisure centre membership or telephone-deliveredPA consultations for 12 weeks. Quantitative data were collected about PA programme uptake and reach, patient engagement with the PA programme, delivery and fidelity and PA dose. Qualitative data were collected about patient experiences of taking part in the PA programmes. Audio-recorded qualitative interviews of participants about the programmes were analysed thematically. Quantitative data were reported descriptively using means and SD.ResultsIn Phase I, 30% (n = 20) of eligible patients (n = 20) consented, 85% (n = 17) chose referral to leisure centre, and 15% (n = 3) chose cardiac rehabilitation. In Phase II, 32% (n = 12) consented, 25% (n = 3) chose leisure centre and 75% (n = 9) chose telephone-delivered PA consultations. Walking at light intensity for about an hour was the most common PA. All Phase I participants received an induction by a cardiac rehabilitation physiotherapist or PA specialist from the leisure centre but only 50% of Phase II participants received an induction by a PA specialist from the leisure centre. Four themes were identified from qualitative interviews about programme choice: concerns about physical appearance, travel distance, willingness to socialise and flexibility in relation to doing PA. Four themes were identified about facilitators and barriers for engaging in PA: feeling better, feeling ill, weight management, family and friends.ConclusionsThe current community-based PA intervention is not yet suitable for a definitive effectiveness randomised controlled trial. Further work is needed to optimise PR programme reach, PA dose and intervention fidelity

Tipping Points: What Supports or Undermines Aspirations to Educational Leadership Roles in Scotland and in the Republic of Ireland?

This paper explores the research process and early data from the binational Tipping Points project, an investigation into factors that support or undermine teachers’ aspirations to leadership roles, in Scotland and in the Republic of Ireland. Rationale: A significant concern in education systems globally, and a longstanding issue in both Ireland and Scotland, is the recruitment and retention of sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and experienced teachers in headteacher (principal) roles. A dominant perception is often of the significant and increasing public challenges of headship (principalship) and the negative impact these challenges have on professional and personal wellbeing, resulting in disengagement and burnout. Further, changes to the headship role, driven by covid-related adversity and greater accountability with diminishing resources in many systems, have also had an impact on attractiveness of the role, and recruitment and retention. This comparative study across the Scottish and Irish systems considers such perceptions of leadership through investigation into the key career transitions points for teachers considering or following a leadership pathway towards headship, and the career aspirations of teachers who decide not to seek leadership roles. Significance to Educational Leadership: The aims of the study are twofold: to identify challenges experienced by teachers in relation to leadership aspirations and pathways in each system; and to identify strategies across both systems to address challenges and to support teachers’ aspirations and confidence to undertake leadership roles at different levels in schools. Methodology: Researchers in each system conducted six focus groups (below) following a common research protocol that ensured a structured opportunity for participants to explore complex issues that are central to their role and aspirations, within a safe and supportive environment. Primary Teachers Primary Middle Leaders Primary Deputy Headteachers Post-primary (secondary) Teachers Post-primary Middle Leaders Post Primary Deputy Headteachers Facilitated by the researcher, each focus group discussed four broad areas: Current areas of satisfaction in present role Aspirations to the next leadership role (if any) Facilitating and hindering factors in progress along a leadership pathway Support and development opportunities This summary of each discussion was prepared and circulated to the respective participants for sense-checking; comment and clarification prior to finalisation of each dataset. The data was then thematically analysed to produce a framework to report the findings from each system. Our next steps are to conduct cross-analysis of the Scottish and Irish data to prepare a comparative report on the project, setting out recommendations for the development of policy and strategy in relation to leadership development frameworks in each system. Findings: This paper reports on key findings around factors that nurture or discourage teachers’, middle leaders’ or deputies’ aspirations to the next level of leadership. It also reports on feedback from participants about the opportunity to critically reflect on areas of significance for their career and leadership development. It concludes with a provocation for our BELMAS community around how (or whether) we may privilege, in research, the attraction and joy of the role of the school principal

Physical activity referral to cardiac rehabilitation, leisure centre or telephone-delivered consultations in post-surgical people with breast cancer: a mixed methods process evaluation

Background:Physical activity (PA) programmes effective under ‘research’ conditions may not be effective under ‘real-world’ conditions. A potential solution is to refer patients to existing PA community-based PA services.Methods:A process evaluation of referral of post-surgical patients with early-stage breast cancer to cardiac rehabilitation exercise classes, leisure centre with 3-month free leisure centre membership or telephone-delivered PA consultations for 12 weeks. Quantitative data were collected about PA programme uptake and reach, patient engagement with the PA programme, delivery and fidelity and PA dose. Qualitative data were collected about patient experiences of taking part in the PA programmes. Audio-recorded qualitative interviews of participants about the programmes were analysed thematically. Quantitative data were reported descriptively using means and SD.Results:In Phase I, 30% (n = 20) of eligible patients (n = 20) consented, 85% (n = 17) chose referral to leisure centre, and 15% (n = 3) chose cardiac rehabilitation. In Phase II, 32% (n = 12) consented, 25% (n = 3) chose leisure centre and 75% (n = 9) chose telephone-delivered PA consultations. Walking at light intensity for about an hour was the most common PA. All Phase I participants received an induction by a cardiac rehabilitation physiotherapist or PA specialist from the leisure centre but only 50% of Phase II participants received an induction by a PA specialist from the leisure centre. Four themes were identified from qualitative interviews about programme choice: concerns about physical appearance, travel distance, willingness to socialise and flexibility in relation to doing PA. Four themes were identified about facilitators and barriers for engaging in PA: feeling better, feeling ill, weight management, family and friends.Conclusions:The current community-based PA intervention is not yet suitable for a definitive effectiveness randomised controlled trial. Further work is needed to optimise PR programme reach, PA dose and intervention fidelity