Why I chose to become a teacher and why I might choose not to become one: a survey of student teachers’ perceptions of teaching as a career

A detailed questionnaire about why they chose teaching as a career and the challenges that they face on their ITT course was completed by 189 third year student teachers on a third year BA in Primary Education with QTS programme at a university in Wales. The findings showed that several factors contributed to their choosing a career as primary school teachers, including reasons related to perceived teaching ability, altruistic reasons, intrinsic reasons, and extrinsic reasons. The data also revealed that the main stressors faced by the respondents were linked to four factors, namely: high levels of accountability; the pressure of monitoring; the continual demand for change; and the perceived lack of respect given to the profession. Differences were found between the male and the female respondents in the ways they perceived their role within the profession. The findings have important implications for all those who are concerned with the attracting and retaining the most competent teachers to/in our primary schools

Childhood poverty in Wales and its implications for schools: a survey of trainee teachers’ perceptions

With a third of all pupils in Wales in poverty it is essential that trainee teachers in the principality understand the nature of poverty and develop a practical understanding of how best to deal with its negative effects. In order to explore trainee teachers’ perceptions of these issues a detailed questionnaire was completed by 94 of the 96 third year trainee teachers on a BA in Primary Education with QTS programme at a university in Wales. The data revealed a mature understanding of the main issues. Childhood poverty was seen by the respondents as a state of material, educational and emotional deprivation which prevents children and young people from developing their potential as individuals and from developing into fully active members of society. The respondents felt that schools had a central role to play in tackling the negative effects of poverty and that there were a range of positive measures that all schools needed to take in order to achieve this. The data also revealed that there were some practical areas related to combating childhood poverty which the respondents were yet to gain full confidence in tackling. The survey has significant implications for all those concerned with childhood poverty and initial teacher education in Wales and beyond

CAMAU Project: Progression Frameworks and Progression Steps

This paper contains information which provides a context for the work of the CAMAU research team based in the Universities of Glasgow and of Wales Trinity Saint David. This information includes an outline of the context of curriculum and assessment arrangements within which the research is situated and provides information on the processes of working with the Pioneer Schools network, a key aspect of the Welsh Government’s commitment to subsidiarity in educational decision making. This paper also includes key findings from the project’s Interim Report (October 2017) ‘Learning about Progression’

Teachers as curriculum-makers: professional learning implications for enacting a new curriculum in Wales, perspectives from the Humanities and Mathematics and Numeracy Areas of Learning and Experience

The new purpose-led ‘Curriculum for Wales’ (Donaldson, 2015) will be structured around six Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLEs): Expressive Arts; Health and Wellbeing; Humanities; Languages, Literacy and Communication; Mathematics and Numeracy; and Science and Technology, with literacy, numeracy and digital competence as cross-curricular responsibilities. Wales’ approach to incorporating learning progression within curriculum design is innovative in bringing together multiple forms of evidence, for example, research on learning progression, teacher and pupil understandings of progression, and insights from other national frameworks, in order to create bespoke progression frameworks for each AoLE tailored to the needs of young people in Wales (Hayward et al., 2018). This paper draws on the authors’ experience and research from working with curriculum ‘pioneer’ schools as part of the ‘CAMAU’ project, designed to facilitate research-informed learning progressions for the new curriculum. It reports on its early findings, with particular focus on the Humanities and Mathematics and Numeracy AoLEs, and considers the processes and tensions that arose in the creation of progression frameworks

CAMAU Project: Progression Frameworks and Progression Steps

This paper contains information which provides a context for the work of the CAMAU research team based in the Universities of Glasgow and of Wales Trinity Saint David. This information includes an outline of the context of curriculum and assessment arrangements within which the research is situated and provides information on the processes of working with the Pioneer Schools network, a key aspect of the Welsh Government’s commitment to subsidiarity in educational decision making. This paper also includes key findings from the project’s Interim Report (October 2017) ‘Learning about Progression’

Teachers as curriculum-makers: Professional learning implications for enacting a new curriculum in Wales, perspectives from the Humanities and Mathematics and Numeracy Areas of Learning and Experience

No abstract available

So Far So Good: Building the Evidence Base to Promote a Successful Future for the Curriculum for Wales

This Executive Summary presents high level messages which emerge from the analysis and synthesis of the findings of surveys and interviews with members of every Area of Learning Experience Group (Section 1) and interviews with senior policy makers (Section 2). Section 3 of this report (using evidence to promote a Successful Future for the Curriculum for Wales) provides more detail on ideas that are important for The Curriculum for Wales to be successful in future. In the spirit of co-construction, all readers are invited to consider this Section 3 and to discuss within their own communities possible implications for sustainable long term change: • what contributions they might make to ensure that currently successful aspects within an existing programme are sustained and • how participants might work collaboratively to address areas likely to raise the level of risk to programme success. Findings The worldwide COVID pandemic has resulted in unprecedented levels of change in education systems internationally. However, the purposes-led approach that Curriculum for Wales seeks to build has never seemed more relevant. These purposes are relevant not only for learners but for everyone involved in the Curriculum for Wales. Building a successful future for a Curriculum for Wales: so far so good • There is much that is positive in the findings that emerge from this report. • There remains strong commitment to critical engagement with Curriculum for Wales amongst all communities What is it crucial to sustain in the next phase of development? • A clear focus on the purposes • The use of evidence from policy, practice and research to inform thinking • A focus on learning with curriculum, pedagogy and assessment promoting and supporting progression in learning • All programme participants as learners • Co-construction and subsidiarity as the modus operandi of Curriculum for Wales. What might need further thinking or greater emphasis? The authors of this report acknowledge that the research focus may have led to a concentration on particular aspects of the programme. However, six themes emerged for either further thinking or greater emphasis • Shared understanding of key ideas • Progression • Assessment • Co-construction and subsidiarity • Coherence, policy and systemic integrity • Professional learning. Given its potential impact on education in Wales, it can be argued that the Curriculum for Wales represents exceptional value for money

So Far So Good: Building the Evidence Base to Promote a Successful Future for the Curriculum for Wales

This Executive Summary presents high level messages which emerge from the analysis and synthesis of the findings of surveys and interviews with members of every Area of Learning Experience Group (Section 1) and interviews with senior policy makers (Section 2). Section 3 of this report (using evidence to promote a Successful Future for the Curriculum for Wales) provides more detail on ideas that are important for The Curriculum for Wales to be successful in future. In the spirit of co-construction, all readers are invited to consider this Section 3 and to discuss within their own communities possible implications for sustainable long term change: • What contributions they might make to ensure that currently successful aspects within an existing programme are sustained and • How participants might work collaboratively to address areas likely to raise the level of risk to programme success

CAMAU Project: Research Report (April 2018)

‘Learning about Progression’ is a suite of research-based resources designed to provide evidence to support the building of learning progression frameworks in Wales. ‘Learning about Progression’ seeks to deepen our understanding of current thinking about progression and to explore different purposes that progression frameworks can serve to improve children and young people’s learning. These resources include consideration of how this evidence relates to current developments in Wales and derives a series of principles to serve as touchstones to make sure that, as practices begin to develop, they stay true to the original aspirations of A Curriculum for Wales – A Curriculum for Life. It also derives, from the review of evidence, a number of fundamental questions for all those involved in the development of progression frameworks to engage

CAMAU Project: Research Report (April 2018)

‘Learning about Progression’ is a suite of research-based resources designed to provide evidence to support the building of learning progression frameworks in Wales. ‘Learning about Progression’ seeks to deepen our understanding of current thinking about progression and to explore different purposes that progression frameworks can serve to improve children and young people’s learning. These resources include consideration of how this evidence relates to current developments in Wales and derives a series of principles to serve as touchstones to make sure that, as practices begin to develop, they stay true to the original aspirations of A Curriculum for Wales – A Curriculum for Life. It also derives, from the review of evidence, a number of fundamental questions for all those involved in the development of progression frameworks to engage