The way they see it : an evaluation of the Arts across the curriculum project

This paper reports on an evaluation to interrogate the efficacy of a Scottish Government sponsored initiative to introduce an arts-infused education model to primary (elementary) and secondary (high) schools. Arts Across the Curriculum (AAC) was a three-year pilot project, with ambitious aims. The aims included aspirations to increase pupils' achievement and motivation to learn; to develop the skills of teachers to work collaboratively and creatively; to encourage links between different areas of learning and thus erode subject barriers. In addition, the project sought to improve the ethos of the school and explore the efficacy of the expressive arts as a delivery mechanism across the curriculum (FLaT, 2006). Between April 2005 and December 2007, the evaluation team gathered data using a variety of instruments including surveys, structured observations, interviews and video diaries. This paper presents some of the findings from the evaluation and in particular it focuses on the artists' views of the efficacy of the project; in short we wanted to know how they 'saw it'. It should be noted that the research team that evaluated the initiative had no say in the design of the AAC project

Arts across the curriculum: enhancing pupil learning, the pupil perspective

Paper presented to the British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference, held at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh

Summary report of baseline study of employability related activities in Scottish colleges

Providers report strong support for the development of employability skills and attributes,including core and 'soft' skills, both as discrete units and embedded within course provisionalongside other learning goals. Career education and guidance, including employment seeking skills, are addressed to a lesserextent than 'employability' through the inclusion of discrete units or embedded in other courseunits. While some providers include specific units in courses, student development in these areasis often addressed through central student services. Advice and guidance is most likely to beprovided at the pre-exit stage of students' programmes although it is important while students areon-course. Post-exit guidance is least likely to be supported, with colleges indicating thatobtaining progression information was difficult. Enterprise is the least likely aspect to be addressed, either in relation to business start-up or as afocus in developing enterprising skills and attitudes. College staff indicated that there was a needfor clarification on what was meant by enterprise and enterprising approaches and how theymight be incorporated into other units. There was strong support at institutional level to provide resources to enable students to reflecton issues related to employability, with course providers reporting wide use of personaldevelopment review and planning, though a wide range of terms was used to describe this

The performance management of education services staff in Scottish local authorities: an evaluation

Investigates the extent to which Scottish local authorities measured the performance of education services staff

Continuing professional development of early years managers and practitioners working with children under 3 years of age: technical report

This research into CPD provision for those working with children under 3 years of age was undertaken in the context of the National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce (Scottish Executive, 2006) and the Scottish Parliamentary response (2006) which emphasised that: 'the area which requires most urgent investment is improving the skills level of the workforce, and that although further investment is required in the 3-5 sector, the under 3 sector is the most immediate priority' (SPEC, 2006, para 16). The findings of the research are interpreted in the light of the Standard for Childcare Practice (QAA, 2007) and the more recently published Early Years Framework (Scottish Government, 2008). The Early Years Framework defines early years as pre-birth to 8 years, though it highlights the need for 'a renewed focus on 0-3' (p5)

Evaluation of the flexible learning in the community (FLIC) project

The Flexible Learning in the Community project (FLiC) was set up by the City of Edinburgh to take advantage of the potential of the City's information and technology network to support flexible learning and teaching within and across its schools, colleges and community learning centres. An evaluation of the project was commissioned by the Scottish Executive Education Department, which had provided some funding for FLiC, through the Future Learning and Teaching (FLaT) programme. The evaluation was carried out during 2003-04 by a team from the Quality in Education Centre, the University of Strathclyde. The FLiC project had three main strands: video-conferencing, multi-media presentations (Kar2ouche1) and a virtual learning environment (digitalbrain2). Support and training for both teachers and pupils were provided by the Information Technology Support Team (ITSU) alongside a considerable investment in hardware, software and networking. Following a year of pilot work the initiative was launched by the Minister for Children and Young People in March 2003

GOALS survey: P6 pupils and further and higher education

The Quality in Education Centre (QIE) at the University of Strathclyde was commissioned bythe GOALS Project team to provide baseline data from pupils who had not, as yet,participated in the GOALS programme for the purpose of contributing to a larger evaluation ofthe impact of the GOALS Project, and to make recommendations on the future developmentof the project. This report summarises and discusses data from surveys of a sample of P6pupils and interview data from a smaller sample of their parents

Evaluation of the Assessment is for Learning programme

The Assessment is for Learning Development Programme (AifL) was designed tobring together the various purposes of assessment into a single coherent frameworkwhich would answer questions of accountability, standards and the monitoring ofprogress and performance, but which also emphasised the role of assessment insupporting individual pupils' learning in the classroom

Supporting care leavers in Scottish further education colleges : a research account of a pilot programme aimed at supporting looked after young people and care leavers in further education colleges in Scotland

The aim of the research, conducted between August 2009 and June 2011, was to conduct an evaluation of a programme funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) which supported three pilot projects concerned with the engagement in further education (FE) provision of young people aged between 15 and 19 who are in local authority care (at home and away from home) or who have left care. The overall aim of the research was to identify clear lessons for the Council and for the Scottish FE college sector more generally, leading to improved participation by care leavers in post-school education

Evaluation of the North Lanarkshire curriculum flexibility project

This report highlights some of the very good practice about effective use of flexibility in the curriculum that is emerging. It describes how staff have engaged in innovative use of time in ways which have given pupils increased motivation to learn and encouraged them to become more independent learners and more effective collaborative workers. The important role of school managers in monitoring the impact of innovations in the curriculum is exemplified. This report also acts as a call to action for schools which still often adhere too rigidly to inflexible programmes of study. There remains a need for more imaginative leadership and further professional development of staff at all levels to ensure that full and appropriate use of the opportunities offered by Curriculum for Excellence are realised