Compliance and creativity? Compliance or creativity?

Many teachers and pupils today are beginning to question current primary educational practice (Ogunleye, 2003, Wragg, 2003). They find themselves compliant to an overcrowded curriculum model based on content rather than pedagogy. Those who recognise that engagement and enjoyment is key to learning complain of frustration with a lack of opportunity to address teaching and learning more creatively (MacGilchrist, 2003, Hofkins, 2003). For those committed to broadening educational opportunities for all children so they can participate in the twenty-first century, is it not time to reconsider the current curriculum model that appears to be failing so many? This paper reports on selected results of case study collaborative action research in the primary curriculum. It focuses on the implementation, in a class of Year Six pupils, of a cross-curricula projectbased model where design and technology provided the integrative focus. This model sought to overcome a pedagogical dichotomy between compliance and creativity, raised by the Headteacher and recognised in the literature. The research addressed two important questions: • Was it feasible, in a climate under immense pressure to focus on standards and measurement in the core subjects, to provide a broad and balanced primary curriculum model which embraced rather than marginalised the arts? • Would such an alternative model allow teachers to explore more creative learning and teaching methods and encourage greater levels of engagement on behalf of the pupils? The paper highlights the wider context surrounding the current primary curriculum debate and presents selected findings which provided evidence to suggest that through the application of a process-led pedagogy it is possible to address compliance with National Strategies and the National Curriculum whilst at the same time enhance the creative potential of learning and teachin

Student teachers' impressions of primary design and technology in English schools: a pilot study

This paper arose from a joint Nuffield Foundation and Design and Technology Association seminar in February 2002. One of the recommendations was that primary initial teacher education (ITE) trainers, together with teachers in schools, would use their normal working activities to generate data that can be used as the basis for academic papers. Initially it provides the background to the present research project, focusing on concerns regarding the position and status of design and technology in English primary schools since the introduction of D&T as a compulsory subject of the National Curriculum in 1990. As a result of the seminar a group of ITE providers in South East England from the University of Brighton; Canterbury Christ Church University; Goldsmiths, University of London; Roehampton University and St Mary’s College, Twickenham first met in the Summer of 2004. The aim of the research was to develop a clearer understanding of the position and character of D&T in each ITE provider’s partner schools. Each provider piloted a questionnaire, developed by the group, in 2004-2005 to gather data of primary student teachers’ impressions of D&T and working practices in their placement schools. The paper presents a summary of data from individual institutions and attempts to analyse and highlight some common key issues across the ITE providers. Finally, the paper draws some conclusions from the research and considers their implications for the planning and teaching of the ITE providers’ courses and partnership links with schools in the future. The paper concludes by considering ideas for further research