Background
to the Research
- This
research monograph was the second in a series of three prepared for
the Northern Ireland Economic Council on educational achievement in
Northern Ireland. It reviews theory and practice in improving school
performance, before turning attention to the views of those directly
charged with the delivery of the output of the educational system. The
purpose of the exercise was to see what lessons could be learnt that
could be used or disseminated to raise standards in schools in Northern
Ireland.
Research
Approach
- Twenty-six
individual schools were selected to participate in a qualitative case
study comprising of: four nursery and eight primary schools in disadvantaged
areas of Belfast and fourteen post-primary schools (two grammar and
twelve secondary) located throughout the region most of which appeared
to be successfully tackling the problem of underachievement. A minority
of sample schools were selected as comparators.
- In the
case of nursery/primary schools the views of principals were sought,
while for post-primary schools, teachers and pupils were also included.
Main
Findings
- Schools
located in socially disadvantaged areas face multiple problems. In particular,
many of the schools are obliged to try to deal with a wide range of
non-school problems related to the welfare needs of pupils and their
families. This evidence suggests that consideration should be given
to better targeting of the social disadvantage component of formula
funding for schools.
- The three
main themes to emerge from the principals' interviews were the value
of internal monitoring and information, the importance attached to staff
development, and the role played by some factors external to schools
as a constraint on school improvement.
- In relation
to external constraints, many of the principals in secondary schools
felt that the selective system gave an unfair advantage to grammar schools
and that this was reinforced by open enrollment. They felt that these
constraints made it harder for their schools to improve.
- Among
the teachers interviewed for the study a clear emergent theme was in
the importance of collegiality in certain an environment conducive to
improving teaching and learning.
- Principals
made it clear that they felt that their greatest asset towards school
improvement was in the quality of their teaching staff. Nevertheless,
there was general agreement that a small number of ineffective teachers
did exist, that they could have a deleterious impact on pupils' learning
and that procedures for dealing with this problem could be simplified.
- The monograph
concludes that more should be done to spread information on innovation
and best practice towards school improvement across schools in Northern
Ireland. Further, attention should be given to mitigating some of the
more negative aspects of the education market. The system of grammar
and secondary schools does not provide for balanced competition between
schools and may impose necessary constraints on the ability of secondary
schools to work towards school improvement.
|