Education: A Contested Enterprise Alpha Plus Next Gen Taskforce 15 January 2009 Nick Hitchen Falcons School for Girls

The Alpha Gold Standard

The Common Sense Discourse

(The Times; 6/12/08, reader comment) My son is 4 years old & it is my intention for him to go to private school when he is 11. This will involve living in a smaller house, but I am happy to do this for the benefits he will get. Smaller classes, access to a variety of sports, languages & good old fashioned non-PC teaching!

Typology of Ideologies in Education Individual (progressive) Knowledge (traditional) Society (egalitarianism & elitism)

Teacher X & Teacher Y X externally motivates pupils through controlling actions Y encourage intrinsic motivation through self-development (McGreagor)

I.Q. Innate, immutable ability

Innate, immutable ability

Cognitive Developmental Theory Intellectual & moral development as sequential (Piaget)

Constructivism (Vygotsky) People make their own sense of things in a unique way Need to give learners responsibility for their own learning

Metacognition

Learning Styles Learning Approaches Learning Style Learning Strategy Learning Preferences

Learning Styles Howard Gardener V.A.K Sternberg: analytical, creative & practical Emotional Intelligence Buzan MindMaps Left / Right Brain

Personalised Learning The purpose of education for all children is the same; the goals are the same. But the help that individual children need in progressing towards them will be different.’ (Warnock)

Sociological perspective Development of basic skills Socialisation Social control / social order Preparing for work

The Fear! Pupil-centered, discursive pedagogy sees degree of control pass to the pupils...

Pupil-centered, discursive pedagogy sees

degree of control pass to the pupils...

Political context (with a small ‘p’) Neo-liberalism Choice and competition Neo-conservatism Uphold traditional values

Experiments

Continual Conflict No correct answer Interaction between competing ideologies Tension between neo-liberal and neo-conservatism Gold Standard – permission to experiment

Questions ? ? ? ? Is education a process ? Is education a product to be consumed? What does education involve ? Where does education take place ?