Foucauldian-inspired discourse analysis of health and wellbeing implementation in four Scottish secondary schools

1. FOUCAULDIAN-INSPIRED DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF
CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE IMPLEMENTATION IN
FOUR SCOTTISH SECONDARY SCHOOL CASE STUDIES
Stephanie Hardley
Dr Shirley Gray
Dr Ruth McQuillan

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• Scottish curriculum and context
• Research questions
• Wellbeing: complexities of definition
• Discourse: theories and assumptions
• Background of the Scottish case studies
• Methods: data analysis
• Findings: HWB as teaching for outcome achievement vs. HWB as a process
for character development
• Implications
• References

3. SCOTTISH CURRICULUM
Curriculum for Excellence
• Implemented in 2010 for students age 3-18
• Literacy, Numeracy, Health and Wellbeing
• Aspires to develop the ‘four capacities’: (successful
learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens,
effective contributors)
• Two key supplementary resources for educators:
• Experiences and Outcomes: statements of what and how
students should learn
• Benchmarks: statements of what students should know and
be able to do for progression
• Aims to provide more flexibility and autonomy to allow
personalisation to different school contexts

4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. How are discursive constructions of health and wellbeing in
the Curriculum for Excellence policy recontextualised and
enacted at the local level?
2. How are responsibilities of school staff and students
understood within local schools?

5. WELLBEING: COMPLEXITIES OF
DEFINITION
• Often linked with health (e.g. ‘health and wellbeing’)
• Holistic: inclusive of physical, mental, social, and
emotional aspects
• Multiple discourses from various fields have entered
education (e.g. medical, therapeutic, economic,
flourishing, care, and risk)
• Different discourses will suggest different actions

6. DISCOURSE: THEORIES AND
ASSUMPTIONS
• Discourse: text or language that can be purposefully used
to make certain ways-of-being or ways-of-thinking
acceptable (Willig, 2008).
• Educational policy contains discourses articulating beliefs,
values and practices of society (Rossi et al., 2009).
• According to Foucault:
• Discourse is the embodiment of power and knowledge because
of its ability to define ‘truth’
• Power is exercised through preferential access to discourse
• Knowledge can become so influential that it can act as a ‘regime
of truth’, making it difficult to see or think in a different way

7. METHODS: SCOTTISH CASE STUDIES
Background of the Scottish case studies:
• Four Scottish secondary schools:
• Calderglen High School (SIMD 7)
• Meldrum Academy (SIMD 10)
• Smithycroft Secondary School (SIMD 1)
• Kirkland High School and Community College (SIMD 1)
• Case studies were commissioned by Education Scotland and are publicly available on
their National Improvement Hub
• Highlighted as ‘good practice exemplars’ for perceived good progress in HWB
implementation
Therefore: the case studies were selected for analysis because they could be
used as a normative standard to influence the actions of other local schools

8. METHODS: DATA ANALYSIS
Multistep data analysis:
1. Inductive: thematic analysis to code for what schools did to support HWB (school practice
and implementation)
2. Deductive: using a discourse manual developed a priori to code for the dominant
discourses used to conceptualise HWB
3. Themes were then examined using a Foucauldian-inspired analytical framework (adapted
from Willig, 2008) to explore:
i. How schools conceptualised wellbeing
ii. What discourses were used in this conceptualisation
iii. What implications this may have had on the actions and responsibilities of staff and
students

9. FINDINGS
HWB as teaching for outcome achievement vs. HWB as a process for character
development

10. FINDINGS: HWB AS TEACHING FOR
OUTCOME ACHIEVEMENT
HWB for outcome achievement
• Discourse: Care, operational, and deficit-based
• Functioning: HWB as a prerequisite for learning,
attainment, and risk prevention
• Positioning: power hierarchy with teachers in the
more powerful position than students
• Practice: increased surveillance  Audit-type
teaching practices and ‘monitoring’ to identify
those ‘at risk’

11. FINDINGS: HWB AS A PROCESS
FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
• Discourse: Flourishing and Strengths-Based
• Functioning: HWB as educative in its own
right
• Positioning: more egalitarian with teachers as
facilitators of student growth and
development
• Practice: may lead to greater flexibility if the
school context is able to support teacher
agency and remove barriers to curriculum
engagement

12. IMPLICATIONS
Differing discourses and competing aims in the curriculum may lead to confusion and apprehension
To encourage successful implementation and support educators:
• Additional clarification around curricular goals and assessment measures may be needed
• More support to build capability and confidence with curriculum development
• More time to engage with curriculum planning at the local level

13. REFERENCES
Source paper: Hardley, S., Gray, S., & McQuillan, R. (2020). A critical discourse analysis of Curriculum for
Excellence implementation in four Scottish secondary school case studies. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural
Politics of Education, 1–15.
• Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2),
pp77-101.
• Education Scotland (2018a). Health and wellbeing: Responsibility of all - Secondary school research project.
Available at: https://education.gov.scot/improvement/practice-exemplars/health-and-wellbeing-
responsibility-of-all-secondary-school-research-project/ [accessed 22 July 2021].
• Education Scotland (2018b). Health and wellbeing across learning: Experiences and outcomes. Available at:
https://education.gov.scot/education-scotland/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-
education/policy-drivers/cfe-building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5/experiences-and-outcomes/
[accessed 22 July 2021].
• Foucault, M. (1980). Power/Knowledge: Selected interviews and other writings. Sussex: Harvester Press
Limited.
• Rossi, T., Tinning, R., McCuaig, L., Sirna, K., & Hunter, L. (2009). With the Best of Intentions: A Critical
Discourse Analysis of Physical Education Curriculum Materials. Journal Of Teaching In Physical
Education, 28(1), pp. 75-89.
• Scottish Executive. (2006). Building the curriculum 1: The contribution of curriculum areas. Edinburgh, pp.1-47.
• Spratt, J. (2017). Wellbeing, Equity and Education. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.