Principles into practice: A teacher's guide to research evidence on ...

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8 INCLUSIONThe social world of schoolIn a series of books, Pollard and Filer have <strong>to</strong>ld the engaging and revealings<strong>to</strong>ries of individual children as they negotiate their way through theacademic and social challenges of their school years. The Social World ofSecondary Education (Continuum, forthcoming) includes comparison ofthe careers of two girls from the same middle-class primary who went on<strong>to</strong> comprehensives with more working-class environments.SALLYSally had been a star in primaryschool – popular with teachers andchildren, good at sports and dramaand a <strong>to</strong>p student. She enjoyedbeing the caretaker’s daughter, aufait with all aspects of the school.Within days of starting at StMargaret’s Comprehensive, shewent home ill and miserable, andthings did not improve for a longtime. “From being the high status,popular pupil of her primary schoolyears, Sally had become a pupilwith no real friends. Moreover, ittranspired that she was beingbullied... However, through thatdifficult and distressing time, Sallymaintained as<strong>to</strong>nishing levels ofacademic success.”Socially, she had lost the“specialness” she had at primary,but she retained her image as an“ideal pupil” for teachers – makingher peers even more resentful. Itwas devastating because, as herfather said, “Sally likes <strong>to</strong> be liked”.She was actually quitevulnerable, needing approval.Eventually, she did makefriends – working-class girls whoaccepted her, rather than themiddle-class ones who made herlife a misery. She became muchhappier, broadened her accent,and began <strong>to</strong> do less well in school,dropping from straight As <strong>to</strong> a mixof As, Bs and Cs by Year 11,although she retained goodrelationships with teachers.The <strong>research</strong>ers conclude:“Whilst she was socially adept inthe context of her primary school,she had few strategic resourcesfor adapting <strong>to</strong> different peerexpectations or shaping a differentidentity... When she finallyrelinquished her former peeridentity and conformed <strong>to</strong> the peerculture, so also she relinquishedher high-achieving academicidentity.” Teachers could considerwhat might have helped her <strong>to</strong>respond differently.Six years after GCSEs,Sally istraining as a transport companyjunior manager.WHOAREYOU?GETTY IMAGESHAZELHazel also suffered from peerhostility and bullying when she got<strong>to</strong> Southwater Comprehensive, butshe had the resources <strong>to</strong> managethe situation, and “she did so bystrengthening and elaborating,rather than compromising, herdistinct identity”.Her (middle-class) parents hadsought out a secondary schoolwith a pas<strong>to</strong>ral and social ethos“likely <strong>to</strong> be sensitive <strong>to</strong> theemotional vulnerability and socialmarginality that Hazel had shownthrough her primary years”, andwhich would also support herartistic talents, which had beenless well-appreciated at primary.At Greenside she’d believed artwas her only talent, but “Thenwhen I went <strong>to</strong> Southwater, I foundI was good at lots of differentthings, and art,” she said in Year 9.Teachers valued her individualityand her out-of-school interestswere known and recognised.Her Y9 art teacher said of her,“An exceptional artist, real talent.An eccentric – we need people likethat, though I can see it causesproblems with her peers.”Hazel was someone who knewwho she was, and wasn’t interestedin conforming <strong>to</strong> the norm, quitehappily dismissing popular music orTV as “a load of rubbish”. However,she sought out the unusual, artisticpeople, and brought them <strong>to</strong>getherin a friendship group.“Of course, this may have beenlargely due <strong>to</strong> her owntemperament and <strong>to</strong> parentalsupport and endorsement for herindividuality,” say Pollard andFiler. “However, Hazel’s accountscertainly suggest that the schooland its curriculum also supportedthe development of her identityand for academic and socialgrowth in areas that were of greatimportance <strong>to</strong> her.”Hazel has now graduated fromart college and has held her firstsolo exhibition.Children build their own identitiesas learners. How can teachers andschools make a difference?Personalised learning.What does that phrasemake you think of? A newand confusing demandfrom the Government? Anexciting opportunity?Children studying in their own littlebubbles? Or do you just go blank?According <strong>to</strong> the Identity andLearning Programme, children arecreating their own personalisedlearning every day, as they activelynegotiate their way throughschooling. And it is not always whatthey really want or what is best forthem.Children create their own schooland learning identities in response<strong>to</strong> the way they are treated byteachers and other students, and thesuccessive experiences they have asthey move through education.Researchers Andrew Pollard, nowTLRP direc<strong>to</strong>r, and Ann Filer,followed small cohorts of workingclass and middle class children in anEnglish city through their “pupilcareers” from ages four <strong>to</strong> 16. “Themost fundamental form ofeducation, the process of becominga person, requires carefulconsideration as well as the
9acquisition of knowledge and skills,”they conclude.However, if a child’s ownbackground, personality andstrengths fit in well with the ethosand curriculum of their school, theyare more likely <strong>to</strong> succeed. Pollardand Filer found that middle classchildren attending independent orselective schools had a moreconsistent identity whether theywere at home, at school or out withfriends. But children incomprehensives “often experienceddisparities in the discourse, valuesand expectations of significan<strong>to</strong>thers in their homes, schools andpeer groups.” This meant theydeveloped more “fragmentedidentities”, which could make itharder for them <strong>to</strong> learn andsucceed in school.One of the lessons is that childrenneed <strong>to</strong> be seen more in the round,difficult though this may be in aworld which “presses remorselesslyfor short-term performance”. The<strong>research</strong>ers insist that: “Maximisingthe potential of children and youngpeople calls for a more appropriateunderstanding of them as socialac<strong>to</strong>rs within their cultures andcommunities, and of how educationfits <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong>, and contributes <strong>to</strong>, theirlives as a whole”.Identity and Learning ProgrammeBooks associated with the programmeinclude:The Social World of Children’s Learning,Pollard and Filer (Cassell)The Social World of Pupil Career, Pollardand Filer (Continuum)The Social World of Pupil Assessment inPrimary School, Filer and Pollard(Continuum)Reflective Teaching, Pollard(Continuum)Towards schoolswhere everyonebelongsTeachers often thinkabout inclusion in termsof children with specialeducational needs, but<strong>research</strong>ers on the Understandingand DevelopingInclusive Practices in Schoolsproject sought <strong>to</strong> broaden thedefinition. They worked overthree years with a network of25 schools <strong>to</strong> help groups ofstaff engage with <strong>evidence</strong>about pupils’ experience ofschool and about their own<strong>practice</strong>.Staff in the participatingschools came <strong>to</strong> recognisethat barriers <strong>to</strong> pupil-learningoften stem from teachers’misplaced assumptions aboutwhat their pupils can do andhow best <strong>to</strong> teach them. What’sneeded is not just new waysof working, but new ways ofthinking – and this takes time.Researchers found that itcan be more useful for aschool enquiry <strong>to</strong> focus on aspecific issue of concernrather than whole schoolchange. For example, oneprimary school was concernedbecause children’s languageskills were holding them back.They devised a questionnaireafter consulting the children.Answers <strong>to</strong> “What don’t youlike about writing?” includedCREATING INCLUSIVE CULTURESThe Index forInclusion was used<strong>to</strong> inform the action<strong>research</strong> This is anexample of theindica<strong>to</strong>rs it uses:Building community• Everyone is made<strong>to</strong> feel welcome.• Students help eachother.• Staff collaboratewith each other.• Staff and studentstreat one anotherwith respect.• There is apartnershipbetween staff andparents/carers.• Staff andgovernors workwell <strong>to</strong>gether.• All local communitiesare involved inthe school.Establishinginclusive values• There are highexpectations for allstudents.• Staff, governors,students andparents/carersshare a philosophyof inclusion.“It hurts my hand” and “Ittakes me a long time <strong>to</strong> thinkwhat I’m going <strong>to</strong> write”. Whatchildren did like about writingcentred on the chance <strong>to</strong> usetheir imaginations.A teacher commented: “Itmade me try <strong>to</strong> analysethings… because we couldlook at the children’s answersand so started <strong>to</strong> think, well ifthey’re thinking this way…how do we have <strong>to</strong> think <strong>to</strong> getthem <strong>to</strong> change their mindsabout what they’re doing?”Teachers saw that teachingthe curriculum harder andlonger wouldn’t improve manypupils’ learning outcomes.Rather, they needed <strong>to</strong> thinkabout fac<strong>to</strong>rs that underpinlearning, such as pupils’ selfesteem,enjoyment and theirview of themselves as learners.The <strong>research</strong>ers concluded:“Addressing both underachievementand inclusionrequires that the nationalfocus on highly measurableoutcomes of school bebroadened <strong>to</strong> include theseunderlying fac<strong>to</strong>rs.”Project contact mel.ainscow@man.ac.ukFurther reading: Improving Scools,Developing Inclusion, Ainscow,Booth and Dyson (Routledge)• Students areequally valued.• Staff and studentstreat one anotheras human beingsas well asoccupants of a ‘role’.• Staff seek <strong>to</strong>remove barriers <strong>to</strong>learning andparticipation in allaspects of theschool.From the Centre forStudies on InclusiveEducation (CSIE)inclusion.uwe.ac.uk/csie/indexlaunch.htm
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