Balancing securitisation and education in schools: teachers’ agency in implementing the Prevent duty

ABSTRACT

Since the introduction of the Prevent duty across the UK, schools have had to balance the need to fulfil their responsibilities under the duty – often understood to include monitoring and surveillance – with their ultimate purpose to educate their students. This positions teachers within a particular set of tensions about their own beliefs about education, their values, and their roles and relationships with young people and communities. This article draws on interviews with classroom teachers and members of school leadership teams from 10 schools, in order to compare how teachers have understood and responded to those tensions. The article will focus on the various ways in which teachers frame the policy, and the ways in which they exercise agency in their responses. Drawing on an ecological approach to theorising teacher agency our data reveals how teachers develop different responses to anti-extremism policy depending on their role; their school contexts; and their own beliefs. Whilst in some important regards the statutory Prevent duty has ‘closed down’ some options, nevertheless teachers exercise agency to interpret and enact policy and, when translating the policy into a curriculum context, also make ‘leaps’ of interpretation as concepts such as fundamental British values are turned into lessons.     

Young Children's Descriptions of God: Influences of parents' and teachers' God concepts and religious denomination of schools

This study extends prior research on antecedents of individual differences in God concepts in early childhood by examining relations of parents' and teachers' God concepts and religious denomination of schools with children's God concepts. Participants were 165 preschoolers (mean age 63 months), 107 of their parents and 16 teachers. These subjects were distributed over eight elementary schools belonging to four different religious denominations, i.e. Catholic, Dutch Reformed, Orthodox Reformed and State schools. The God concepts of children, parents and teachers were measured using interviews and questionnaires. Results showed that both parents' and teachers' God concepts were predictive of children's God concepts, but each in a different way. Parents seem to influence the relational component of children's God concepts particularly. Teachers especially contribute to biblical content of children's God concepts. Religious denomination of schools had independent effects on children's God concepts, controlling for parental denomination.     

Impacting teachers' and students' spiritual well‐being

Spiritual well‐being (SWB) is reflected in the quality of relationships that people have with themselves, others, environment and/or God. This paper ties together several studies of SWB among teachers and students in primary and secondary, state, Catholic, other Christian, and independent schools in Victoria, Australia. Teachers' lived experiences have greatest impact on their perceptions of help provided by schools for students' SWB. Factors other than teachers contribute most to students' SWB. As well as presenting an overview of key supports for students' SWB this paper reports ways in which spiritual dissonance can be identified. These findings could be used to lay a foundation for further support in nurturing the total well‐being of staff and students in schools.     

In the Name of Safety: Discursive Positionings of Queer Youth

This paper explores the connections between two common circulating discourses about queer youth and the ways that these discourses are wielded in the name of creating safe spaces for queer youth. First, the discourse of innocence is still applied to queer youth, however, the application has shifted to focus largely on the ways that queer youth are innocent victims in a society structured around heteronormativity. Second, a common response to this innocent victim discourse has been to position queer youth within a discourse of activist educators. “Discourses not only represent the world as it is (or rather is seen to be), they are also projective, imaginaries, representing possible worlds which are different from the actual world, and tied into projects to change the world in particular directions” (Fairclough 2003, p. 24). Gay Straight Alliances are one example; GSAs have sprung up across the country because adults, queer adults and allies in particular, have employed both of these discourses in policy decisions and discussions regarding queer students. This paper will highlight some of the ways the discourses of innocent victims and activist educators have been used in the GSA movement. The paper will apply a queer theory lens to the relationship between these discourses and the GSAs to tease out the ways that they work to simultaneously support queer students and serve to limit how queer students and their schools are imagined. The paper will conclude with a discussion of some possibilities for reworking, rupturing, or transforming these discourses so that schools, as well as the queer students and teachers within them, might be better served.     

Correlation between the concepts of All-Unity and self-will: Vladimir Solovyov and Lev Shestov as philosophers of freedom

The correlation between the philosophies of Vladimir Solovyov and Lev Shestov is a rich research theme. Despite the fact that Solovyov has been strongly criticised by Shestov, recent studies show that the two philosophers have much in common. The aim of this article is to analyse the correlation between the two main concepts propounded by Solovyov and Shestov: All-Unity and self-will. This article argues that both concepts are actually expressions of ultimate freedom, which is achieved when one is saved from primordial sin. Although the two philosophers refer to primordial sin using different terms and suggest different ways of achieving salvation, they are actually moving in the same direction. In other words, Solovyov and Shestov speak about the same concept but emphasise different aspects of it. Solovyov describes the state of freedom in terms of ontology, while Shestov uses epistemological (gnoseological) terminology for the same purpose. Thus, the two doctrines move in the same direction but in different ways.

     

Teacher reported types of sexual abuse of learners with intellectual disability in a South African school setting

This study investigated prevalent types of sexual abuse of learners with intellectual disability, as reported by teachers. Participants were 28 teachers from special educational needs schools in Gauteng Province, South Africa (females = 80%, age range = 30 to 55 years). The teachers participated in a focus group discussion on prevalent types of sexual abuse they were aware of that occurred to learners with intellectual disabilities. Thematic analysis of the data suggested five forms of sexual abuse of learners with intellectual disability: incest, rape by the members of the community, sexual harassment, child prostitution, and exposure to adult sexual encounters. Future research should focus on the ways to mitigate in-school sexual abuse of learners with intellectual disability; prioritising which forms of interventions would be effected.     

Young people's perceptions of their vocational guidance needs: I. Priorities and pre-occupations

In spring 1981, 1,712 pupils in the third, fourth and fifth years of secondary education at 20 comprehensive schools in England completed a questionnaire about the priorities they gave to different aspects of vocational choice and preparation. Fifth-year pupils were followed up one year later, and perceived needs again recorded. Consistency between year-groups, and between fifth-year and follow-up, was high, suggesting that the perceived needs of even the third-year group were based on a realistic appraisal of the tasks they faced in entering employment. Systematic differences in ranked priority were found, however, with those who had left school giving much greater priority to work experience and less to discussions with family and teachers than those still at school. All ages reported considerable anxiety about finding work, with levels of rated anxiety on the other items being greatest amongst the third-year pupils.     

Bridging separate communities: the aspirations and experiences of minority ethnic religious education teachers in England

This article takes as its starting point concerns about community separation that arose in 2001, following outbreaks of violence in English urban centres, and again in 2014, following the so-called ‘Trojan Horse’ case. Despite a series of reports which have highlighted the need to address ‘separation’, promote ‘meaningful contact’ between those who differ in terms of ethnicity and worldview and identify teachers of religious education (RE) as key players, researchers have paid no attention to teachers of RE from minority ethnic and religious backgrounds. The article draws on a qualitative study of teachers from Hindu, Muslim and Sikh backgrounds to explore their concerns about pupils’ perceptions of separation and the ways in which they attempted to address these in white majority and Muslim majority schools. Communication research and studies based on social capital theory are used to suggest that the teachers used ‘bonding’ and ‘bridging’ strategies as means of encouraging pupils to explore their perceptions of separation, engage in a mediated form of meaningful contact with ‘the Other’ and expand their thinking. The conclusion calls for further research in to the strategies reported and for policy makers to support the recruitment, training and career development of minority ethnic teachers of RE.     

Occupational Choice and Occupational Success in Slow-Learning School-Leavers

Educationally sub normal adolescents in special schools are compared with others of the same ability in the remedial groups of comprehensive schools, with regard to their choice of jobs and success in employment after leaving school. ESN pupils from special schools were found to be more realistic in their choice of occupation and to do better in their subsequent employment than those from comprehensive schools. Some possible reasons for this difference are proposed.     

中学教师自我概念的特点研究

目的:探讨中学教师自我概念的特点。方法:采用自编“中学教师自我概念问卷”对448名中学教师进行调查。结果:(1)初高中教师自我概念水平基本相同,重点高中教师的工作自我高于普通高中教师,生理自我低于普通高中教师。(2)中学男教师社会心理自我和生理自我高于女教师,道德自我低于女教师。(3)中学乡镇教师工作自我高于城市教师。(4)中学教师在社会心理自我、工作自我、生理自我方面表现出教龄的差异性,并呈现出一定的规律:随着教龄的增长,自我概念的发展是先下降,然后逐步回升。     

Employment Counseling for the Handicapped Can Be Easier Through Linkages

Employment counseling for handicapped students in transition from the high school setting to the world of work is often ineffective. Developing linkages between service providers in high schools and those in governmental agencies and private industries is necessary. This article focuses on the roles of the four significant actors in this linkage development: vocational teachers, rehabilitation and employment counselors, parents, and special education teachers and school counselors.     

Technology and At-Risk Young Readers and their Classrooms

This study examined the ways in which 18 first-grade teachers and their students in 11 high-risk urban schools began to use literacy-focused technology. The goal of the study was to observe the technology in use by the students, to observe the classroom dynamics and teachers’ instructional choices centered around technology use, to look at student learning, and to investigate student and teacher perceptions and beliefs as they began to use technology for literacy. Analyses of classroom and pupil observational data and of student performance data indicated positive effects of the literacy technology on classroom instruction and student literacy achievement. Further, interviews of students and teachers confirmed that the literacy technology was perceived as engaging and effective by both groups of stakeholders. The study also generated implications for further research and practice in schools struggling to make change.     

关于青年军人生活目标价值观的访谈研究

以军校青年教师、部队青年专业技术干部、基层部队青年干部、军校生长干部学员、基层部队战士为被试,采用访谈法,研究被试的生活目标价值观,结果发现：被试无论是对价值观、生活目标价值观概念的理解,还是对生活目标价值观影响因素等问题的解释,都呈现出多元发散的趋势,在青年军人应当具有什么样的生活目标和个人应当拥有什么样的生活目标上也存在明显的差异。但青年军人的生活目标价值观从总体上看是积极向上的。     

High school psychology in the rocky mountain region

Over 40% of the high schools in a five-state Rocky Mountain region reported offering courses in psychology. A significant portion of students entering college classes have had such courses. With but 15% of teachers claiming a major in psychology and the rest scattered through 20-some other subjects, adequacy of teacher preparation is questioned. Areas for effort are suggested to enhance teacher preparation and to develop high school courses whivh might be appropriatet to advanced placement or enriched introductory study at the college level. These developments should have added benefits for psychology's recruitment efforts and the spread of public knowledge about psychology.     

Perceptions of Child Abuse by Teacher Trainees in Zimbabwean Schools

This study is a part of a larger study that examined the epidemiology and aetiology of child abuse by teachers in Zimbabwean primary schools. The purpose of the study was to determine teacher trainees' conception of sexual abuse of pupils by teachers within the school context, the forms of sexual abuse perpetrated on pupils by teachers in Zimbabwean schools, and the aetiology of sexual abuse of pupils by teachers in Zimbabwean schools. One hundred and fifty (75 male, 75 female) teacher trainees from three colleges of education, located in the same province, participated in the study. Participants indicated that sexual abuse of pupils within the school context involves having sexual intercourse with pupils; having love affairs with pupils; impregnating pupils by teachers; and fondling pupils' breasts, buttocks, and private parts. Results suggested that pupils are vulnerable to sexual abuse by teachers in Zimbabwean schools.     

South African Teachers' Experiences of Children in their Classrooms who may have ADHD

This study focused on understanding and explaining how teachers experience children in their classrooms who may have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The study was a qualitative study in which 17 teachers from three different schools in Gauteng, South Africa, were interviewed. Content theme analysis was conducted on the textual data. Findings from the study indicate that (1) the teachers kept children who might have ADHD busy with different activities in order to manage their classrooms more effectively, (2) the teachers believed that children who might have ADHD challenged them, and (3) the teachers believed that they needed to share information with other teachers on how to manage and support children who might have ADHD and also that they needed outside assistance from a specialist. The study points to the complex experiences of teachers who have to deal with children with ADHD in their classrooms and recommends increased collaboration between professionals and teachers.     

Sex differences in educational outcomes: A cross-national study

Through their organization and curricula, schools either promote separate roles for males and females or operate to minimize differences. This study describes sex differences in science and reading achievement and attitudes for nationwide samples of 14-year-old children in the United States, Sweden, and England. There are largely the same sex differences in all three countries: Male and female pupils have similar reading skills, while girls have more positive reading habits; males outperform females in science, with the smallest difference observed for biology; males have more positive attitudes toward science, except that females believe science to be at least as important a topic as boys do. There is no noteworthy increase in sex distinctions with one more year of schooling, from grade 8 to grade 9. However, in English coeducational schools, girls show a deceleration in science and vocabulary achievement relative to their male peers. Girls in English one-sex schools exceed their male counterparts in reading and several science subjects. It is hypothesized that the role of successful female teachers and peers, and the absence of social pressure from boys, may facilitate girls' learning in these areas. A study is proposed of specific school practices and the ways in which they determine sex discrepancies.An earlier version of this article was presented to the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, April 1976. The author is grateful to Heidi Wolfstetter-Kausch for assistance in researching background material for the article.     

Beyond Empirical Adequacy: Learning Progressions as Models and Their Value for Teachers

As scientific models of student thinking, learning progressions (LPs) have been evaluated in terms of one important, but limited, criterion: fit to empirical data. We argue that LPs are not empirically adequate, largely because they rely on problematic assumptions of theory-like coherence in students’ thinking. Through an empirical investigation of physics teachers’ interactions with an LP-based score report, we investigate 2 other criteria of good models: utility and generativity. When interacting with LP-based materials, teachers often adopted finer-grained perspectives (in contrast to the levels-based perspective of the LP itself) and used these finer-grained perspectives to formulate more specific, actionable instructional ideas than when they reasoned in terms of LP levels. However, although teachers did not use the LP-based materials in ways envisioned by LP researchers, the teachers’ interactions with the score reports embodied how philosophers envision the fruitful use of good models of dynamic, complex systems. In particular, teachers took a skeptical, inquiring stance toward the LP, using it as an oversimplified starting place for generating and testing hypotheses about student thinking and using concepts from the model in ways that moved beyond the knowledge available in the LP. Thus, despite—and perhaps even because of—their empirical inadequacy, LPs have the potential to serve teachers as productive models in ways not envisioned by LP researchers: as tools for knowledge generation.     

Technology in Nonsectarian and Religious Private Schools

The authors report the results of a survey on technology access and use in both religious and nonsectarian schools in the state of Illinois. Four hundred surveys were sent to a cross section of private schools, with a response rate of 45%. The study demonstrates there were only minimal differences between sectarian and nonsectarian schools and that they both had adequate, up-to-date equipment. Most schools provided their students and faculty with access to computer/internet technology in dedicated labs, media centers, and classrooms. The study does show that while both religious and nonsectarian private schools have the tools to integrate technology into the curriculum, and principals who positively rate the use of computer technology, most principals report that a majority of their teachers do not make use of technology in ways that promote higher-order thinking.