Thinking deeply about educational change

Abstract

In the early days of School Improvement, everything seemed to hover around building participation and partnership in the teaching staff, and then the wider community (students, other staff and parents). It was quite an untheoretical endeavour, a matter of systematically building trust and collaboration. This remains essential but not enough. Whenever the more complex issues in education are important, much deeper and more theoretical analysis is needed. Many articles in the present issue are exemplary and groundbreaking in the way they apply theory to complex realities, and with particular regard to dimensions of social justice. Kelly Stone and Jennifer Farrar (Scotland) reflect on the country’s groundbreaking new initiative to make the curriculum LGBTI-inclusive. In particular, they consider the importance of critical literacy in problematising dominant social structures and language practices. Drawing on a range of theory, including Freire, they examine the pitfalls of tokenistic approaches and the opportunities offered by school situations and children’s literature to challenge hegemonic assumptions. JaDora Sailes Moore and Chavez Phelps (USA) examine longstanding underachievement among African American boys. They challenge the pseudoscience of deficit approaches based on an assumed inadequacy of upbringing and culture, and zero tolerance policies which lead to frequent exclusions of African American boys. The authors describe and advocate culturally responsive pedagogies which show respect and link to students’ experiences. The importance of the supportive pedagogical relationship is highlighted, and the struggle to challenge stereotypes and identify micro-aggressions. Allison Reierson and Stephen Becker (Canada) look at the problem of initiative fatigue due to a rapid succession of disparate top-down initiatives. In particular, they examine the approaches known as Outcomes-Based Assessment (OBA) and Trauma-Informed Practice (TIB), asking how these can be aligned. Professional understanding and strategic leadership are vital in both cases. For successful school development, teachers must see the connections between a District’s directives and their daily reality. Julia Lederer, Caroline Breyer and Barbara Gasteiger-Klicpera (Austria) focus on the professional needs of learning assistants who play an important role in supporting children with disabilities. In order to raise their knowledge and understanding, a European project has developed ‘knowledge boxes’ made available openly online. Learning and support assistants, as well as children from five countries, have participated in development of these boxes covering specialist needs, common perceptions and practical strategies. The authors provide excellent descriptions and illustrations of the knowledge boxes. Shane Lavery and Anne Coffey (Australia) look at middle school students’ perceptions of student leadership. The authors examine some of the diverse definitions and practices of leadership and describe the research methodology by which they opened up students’ perceptions of what makes some adults (sports celebrities, parents, etc.) good leaders. One important finding was that young people associate leadership with teamwork rather than isolated individuals. 1035655 IMP0010.1177/13654802211035655Improving SchoolsEditorial editorial2021