Accountability and the meaning of ‘success’ in education systems and STEM subjects: a report to The Royal Society
Accountability and the meaning of ‘success’ in education systems and STEM subjects: a report to The Royal Society
A description is given of different kinds of accountability systems and of the rise of ‘performance based’ and ‘simultaneous supply-side / demand-side’ educational policies in the United Kingdom since 1980. It is argued that these systems and policies have been useful, but that they need improvement in their operationalisation, both in terms of content and in the support given to professionals to cope with the resulting pressure. A review of the (limited) research literature on accountability, virtually all of which has come from secondary schools rather than Further Education Colleges because the traditional benchmark assessment occurs at GCSE at age 16, shows that the present accountability and evaluation systems have positive effects on student outcomes, but an analysis of contemporary policy developments in the STEM subject areas shows some problematic issues relating both to government education policy and to the adequacy of professional resourcing. Some interesting developments in STEM subjects from other countries are also discussed. We recommend a range of policy changes currently.
accountability, STEM, royal society
Reynolds, David
7761a0ea-0758-4410-8ce0-048db979902e
Kelly, Anthony
1facbd39-0f75-49ee-9d58-d56b74c6debd
November 2013
Reynolds, David
7761a0ea-0758-4410-8ce0-048db979902e
Kelly, Anthony
1facbd39-0f75-49ee-9d58-d56b74c6debd
Reynolds, David and Kelly, Anthony
(2013)
Accountability and the meaning of ‘success’ in education systems and STEM subjects: a report to The Royal Society
London, GB.
Royal Society
59pp.
Record type:
Monograph
(Project Report)
Abstract
A description is given of different kinds of accountability systems and of the rise of ‘performance based’ and ‘simultaneous supply-side / demand-side’ educational policies in the United Kingdom since 1980. It is argued that these systems and policies have been useful, but that they need improvement in their operationalisation, both in terms of content and in the support given to professionals to cope with the resulting pressure. A review of the (limited) research literature on accountability, virtually all of which has come from secondary schools rather than Further Education Colleges because the traditional benchmark assessment occurs at GCSE at age 16, shows that the present accountability and evaluation systems have positive effects on student outcomes, but an analysis of contemporary policy developments in the STEM subject areas shows some problematic issues relating both to government education policy and to the adequacy of professional resourcing. Some interesting developments in STEM subjects from other countries are also discussed. We recommend a range of policy changes currently.
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Royal Society Report Nov 2013.pdf
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Published date: November 2013
Keywords:
accountability, STEM, royal society
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 365010
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/365010
PURE UUID: 4771e26c-09b4-4cf9-9af1-42b24c00abe9
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Date deposited: 21 May 2014 09:27
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:14
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Author:
David Reynolds
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