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SATurated models of pupildom: assessment and inclusion/exclusion

SATurated models of pupildom: assessment and inclusion/exclusion
SATurated models of pupildom: assessment and inclusion/exclusion
Adopting a socio-cultural theoretical framework and based on ethnographic data from two primary schools, this paper seeks to answer the question: what meanings about inclusion and exclusion are encoded in school and classroom practices? It documents the (inclusionary and) exclusionary pedagogic processes that influence learning and children’s participation in the learning opportunities on offer to them. From their analysis of observational, interview and documentary data, externally-imposed and monitored regimes of assessment are what really matters in the school lives of the year six children in the authors' fieldwork schools. Assessment, narrowed to testing, defines the school day, the curriculum, the teacher’s responsibilities, the pupil’s worth, the ideal parent, and what counts as ability; it pushes towards a particular type of learning at the expense of other types. The article begins with a brief theoretical and methodological account of the study and a note on each participating school. It then suggests and discusses models of ‘SATurated pupildom’ that are supported by the data. Versions of learning and ability as well as teacher subject positions that variously fit with the demands of summative assessments for accountability purposes, but that do not square with valuing diversity, are also discussed. The conclusion briefly considers the findings in the context of a macro-culture that circumscribes what schools and teachers must value most and in relation to tensions within New Labour’s push for standardisation on the one hand and inclusion and social justice on the other.
assessment, inclusive education, ethnography, special educational needs
0141-1926
801-817
Hall, Kathy
858c31aa-3ccf-4197-8700-b250787b2402
Collins, Janet
2d4e9067-dcfb-4d35-8dcd-feab7a9c8e5e
Benjamin, Shereen
ed3f30b5-a42e-4b9b-8025-a92faebbd3ab
Nind, Melanie
ebcd306d-3173-4297-adf2-a939e92d0248
Sheehy, Kieron
906b46f7-33e9-48dc-aa58-9c314f74e64b
Hall, Kathy
858c31aa-3ccf-4197-8700-b250787b2402
Collins, Janet
2d4e9067-dcfb-4d35-8dcd-feab7a9c8e5e
Benjamin, Shereen
ed3f30b5-a42e-4b9b-8025-a92faebbd3ab
Nind, Melanie
ebcd306d-3173-4297-adf2-a939e92d0248
Sheehy, Kieron
906b46f7-33e9-48dc-aa58-9c314f74e64b

Hall, Kathy, Collins, Janet, Benjamin, Shereen, Nind, Melanie and Sheehy, Kieron (2004) SATurated models of pupildom: assessment and inclusion/exclusion. British Educational Research Journal, 30 (6), 801-817. (doi:10.1080/0141192042000279512).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Adopting a socio-cultural theoretical framework and based on ethnographic data from two primary schools, this paper seeks to answer the question: what meanings about inclusion and exclusion are encoded in school and classroom practices? It documents the (inclusionary and) exclusionary pedagogic processes that influence learning and children’s participation in the learning opportunities on offer to them. From their analysis of observational, interview and documentary data, externally-imposed and monitored regimes of assessment are what really matters in the school lives of the year six children in the authors' fieldwork schools. Assessment, narrowed to testing, defines the school day, the curriculum, the teacher’s responsibilities, the pupil’s worth, the ideal parent, and what counts as ability; it pushes towards a particular type of learning at the expense of other types. The article begins with a brief theoretical and methodological account of the study and a note on each participating school. It then suggests and discusses models of ‘SATurated pupildom’ that are supported by the data. Versions of learning and ability as well as teacher subject positions that variously fit with the demands of summative assessments for accountability purposes, but that do not square with valuing diversity, are also discussed. The conclusion briefly considers the findings in the context of a macro-culture that circumscribes what schools and teachers must value most and in relation to tensions within New Labour’s push for standardisation on the one hand and inclusion and social justice on the other.

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More information

Published date: December 2004
Keywords: assessment, inclusive education, ethnography, special educational needs

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 12654
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/12654
ISSN: 0141-1926
PURE UUID: 65a21ddf-c2cc-4cfa-ad1e-6dc2260eb058

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Date deposited: 06 Dec 2004
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 05:06

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Contributors

Author: Kathy Hall
Author: Janet Collins
Author: Shereen Benjamin
Author: Melanie Nind
Author: Kieron Sheehy

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