Year: 2007
Author: Nixon, Lawrence, Gregson, Maggie, Spedding, Trish
Type of paper: Abstract refereed
Abstract:
This paper reports the findings of a systematic review, commissioned by the DfES, which sought to analyse what Further Education practitioners say about implementing national educational policy at the local level. This review raised important issues about practitioner autonomy, professional values and operative forms of quality assurance. Having recently been awarded Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (CETT) status as part of a national DfES initiative, we were interested in exploring how the findings from the review and other associated research could be used to guide the implementation, quality assurance and the evaluation of the activities of the CETT.
It is argued that the model for implementing national policy at the local level devised in the light of this research carries real advantages. It opens up a space for the exercise of democratic and inclusive professional values, local autonomy the application of local knowledge, capable of improving pedagogical practice and hence more effective and efficient implementations of policy. Furthermore, this strategy is capable of generating more authentic forms of evidence to meet concerns of accountability and value for money.
It is argued that the model for implementing national policy at the local level devised in the light of this research carries real advantages. It opens up a space for the exercise of democratic and inclusive professional values, local autonomy the application of local knowledge, capable of improving pedagogical practice and hence more effective and efficient implementations of policy. Furthermore, this strategy is capable of generating more authentic forms of evidence to meet concerns of accountability and value for money.