Session Information
23 SES 11 D, Policy Reforms and Implementation Processes (Part 2)
Paper Session continued from 23 SES 10 D
Contribution
Inclusion is now considered as a global agenda (Meije and Hegarty, 1997). International agencies such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the UK’s Department for International Development and the World Bank support and promote inclusive education. Although the uncertainty of the term’s meaning (Allan, 2008) and the differences that exist among countries concerning the progress made in implementing inclusive education, there is a growing societal awareness of its benefits.
In Scotland, the promotion of inclusion of all children in mainstream schools is an important provision, as in several European governments (Riddell, 2009; Allan, 2010). The policy of inclusion is supported by several Acts and policy documents that promote inclusion and positive relationships within schools. The policy document: ‘Better relationships, better learning, better behaviour’ includes priority actions to support local authorities, practitioners, and partners to promote positive relationships and behaviour within their learning communities. It was published in March of 2013 in response to the Behaviour in Scottish schools research 2012 (Black et al, 2012) and it was formulated by the Scottish Government and the ‘Scottish Advisory Group on Relationship and Behaviour in Schools’ (SAGRABIS) which is a group of representatives from key bodies and organisations in Scottish education. This paper focuses on the complexity involved in policy implementation having as an example the implementation of this policy. Of particular interest to the research is the composition of the group that formulated the policy and the interactions involved in the policy process.
Nowadays, educational policy's conceptualisation as a linear process of policy formulation and policy implementation has been challenged and it has been replaced by a more complex process (Ball and Bowe, 1992). Policy formulation and policy implementation are not considered to be two separate stages in policy process any more. Policy is also formulated while is put into practice; because during this several social processes occur (Bell et al, 2006). From this perspective policy is expressed by various participants and is also made while it is interpreted and implemented, for example from practitioners daily even unintentionally (Bell et al, 2006). Hence participants are both, receivers and agents of policy.
This complex conceptualisation of policy implementation as well as the need to study under what conditions education policies work (Honig, 2006), encourage the use of complexity theory that focuses on the idea that the interaction of multiple constituent agents has as a result the emergence of phenomena-forms and events (Davis and Upitis, 2004). It is believed that this theory could contribute in our conceptualisation of policy process, enhancing our understanding on how education policies get implemented and work.
Hence, this paper will explore the implementation of the above Scottish policy and the relationships involved in the process by addressing the questions: To what extent can education policy implementation be characterised as a complex system? How do policymakers perceive themselves in the policy process? How do policymakers interpret the policy that was formulated by them? What are the significant interactions that affect the systems' function? These questions are also relevant at a European level.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Allan, J (2008) Inclusion for all? Scottish Education: Third edition: beyond devolution. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. P701-710 Allan, J (2010) 'Questions of Inclusion in Scotland and Europe', European Journal of Special Needs Education, 25(2), 199–208. Ball, S and Bowe, R. (1992) Subject departments and the "implementation" of national curriculum policy: an overview of the issues. Journal of curriculum studies, 24 (2), 97-115. Black, C., Chamberlain, V., Murray, L., Sewel, K. and Skelton, J. (2012) Behaviour in Scottish schools 2012 Final Report. Edinburgh: Scottish Government Bell, Leslie and Stevenson, Howard (2006) Education policy: process, themes and impact. Leadership for learning . Routledge, London Davis, B and Upitis, R. (2004) 'Pending Knowledge: On the Complexities of Teaching and Learning', Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, 20(3), 113-128. Honig, M.I. 2006. New directions in education policy implementation: Confronting complexity. New York, NY: State University of New York Press. Pijl, S.J., C.J.W. Meijer, and S. Hegarty. 1997. Inclusive education: A global agenda. London: Routledge. Riddell, S. (2009) Social justice, equality and inclusion in Scottish education, Discourse, 30(3), 283-297. Wright, K. (2010) ‘Count us in’ – achieving inclusion in Scottish schools: an analysis of policy. International Journal of Inclusive Education 14(2)
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