The authors critique the mechanistic notion of aspirations running through much research and policy-making on educational and vocational outcomes. They present a performative model, with individuals drawing on limited social resources to express aspirations within constrained contexts. This argument is illustrated by discussion of the findings of…

This study charts reports of nasty or threatening text and email messages received by students in academic years 7 and 8 (11-13 years of age) attending 13 secondary schools in the North of England between 2002 and 2006. Annual surveys were undertaken on behalf of the local education authority to monitor bullying. Results indicated that, over five…

In spite of research showing that pupils--particularly boys--tend to experience tension between high academic achievement and popularity with peers at school, some pupils continue to maintain simultaneous production of both. This article focuses on a sample of 12-13 year-old pupils, identified as high achieving and popular, to examine classroom…

This article presents findings from a comparative case study examining the implementation of the mathematics strand of the Key Stage 3 Strategy in two contrasting schools--one using setting and whole-class teaching, the other incorporating mixed-ability grouping and individualised learning. A number of "outcomes" of implementation are considered,…