Education for citizenship has the teaching of controversial issues, the exploration of social values and the fostering of active participation at its core. This article focuses on a case study of 11-year-old pupils in a Scottish primary school, who were exposed to a new programme underpinned by values-based participation. The pupils initiated…

A longitudinal study was conducted to follow children, in a city in Scotland, to understand their experiences of primary-secondary transition. The children were purposively selected as known to be having/potentially having problems with transition. Initial interviews were conducted with children, their parents and professionals when five were in…

This article discusses the relationship between the newly identified learning guide and personal learning. It draws on recent research that has critically examined the role of the personal tutor in secondary schools and colleges. The similarity in the two roles is discussed, and findings that may assist learning guides to have the impact…

The United States census data report that the nation is becoming more diverse at a rapid rate. Schools reflect these demographical changes by representing multiracial and multiethnic groups whose languages, religions, economics, and abilities are equally diverse. Educational systems often struggle in their efforts to support the needs of…

This article describes the early stages in the formation of a partnership between the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education and a group of secondary schools to develop a variety of approaches to student participation. The article focuses primarily on research undertaken by over 100 students in 12 secondary schools in Kent, and the Highest…

This article reviews how education for citizenship could be implemented and practised in Scottish primary schools at whole school, classroom and community level within the context of the new Curriculum for Excellence. It draws upon the advice and information given in existing key literature to provide an overview of the approaches that develop…

In recent years, the principle of networking and collaboration has become more prevalent and more widely studied in education. Most research to date has been carried out in urban contexts. However, it can be argued that, for school improvement in rural areas, their specific circumstances make collaboration imperative. In this article, we discuss a…

Whilst government policies are now pushing teachers to listen to pupils, this concern is largely framed within the school improvement agenda. This is not the only arena where listening to pupils counts. This article examines the ways in which two young people, making a significant choice about which university to attend, felt unable to discuss…

Project-based learning taps into students' interests by allowing them to create projects that result in meaningful learning experiences. The method requires teachers to identify projects that challenge students to work individually or in groups to create plans, solve problems they encounter, test their ideas, and present their projects to peers.…

With the advent of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), there is an increasing requirement that schools ensure children and young people's views are voiced, listened to and taken seriously on matters of significance. Encouraging these shifts by law is one thing; changing the culture in schools is another. For a…

The Assessment is for Learning programme has been implemented by Learning and Teaching Scotland over recent years and there will be further developments throughout the Scottish curriculum up until and beyond 2007. This article re-examines the techniques of formative assessment that can progress pupil learning and appeals to teachers to review…

The recent focus on pupil involvement in all aspects of education, including the school improvement agenda, has led to an increasing number of pupils being consulted on various aspects of school life and involved in a range of peer support schemes. Accompanying the proliferation of pupil involvement has been the development of training initiatives…

This article first investigates historical trends in both the practice and the understanding of consultation, considering the often contrasting perspectives of architects and designers, compared to teachers and educationalists. Differing assumptions held by these two broad groups of professionals can lead to conflicting aims and objectives for…

Against the wider background of increasing interest in pupil voice, this article gives examples of the student involvement activity in the largest of the National College of School Leadership (NCSL) development and enquiry initiatives: the Networked Learning Communities project. In programme-level research, student voice and participation were…

Critical friendship is a flexible form of support for school colleagues and one that is increasingly being applied to different contexts, including the New Relationship with Schools and School Improvement Partners. The ESRC/TLRP "Learning How to Learn" (LHTL) project was interested in, among other things, the scaling up of innovation, and…