ERIC Number: EJ1097309
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1750-8487
EISSN: N/A
Reculturing Schools in England: How "Cult" Values in Education Policy Discourse Influence the Construction of Practitioner Identities and Work Orientations
Bates, Agnieszka
Critical Studies in Education, v57 n2 p191-208 2016
The imperative of continuous improvement has now become normative in education policy discourse, typically framed as setting "aspirational" targets for pupil performance as a prerequisite for gaining competitive advantage in the global economy. In this context, teachers, leaders, teacher assistants and other practitioners working in schools across England have been under increasing pressure to raise standards. This article focuses on how values are deployed in reculturing and regulating practitioners to develop identities and work orientations which are congruent with the policymakers' agendas. G. H. Mead's concept of "cult" values illuminates the process of fostering homogeneity with the dominant policy discourse through an inclusion/exclusion dynamic. Interview data collected in two primary schools revealed a significant convergence of practitioner discourse with policy objectives. Delivering improvement affects how practitioners talk about their work and see themselves as educators. The "cult" of continuous improvement appears to inhibit a critical approach to the implementation of education policies by school practitioners in their everyday work.
Descriptors: Educational Policy, Educational Improvement, Discourse Analysis, Academic Standards, Foreign Countries, Elementary School Teachers, Values, Self Concept, Case Studies, Semi Structured Interviews, Content Analysis, Teacher Attitudes, Family Work Relationship, Citizenship, Educational Change, Administrator Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A