This paper presents an examination of identity "in" and "as" practice as it relates to a group of educational practitioners known as middle leaders. Drawing on the theory of practice architectures as a site-ontological approach for conceptualising educational leading, the paper considers an individual's identity as being…

Rurality is known to be associated with a number of weaker educational outcomes, from lower attainment through to lower social mobility. This is why so much policy and practitioner focus has been directed at addressing the rurality gap in educational outcomes. In this paper, we use pupil-level data for Scotland to contribute to two dimensions of…

Primary school teachers in England are responsible for the statutory assessment of writing, using a set of criteria. The aim of this research was to analyse the responses of teachers to the criteria "at the expected" standard. An elicitation exercise with 10 primary school teachers was conducted, where teachers talked through their…

Given the disruptions the COVID-19 pandemic has engendered in people's professional lives, the importance and contribution of certain workforces has been under particular scrutiny. In England, the teaching profession has been under particularly close public scrutiny, with concerns that teachers' perceived social appreciation may have decreased…

This paper sets out original findings from analyses of the English National Pupil Database of Key Stage 1 (KS1) attainment, to examine educational outcomes of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The schooling of these children has been entirely within the context of the current SEND system, defined by the 2014-2015…

Inspired by complex system theory, this study adopts a multilevel piecewise regression model to examine the relationship between homework time and the development of students in different grades using a large-scale testing database in China. The results indicate that the relationship between homework time and students' performance is positive when…

Given the recruitment and retention crisis within the teaching profession, it is essential that the factors contributing to this are examined. Studies suggest that there has been a general decline in teacher wellbeing since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and student conduct problems are known to be a key negative contributor to poor teacher…

While most research has focussed on the experiences and consequences of ethnic discrimination for students, little is known about how teachers respond to ethnic discrimination. Teachers' responses are important as they may affect the outcomes of ethnic discrimination for students. Additionally, many studies have shown that teachers find it…

The incorporation of mental well-being provision into school curricula is increasingly the focus of government policy in the UK and internationally. However, it is not clear what well-being programmes schools provide to pupils, and how these programmes are delivered. The current study was an online survey to assess the use of whole-school…

Mastering spelling is important for children to progress in writing. The National Curriculum in England details spelling lists linked to each year group in primary education. Assessment practices also emphasise the importance of teaching spelling. However, to date, little is known about how teachers feel about teaching spelling nor the…

Relying on the contingency theory, the present study examines the influence of school characteristics and principal-teacher gender (dis)similarity on the relationship between principals' systems thinking (PST) and teacher withdrawal behaviours of absenteeism and intent to leave. Data were collected from two sources: 111 school management team…

Despite extensive research on attainment grouping, the impact of attainment grouping on pupil attainment remains poorly understood and contested. This paper presents evidence from a study conducted with 2944 12-13 year olds, from 76 schools in England, who were allocated to between-class attainment groups ('setting') in English and mathematics…

Track recommendations provided to students in the final grade of primary education lead the allocation to specific school tracks in secondary education in the Netherlands. Where the results of a standardised test indicate that students are able to go to a higher track level, primary schools are required to reconsider and potentially adjust the…

Breaktimes are ubiquitous in English schools. Research suggests they have social value for children, but school staff often have a range of concerns about breaktimes and tend to undervalue them. However, there is little understanding about these times, not least because data are not collected about their organisation and characteristics. This…

In this paper we develop a model for the capabilities required by principals for effective Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) leadership. The model underpinned a large national cross-sectional research and development project across Australian states in both primary and secondary schools. This model is developed via synthesis…