Summary

The education system in the UK is currently experiencing an unprecedented period of change. Innovations such as the national curriculum, standardised assessment and increased parental choice have been introduced with the express purposes of increasing the quality of teaching and learning and raising of academic standards. Whether they will have the desired effect depends very much on how they are received by some of the key participants in the educational process -- such as teachers, pupils and parents. This book describes how the process of teaching and learning are perceived by such participants. It deals with a wide range of perceptions -- including those of nursery staff, primary and secondary teachers, pupils and parents. It considers issues such as the nature of preschool learning; the introduction of the national curriculum and standardised assessment at Key Stage One; pupils' perception of learning at the start of secondary school; the role of 'knowledge about language'; and the extent to which teachers and pupils agree on what constitutes 'effective teaching and learning'. The book is based on initial findings from the research programme Innovation and Change in Education: The Quality of Teaching and Learning, which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).