From Education Policy to Education Practice: Unpacking the Nexus (Policy Implications of Research in Education, 15)

This open access book addresses the complex interrelations between education policy and education practice developed under new ways of governance. It illuminates the nexuses of the interrelated fields of education policy and education practice including the characteristics of these relationships. The book offers a selection of cases with varied approaches to the question of how different actors and stakeholders are situated in contemporary policy and practice nexuses. The cases presented includes theoretical and conceptual studies; historical studies; ethnographic studies; and studies combining empirical interview data and quantitative data. The book shows what constitutes the contemporary nexuses in education and discusses the need to re-consider how we in education research approach policy and practice in the interface between structure and agency for the future developments in the education policy-practice nexus. Preface Contents Chapter 1: Education Policy and Education Practice Nexuses Central Concepts and Understandings Policy–Practice Relations as Nexuses Elaborating on the Nature of Policy–Practice Nexuses Conceptualizations of Nexuses of Education Policy and Education Practice Nexus Formations in Time, Space, and Place The Complexity of Education Nexus Studies The Contribution of this Volume Revisiting the Structure–Agency Dualism Understanding and Describing the Complexity of Education Systems Understanding and Describing Policy and Practice Nexuses in Education References Part I: Conceptualizations of Nexuses of Education Policy and Education Practice Chapter 2: Rethinking Agents of Transformation: Social Mobilizations and Official Knowledge Introduction Whose Culture, Whose Knowledge? Knowledge and Progressive Mobilizations Students in the Lead Elite Knowledge, Racialization, and the (In)Justice System Hybrid Alliances and Agentic Possibilities Conclusion References Chapter 3: The Policy-Practice Nexus as ‘Politics of Use’: Professional Autonomy and Teacher Agency in the Classroom Introduction Teachers, Schools, the Education System, and the State: A Complicated Ménage à Quatre Autonomy and Agency: Same, Same, But Different? Less State Equals More Agency: Does It, and for Whom? Conclusion: The political in Policy Implementation – And Policy Implementation Research? References Chapter 4: Understanding Education Reform Policy Trajectories by Analytical Sequencing Introduction Complexity Reduction Through Analytical Distinctions, Sequencing and Relationships Entity Relationship Models: Mapping Education Reform Trajectories Re-Assembling Analytical Units and Relationships, and Conclusion References Chapter 5: ‘Research Use’ in Education: Conceptualising the Teaching Profession Within the Policy–Research–Practice Nexus Generations of Research on Research Use in Policy and Practice Positioning the Teaching Profession in Research on Research Use Research Use as a Means to Close a Deficit in the Profession Research Use as the Maturation of a Profession Research Use as a Communicative Endeavour Between Professionals and Researchers Across and Beyond Deficit, Maturation, and Communicative Endeavours A Multidimensional Analysis of Research Use Example One: Research Use as Professionalisation from Above Example Two: A More Agentic Perspective Conceptualising the Teaching Profession Within the Policy–Research–Practice Nexus Concluding Remarks References Part II: Nexus Formations in Time, Space and Place Chapter 6: The Curriculum as a Standard of Public Education A Short History of the Curriculum Work Curriculum Work as a Division of Discourse Basic Forms of Curriculum Work The Philanthropic Model The Licence Model The Examen-Artium Model The Assessment Model The Licence Model The Philanthropic Model The Examen-Artium and the Assessment Model References Chapter 7: Exploring Education Policy Transformations and Agency in a Postcolonial Context: The Case of Launching the Preparation Scheme in Greenland in 1961 Introduction Theoretical Underpinnings, Methodology, and Chapter Structure Introducing the Case Study The Copenhagen/Godthåb Arenas: Downloading the Preparation Scheme The Local School Arena The Godthåb/Copenhagen Arenas: Uploading the Preparation Scheme Concluding Discussion: Looking across the Arenas References Chapter 8: Merging Traditions and Emerging Tensions Introduction Differentiation from a Historical Perspective The Norwegian Education System and Teacher Education Organization of Arenas for Professional Development Professional Fields and Occupational Practice Professional Knowledge, Skills and Standards Emerging Tensions and New Forms of Differentiation References Chapter 9: Initial Teacher Education Partnership: Bureaucracy, Policy, and Professional Agency The ‘Problem’: Partnership in (Initial Teacher) Education Partnership Theory and Initial Teacher Education Initial Teacher Education Partnership in Scotland Partnership and Quality: The ‘Frames’ of the Evaluative State Developing a Heuristic for Initial Teacher Education Partnership Working Conclusion References Part III: The Complexity of Education Nexus Studies Chapter 10: Fragmentation Management from Policy to Practice. Special Educational Needs Teachers (SEN Teachers) in Mainstream Schools in Germany Introduction Control and Educational Governance Control and Inclusive Education The Multi-Level System of Schools and Its Control Control Contexts, Forms, and Results in the Multi-Level School System Research Questions and Design Results Control at the Macro and Exo Levels (Question 1) Control Contexts for the Meso and Micro Levels (Question 2) Personnel Issues Cooperation with the Relevant School Administration Forms of Control on Meso Level (Question 3a) Forms of Control on Micro Level (Question 3b) Summary and Discussion References Chapter 11: Conceptualisations of Extra-Curricular Cross-Sector Partnerships in the Context of The Cultural Schoolbag and Physical Activity Health Initiatives in Norwegian Schools Introduction Background The Cultural Schoolbag Physical Activity Health Initiatives Transforming Content from ‘the World’ into Classroom Events Conceptualisation of Partnerships Design and Method Results A Timeline of Documents on TCS and PA The Cultural Schoolbag Documents that Laid the Ground for TCS From Seed Funds for Collaboration and Innovation to Cultural Sector Wealth From Building Bridges to Balancing Power Between Sectors Physical Activity Health Initiatives PA—An Important Prerequisite for Development of the Whole Human Being PA—Prescriptions for a Healthier Norway PA—The ‘Right to Regular PA for Health’ in School, outside of Physical Education PA—Creativity, Joy and Commitment for Health and Life Skills Discussion Balancing Mutuality and Institutional Identity to Create Something New Conceptualisations in the Research-Policy-Practice Nexus in the TCS and PA Contexts Conclusion Appendix References Chapter 12: Regulatory Support Activities in the Swedish Policy and Practice Nexus: Inclusive Culture of Education Policy in Different Contexts Introduction Regulatory Support Activities in the Swedish Policy Support Activities as Culture of Inclusive Education Policy Theoretical Points of Departure Methods and Materials Regulated Support Activities and School Governance: Contextual Backdrop Support activities in Schools: Transmission of Advice in Policy Mediation by the Student Health Service Mandatory Duty to Provide Information Teaching Linked to the Minimum Knowledge Requirements Support Activities Linked to the Minimum Knowledge Requirements Support Activities in Schools: Transmission of Advice in Practice Students Defining the Problem Teachers and Students Solving the Problem Support Activities in Policy and Practice: Final Discussion Governance as Barriers to Learning Goal Requirements as Barriers to Learning Educational Alliances as Support for Teaching and Learning References Chapter 13: Competing Policy Ideas in Classroom Practice: The Case of Student Group Work Introduction and Background Conceptual Framework Method and Analytical Approach Findings Phase 1: Combining Individual and Collaborative Ideas in Instruction and Assessment Phase 2: Student Interactions and Teachers’ Reframing in the Complexity of Classroom Practice Phase 3: The Challenging Task of Balancing Competing Policy Ideas in Assessment Situations Discussion and Concluding Remarks Students as Micro Policy Agents in Classroom Practice? Current Challenges and Further Research Appendix References Chapter 14: Tracing Policy in Practice. Exploring the Interactional Exercise of Oral Assessment Introduction International Research on Oral Assessment Norwegian Research on Oral Assessment Oracy in Practice Untangling the Nexus Assessing Own Performance Through Accountable Talk Accountability to the Learning Community Accountability to the Norms and Rules Accountability to Knowledge Research Design Data Corpus Analytical Process The Empirical Case Introducing the Group Subject Talk Evaluating Group Subject Talks Discussion and Conclusion Appendix: Evaluation Criteria References Chapter 15: Actor Roles in Research–Practice Relationships: Equality in Policy–Practice Nexuses Operationalisation of the Education Policy–Practice Nexus Research–Practice Relationships Context of the Study Practitioner Involvement and Its Ideals Method Analytical Framework and Analysis Participant Involvement and Equality Outcomes: Participant Experiences with the Research–Practice Initiative Municipalities Pre-schools and Schools Universities Discussion Involvement and Equality Rethinking the Research–Practice Relationship References Index