Key publications
Koutsouris G, Stentiford L, Norwich B (2022). A critical exploration of inclusion policies of elite UK universities.
British Educational Research Journal,
48(5), 878-895.
Abstract:
A critical exploration of inclusion policies of elite UK universities
Inclusion is seen as an ethical obligation, grounded in notions of equity and social justice for all groups and at all stages of education, with higher education (HE) representing a distinctive space where the inclusion agenda is becoming more influential. However, inclusion is also increasingly recognised as an ambiguous concept that might have lost its critical edge and is in many cases reduced to ‘chatter’. To explore inclusion in this context, we analysed 48 policy documents from the websites of the 24 Russell Group Universities (the ‘elite’, research-intensive, UK universities) using a critical discourse analysis approach. We found that inclusion was rarely defined clearly, and that tensions, complexity and pedagogical implications of inclusion were not discussed. Inclusion was also related to excellence and ideas about a ‘global university’ that are central to a university’s reputation and ability to attract international students and staff. We see three ways in which these findings are significant: the way inclusion was approached in the policy documents could largely be described as managerial/legalistic, seen as the responsibility of human resources; inclusion was perceived as an act of legal compliance that was also expected to influence everyday relationships – but without an explanation of how this could happen; and inclusion was discussed together with broader debates within HE, e.g. meritocracy, but without a critical reflection on what this means. We, thus, argue that universities should resist treating inclusion as a quality and performance index and recognise that inclusion is linked to the very purposes of HE.
Abstract.
Koutsouris G, Stentiford L, Benham-Clarke S, Hall D (2021). Agonism in education: a systematic scoping review and discussion of its educational potential. Educational Review, 74(5), 1029-1054.
Stentiford L, Koutsouris G (2021). What are inclusive pedagogies in higher education? a systematic scoping review.
Studies in Higher Education,
46(11), 2245-2261.
Abstract:
What are inclusive pedagogies in higher education? a systematic scoping review
‘Inclusive pedagogies’ have been recommended as an approach for addressing increased student diversity in the university classroom. However, to date, no research has sought to map the field of inclusive pedagogies in higher education (HE) to establish how researchers have conceptualised and investigated this phenomenon. In this systematic scoping review, five databases were searched for literature published on the topic of inclusive pedagogies in HE. The findings suggest that HE researchers do not share a common understanding of inclusive pedagogies. We argue that inconsistency and fragmentation in perceptions of inclusive pedagogies is the result of inclusion itself being a philosophically contested matter; and that this needs to be reflected in the way that inclusive pedagogies are discussed in HE–even if this goes against current performative and market-driven trends that emphasise quick fixes over acknowledging the complexity of pedagogic issues.
Abstract.
Norwich B, Koutsouris G (2020). Putting RCTs in their place: implications from an RCT of the integrated group reading approach.
International Journal of Research and Method in Education,
43(2), 113-126.
Abstract:
Putting RCTs in their place: implications from an RCT of the integrated group reading approach
This paper describes the context, processes and issues experienced over 5 years in which a RCT was carried out to evaluate a programme for children aged 7–8 who were struggling with their reading. Its specific aim is to illuminate questions about the design of complex teaching approaches and their evaluation using an RCT. This covers the early development by the originator and work to develop and design a RCT funded trial. The experimental, process evaluation and case studies findings are summarized. It is argued that if RCT is the only credible evaluation approach, that there is no strong evidence for IGR use. But, if RCT as the first choice evaluation approach needs to be supplemented by process evaluation, then a positive process evaluation might save IGR for further development and evaluation trials. However, it is suggested that conceptualizing IGR as a complex teaching intervention also raises questions about RCT as the method of first choice. It is argued that a Designed-Based Research approach to scaling up IGR, an example of a Design & Research approach, might have been tried. The reasons why this was not done are explored with implications for the place of RCTs in improving teaching and learning.
Abstract.
Stentiford L, Koutsouris G, Norwich B (2018). A systematic literature review of the organisational arrangements of primary school-based reading interventions for struggling readers.
Journal of Research in Reading,
41, S197-S225.
Abstract:
A systematic literature review of the organisational arrangements of primary school-based reading interventions for struggling readers
This paper presents findings from a systematic literature review that explored the delivery arrangements of school-based reading interventions for struggling readers aged 5–8 years. Databases were searched for published and unpublished studies from 1970 to 2017, which employed a randomised controlled trial or quasi-experimental design. Sixty-four texts that met the inclusion criteria were categorised according to targeted tier based on the response-to-intervention model. Findings showed that tier 2/3 interventions targeting pupils who did not respond to whole class teaching (tier 1) were almost exclusively delivered in pull-out sessions by people other than the classroom teacher. At present, certain delivery arrangements appear to be used more than others in reading interventions conducted with young pupils in schools. This could to some extent reflect practices already used in primary schools and suggests that pupils who are identified for tier 2/3 support might have less access to their teacher's time and expertise.
Abstract.
Koutsouris G, Norwich B (2018). What exactly do RCT findings tell us in education research?.
British Educational Research Journal,
44(6), 939-959.
Abstract:
What exactly do RCT findings tell us in education research?
This article addresses issues related to whether null randomised control trial (RCT) findings can by themselves be a secure indicator of programme failure. This is done by drawing on the findings of the evaluation of the Integrated Group Reading (IGR) programme using a number of teacher case studies. The case studies illustrate how the same intervention can be implemented differently in local circumstances, with different outcomes. The different ways in which IGR was implemented reflect how teachers experienced the pressures of the national curriculum, their attitudes to the IGR approach to reading, the school ethos and the resources and support available—and point to how IGR use might be enhanced to result in more significant reading gains. The article argues that in addition to the statistical findings, evaluators ought to pay attention to the context in which a programme is implemented, especially when it comes to complex interventions trialled in real classrooms. It is also concluded that it is preferable to avoid asking whether a programme works or not for all, and under any circumstances. A focus on the different ways that programmes work under different circumstances, and when implemented by different people, is a more useful perspective. This might not provide the certainty that policy‐makers would likely opt for, but it captures better the complexity associated with teaching programme evaluation.
Abstract.
Publications by year
2023
Koutsouris G, Nash T, Norwich B (2023). Conducting school-based research during Covid: evaluating the Silver Stories programme. Cambridge Journal of Education, 53(3), 413-429.
2022
Koutsouris G, Stentiford L, Norwich B (2022). A critical exploration of inclusion policies of elite UK universities.
British Educational Research Journal,
48(5), 878-895.
Abstract:
A critical exploration of inclusion policies of elite UK universities
Inclusion is seen as an ethical obligation, grounded in notions of equity and social justice for all groups and at all stages of education, with higher education (HE) representing a distinctive space where the inclusion agenda is becoming more influential. However, inclusion is also increasingly recognised as an ambiguous concept that might have lost its critical edge and is in many cases reduced to ‘chatter’. To explore inclusion in this context, we analysed 48 policy documents from the websites of the 24 Russell Group Universities (the ‘elite’, research-intensive, UK universities) using a critical discourse analysis approach. We found that inclusion was rarely defined clearly, and that tensions, complexity and pedagogical implications of inclusion were not discussed. Inclusion was also related to excellence and ideas about a ‘global university’ that are central to a university’s reputation and ability to attract international students and staff. We see three ways in which these findings are significant: the way inclusion was approached in the policy documents could largely be described as managerial/legalistic, seen as the responsibility of human resources; inclusion was perceived as an act of legal compliance that was also expected to influence everyday relationships – but without an explanation of how this could happen; and inclusion was discussed together with broader debates within HE, e.g. meritocracy, but without a critical reflection on what this means. We, thus, argue that universities should resist treating inclusion as a quality and performance index and recognise that inclusion is linked to the very purposes of HE.
Abstract.
Stentiford L, Koutsouris G (2022). Critically considering the ‘inclusive curriculum’ in higher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 43(8), 1250-1272.
Baumfield V, Bethel A, Boyle C, Katene W, Knowler H, Koutsouris G, Norwich B (2022). How lesson study is used in initial teacher education: an international review of literature. Teacher Development, 26(3), 356-372.
2021
Boyle C, Stentiford L, Koutsouris G, Jindal-Snape D, Benham-Clarke S, Salazar Rivera J (2021). A systematic scoping review of the literature on the structures and processes that influence research activities in the UK. British Educational Research Association (BERA), https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/education-the-state-of-the-discipline-systematic-scoping-review.
Koutsouris G, Stentiford L, Benham-Clarke S, Hall D (2021). Agonism in education: a systematic scoping review and discussion of its educational potential. Educational Review, 74(5), 1029-1054.
Stentiford L, Koutsouris G, Allan A (2021). Girls, mental health and academic achievement: a qualitative systematic review.
Educational ReviewAbstract:
Girls, mental health and academic achievement: a qualitative systematic review
Over the past two decades, there has been increasing international concern over the prevalence of mental health difficulties amongst children and young people. In the English context, particular concerns have been raised about the “state” of girls’ and young women’s psychological health. Figuring highly in both academic and media debate is the impact of school pressures and the performance demands placed on girls in relation to academic achievement. In this systematic review, we map the reported achievement-related factors affecting girls’ mental health emerging from the peer-reviewed qualitative literature. Five databases were searched for literature published from 1990–2021. Additional search strategies included forwards and backwards citation chasing and hand searching. Eleven texts met our inclusion criteria. The themes of fears for the future, parent/family-related pressures, competitive school cultures, and gendered expectations of girls’ academic achievement emerged from the located texts. It was when pressures were “imbalanced” and felt in the extreme that mental ill-health/anxiety was more likely to be experienced. We go on to introduce the theoretical model of the “mental health/achievement see-saw” and argue for its use as a conceptual tool to engage with deep-rooted complexities around the relationship between gender, mental health and academic achievement. We contend that the “see-saw” model has potential utility to academics, educational practitioners, and policy-makers, and might be usefully translated into practice in the form of biopsychosocial interpositions in schools that move beyond more surface-level attempts at mental health promotion and that seek to empower, de-pathologise and challenge entrenched structural inequalities.
Abstract.
Koutsouris G, Norwich B, Bessudnov A (2021). Interpreting RCT, process evaluation and case study evidence in evaluating the Integrated Group Reading (IGR) programme: a teacher-led, classroom-based intervention for Year 2 and 3 pupils struggling to read.
Educational Review,
73(3), 346-373.
Abstract:
Interpreting RCT, process evaluation and case study evidence in evaluating the Integrated Group Reading (IGR) programme: a teacher-led, classroom-based intervention for Year 2 and 3 pupils struggling to read
Almost 20% of English pupils still experience difficulties with reading despite the use of a predominantly phonics-based approach that works well for most children, but not for all; therefore, other approaches need to be explored. The Integrated Group Reading (IGR) programme involves an inclusive approach to targeted teaching led by class teachers using group-based class organisation and the integration of diverse, research-based approaches (language and phonics-based). IGR has been evaluated in 34 English schools across 5 varied local authority areas using a cluster randomised design and a process evaluation. IGR was found to support enjoyment of reading and attain as much reading gains as the more phonics-oriented programmes used in the control classes. Following its use there were gains in teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching reading, and no negative effects on the class (non-IGR) pupils’ reading skills were found. This study shows what a more inclusive approach to targeted reading intervention can achieve through a well-resourced programme. Questions can be asked about the interpretation of randomised controlled trial (RCT) findings when it comes to classroom-based educational interventions, and about teacher choice in opting for alternative teaching approaches.
Abstract.
Stentiford L, Koutsouris G, Boyle C, Jindal-Snape D, Salazar Rivera J, Benham-Clarke S (2021). The structures and processes governing education research in the UK from 1990–2020: a systematic scoping review.
Review of Education,
9(3).
Abstract:
The structures and processes governing education research in the UK from 1990–2020: a systematic scoping review
This paper presents the findings of a systematic scoping review spanning 30 years (1990–2020) that sought to understand the structures and processes influencing education research activities in UK higher education (HE). Review work of this scale has not previously been undertaken on the topic. The purpose of the review was to ‘take stock’ of research in the field, identify continuing and emerging areas of concern regarding education research as a profession, and point to directions for future research. Seven databases were searched and additional strategies included citation chasing and hand-searching. We located 114 peer-reviewed journal articles and one doctoral thesis. Six themes emerged relating to formal structures/processes: culture of performativity and accountability; funding regime; impact agenda; ‘what works’ agenda; heated debates; and professional bodies. A further six themes related to informal structures/processes: academic pressures; affective issues; non-traditional academics; second-career researchers; career stages; and departmental cultures. The themes were complex and appeared to interact with each other. Evidence of the negative influence of neoliberal regimes on working conditions and well-being emerged more strongly in the past decade. The review indicates that further research is required into the experiences and academic identities of education researchers from under-represented or non-traditional groups (i.e. women, ethnic minority, working-class, disabled, LGBTQ+ academics). There is also a need for more studies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to understand their unique political-economic-educational contexts. The findings have relevance to education researchers and policy-makers in countries across the globe, particularly in comparable HE systems (e.g. North America, Australia). Context and implication Rationale for this study the study examines structural changes in UK HE at the socio-political-economic and institutional level that have influence upon education researchers’ work and identities. Why the new findings matter the findings paint a picture of the complexities associated with education research in the UK and examine structures and processes salient over a period of 30 years. Implications for researchers and policy makers the findings provide an insight into the academic debates surrounding education research and highlight the effects of neoliberal reform, marketisation and competition on HE and the identities and experiences of education researchers; and examine both formal (rules and procedures) and informal (the way human actors take up roles within institutions and bring with them feelings and interests) structures and processes. The study raises questions with regards to the future of education as a field of research and the way academics perceive their roles as education researchers. Discussion on the effects of neoliberal reform can be of interest to policy makers.
Abstract.
Koutsouris G, Mountford-Zimdars A, Dingwall K (2021). The ‘ideal’ higher education student: understanding the hidden curriculum to enable institutional change.
Research in Post-Compulsory Education,
26(2), 131-147.
Abstract:
The ‘ideal’ higher education student: understanding the hidden curriculum to enable institutional change
In England, more students from a wider range of backgrounds participate in higher education than in previous generations. This has led to a focus on how students from diverse backgrounds can fit better with existing higher education institutions. This is often framed in terms of ‘deficits’ that these students have to overcome to more closely resemble the ‘implied’ or ‘ideal’ students around which institutions are, often unconsciously, modelled. We flip this focus by thinking about how educational institutions can evolve in response to diverse students. We use the theoretical lens of the hidden curriculum to explore student perceptions of ‘ideal’ students. Findings are based on research with eight students as co-researchers and 24 further student participants in an academically selective English higher education institution. We find that there are many aspects of hidden or assumed practices within universities students encounter when first coming to higher education. Focusing specifically on learning environments and curricula, we found that ideas about an implied student were evident in the institution, that this mattered for the experience of learning–and that consciousness of hidden processes helps. We conclude by suggesting that instead of focusing on how to change students to fit institutions, institutions need to be open and adaptable to all students.
Abstract.
Stentiford L, Koutsouris G (2021). What are inclusive pedagogies in higher education? a systematic scoping review.
Studies in Higher Education,
46(11), 2245-2261.
Abstract:
What are inclusive pedagogies in higher education? a systematic scoping review
‘Inclusive pedagogies’ have been recommended as an approach for addressing increased student diversity in the university classroom. However, to date, no research has sought to map the field of inclusive pedagogies in higher education (HE) to establish how researchers have conceptualised and investigated this phenomenon. In this systematic scoping review, five databases were searched for literature published on the topic of inclusive pedagogies in HE. The findings suggest that HE researchers do not share a common understanding of inclusive pedagogies. We argue that inconsistency and fragmentation in perceptions of inclusive pedagogies is the result of inclusion itself being a philosophically contested matter; and that this needs to be reflected in the way that inclusive pedagogies are discussed in HE–even if this goes against current performative and market-driven trends that emphasise quick fixes over acknowledging the complexity of pedagogic issues.
Abstract.
2020
Koutsouris G, Anglin-Jaffe H, Stentiford L (2020). HOW WELL DO WE UNDERSTAND SOCIAL INCLUSION IN EDUCATION?.
British Journal of Educational Studies,
68(2), 179-196.
Abstract:
HOW WELL DO WE UNDERSTAND SOCIAL INCLUSION IN EDUCATION?
The paper draws on the findings of a small-scale empirical study to discuss why the project of inclusion, despite a long history of legislative efforts from the Salamanca Statement onwards, still appears to be troubling. The study used scenarios to explore tensions between inclusion and individual choice experienced by young people in the context of everyday social interaction with reference to the intersection between disability, ethnicity, gender and social class. Building on the findings, we argue that understanding inclusion at the level of social interaction has important implications for inclusive education. We employ ideas from theoretical work on inclusion to suggest that in order to achieve inclusion in education or in society, a top down approach influenced by national and international policy and a rights discourse might not be sufficient; this is because inclusion processes also operate at the level of everyday social interaction where policy has less influence. Such processes, for instance individual choice, are often less explored or even ignored by the inclusion literature, as they are seen as questioning or threatening the moral imperative of including all people. This argument, thus, raises the question of how well we understand social inclusion in education and provides directions for further research.
Abstract.
Norwich B, Koutsouris G (2020). Putting RCTs in their place: implications from an RCT of the integrated group reading approach.
International Journal of Research and Method in Education,
43(2), 113-126.
Abstract:
Putting RCTs in their place: implications from an RCT of the integrated group reading approach
This paper describes the context, processes and issues experienced over 5 years in which a RCT was carried out to evaluate a programme for children aged 7–8 who were struggling with their reading. Its specific aim is to illuminate questions about the design of complex teaching approaches and their evaluation using an RCT. This covers the early development by the originator and work to develop and design a RCT funded trial. The experimental, process evaluation and case studies findings are summarized. It is argued that if RCT is the only credible evaluation approach, that there is no strong evidence for IGR use. But, if RCT as the first choice evaluation approach needs to be supplemented by process evaluation, then a positive process evaluation might save IGR for further development and evaluation trials. However, it is suggested that conceptualizing IGR as a complex teaching intervention also raises questions about RCT as the method of first choice. It is argued that a Designed-Based Research approach to scaling up IGR, an example of a Design & Research approach, might have been tried. The reasons why this was not done are explored with implications for the place of RCTs in improving teaching and learning.
Abstract.
Boyle C, Koutsouris G, Salla Mateu A, Anderson J (2020). The Matter of ‘Evidence’ in the Inclusive Education Debate.
Abstract:
The Matter of ‘Evidence’ in the Inclusive Education Debate
Understanding how best to support all learners to achieve their goals is a key aspect of education. Ensuring that educators are able to be provided with the best programs and knowledge to do this is perfectly respectable. But what is “evidence” in education, and at what point is it useful and informative in inclusive education?
. The need exists for a better understanding of what should constitute evidence-based inclusive education. Research with a focus on evidence-based practices in special and inclusive education has been increasing in recent years. Education intervention, by its very definition, should be tailored to suit individuals or groups of learners. However, immediately this is at odds with the gold standard of research intervention, that of randomized control trials; however, there are many advocates for evidence-based practice confirming to the highest form of research methodology. This seems laudable, and who could argue with wanting the best approaches to inform programs and teaching in all facets of education? Nevertheless, the requirements for research rigor mean that it is not practically possible to measure interventions in inclusive education so that they are generalizable across the many students who need support, because the interventions must be specific to individual need and therefore are not generalizable, nor are they intended to be.
. A narrow approach to what is evidence-based practice in education is unhelpful and does not take into consideration the nuances of inclusive education. Evidence of appropriate practice in inclusive education entails much more than robust scientific methodologies can measure, and this should be remembered. “Good” education is inclusive education that may or may not be recognized as evidence-based practice.
Abstract.
2019
Norwich B, Koutsouris G (2019). An inclusive model of targeting literacy teaching for 7-8 year old children who are struggling to learn to read: the Integrated Group reading (IGR) approach. In Boyle C, Mavropoulou S, Anderson J, Paige A (Eds.) Inclusive Education: Global Issues and Controversies, Sense Publishers.
Koutsouris G, Norwich B, Stebbing J (2019). The significance of a process evaluation in interpreting the validity of an RCT evaluation of a complex teaching intervention: the case of Integrated Group Reading (IGR) as a targeted intervention for delayed Year 2 and 3 pupils.
Cambridge Journal of Education,
49(1), 15-33.
Abstract:
The significance of a process evaluation in interpreting the validity of an RCT evaluation of a complex teaching intervention: the case of Integrated Group Reading (IGR) as a targeted intervention for delayed Year 2 and 3 pupils
The significance of a process evaluation for understanding randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of complex teaching interventions in a classroom setting is discussed in relation to the evaluation of the Integrated Group Reading (IGR) programme trial. This process evaluation is based on realist principles and draws on different data sources. The findings indicate that the efficacy of a classroom-based complex intervention like IGR is hard to evaluate given the nature of the intervention and its context. These findings illustrate that a process evaluation should not be seen as a subsidiary study to the experimental trial, but as an independent study in its own right as it can shed light onto the setting up and running of the trial. The paper argues that RCTs by themselves do not necessarily provide the ‘best evidence’ and need to be supplemented by other evaluation perspectives.
Abstract.
2018
Stentiford L, Koutsouris G, Norwich B (2018). A systematic literature review of the organisational arrangements of primary school-based reading interventions for struggling readers.
Journal of Research in Reading,
41, S197-S225.
Abstract:
A systematic literature review of the organisational arrangements of primary school-based reading interventions for struggling readers
This paper presents findings from a systematic literature review that explored the delivery arrangements of school-based reading interventions for struggling readers aged 5–8 years. Databases were searched for published and unpublished studies from 1970 to 2017, which employed a randomised controlled trial or quasi-experimental design. Sixty-four texts that met the inclusion criteria were categorised according to targeted tier based on the response-to-intervention model. Findings showed that tier 2/3 interventions targeting pupils who did not respond to whole class teaching (tier 1) were almost exclusively delivered in pull-out sessions by people other than the classroom teacher. At present, certain delivery arrangements appear to be used more than others in reading interventions conducted with young pupils in schools. This could to some extent reflect practices already used in primary schools and suggests that pupils who are identified for tier 2/3 support might have less access to their teacher's time and expertise.
Abstract.
Norwich B, Koutsouris G, Bessudnov A (2018). An innovative classroom reading intervention for Year 2 and 3 pupils who are struggling to learn to read: Evaluating the Integrated Group Reading Programme.
Koutsouris G, Norwich B (2018). What exactly do RCT findings tell us in education research?.
British Educational Research Journal,
44(6), 939-959.
Abstract:
What exactly do RCT findings tell us in education research?
This article addresses issues related to whether null randomised control trial (RCT) findings can by themselves be a secure indicator of programme failure. This is done by drawing on the findings of the evaluation of the Integrated Group Reading (IGR) programme using a number of teacher case studies. The case studies illustrate how the same intervention can be implemented differently in local circumstances, with different outcomes. The different ways in which IGR was implemented reflect how teachers experienced the pressures of the national curriculum, their attitudes to the IGR approach to reading, the school ethos and the resources and support available—and point to how IGR use might be enhanced to result in more significant reading gains. The article argues that in addition to the statistical findings, evaluators ought to pay attention to the context in which a programme is implemented, especially when it comes to complex interventions trialled in real classrooms. It is also concluded that it is preferable to avoid asking whether a programme works or not for all, and under any circumstances. A focus on the different ways that programmes work under different circumstances, and when implemented by different people, is a more useful perspective. This might not provide the certainty that policy‐makers would likely opt for, but it captures better the complexity associated with teaching programme evaluation.
Abstract.
2017
Norwich B, Koutsouris G (2017). Addressing Dilemmas and Tensions in Inclusive Education. In Noblit G (Ed)
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education, Oxford University Press, 1-22.
Abstract:
Addressing Dilemmas and Tensions in Inclusive Education
Abstract.
Koutsouris G, Norwich B, Fujita T, Ralph T, Adlam A, Milton F (2017). Piloting a dispersed and inter-professional Lesson Study using technology to link team members at a distance.
Technology, Pedagogy and Education,
26(5), 587-599.
Abstract:
Piloting a dispersed and inter-professional Lesson Study using technology to link team members at a distance
This article presents an evaluation of distance technology used in a novel Lesson Study (LS) approach involving a dispersed LS team for inter-professional purposes. A typical LS model with only school teachers as team members was modified by including university-based lecturers with the school-based teachers, using video-conferencing and online video sharing. The aim was to examine the experiences of using video-conferencing and video transfer technology to support the use of LS procedures to connect team members between schools and university. The meetings from two LS teams (primary and secondary) were recorded and analysed using a discourse analysis framework, and team members were interviewed after the LS cycle. Despite some technical difficulties, the communication between the dispersed members of the teams was largely smooth and successful. Extending LS teams and practice to include non school teachers, using distance-linking technology, can more effectively support teachers, while reducing the practical constraints of bringing other professionals into the LS team.
Abstract.
2016
Norwich B, Koutsouris G, Fujita T, Ralph T, Adlam A, Milton F (2016). Exploring knowledge bridging and translation in lesson study using an inter-professional team.
International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies,
5(3), 180-195.
Abstract:
Exploring knowledge bridging and translation in lesson study using an inter-professional team
Purpose – it is argued that the issues of translating basic science, including knowledge from neuroscience, into relevant teaching are similar to those that have been experienced over a long period by educational psychology. This paper proposes that such a translation might be achieved through lesson study (LS), which is an increasingly used technique to stimulate teacher enquiry. To explore these issues, the purpose of this paper is to present the findings from a modified LS approach that involved psychologists and mathematics lecturers working together with school-based teachers to prepare a series of lessons on mathematics. Design/methodology/approach – the LS team review and planning meetings and subsequent interviews were recorded and analysed for common themes, with reference to patterns of knowledge bridging. Particular attention was paid to translational issues and the kind of knowledge used. Findings – Overall, there was some successful bridging between theory and practice, and evidence of translation of theoretical knowledge into relevant teaching practice. However, the analysis of the team’s interactions showed that relatively little involved a useful applied neuroscience/neuropsychology element, whereas other psychological knowledge from cognitive, developmental, educational and clinical psychology was considered more relevant to planning the LS. Originality/value – This study illustrates how reference to brain functioning has currently little specific to contribute directly to school teaching, but it can arouse increased interest in psychological processes relevant to teaching and learning. This approach reaffirms the central role of teacher-led research in the relationship between theory and practice. The findings are also discussed in relation to the SECI model of knowledge creation.
Abstract.
2014
Koutsouris G (2014). Inclusion and homophily: an argument about participatory decision-making and democratic school management.
British Journal of Educational Studies,
62(4), 413-430.
Abstract:
Inclusion and homophily: an argument about participatory decision-making and democratic school management
Abstract: This paper reports findings from a study about school staff’s perceptions of the preferences for social interaction that young people have with similar and different others. This tension was explored empirically using scenarios of moral dilemmas to conduct in-depth semi-structured interviews with school staff from special and mainstream secondary schools. The issue was explored with reference to a tension between social inclusion, the principle of embracing difference, and homophily, the concept that similarity breeds connection. The data suggest that homophily and inclusion can come into a tension with an ethical dimension. In education, the homophily/inclusion tension is one between students’ preferences for being among similar others and the moral imperative of including everybody; or between individuality and commonality. Inclusion is often translated into a demand for full participation as the only way to respond ethically to difference. However, the recognition of students’ rights to negotiate their preferences, even when they come into tension with what is considered to be politically correct, is also an ethical position. The paper concludes that the homophily/inclusion tension is constructive as it challenges the moral necessity of inclusion for all, and opens a debate about participatory decision-making and democratic school management.
Abstract.
Koutsouris G (2014). Young people’s preferences for social interaction in terms of homophily and social inclusion: a critical discussion about respect.
European Journal of Special Needs Education,
29(4), 521-535.
Abstract:
Young people’s preferences for social interaction in terms of homophily and social inclusion: a critical discussion about respect
This paper reports findings from a study about young people’s preferences for social interaction with similar and different others, in terms of a tension between social inclusion and homophily – the concept that similarity breeds connection. The issue was explored empirically using moral dilemmas scenarios to conduct in-depth semi-structured interviews with young people with Asperger syndrome, visual impairment and without disabilities. The data indicates that homophily and inclusion can come into a tension with an ethical dimension, since they represent, respectively, a personal preference to be among similar others and the moral imperative of including all people. The paper argues that this tension is constructive as it can challenge our understanding of what the ethical obligation to inclusion entails, and what treating the students respectfully means. Respect is often seen as an attempt to avoid the humiliation that any kind of recognition of difference can bring, and has tended to be translated into a demand for inclusion for all. However, the recognition of difference is an acknowledgement of young people’s right to make their own decisions, and can be reflected in provision and translated into educational and life opportunities; as such, it is also an expression of respect. Negotiating a way between the two understandings through dialogue can ensure that inclusion would be a shared value.
Abstract.
