Abstract
The second paper (Debbie Ralls) looks at what engagement means in an English co-operative school. Drawing on
Warren’s (2009) concept of relational engagement, staff, parents, students and community members were asked about
their engagement experiences. Engagement in action was observed to compare with the accounts given by teachers. This
study focused on engagement between a co-operative school and its key stakeholders: the students, their parents and the
community: Staff, parents, students and community members were asked about their engagement experiences.
Engagement in action was observed to compare with the accounts given by staff. The study was thus able to take account
of any links between the groups whilst acknowledging contrasts in approaches or understandings and to query why such
differences may have been occurring.
Analysis looked at the extent to which activities were seen as engagement with rather than doing to. It was found that the
co-operative school governance did indeed give more potential for democratic relational engagement. However, parents
and the community tended to be viewed as outsiders and so engaged with differently to students. Co-operative schools
face a dilemma - how to frame a more relational understanding of engagement in an English Education policy landscape of
doing to? The difficulty in doing with stakeholders when current English Education policy seeks todo to schools,
encouraging parents and community to do the same through the marketisation of schools and the rhetoric of freedom and
choice.
Warren’s (2009) concept of relational engagement, staff, parents, students and community members were asked about
their engagement experiences. Engagement in action was observed to compare with the accounts given by teachers. This
study focused on engagement between a co-operative school and its key stakeholders: the students, their parents and the
community: Staff, parents, students and community members were asked about their engagement experiences.
Engagement in action was observed to compare with the accounts given by staff. The study was thus able to take account
of any links between the groups whilst acknowledging contrasts in approaches or understandings and to query why such
differences may have been occurring.
Analysis looked at the extent to which activities were seen as engagement with rather than doing to. It was found that the
co-operative school governance did indeed give more potential for democratic relational engagement. However, parents
and the community tended to be viewed as outsiders and so engaged with differently to students. Co-operative schools
face a dilemma - how to frame a more relational understanding of engagement in an English Education policy landscape of
doing to? The difficulty in doing with stakeholders when current English Education policy seeks todo to schools,
encouraging parents and community to do the same through the marketisation of schools and the rhetoric of freedom and
choice.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 2017 |
| Event | European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction - Tampere, Finland Duration: 29 Aug 2017 → … |
Conference
| Conference | European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | EARLI |
| Country/Territory | Finland |
| City | Tampere |
| Period | 29/08/17 → … |
