Gale Macleod | University of Edinburgh (original) (raw)

Books by Gale Macleod

Schooling is not just about learning new knowledge and skills, it is about preparing young people... more Schooling is not just about learning new knowledge and skills, it is about preparing young people to take an active role in society and involves 'educating the whole child'. Equally there is a greater understanding of the rights of children now enshrined in legislation associated with educational provision in may systems. In response to changing curricular imperatives and organisational initiatives, schools have developed structures and approaches that offer care and support for individual students and have strived to develop partnerships with parents and major stakeholders. As society changes and schools have become more complex institutions, the nature of that care and support has taken on new forms and meanings. Priorities have changed and teacher conditions of service and management responsibilities are different. This book traces the developments associated with policy initiatives such as guidance and pastoral care; support for learning; the inclusion agenda; new community schools and personal and social education. The Scottish experience is compared and contrasted with developments in the UK and other educational systems. The book will appeal to all who are concerned with the role played by schools in their wider social context, be they policy makers, school managers, teachers and those seeking to take an active role in social education.

Papers by Gale Macleod

Scottish Educational Review, Mar 27, 2004

Scottish Educational Review

Most research into parental involvement and engagement examines the perspectives of teachers and ... more Most research into parental involvement and engagement examines the perspectives of teachers and parents, but often not pupils. Additionally, the focus is commonly on younger children. This study addresses these gaps. A questionnaire was distributed to pupils in Primaries 5, 6 and 7 (ages 9–12), which, after data cleaning, resulted in a sample of 842 responses. The questionnaire asked about frequency of and attitudes towards support with learning at home and pupils’ attitudes towards adults from home coming in to school. Findings show that changes in attitude towards home support previously reported in secondary pupils are also evident in this younger group. The oldest pupils in the study showed increased apathy, but no increased embarrassment, about adults from home coming in to school. Most children were happy with the support they received, with children at all stages wanting more help with writing than reading. Implications for practice are considered.

Oxford Review of Education

International Journal on School Disaffection, 2014

In this largely theory-focused paper it is argued that there is a tension between demands for par... more In this largely theory-focused paper it is argued that there is a tension between demands for particular knowledge, relevant to local policy contexts, and calls for universal, generalizable evidence to inform policymaking. Some consequences of this tension, in terms of the forms of knowledge that may be drawn on in policymaking at the local level, are outlined. Findings from two studies are presented to shed some light on the local authority policymaking process in relation to behaviour in schools in Scotland. The ways in which the process identified may affect the forms of knowledge informing policy are discussed. Some possible consequences of over-reliance on these forms of knowledge are explored. Throughout, this paper locates the policymaking process in relation to behaviour in Scottish schools within the wider UK context, drawing out similarities and differences.

Power and Education, 2009

This article is intended as a contribution to the debate on the epistemology of educational resea... more This article is intended as a contribution to the debate on the epistemology of educational research. The latter is construed as an ethical project that brings with it a distinctive set of power relations, and entails a degree of self-effacement on the part of the researcher, a subordination of the self to the internal logic of the task in hand. The conditions within the academy that inhibit the development of these qualities are briefly outlined, as is the status of the academic as an awkward hybrid between animal laborens and homo faber. The authors build upon earlier work that drew upon ethnographic research on walking and a comparative anthropology of the line in order to develop a new approach to understanding the relation between movement, knowledge, description and measurement in social research. They bring into dialogue the notion of wayfaring elaborated by the anthropologist Tim Ingold and Richard Sennett's socio-cultural exploration of the realm of the craftsman. By dr...

Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 2006

ABSTRACT This paper presents an analysis of a survey of separate provision for pupils with social... more ABSTRACT This paper presents an analysis of a survey of separate provision for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) in Scotland conducted in October 2002. First, the purpose of this study was to provide a map of separate provision for pupils with SEBD in Scotland. The findings raise concerns about a climate of uncertainty in separate provision linked to the context of the dominant inclusion agenda. Second, the type of curriculum on offer and perceived advantages and disadvantages of different approaches were investigated. Once again the findings point to the impact of the inclusion agenda on schools in this sector and what they feel able to offer. This paper argues that the findings can be interpreted, at least in part, as a consequence of a defensive stance adopted by separate schools in response to the current ideological climate.

Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 2006

Young people in trouble can be seen as passive victims of circumstance who are in need of help; a... more Young people in trouble can be seen as passive victims of circumstance who are in need of help; as individuals responsible for their own behavior who need to be punished; or as sufferers from medical conditions who require treatment. This paper will examine the history of ...

Cambridge Journal of Education, 2009

This paper reports on a survey that aimed to explore the experiences of students undertaking init... more This paper reports on a survey that aimed to explore the experiences of students undertaking initial teacher education and community education degrees in a Scottish University. The survey focused in particular on decisions around disclosure of disability and experiences on 'placements' in schools or community work settings. Findings indicated that many students chose not to disclose their disability, and for those who did this was a very individual process that was made up of a series of negotiations, rather than being a one-off decision. Those students who did choose to discuss their disability during placements reported positive responses on the whole, although for a few students the demands of placement proved problematic. Implications are discussed in the context of the current disability legislation. In particular, the notion of attendance on placement as a required competence standard is considered.

Oxford Review of Education, 2012

Ethics and Education, 2012

Taking flight: Trust, ethics, and the comfort of strangers-lessons from research on emotional and... more Taking flight: Trust, ethics, and the comfort of strangers-lessons from research on emotional and behavioural difficulties and exclusion from school This article explores the themes of trust and ethical conduct in social research, with particular attention to the trust that can develop between the members of a research team as well as between researchers and those whom they research. The authors draw upon a three-year empirical study of destinations and outcomes for young people excluded from alternative educational provision. They also make reference to a contemporary exposition of Aristotle's writing on friendship in order to explore two sets of relevant distinctions that have a bearing upon our understanding of relationships that emerge in the context of social research projects. These distinctions are between impartiality and selectivity on the one hand, and between universality and particularity on the other. The authors attempt to demonstrate that these distinctions have a bearing upon the development of trust, and upon the conduct of ethical research, arguing that the latter is not synonymous with compliance to ethical guidelines.

Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 2009

Locked out: researching destinations and outcomes for excluded pupils You simply go out and shut ... more Locked out: researching destinations and outcomes for excluded pupils You simply go out and shut the door without thinking. And when you look back at what you've done it's too late. If this sounds like the story of a life, okay.

British Educational Research Journal, 2010

This relates to a seminar on the 'epistemological basis of educational research findings' under t... more This relates to a seminar on the 'epistemological basis of educational research findings' under the auspices of the ESRC's Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) http://www.tlrp.org/themes/seminar/bridges.html 2 William Wordsworth 'The world is too much with us' (1807).

Journal of Philosophy of Education, 2008

This research maps out separate provision for pupils with SEBD in Scotland and investigates the e... more This research maps out separate provision for pupils with SEBD in Scotland and investigates the experience of pupils in such provision. The mapping study used a postal questionnaire which provided, for the first time, a picture of the sector in terms of who is running it, their sense of purpose, the curriculum on offer, the background of pupils, links with mainstream schools, and attitudes towards evaluating effectiveness. Some findings were predictable, such as the social background and gender mix of pupils, but others were more surprising, such as the high level of exclusion and low number of schools which viewed reintegration as a key purpose. To investigate pupil experience of separate provision interviews were carried out with a total of fourteen pupils from two different schools. These interviews addressed specific questions relating to curriculum, educational experience, ethos and stigmatisation. In this thesis Symbolic Interactionism is used as a theoretical lens through whi...

International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning, 2021

Engagement with reading falls around the age of 11 or 12, and there is widespread concern with le... more Engagement with reading falls around the age of 11 or 12, and there is widespread concern with levels of literacy amongst adolescents. Most research examines how digital tools facilitate preschoolers' reading or reading motivation outside school. Less research is conducted in the school context, particularly with older pupils. This article reports a systematised review to investigate the effectiveness of digital tools for supporting reading in secondary schools. Two thousand three hundred ninety-six articles were screened with 10 selected for review. The empirical evidence is examined, definitions of effectiveness, and facilitators and barriers are identified. Findings show the evidence base is varied, but robust; digital tools are effective in motivating adolescents' reading interest, and improving their reading skills and test scores; teachers are key facilitators in the process. Findings are in line with research with younger age-groups suggesting the transferability of r...

Setting the Context In Scotland, 2018 was designated the Year of Young People. Yet, we know that ... more Setting the Context In Scotland, 2018 was designated the Year of Young People. Yet, we know that for many children living in poverty their life chances are significantly reduced, reflected in poorer mental health and wellbeing [1] and academic outcomes [2]. Focussing on attainment alone will not solve the problem: an holistic focus upon children and their wellbeing within the contexts of public policy, families, schools and communities is essential [3]. We have chosen to focus on early adolescence as this represents a critical stage in children's development [4, 5] when peer victimization [6] and mental health issues [7] often come to the fore, impacted by adverse childhood experiences [8, 9]. This is a complex international problem [10-12], articulated within the United Nation's global goals for sustainability [13], requiring a multidisciplinary focus. The seminar series focussed on one of the Scottish Government's key policies-the Scottish Attainment Challenge, addressed through a wide range of legislation and initiatives [14, 15]. Through hosting a series of three international seminars (one held over two days) and working with children and young people in St Rose of Lima Primary School, Glasgow City Council and Inverclyde Academy, focussing on their sense of belonging to school, we have sought to cast light on this complex problem.

This study of routes, destinations and outcomes for pupils permanently excluded from special scho... more This study of routes, destinations and outcomes for pupils permanently excluded from special schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) was commissioned in the autumn of 2006 in the light of concerns expressed in the report of the Practitioners' Group on School ...

Scottish Educational Review, 2010

This paper explores the challenges of negotiating access to research participants at a distance. ... more This paper explores the challenges of negotiating access to research participants at a distance. These challenges are explored in the context of a study of destinations and outcomes for 24 young people permanently excluded from special schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) in England. The authors describe the process of negotiating access through a third party to young people considered to be particularly vulnerable, from whom written opt-in consent was negotiated through an intermediary. This process necessitated establishing trust with a wide range of service providers, usually over the telephone. Moreover, these service providers were gatekeepers and informants to the research. They were located at different points in a variety of professional hierarchies with different accountability structures. There was considerable variation in the extent to which the individuals themselves were prepared to exercise trust, defined here as both cognitive and behavioural. The responses of the...