Mary Thornton - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Mary Thornton
Educational Research, Dec 1, 2007
Claims that male role models can improve the behaviour and achievement of boys are familiar and p... more Claims that male role models can improve the behaviour and achievement of boys are familiar and persistent. In the media the lack of male teachers as role models in schools has been cited as a cause for particular concern. However, research has not confirmed such a link; recent UK studies indicate that peers and relatives may be far more important to boys than their teachers. A new study, reported here, explored whether or not children actually see their teachers, whatever their sex, as role models. It inquired directly of children, aged from 10 to 16 years, from four English schools in different socioeconomic environments, about their role models, and about what they regard as important attributes for a role model. This article illustrates the range of role models adopted by young people today, and their reasons for choosing them. Teachers are not prominent amongst them!
... to women. It thus informs professional and public understanding of gender issues in teaching ... more ... to women. It thus informs professional and public understanding of gender issues in teaching and their effect on pupils' learning and on the profession itself. The conclusions have important implications for future policies on recruitment, retention and career progression. ...
Educational Psychology in Practice, Mar 1, 2006
There has been little attempt to relate well‐known educational approaches in autism to increased ... more There has been little attempt to relate well‐known educational approaches in autism to increased psychological understanding about the condition. This paper addresses that gap. Four discrete educational approaches to autism (Higashi, Lovaas, Option, TEACCH), and ...
Education 3-13, Jun 1, 2001
The impact of careers guidance and advice on newly recruited primary teacher education students i... more The impact of careers guidance and advice on newly recruited primary teacher education students is the subject of this article. Data were obtained through questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with new (1998 entry) primary teaching students, drawn from 14 different Higher Education institutions. The foci of the research were a wide range of issues related to recruitment into teaching, with the careers service just one amongst many potential sources of guidance and advice. However, media coverage of the research report focused primarily, and negatively, on students' views and opinions of the careers service. This article sets our findings and advice within the context of the whole research project.
Research in education, Nov 1, 2002
In the media the lack of male teachers and male role models in schools has been cited as a cause ... more In the media the lack of male teachers and male role models in schools has been cited as a cause of particular concern (Maynard, 2002). Headlines such as 'Failing boys "public burden number one"' (Dean, 1998), 'Gender gap widens to a gulf' (Cassidy, 1999) and 'How to improve bis stories' (Rundell, 2001) accompany the news that girls' exam results have not only caught up with those of boys but in some instances are surpassing them. The government has called for more men in teaching, especially in the early years, as role models for boys (DfEE, 2000). Latest figures show that just over 13 per cent of primary teachers are men (DFES, 2001), but applications from men for postgraduate teacher training in England are up 356 on last year. The Teacher Training Agency's target is for men to make up 15 per cent of primary trainees in 2002-03. However, there is a remarkable lack of clarity in the literature about what impact men, as teachers and as role models, may have on the perceptions and educational experiences of male and female pupils and their school-based achievements.
Early Child Development and Care, Oct 1, 2008
The number of men in teaching has always been small, particularly in early childhood, but those t... more The number of men in teaching has always been small, particularly in early childhood, but those that do come into teaching usually do so for the same reasons as women, namely enjoyment of working with children, of wanting to teach and wanting to make a difference to children"s lives. However, in two separate studies Thornton & Bricheno (2006) have shown that on beginning teacher training in 1998, and at the point of leaving the profession in 2005, men and women tend to emphasise different concerns. This article will explore those differences and seek possible explanations for how men"s views of teaching might be changing over time.
Journal of Education for Teaching, Apr 1, 2001
Research in education, May 1, 2002
Despite the introduction of training salaries for Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) st... more Despite the introduction of training salaries for Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) students, a substantial increase in enquiries (Tabberer, 2000) and some reported increase in the actual number of applications for primary teacher education courses (Campbell, 2000), recruitment overall has declined significantly, from 24,994 applications in 1994 to 9,875 in 1999 (Gates, 1999). Higher entry qualifications will not readily be imposed on a smaller pool of applicants if the educational characteristics of those applicants remain at the same level (generally considered to be low: House of Commons, 1997). Specific subject-knowledge for teaching may be enhanced by increased emphasis on first degrees and thus recruitment to primary PGCE courses, through the discriminating allocation of training salaries and as an outcome of the Secretary of State's description of the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree as a 'sub-degree undergraduate course' (McAvoy, citing Hansard, 2000), but the PGCE neither ensures adequate coverage of shortage subjects nor the whole curriculum competence required of most primary teachers (Thornton, 1998). Despite the introduction of training salaries for PGCE students, starting in September 2000, recruitment of ethnic minority and male students remains low (Barnard, 2000, reports just a 5 per cent increase in applications from men and a 5 per cent increase in enquiries from ethnic minorities) and there is strong evidence that the teaching profession in England is becoming increasingly feminised (Howson, 1998).
Widening participation and lifelong learning, 2014
Equality Issues for the New Millennium, 2018
As the numbers of people globally who take part in higher education increases, how can nations an... more As the numbers of people globally who take part in higher education increases, how can nations and individual HE institutions ensure that this opportunity is open and available to all who are able to benefit? How can institutions best manage the diversity of their student body to the benefit of all students? What does higher education mean to the most disadvantaged in society? And how can both the content and mode of higher education pedagogy ensure that all possible learners can take part?This edited collection takes an international overview of these questions, addressing issues that are usually only tackled at the national or local level. It explores the inter-connectedness of recent trends in higher education widening access, internationalisation, equality and diversity and inclusive curriculum. Moreover it offers and evaluates examples of practice from around the world that have, in different ways, attempted to provide solutions to these issues.This book would be of interest to...
Procs of the 3rd …, 2005
The Dearing Report (NCEHE, 1997: 13.1), called for the effective use of information technology in... more The Dearing Report (NCEHE, 1997: 13.1), called for the effective use of information technology in learning and teaching in higher Education, suggesting that it, '… holds out much promise for improving the quality, flexibility and effectiveness of higher education'. Six years later it is time to take stock of what has been achieved. Technology in learning and teaching is no longer peripheral. Its presence is ubiquitous at the strategic if not always at the operation level. However, relatively little is known about its real as opposed to claimed effectiveness in enhancing student learning and their experience of higher education.
British Journal of Sociology of Education, 2010
In the current quality enhancement climate that dates back to Dearing (NCIHE, 1997), many univers... more In the current quality enhancement climate that dates back to Dearing (NCIHE, 1997), many universities are encouraging their staff to research into their own teaching practice, to innovate and to disseminate new ideas, strategies and resources to their peers, and many provide funding to support such work. This article is in two parts. The first explores the University of Hertfordshire's (UH) use of in-house funds to support small-scale development projects that are designed to enhance the quality of learning and teaching. It reports research that sought to assess what 'value-added' effect such funded projects might have in terms of spread of use, longevity and impact. The second provides a perspective on this research from the Director of Academic Quality (Learning and Teaching).
Research in Education, 2002
In the media the lack of male teachers and male role models in schools has been cited as a cause ... more In the media the lack of male teachers and male role models in schools has been cited as a cause of particular concern (Maynard, 2002). Headlines such as 'Failing boys "public burden number one"' (Dean, 1998), 'Gender gap widens to a gulf' (Cassidy, 1999) and 'How to improve bis stories' (Rundell, 2001) accompany the news that girls' exam results have not only caught up with those of boys but in some instances are surpassing them. The government has called for more men in teaching, especially in the early years, as role models for boys (DfEE, 2000). Latest figures show that just over 13 per cent of primary teachers are men (DFES, 2001), but applications from men for postgraduate teacher training in England are up 356 on last year. The Teacher Training Agency's target is for men to make up 15 per cent of primary trainees in 2002-03. However, there is a remarkable lack of clarity in the literature about what impact men, as teachers and as role models, may have on the perceptions and educational experiences of male and female pupils and their school-based achievements.
Research in Education, 2011
Research in Education, 2002
Educational Access and Social Justice, 2009
Gender discrimination is prevalent in many societies, but poverty adds greatly to the experience ... more Gender discrimination is prevalent in many societies, but poverty adds greatly to the experience of disadvantage, not least in terms of equality of educational opportunity and outcomes. The term 'poor girls' refers to a situation of double disadvantage with regard to ...
Educational Research, Dec 1, 2007
Claims that male role models can improve the behaviour and achievement of boys are familiar and p... more Claims that male role models can improve the behaviour and achievement of boys are familiar and persistent. In the media the lack of male teachers as role models in schools has been cited as a cause for particular concern. However, research has not confirmed such a link; recent UK studies indicate that peers and relatives may be far more important to boys than their teachers. A new study, reported here, explored whether or not children actually see their teachers, whatever their sex, as role models. It inquired directly of children, aged from 10 to 16 years, from four English schools in different socioeconomic environments, about their role models, and about what they regard as important attributes for a role model. This article illustrates the range of role models adopted by young people today, and their reasons for choosing them. Teachers are not prominent amongst them!
... to women. It thus informs professional and public understanding of gender issues in teaching ... more ... to women. It thus informs professional and public understanding of gender issues in teaching and their effect on pupils' learning and on the profession itself. The conclusions have important implications for future policies on recruitment, retention and career progression. ...
Educational Psychology in Practice, Mar 1, 2006
There has been little attempt to relate well‐known educational approaches in autism to increased ... more There has been little attempt to relate well‐known educational approaches in autism to increased psychological understanding about the condition. This paper addresses that gap. Four discrete educational approaches to autism (Higashi, Lovaas, Option, TEACCH), and ...
Education 3-13, Jun 1, 2001
The impact of careers guidance and advice on newly recruited primary teacher education students i... more The impact of careers guidance and advice on newly recruited primary teacher education students is the subject of this article. Data were obtained through questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with new (1998 entry) primary teaching students, drawn from 14 different Higher Education institutions. The foci of the research were a wide range of issues related to recruitment into teaching, with the careers service just one amongst many potential sources of guidance and advice. However, media coverage of the research report focused primarily, and negatively, on students' views and opinions of the careers service. This article sets our findings and advice within the context of the whole research project.
Research in education, Nov 1, 2002
In the media the lack of male teachers and male role models in schools has been cited as a cause ... more In the media the lack of male teachers and male role models in schools has been cited as a cause of particular concern (Maynard, 2002). Headlines such as 'Failing boys "public burden number one"' (Dean, 1998), 'Gender gap widens to a gulf' (Cassidy, 1999) and 'How to improve bis stories' (Rundell, 2001) accompany the news that girls' exam results have not only caught up with those of boys but in some instances are surpassing them. The government has called for more men in teaching, especially in the early years, as role models for boys (DfEE, 2000). Latest figures show that just over 13 per cent of primary teachers are men (DFES, 2001), but applications from men for postgraduate teacher training in England are up 356 on last year. The Teacher Training Agency's target is for men to make up 15 per cent of primary trainees in 2002-03. However, there is a remarkable lack of clarity in the literature about what impact men, as teachers and as role models, may have on the perceptions and educational experiences of male and female pupils and their school-based achievements.
Early Child Development and Care, Oct 1, 2008
The number of men in teaching has always been small, particularly in early childhood, but those t... more The number of men in teaching has always been small, particularly in early childhood, but those that do come into teaching usually do so for the same reasons as women, namely enjoyment of working with children, of wanting to teach and wanting to make a difference to children"s lives. However, in two separate studies Thornton & Bricheno (2006) have shown that on beginning teacher training in 1998, and at the point of leaving the profession in 2005, men and women tend to emphasise different concerns. This article will explore those differences and seek possible explanations for how men"s views of teaching might be changing over time.
Journal of Education for Teaching, Apr 1, 2001
Research in education, May 1, 2002
Despite the introduction of training salaries for Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) st... more Despite the introduction of training salaries for Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) students, a substantial increase in enquiries (Tabberer, 2000) and some reported increase in the actual number of applications for primary teacher education courses (Campbell, 2000), recruitment overall has declined significantly, from 24,994 applications in 1994 to 9,875 in 1999 (Gates, 1999). Higher entry qualifications will not readily be imposed on a smaller pool of applicants if the educational characteristics of those applicants remain at the same level (generally considered to be low: House of Commons, 1997). Specific subject-knowledge for teaching may be enhanced by increased emphasis on first degrees and thus recruitment to primary PGCE courses, through the discriminating allocation of training salaries and as an outcome of the Secretary of State's description of the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree as a 'sub-degree undergraduate course' (McAvoy, citing Hansard, 2000), but the PGCE neither ensures adequate coverage of shortage subjects nor the whole curriculum competence required of most primary teachers (Thornton, 1998). Despite the introduction of training salaries for PGCE students, starting in September 2000, recruitment of ethnic minority and male students remains low (Barnard, 2000, reports just a 5 per cent increase in applications from men and a 5 per cent increase in enquiries from ethnic minorities) and there is strong evidence that the teaching profession in England is becoming increasingly feminised (Howson, 1998).
Widening participation and lifelong learning, 2014
Equality Issues for the New Millennium, 2018
As the numbers of people globally who take part in higher education increases, how can nations an... more As the numbers of people globally who take part in higher education increases, how can nations and individual HE institutions ensure that this opportunity is open and available to all who are able to benefit? How can institutions best manage the diversity of their student body to the benefit of all students? What does higher education mean to the most disadvantaged in society? And how can both the content and mode of higher education pedagogy ensure that all possible learners can take part?This edited collection takes an international overview of these questions, addressing issues that are usually only tackled at the national or local level. It explores the inter-connectedness of recent trends in higher education widening access, internationalisation, equality and diversity and inclusive curriculum. Moreover it offers and evaluates examples of practice from around the world that have, in different ways, attempted to provide solutions to these issues.This book would be of interest to...
Procs of the 3rd …, 2005
The Dearing Report (NCEHE, 1997: 13.1), called for the effective use of information technology in... more The Dearing Report (NCEHE, 1997: 13.1), called for the effective use of information technology in learning and teaching in higher Education, suggesting that it, '… holds out much promise for improving the quality, flexibility and effectiveness of higher education'. Six years later it is time to take stock of what has been achieved. Technology in learning and teaching is no longer peripheral. Its presence is ubiquitous at the strategic if not always at the operation level. However, relatively little is known about its real as opposed to claimed effectiveness in enhancing student learning and their experience of higher education.
British Journal of Sociology of Education, 2010
In the current quality enhancement climate that dates back to Dearing (NCIHE, 1997), many univers... more In the current quality enhancement climate that dates back to Dearing (NCIHE, 1997), many universities are encouraging their staff to research into their own teaching practice, to innovate and to disseminate new ideas, strategies and resources to their peers, and many provide funding to support such work. This article is in two parts. The first explores the University of Hertfordshire's (UH) use of in-house funds to support small-scale development projects that are designed to enhance the quality of learning and teaching. It reports research that sought to assess what 'value-added' effect such funded projects might have in terms of spread of use, longevity and impact. The second provides a perspective on this research from the Director of Academic Quality (Learning and Teaching).
Research in Education, 2002
In the media the lack of male teachers and male role models in schools has been cited as a cause ... more In the media the lack of male teachers and male role models in schools has been cited as a cause of particular concern (Maynard, 2002). Headlines such as 'Failing boys "public burden number one"' (Dean, 1998), 'Gender gap widens to a gulf' (Cassidy, 1999) and 'How to improve bis stories' (Rundell, 2001) accompany the news that girls' exam results have not only caught up with those of boys but in some instances are surpassing them. The government has called for more men in teaching, especially in the early years, as role models for boys (DfEE, 2000). Latest figures show that just over 13 per cent of primary teachers are men (DFES, 2001), but applications from men for postgraduate teacher training in England are up 356 on last year. The Teacher Training Agency's target is for men to make up 15 per cent of primary trainees in 2002-03. However, there is a remarkable lack of clarity in the literature about what impact men, as teachers and as role models, may have on the perceptions and educational experiences of male and female pupils and their school-based achievements.
Research in Education, 2011
Research in Education, 2002
Educational Access and Social Justice, 2009
Gender discrimination is prevalent in many societies, but poverty adds greatly to the experience ... more Gender discrimination is prevalent in many societies, but poverty adds greatly to the experience of disadvantage, not least in terms of equality of educational opportunity and outcomes. The term 'poor girls' refers to a situation of double disadvantage with regard to ...