This project, which has been running since 2022, includes a range of methods and concepts, broadly using Critical Data Studies as a theoretical framework for my research.
This research is investigating the use, effectiveness and effects of secondary school performance measures in England. It also aims to suggest new approaches to school accountability which are responsible, fair and more fit for purpose.
So far we have broken it down into smaller projects, which includes:
- doing a thorough literature review broadly around the subject of school performance measures
- completing a large qualitative (thematic) analysis project looking at documentation going back 30+ years to explore the socio-political context of the introduction and continuation of school performance measures in relation to, for example, the neoliberal project, NPM practices and the Global Education Reform Movement (GERM)
- considering the mechanisms and ‘theories of change’ involved in the operation of school performance measures and beginning to formulate a map of the school performance measures data assemblage
- carrying out detailed quantitative analysis of school performance measures using advanced quantitative analytical techniques (I will be presenting on the findings of this project at some conferences this summer)
‘What are school performance measures really measuring?” (blogpost)
Summary of advanced anatitative analysis of secondary school performance measures (poster)
Data-driven analysis of factors affecting headline secondary school performance measures in England (discussion paper for the 2024 Data for Policy Conference)
Video presentation for Data for Policy Conference 2024 https://youtu.be/pz6d5c8niVQ?si=jGG3ajufJYcX_5ge
- spending 5 months on a fully funded placement in the government’s Department for Education Strategy Unit
- examining the language used in school inspection reports and any associations with school contextual or performance data – this involved scraping over 12,000 Ofsted reports from the Ofsted website and then analysing them using machine learning/text mining techniques.
In the next, main stage of my research we will work with focus groups made up of a range of stakeholders to:
- consider the effects and effectiveness of the current secondary school performance measures and then
- develop new approaches to school performance measures (and evaluate them).
I have been working with focus groups made up of various stakeholders (teachers, school leaders, governors, trustees, CEOs, parents, representatives of teaching unions, researchers…) to consider the purpose, effectiveness, effects of school performance measures and to look to how new approaches might be used to address some of the issues with them currently.
In addition to recruiting participants for this focus group, I are also recruited others to act as an informal advisory group for the development stage of this project. This is made up of those with experience, expertise and interests in this area who will be in a position to provide some feedback and act as a ‘sounding board’ at the development stage of this project (https://icwiddows.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/school_accountability_study.pdf)
If you are interested in contributing to this work please could you send some brief details about yourself (your role/interest in this project, which region you live in etc) to icwiddows1@sheffield.ac.uk