Assessment for Learning (AfL) has gained increasing international prominence in both policy and practice but some of its proliferation, notably the national strategy in England, has been accompanied by distortion of essential features. This paper presents an understanding of authentic (in the sense of genuine) AfL informed by literature and particularly by two major research projects. Assessment for learning is characterised by information being used to inform learning and teaching, its focus on learning conceived broadly, and actively engage progressively more autonomous students. It is distinctive in its timescale, protagonists, beneficiaries, the role of students, the relationship between student and teacher, and the centrality of learning to the processall of which can but may not necessarily be features of formative assessment. An examination of the document setting out the National Assessment for Learning Strategy in England reveals the ways that it is at odds with authentic assessment for learning.
Critical friendship is a versatile form of external support for school colleagues engaged in leadership activities, and one that is subject to increasing professional and political interest. This article focuses upon the contribution of critical friends supporting leadership and school improvement in a range of contexts, including an international research project, school self-evaluation, and networking. It draws upon activities of 'Leadership for Learning: the Cambridge Network' to explore the role and functioning of critical friends by addressing 10 questions. The article concludes by summarizing the insights that can be gleaned from the examples of critical friendship in operation, and suggests that as the use of critical friends to support leadership in schools becomes more of the norm there is a need both to draw upon what is already known about critical friendship, and to extend our understanding.
Critical friendship is a flexible form of support for school colleagues and one that is increasingly being applied to different contexts, including the New Relationship with Schools and School Improvement Partners. The ESRC/TLRP `Learning How to Learn' (LHTL) project was interested in, among other things, the scaling up of innovation, and incorporated light touch critical friendship in its design. This article explores the role of the critical friend in LHTL, the factors that helped or hindered, and concludes that light touch critical friendship is dependent upon three interrelated conditions: trust on the part of the school colleague, engagement and commitment by both parties, and the critical friend's knowledge of the school. School Improvement Partners have limited contact with schools through `a single conversation', and are described in government documentation as `critical friends'. However, it is argued that this is an erroneous use of the term, likely to have negative consequences.
This article examines external support for school leaders, and focuses on the relationship between head teachers and other professionals who play the role of their 'critical friends'. Most existing research in this area concentrates upon the activity of the critical friend without reference to the role partner, thereby losing the dynamic in the relationship and the contribution of the head teacher to its effectiveness. A small-scale study of head teachers and their local authority advisers acting as critical friends provides the empirical basis for insights into the nature and challenges of the relationship and points the way to further research in this area of increasing policy significance in England.
This systematic review of recent research explored the uncharted intersection of literature on educational leadership, professional learning, and educational equity. It investigated leadership approaches to shaping the professional development and ongoing learning of educators that supports more equitable outcomes for students. The underlying motivation for the work is our concern for the educational experiences and achievements of marginalised students, and for professional learning to address these inequalities. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, and iterative selection of literature based on relevance and quality judged by weight of evidence assessments, we identified 41 empirical items for detailed analysis. The outcome was five themes: Critical framing of social justice issues; Dialogue and enquiry; Learning and identity development; Context, resources, and motivations; Normalising inclusion and shared leadership. A further six articles informed a conceptual framework linking professional learning and outcomes that developed existing models. Critique of linear conceptualisations of learning, and affinity with the values and philosophy of the process model of education championed by Lawrence Stenhouse, prompted proposing the themes as nascent principles. These require further research, yet they have immediate practical utility for educational leaders and teachers working in pursuit of educational equity.
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