A longitudinal study of primary teachers’ perceived competence in, and concerns about, National Curriculum implementation

Bennett, Sandra; Wragg, E C; Carré, Clive; Carter, D.S.G.

doi:10.1080/0267152920070104

Cited by 69 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The subject which was causing them the greatest difficulties was technology and where class teachers were responsible for all the PE for their class there was a widespread concern about safety in areas in which they had had no training. Our findings in this respect generally accord with earlier 1989 and 1991 surveys of primary teachers' feelings of competence in National Curriculum subjects (Bennett et al, 1992).…”

Section: Conclusion: National Curriculum Provision In Small Primary Ssupporting

confidence: 93%

The Implementation of the National Curriculum in Small Primary Schools

Vulliamy

Webb

1995

Educational Review

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Since the introduction of the National Curriculum following the Education Reform Act of 1988, policy makers have increasingly questioned the ability of small primary schools to provide a sufficiently broad and in-depth curriculum, especially at Key Stage 2 (age 7-11). Research findings based on qualitative research in a national sample of 50 schools, of which nine had less than 100 pupils, are used to address this issue. Apart from problems with curriculum planning and the writing of policy documents in small schools, policy makers' fears are shown to be largely unwarranted for two reasons. Firstly, they fail to recognise certain positive advantages for curriculum provision in small schools. These include greater opportunities for innovative curriculum and classroom organisation patterns and the likelihood of strong and realistic curriculum planning arising from headteachers who teach. Secondly, they make misguided assumptions about the nature of curriculum and classroom organisation in larger schools.

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Section: Conclusion: National Curriculum Provision In Small Primary Ssupporting

confidence: 93%

The Implementation of the National Curriculum in Small Primary Schools

Vulliamy

Webb

1995

Educational Review

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“…This evidence tends to confirm the impressions gained during the national evaluation of the rural schools' ESG (SCENE). In all respects, the general figures here are higher than the ratings reported by Wragg et al (1989) and Bennett et al (1992), although a cautionary note needs to be added because of the differences in approach to measuring competence and confidence. The findings of the present study are supported by other work, particularly that of Webb (1993), for example.…”

Section: Concluding Commentscontrasting

confidence: 76%

“…In other words, to admit a lack of confidence or competence in the classroom might be regarded as tantamount to admitting inadequacies. Other studies, however, which questioned teachers on the same issues (Wragg et al, 1989;Bennett et al, 1992), found much lower levels of confidence and competence in a sample drawn mainly from larger suburban and urban schools. There is every reason, therefore, to think that the teachers in the present study were expressing a genuine view and in doing so were reflecting differences between teachers in small and larger schools.…”

Section: Confidence Across the Curriculummentioning

confidence: 92%

The National Curriculum: can small schools deliver? Confidence and competence levels of teachers in small rural primary schools

Hargreaves

Comber

Galton

1996

British Educational Res J

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Recent calls for primary schools to provide specialist expertise across the curriculum have presented a particular challenge to small schools (roll < 100) whilst other survey evidence has shown low levels of confidence amongst primary teachers in several curriculum areas. One strategy adopted by small schools to increase access to such expertise has been the formation of clusters. This paper, based on data from two rounds of questionnaires to headteachers and teachers, relates small schools' teachers' confidence and competence self-ratings, and choices of curriculum support strategies to four levels of cluster commitment. Confidence and competence ratings were generally high but the expected positive relationships between self-ratings and cluster levels were only partially supported by the data. Explanations based on the process of cluster development are offered.

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“…The questionnaire that was used in the survey focused on teachers' confidence about teaching various areas of the curriculum and about a variety of aspects of the teaching of science and technology. The design of the questionnaire allowed some comparison with the findings of a study of the perceived competence of primary teachers in England and Wales (Bennett et al, 1992).Primary teachers were less confident about teaching science and technology than about almost all other curriculum areas. They were rather more confident about 'Living Things and the Processes of Life' and 'Earth and Space' than they were about 'Energy and Forces' and design and control technology.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary teachers’ confidence about teaching science and technology

Holroyd

Harlen

1996

Research Papers in Education

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As part of a larger research project, a national survey of 514 primary teachers in Scotland was carried out in 1993. The questionnaire that was used in the survey focused on teachers' confidence about teaching various areas of the curriculum and about a variety of aspects of the teaching of science and technology. The design of the questionnaire allowed some comparison with the findings of a study of the perceived competence of primary teachers in England and Wales (Bennett et al., 1992).Primary teachers were less confident about teaching science and technology than about almost all other curriculum areas. They were rather more confident about 'Living Things and the Processes of Life' and 'Earth and Space' than they were about 'Energy and Forces' and design and control technology. Teachers' confidence about developing science skills and processes in their pupils was higher than their confidence about developing understanding of science content. With respect to science and technology teaching, male teachers were more confident than females, the more recently qualified were more confident than the more experienced and those with science qualifications in their own backgrounds were more confident than those without. Although many teachers showed a high degree of general professional self-assurance which allowed them to tackle science and technology teaching with some confidence that they would be able to cope, many were still not confident that their own understanding would be adequate to facilitate conceptual development in pupils.There was a considerable increase in the confidence of primary teachers in England and Wales about teaching science between 1989 and 1991. This was attributed by the researchers largely to the investment of resources, both human and material, to support primary teachers in science. Scotland needs a substantial, flexible and sensitive programme of professional development of its primary teachers to bring about an increase both in teacher confidence about science and technology teaching and also in teacher understanding of science and technology.

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A longitudinal study of primary teachers’ perceived competence in, and concerns about, National Curriculum implementation

Cited by 69 publications

References 7 publications

The Implementation of the National Curriculum in Small Primary Schools

The Implementation of the National Curriculum in Small Primary Schools

The National Curriculum: can small schools deliver? Confidence and competence levels of teachers in small rural primary schools

Primary teachers’ confidence about teaching science and technology

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