Redefining high performance in Northern Ireland: Deeper learning and twenty-first century skills meet high stakes accountability

Abstract

This study examined four secondary schools in Northern Ireland serving a significant percentage of low income families: two schools from the 'Maintained' (de-facto Catholic) sector, one school from the 'Controlled' (de-facto Protestant) sector, and one school from the 'Integrated' (mixed faith) sector. The objective was to identify when and how the schools fostered higher level cognitive skills, interpersonal skills and intrapersonal skills, known collectively in the literature as twenty-first century learning. This paper focuses on the Integrated school as representative of many of the attributes encountered in all four schools and as a particular exemplar of high performance. The selected school served 28 % low income families, consistently outperformed demographic peers on required exams for the General Certificate of Secondary Education, and revealed through inspection reports and professional reputation a school wide commitment to instruction of twenty-first century skills. Analysis of classroom observations and focus group interviews with students, teachers, and administrators revealed that (1) Twenty-first century task demand is relatively higher when student learning is assessed with portfolios, performances, and local assessment practices, and twenty-first century task demand is relatively lower when learning is assessed with external exams. (2) Pastoral care, thoughtfully deployed, is a powerful lever for twenty-first century learning.(3) Cross-community contact, developed in meaningful ways, is a potentially powerful lever not only for peace-building in the province, but high level learning for the province's youth. (4) The School fostered twenty-first century skills by advancing a vision for learning that extends well beyond the low level demand of state accountability metrics. Recommendations for policy and practice are offered.

Student Diversity in Northern Ireland's Secondary Schools: Benefits and Challenges

“…The researcher, from the United States, took up residence in Northern Ireland for three months in the fall of 2017. The researcher had previously lived in Northern Ireland for five months in 2013-2014 while conducting a previous study there (Nehring and Szczesiul, 2015). The researcher made 37 part-or full-day visits to the four schools between early September and late November to observe classes, interview administrators and teachers, and conduct student focus groups.…”

“…Studies of schooling in Northern Ireland have examined the benefits and challenges of schoolbased integration of students from culturally diverse backgrounds-principally Catholic and Protestant (Hughes et al, 2012;Loader, 2017;McDaid, 2015;Nehring and Szczesiul, 2015).…”

Teachers’ perceptions of autonomy in the tensions between a subject focus and a cross-curricular school profile: A case study of a Finnish upper secondary school

“…Possible conflicts between the new school profile and these established traditions and practices may create tensions and constrain teacher autonomy, and previous research has suggested that school profiles and national evaluations can both limit individual autonomy (Heinrich 2015;Hopmann 2003;Lundström 2015;Lundström and Parding 2011;Wermke and Forsberg 2017). Research has also pointed out similar tensions between high-stakes subject-focused testing and cross-curricular non-subject goals such as twentifirst-century skills, creativity and innovation (Cachia et al 2010;Collard and Looney 2014;Erss et al 2016;Looney 2009;Maustethagen 2013;Nehring and Szczesiul 2015;Sahlberg 2010Sahlberg , 2011. In such situations, teachers might find themselves between two different logics of education: one driven by accountability based on high-stakes testing and a second driven by a collegial vison of socially and morally responsible education (e.g.…”