Scottish Government Educational Research Seminar Series

Activity

Sharing research into the impacts of faculty management structures in Scottish Secondary schools

Description

Education Research Seminar Series 2023

Title: Faculty Structures in Scottish Secondary Schools
Seminar date: 21st June 2023
Name(s) of presenter(s): Graeme Nixon and Will Barlow

Summary: Middle management structures have altered within Scottish secondary schools since the late 1990’s. Increasingly the traditional model of departments based around subject disciplines has been replaced by groupings of subjects (faculties). Pivotal to this development was the Scottish government’s 2001 ‘McCrone Report’ which advocated enhanced professional autonomy to teachers and the devolution of school management to local authorities. In this paper the rationale and extent of this is considered as well as extant literature on this development and secondary school management. We conducted a mixed methods national survey in late 2021 which elicited 1,282 responses. This online survey (which was distributed via social media networks and professional association email) elicited responses from representatives of all subject specialisms and management positions in Scottish secondary schools. Secondary staff commented on the efficacy of middle managements structures using quantitative 5-point LIKERT scales, indicating how faculties and single departments are viewed (from 1 Very Positively to 5 Very Negatively). In this paper we will focus on the quantitative responses of the 808 participants who have experience of working both within faculty and principal teacher (subject) models of management, who can offer a comparative analysis. Their quantitative judgements about the efficacy of these systems are offered in terms of 18 questions which include areas such as promotion prospects, behaviour management, student mentoring, subject support, interdisciplinarity, attainment, staff well-being, etc. The evidence shows that faculties compare unfavourably in the majority of responses, and that even in areas central to the rationale for the creation of faculties (such as interdisciplinarity and quality assurance) the evidence is, at best, mixed.

Background: Since the late 1990’s faculties of subject groupings have been established in secondary schools, replacing the subject led department model in most local authorities. There is little or no research into this change and how it has impacted education.

Methodology: We conducted a mixed methods national survey in late 2021 which elicited 1,282 responses. This online survey (which was distributed via social media networks and professional association email) elicited responses from representatives of all subject specialisms and management positions in Scottish secondary schools. Secondary staff commented on the efficacy of middle managements structures using quantitative 5-point LIKERT scales, indicating how faculties and single departments are viewed (from 1 Very Positively to 5 Very Negatively). In this paper we will focus on the quantitative responses of the 808 participants who have experience of working both within faculty and principal teacher (subject) models of management, who can offer a comparative analysis. Their quantitative judgements about the efficacy of these systems are offered in terms of 18 questions which include areas such as promotion prospects, behaviour management, student mentoring, subject support, interdisciplinarity, attainment, staff well-being, etc

Key findings: Simply put the faculty model has had a negative impact on every area when compared to subject led department model in terms of education and wellbeing for young people and teachers. Teachers think this was an economic exercise that erodes disciplinary knowledge, fails to enhance interdisciplinarity or management, and shrinks the curriculum. It has led to non-specialist teaching, a diminishment of promotions prospects and reduced support for all.

Recommendations/ policy implications: Consideration must be given to the role of subject leadership in schools and the preservation of disciplinary knowledge. Lead teachers may be one approach to this. In addition, if education is serious about interdisciplinarity there must be interdisciplinary qualifications (as mooted during Higher Still). More pressingly Scottish education must interact more effectively with the research community – an aspect of our research was that there were multiple voices against faculties who were ignored.

Contact details: Professor Graeme Nixon ([email protected])
Dr Will Barlow ([email protected])

Links to further reading:
•All 5 editions of Scottish Education (eds. Humes et al) include negative commentary about the move to faculty (from multiple disciplines)
•Full article: The move to faculty middle management structures in Scottish secondary schools: a case study (tandfonline.com)

Period	21 Jun 2023
Event title	Scottish Government Educational Research Seminar Series
Event type	Talk/Presentation
Degree of Recognition	National