Education and Social Justice
The Changing Composition of Schools and its Implications
Distributed for University of Wales Press
“. . . highly important and a significant contribution to educational research . . . This is all fascinating stuff and makes a surprisingly coherent whole.” –TES
“In this lovely book Stephen Gorard exposes much of that bad research and illuminates the way in which it receives prominence . . . He writes engagingly and accessibly and his exegesis makes for a good, if disturbing, read . . . a very important book.” –British Educational Research Journal
“This book is both interesting and provocative . . . an important book in two respects. First, it challenges a number of misapprehensions and damaging misrepresentations of Welsh education. Gorard’s defence of Welsh comprehensive schools is especially robust. Second, this book should certainly be included on reading lists for education research methods courses.” –Educational Review
Figures and Tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
I. Introducing Alternative Accounts of the 'Crisis' in Education
'A Plague on All our Schools'An Alternative Account
The Politician's Error and Changes Over Time
A Worked Example of Reanalysis
2. The Social Composition of Schools
Evidence for Increasing SegregationAnother View of School Allocation
The Smithfield Study in New Zealand
Conclusion
3. Investigating Segregation between Schools 1988-1998
Methods Used to Investigate SegregationSegregation between Schools since 1988
The Implications of a Proportionate Analysis
What is Driving this Process?
Simpson's Paradox
Conclusions
4. School Effects and International Comparisons
Failing and Falling Standards in England and Wales? Failure in Wales?Falling Standards?
Problems of Assessment
The Difficulties of International Comparisons
Third International Mathematics and Science Study
What Difference does a School Make?
International Indicators
Conclusion
5. Investigating the Performance of National School Systems
Wales and EnglandMethods Used
Re-evaluating the Welsh School Effect
Results for the 1994 Local Education Authorities
Results for the 1998 Unitary Authorities
The Implications
6. Differences between Groups of Schools
Best and WorstFee-paying and State-funded
Grant-maintained and LEA-controlled
Coeducation and Single-sex
English- and Welsh-medium
An Alternative Comparison of the Sectors
Conclusion
7. Investigating Differences between School Sectors
The Nature of the Intake at Welsh-medium SchoolsMethod for Investigating Differences between Sectors
The Relative Effectiveness of Two Types of School
The 1996 Model
The 1998 Model
The Implications
8. Achievement Gaps between Groups of Students
Growing Gaps in AttainmentAn Alternative Interpretation of the Gaps
Assessing the Polarization of Students
9. Investigating the Differential Attainment of Boys and Girls
Methods Used to Investigate the Gender GapSubject-specific Findings
Aggregate Findings
Summary of Findings
The Implications
10. Putting it All Together: Education and Social Justice
Was there a Golden Age?Plethora of Remedies
Educational Research
Problems that Remain
Society is to Blame
Conclusion
Appendices
Appendix A Further Comments on the Smithfield Study
Appendix B Comparing Three Indices of Segregation
Appendix C Examining the Paradox of Achievement Gaps
Appendix D Subject Groupings
Appendix E Alternative Versions of the Achievement Gap
Bibliography
Index
Education: Education--General Studies
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