The Impact of Core Subject Prioritisation on Teacher Attitudes Towards Teaching
Woodley, Hannah (2023)
2023
Kasvatustieteiden ja kulttuurin tiedekunta - Faculty of Education and Culture
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2023-05-11
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202304264636
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202304264636
Tiivistelmä
Currently, England’s primary schools appear to be struggling to maintain a broad and balanced curriculum because of the demands of the National Curriculum’s expectations for core subjects, high-stakes accountability measures and intense testing and assessments. Yet previous research examining how core subject prioritisation impacts the attitudes of teachers has given mixed conclusions and is restricted due to limited sampling.
This thesis seeks to contribute to the current knowledge concerning evidence of continued and increased prioritisation of core subjects in primary schools in England. To examine this, and its impact on teachers’ attitudes towards teaching, this study used qualitative data collection to gain first-hand perspectives from eight primary school teachers in London and the Southeast of England of how they perceive the current situation and their attitudes towards it.
It was found that teachers consistently reported negative attitudes towards core subject prioritisation and the subsequent high-stakes accountability measures. Core subjects dominate teaching time, at the detriment to the foundation subjects and the wider curriculum, and are perceived as a priority because of the pressure of National Curriculum assessments. It appears that teachers are adapting their practise to meet these demands, feeling they lack autonomy as well as pedagogical freedom.
This study aims to highlight this ongoing issue in primary schools in England and to provide an opportunity for teachers to share how core subject prioritisation impacts their attitudes, their profession, and the children they teach.
This thesis seeks to contribute to the current knowledge concerning evidence of continued and increased prioritisation of core subjects in primary schools in England. To examine this, and its impact on teachers’ attitudes towards teaching, this study used qualitative data collection to gain first-hand perspectives from eight primary school teachers in London and the Southeast of England of how they perceive the current situation and their attitudes towards it.
It was found that teachers consistently reported negative attitudes towards core subject prioritisation and the subsequent high-stakes accountability measures. Core subjects dominate teaching time, at the detriment to the foundation subjects and the wider curriculum, and are perceived as a priority because of the pressure of National Curriculum assessments. It appears that teachers are adapting their practise to meet these demands, feeling they lack autonomy as well as pedagogical freedom.
This study aims to highlight this ongoing issue in primary schools in England and to provide an opportunity for teachers to share how core subject prioritisation impacts their attitudes, their profession, and the children they teach.