parents and naplan - mid-project report oct 2013
DESCRIPTION
Presented at the 2013 MUPSA Conference, 3 Oct 2013. An overview of the Parents and NAPLAN project so far. See notes for details.TRANSCRIPT
Project presentation2013 MUPSA ConferenceOctober 2013Murdoch UniversityPerthWestern Australia
Presented by Tomaz LasicPhD CandidateSchool of EducationMurdoch University
Parents and NAPLAN
What is NAPLAN?
National Assessment Programme – Literacy And Numeracy
Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation), Numeracy
Years 3, 5, 7, 9
Since 2008
Compulsory in ALL Australian schools
School results shown on MySchool website
Parents receive individual report for each child
The publication of performance data of literacy and numeracy tests on MySchool website and the public accountability of schools for their NAPLAN results justify calling NAPLAN a high stakes test (Lingard, 2010; Lobascher, 2011).
"If the some (parents) vote with their feet that’s exactly what the system is designed to do”
"Of course, we expect this information to provoke frank and robust discussions between parents, their child’s teacher and school principals.”
Paucity of research.
Personal.
Why parents?
July 2012
ARC/Murdoch University
“Effects of NAPLAN”
Dr Greg Thompson Dr Lisa Cary
About the study
… a type of design in qualitative research that may be an object of study, as well as the product of the inquiry. Case study research is a qualitative approach in which the investigator explores a real-life, contemporary bounded system (a case) or multiple bounded systems (cases) over time, through detailed, in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information (eg. observations, interviews, audiovisual material, and documents and reports), and reports a case description and case themes. The unit of analysis in the case study might be multiple case studies or a single case.” (Cresswell, 2013, p. 97)
Methodology – Case Study
Redtail Primary School Carnaby Primary School
ICSEA 943 ICSEA 1138
Low SESHigh SES
AspirationalEstablished
ChangingReputable
The two cases
Parents of children attending …
4 Year 3 parentsSemi-structured interviews - initial Semi-structured interviews – follow up
10 other parents (Year 4 – 7)Semi-structured interviews - initial Semi-structured interviews – follow up
7 Parent & Community Assoc. membersFocus Group (1)
8 School Board membersFocus Group (1)
1 PrincipalSemi-structured interview
Sampling & methods: Carnaby PS
4 Year 3 parentsSemi-structured interviews - initial Semi-structured interviews – follow up
7 other parents (Year 4 – 7)Semi-structured interviews - initial Semi-structured interviews – follow up
7 Parent & Community Assoc. membersFocus Group (1)
3 School Board membersFocus Group (1)
1 PrincipalSemi-structured interview
Sampling & methods: Redtail PS
Document analysis
• School newsletters
• MySchool profile
• School Annual Report
• School Plan
Research Journal
Methods (continued)
A ‘post’ …
Michel Foucault
We are effects of power and knowledge, produced through discourses.
We are not governed, we govern ourselves from within.
Theoretical lens
Discourse - language; determines who, what, when, how
Power creates knowledge creates power creates knowledge … not top-down, multidirectional
Subjectivity – way we see, understand, value the world produced by discourses
The way we speak, think about reality is our reality. This is used to reinforce or subvert power and knowledge.
Theoretical lens: Key ideas
As subjects in advanced late-capitalist, liberal democracies we are governed not by oppression and top-down coercion but through our freedoms and choices that we make.
Regulated ‘from inside’, knowing what free but ‘right’ choices we need to make.
Theoretical lens: Key ideas
How does NAPLAN produce and shape parent subjectivities?
• How do parents internalise these subjectivities?• How do parent enact these subjectivities?• What is the role of numerical data produced by NAPLAN in producing
and enacting parental subjectivities?
Key research questions
market free choice
customers privatisation
efficiency
market-based
Accountability value for money
key performance indicators
competitive audit
return on investment enterprising
de-regulation market-share
Neoliberal moment – markets and enterprising selves
Intensely governed space 'from within' through freedoms and expertise provided to make 'the right', optimising choices or suffer guilt, anxiety of ‘not doing our best’ for our children.
Family – ‘free’?
Performativity – what’s measured counts
Complex realities reduced to simple, seemingly objective, neutral indicators by which individuals, organisations become known by and which they (are expected to) care about and perform to accordingly.
Checking on certain indicators in a complex field, created and privileged to act as a measure of trust we can place on an individual or organisation to get expected returns.
Audit – checking on trust, investment
Putting it all together – How do parents parent in this situation?
AcademicComplement ‘Effects of NAPLAN’ project Add to HS testing literatureInform policy discussions, evaluations
Parents Interrogate ‘common sense’, show freer than we think
SchoolsInsight into parent community
TheoreticalImproved understanding of subject formation based on statistical, numerical data.
Implications, outcomes …
References:
Cresswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five approaches (3 ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Image credits:
Sharman, J. (2013) Jigsaw puzzle [Digital photograph]. Retriened from http://www.thefairtradestore.com.au/store/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/Jigsaw_Puzzle_Di_4f4b5c792a165.jpg
Anon (2011) Self discipline [Digital photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.yoga24x7.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/self-discipline.jpg
Pickles, E. (2013) NAPLAN practice [Digital photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/parents-turn-naplan-into-bestseller-20130508-2j83n.html
Dawson, D. (2010) Carnaby in flight [Digital photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.birdlife.org/community/2010/03/the-noose-tightens-carnabys-black-cockatoo
Nicholson
McCracken
Bennet
References and credits