randy keyworth. culture mapping or going down the rabbit hole (an adventure into the unknown)...

Randy Keyworth

How cultural constructs influence

education policy at the national level.

Culture Mappingor

Going Down the Rabbit Hole

(an adventure into the unknown)

cognitive concepts: attitudes, beliefs, philosophies, ideologies

qualitative research: surveys, interviews, focus groups, media analysis

social sciences: anthropology, linguistics, cognitive psychology, sociology, political science, communications theory

Differing Views on the Influence of Evidence

1. RATIONAL ACTOR MODEL:

Reason is conscious, literal, logical, universal, unemotional, disembodied, and serves self interest.

If people are made aware of the fact and figures, they should naturally come to the right conclusions.

2. FRAME MODEL:

People evaluate information and make decisions in the context of their deeply held constructs—worldviews, beliefs, and assumptions—called “frames”.

Frames are a small sets of internalized concepts and values that allow people to attach meaning to new information.

Once a frame is established, it will “trump” numbers. If the facts don’t fit the frame, it’s the facts that are rejected, not the frame.

Frameworks, Framing Public Issues, 2002

What has a greater impact on education policy?

evidence or cultural frames

confirmation bias

1) seek out evidence that confirms our beliefs

2) interpret ambiguous evidence so that it confirms our beliefs

Power of Cultural Constructs to Resist Evidence

Propaganda in the Helping Profession, Gambrill 2012

belief perseverance

• Once we believe something, we tend to hold on to it as if our life depended on it.

• Intuitive beliefs are often difficult to modify.

• Our beliefs can survive logical and empirical challenges.

• The stronger a belief, the more it is valued, and the longer it has been held, the harder it may be to change.


biases and information searchesExplosion in number of electronic sources of information

• traditional media: TV, radio, cable, satellite, Sirius radio

• internet: web sites, search engines

• social media: e-mails, twitter, blogs, facebook

selective exposure to information 1) biases influence how we seek out specific web sites, media sources, etc. that are attitude consistent

2) biases influence how we conduct searches

3) biases influence how we evaluate information

Schweiger, Mag, et. al. (2014)

Knobloch-Westerwick, Meng (2009)

Bias can be wittingly or unwittingly, motivated or unmotivated

Unwitting, unmotivated bias

may exhibit bias even in testing hypotheses or claims in which they have no material stake or obvious personal interest

once a person has taken a position on an issue, one’s primary purpose becomes that of defending or justifying that position

regardless of whether one’s treatment of evidence was evenhanded before the stand was taken, it can become highly biased afterward.


Whitting, motivated bias

Propaganda “seeks to induce action, adherence and participation—with as little thought as possible.”

As propaganda methods have become more sophisticated, the influence of propaganda becomes more subtle, pervasive, and difficult to detect and resist

Agnotology

“the study of culturally induced ignorance or doubt, particularly the publication of inaccurate or misleading scientific data”

"Ignorance is often not merely the absence of knowledge but an outcome of cultural and political struggle.”

Sound Science

Sound science has two meanings.

When used by scientists it means robustly supported science, confirmed by multiple peer-reviewed studies.

When used in politics it refers to a strategy to discredit scientific evidence by raising questions about the research, researcher, publisher, etc.

The Advancement of Sound Science Center (TASSC)

founded by Phillip Morris.

"Doubt is our product”

What has a greater impact on education policy?

evidence or cultural frames

Magic Bullets Hanging by a Thread: Cognitive Media Analysis of Structures of Education and Education Policies and Programs

A systematic inquiry (frame analysis) into patterns of public thinking about American education:

systematic review of literature

surveys

in-depth interviews

focus groups

review of national and local media

Culture Mapping: Patterns of Public ThinkingFRAMES REGARDING EDUCATION SOLUTIONS

1. Individual Frame

education “systems” are invisible, complex…focus goes to individual “actors”: parents, teachers, students

2. Blame Frameassume problems are the result of motivation, character, discipline, effort and/or caring

“irresponsible parents”, “bad teachers”, “undisciplined students”

3. Visionary Leader Frame

tendency to reduce the complexity of a multi-actor system to the actions and characteristics of a single individual in a leadership role

Magic Bullets Hanging By a Thread”, O’Neil & Haydon, FrameWorks Institute, (2013)


4.Magic Bullet Frame

belief there is one reform or policy initiative that will “magically” address the country’s educational woes

5.Local Solutions Frame

innovation, dynamism, and meaningful programmatic change can only occur at the local level; state and federal actors are inflexible, out of touch, and ineffective

6.Private Sector Frame

private sector is the only place capable of innovation and efficiency, public schools too mired in bureaucracy,

“Magic Bullets Hanging By a Thread”, O’Neil & Haydon, FrameWorks Institute, (2013)


7.Back to Basics Frame

failure of education is due to reforms getting away from the basics: reading, writing and arithmetic

8.More Funding Frame

assumption that any reforms would require that much more money, and that more money will improve education

9.Computers Frame

belief that having more computers in the classroom is a universal panacea for improving education

“Magic Bullets Hanging By a Thread”, O’Neil & Haydon, FrameWorks Institute, (2013)

Culture Mapping: Impact of Cultural BeliefsEDUCATION REFORM INITIATIVES

EVIDENCE vs. CULTURAL FRAMES

CHARTER SCHOOLS

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GRANTS

CLASS SIZE REDUCTION

ONE-TO-ONE COMPUTING

Culture Mapping: Impact of Cultural Beliefs

Charter Schools

5.1% of K-12 students in charter schools 100% enrollment growth since 2007-08

Model: 1. independently contract with outside group to operate schools2. no specific education model, curriculum, pedagogy3. no unions

Percentage of children in charter schools

New Orleans : 79% District of Columbia: 43% Detroit: 51% Chicago: 19%

70% of Americans support charter schools


Charter Schools

The Evaluation of Charter Schools Final Report (June 2010), IES

“On average, charter middle schools are neither more nor less successful than traditional public schools in improving achievement, behavior, and school progress.”

“The impact of charter middle schools on student achievement varies significantly across schools”

CULTURAL FRAMES

Private Sector Frame

Visionary Leader Frame

Magic Bullet Frame

Local Solutions Frame

Charter School Performance in 16 States (2009), CREDO, Stanford

“academic growth was somewhat lower than their traditional public school peers…”

“tremendous variation in academic quality among charter schools …

EVIDENCE

Culture Mapping: Impact of Cultural BeliefsSchool Improvement Grants

Model (funding and staff replacement)

1. funding over three years (2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 ) toward the goal of turning around the 1,200 of the nation’s lowest-performing schools

2. up to $ 2 million per school per year, $ 3.5 Billion total

3. must use one of the following four models for turnaround:

Hurlburt, et.al. 2011, Institute of Education Sciences

Turnaround model: replace the principal and no less than 50% of the staff; and introduce significant reforms (20% of schools)

Restart model: reopen the school under management of a charter school operator, or an ed. mgmt. organization (4% of schools)

School closure: close the school and reassign students to higher achieving schools (2% of schools)

Transformational model: replace the principal, introduce significant reforms (74% of schools)


School Improvement Grants

EVIDENCE

Funding

Funding increased by 30% from 1995-2009

Disconnect between funding levels and performance at all levels

Staff Replacement

5 years NCLB data implementing staff replacment model

80% no change

8% small improvement

1% successful turnaround

11% closed

CULTURAL FRAMES

More Funding Frame

Individual Frame

Blame Frame

Magic Bullet Frame




Class Size Reduction

CA spent over $20 billion from 1996–97 through 2009–10 on reduced K-3 class sizes, averaging $ 1.75 billion per year for last five years.

Florida spent $ 20 billion from 2002-2011, projecting $ 4-5 billion per year going forward.

As or 2010, 36 states have laws restricting the number of children in K-12 Classrooms

77% of Americans think that additional dollars should be spent on smaller classes than higher teacher salaries.

Model: 1. legislatively mandated reductions in class size2. no specific education model, curriculum, pedagogy3. class size targets usually in the 20 student range


Class Size Reduction

EVIDENCE

CA Capstone Report (2002)The relationship of CSR to student achievement was inconclusive… attribution to any gains in scores to CSR is unwarranted.

Students received more individual attention but similar instruction and curriculum…

Florida Research (2010)The results indicated that the effects of mandates class size reduction on cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes were small at best and most likely close to zero.

CULTURAL FRAMES

Individual Frame

More Funding Frame

Magic Bullet Frame


Structure v. Teaching

Culture Mapping: Impact of Cultural BeliefsOne-to-One Computing

LAUSD $ 1 Billion to get iPADS to 650,000 students

cost over-runs (support, maintenance, WiFi, replacement, electricity)

inadequate, untested curriculum

poor planning, implementation

inadequate training for teachers

lack of integration with district

36% teacher support

Common Core Technology Project


One-to-One Computing

EVIDENCE

“one-to-one computer programs are only as effective as their teachers”

Bebell & Key, The Journal of Technology, Learning & Assessment, (2010)

“Factors related to successful implemented reported in the research include extensive teacher professional development, technical support, and positive teacher attitudes toward student technology use.”

Penuel, SRI International, Journal of Research on Technology in Education, (2006)

CULTURAL FRAMES

Computers Frame

Magic Bullet Frame



Corporate Education Reform Frame

• charter schools

• vouchers and tax credit subsides for private schools

• an end to pay for experience or advanced degrees

• education management groups

• Increased test-based evaluation of students, teachers, and schools of education

• elimination of weakening of tenure and seniority rights

• an end to pay for experience or advanced degrees

• implementation of common core standards and something called “college and career readiness”

• increasing class size

• closing, restructuring low performing schools

Basic Expanded

Corporatist Behavioralist

Reform

Framing the Common Core State Standards

Common-Bore

Liberals fear that policy makers will use the standards to punish teachers and rate schools unfairly

“We are a nation of Guinea pigs, almost all trying an unknown new program at the same time.”

Diane Ravitch

Obama-Core

Conservatives believe the CCSS is an attempt by federal government to take over schools.

“We don’t ever want to educate South Carolina children like they educate California children. We want to educate South Carolina children on South Carolina standards, not anyone else’s standards.” Nikki HaleySouth Carolina, Governor

How do we get rid of bad teachers?

Make them good teachers.

2. New Technology

Digital Learning (software)

Proliferation of computer-based instruction and on-line learning.

New technologies will not only affect instruction, the how of learning, but also may affect curriculum, the what of learning.

• will facilitate discovery based learning

• individual learning content, learning style, etc.

• can be customized to each student

• support curricula based on student’s’ interests and strengths

• supports notion of “learning style theory, the notion that students learn best that is presented “in ways that correspond to how their minds are wired to learn”

Alligned w/ Common Core

If citizens favor messages in line with their views and avoid opinion- challenging content, the cornucopia of media choices, on the internet in particular, could hinder informed opinion formation, lead to a more polarized and fragmented electorate, and reduce political tolerance.

Knobloch-Westerwick, Meng (2009)

What is the future of learning/knowledge? -- Shana Ratner (1997) “Emerging Issues in Learning Communities”

Pew Internet. 3.26.12

Takeaway

implement

compliance

correctly over time

competence sustainability

social marketing

adoption

skill acquisition

treatment fidelity

generalization

maintenance

culture change

How cultural constructs influence

education policy at the national level.

1. False dichotemies2. We they is problematic3. However…

4. We talk in numbers

5. They talk in colors


One-to-One ComputingModel:

• Each student and teacher is given a computing device: computer, access to the internet and software. Computers include personal computer, laptop, netbook, handheld, or tablet.

• Untold billions of dollars being spent across many states and nations

• The vast majority of 1-1 computing initiatives drop computers into classrooms without consideration of pedagogy, curriculum, or teaching

• The focus on the technology, not the teaching

spray and pray: “spray” on the technology, and then “pray” that you get an increase in learning

belief that students can be left to their own devices

independent, non-profit research institute

identifies, translates and models relevant scholarly research

designs, commissions, manages, publishes communications research

Magic Bullets Hanging by a Thread: Cognitive Media Analysis of Structures of Education and Education Policies and Programs O’Neil and Haydon (2013)

Framing Education Reform, Nall Bales 2010)

Media is the main source of American’s information about public affairs. In this way, media dramatically influences what issues the public and their policymakers will address. Media doesn’t simply tell us what to think about, it tells us how to think about issues. News coverage influences:

What issues people think are important for government to address (agenda setting)

The lens through which people interpret issues (framing), and

What information will prove relevant for social and political judgments (priming).

The “Stakes”

Standards

Outcomes

Curriculum

Pedagogy

Teacher Development

Teacher Evaluation

Student Evaluation Resources Allocation

The “Stakeholders”

students

parents

teachers

principals

special interests

politicians

Implementation

Exploration

Adoption

Initial Implementation

Full Implemantation

The “Landscape”

classrooms

schools

districts

government

private organizations

universities

Organizational

accountability

assessment

contingencies

curriculum

feedback

governance

outcomes

pedagogy

policies

practices

processes

relationships

resources

roles

rules

standards

Overt Behaviors

activities

behavior

habits

learned behavior

organized practices

patterns

products

Verbal Behavior

admissions

arguments

assumptions

attitudes

axioms

beliefs

conclusions

convictions

customs

deductions

expectations

feelings

ideas

ideologies

impressions

Interpretations

intuition

judgments

language

notions

opinions

perspectives

philosophies

presumptions

social forms

suppositions

suspicions

theories

thoughts

understandings

values

views

Cultural Constructs

randy keyworth. culture mapping or going down the rabbit hole (an adventure into the unknown)...

Documents

biases influence

unmotivated bias

motivated bias propaganda

media sources

information searchesexplosion

information schweiger

helping profession

new information