This book provides a unique critical perspective on the importance of values to school culture. Drawing on research in Quaker schools in England, and the perspectives of students, it challenges the idea that school evaluation should be primarily based on measurable outcomes and argues that values matter more to learning than is often acknowledged. Furthermore, the book provides important insights on how to research schools that claim to hold similar values, from multi-academy chains to other so-called faith schools. Throughout the text, the author underscores the importance of values to students' dispositions, in order to engage with the learning opportunities their schools provide. He argues for seeing schools as places where equality, inclusiveness and mutual respect should be central, not only to help students understand our fragile, multicultural democracy, but also because these values open up the possibility of learners' increased engagement with curriculum knowledge.

Examines students' experiences of attending English Quaker schools from their perspective Explores the links between values influencing school culture and pupils' curriculum engagement Provides methodologies for exploring and evaluating school culture and its impact on pupil learning

Autorentext

Nigel Newton is an experienced educational researcher currently working within the Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy at Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. His work has included an evaluation of the development of a new national curriculum, study of graduate employees, student course choice, and school culture.

Inhalt
Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Quaker perspectives on education.- Chapter 3. Are 'Quaker' schools Quaker?.- Chapter 4. School cultures, values education and personal education.- Chapter 5. How Quaker school students' perspectives were explored.- Chapter 6. Quaker survey data analysis.- Chapter 7. Why relationships within a school matter to learning.- Chapter 8. Why valuing the individual matters to learning.- Chapter 9. Why equality, mutual respect and inclusiveness matter to learning.- Chapter 10. How Quaker schools create environments conducive to learning.- Chapter 11. The fragile ecology of schools that value equality.- Chapter 12. Lessons for schools from Quaker education.- Chapter 13. Researching within Quaker schools.