Evidencebased Policy in Education Malta

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Evidence-based Policy in Education - Malta

• Carmel Borg
• Lisboa, October 2007

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Evidence-based Policy in Education A Critique

• Origins in Healthcare (Medicine)
• The Medical Model (MM) is pathological by
  definition
• MM is based on a cause and effect relationship
• MM tends to speak universally
• MM builds on a Deficit approach.

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Critique

• The Model is expert-driven
• It is not value free...it supports dominant
  ideological paradigms ...that define how people
  and society function... effectiveness as a
  quantitative measure, professionalism as
  performativity, teacher as technicist delivery,
  research as randomised clinical trials, and
  credible evidence as statistical analysis
  (Packwood, 2002)

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Critique

• Such a paradigm becomes dominant unless
  considered in relation to the alternatives of
  effectiveness as being determined by both
  qualitative and quantitative outcomes
  professionalism as the freedom to engage
  critically in debates regarding practice
  teaching as a reflexive, dialogic process
  research as an eclectic activity, and evidence as
  being that which most appropriately answers the
  questions posed by research (Packwood, 2002)

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Critique

• It assumes that evidence, generated through
  research, should directly influence policy
• Research has only a limited role in goverance
  because these policies are driven more by
  ideology, economic theory, and political
  expediency than the need to improve....effectivene
  ss (Black, 2001)

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Critique

• Was meant to replace the selective, opinionated
  and discursive rampages (Oakley, 2001) by valid
  and reliable knowledge. Such knowledge is
  defined as that produced by meta-analysis of
  systematic reviews and by controlled experiments
  based on the randomized clinical trials (RCT)
  model.

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Critique

• Research using other methods, such as case
  studies, produce evidence that rates much lower
  in the hierarchy of credibility. Judgements
  about the credibility of evidence are based on
  systematic reviews of outcomes and the
  statistical meta-analysis of the aggregation of
  several research studies.

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Critique

• Davies (1999) advocates for carefully designed
  and executed research which is designed to be
  cumulative to produce a database suitable for
  meta-analysis. There needs, he argues, to be a
  change in the culture of education so that
  teachers, as part of their professional practice,
  draw on research to inform their pedagogy.

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Critique

• Teacher as researcher. Teachers have to be
  supported in undertaking research that meets the
  stringent criteria applied to that which comes
  out ogf the academy

10
Critique

• Unlike in most areas of medicine, in education
  the treatments consist of symbolic interaction,
  with all the scope for multiple interpretations
  and responses which that implies
• Problems are practical rather than technical,
  that is, involving making judgements in complex
  situations,exercising discretion, not following
  rules

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Critique

• Places not-manipulable variables, like
  socio-economic stratification, outside the limits
  of educational research by insisting on RCT as
  the method of choice (Howe, 2005)

12
Critique

• Chaos and complexity theories argue against the
  linear, deterministic, patterned,
  universalisable, stable, atomised, objective,
  controlled, closed systems of law-like behaviour
  which do not operate in the world of education.
• It is impossible to hold the variables constant
  in dynamic contexts

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The Case of Malta

• The country lacks adequate funds for elaborate
  and sophisticated research in education
• Research is increasingly becoming EU-dependent
  for funds
• Education research is not considered a priority
• Good researchers...weak infrastructure
• Rival institutions...situation militates against
  research communities

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The Case of Malta

• No coherent strategic plan
• Malta does not have a glorious history in
  research-led policies
• In general, the teaching community is allergic to
  research. It is considered as theory
• Action Research did not take off

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Research The Strategy

• Ministerial Committees charged with researching
  issues considered by The Ministry as priority
  areas. Committees are also expected to make
  recommendations

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Research The Strategy

• Areas inclusive and special education early
  childhood education school attendance the
  national examination system National
  Qualifications Framework Transition from Primary
  to Secondary and Restructuring Secondary
  Education.

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Research General Characteristics

• Historical Review
• State-of-the-art
• International situation
• Opinion of different stakeholders
• Recommendations

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Comprehensive Schools and Streaming

• Research Question
• Should we continue streaming and tracking
  students into different streams and schools?

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Areas of Research

• Tracking systems
• Transfer procedures used in other educational
  systems
• Streaming in Malta Teachers attitudes towards
  streaming parental attitudes towards streaming
  Pupils attitudes towards streaming The
  relationship between streaming, home background
  and academic progress streaming in Maltese
  Primary schools determinants and effects
  Streaming A Critique

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Areas of Research

• Current attitudes towards the junior lyceum
  examinations the experience of repeating Year 6
  (last year of primary) the experience in
  examination-oriented classes

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Missing links

• What is life like inside a non-streamed school?
• How is a non-tracked transition like?
• What is the experience of children living in a
  non-tracked setting?

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Filling the gaps

• The New college system
• Tracks living side-by-side within the same complex