Education and Training
Education in Scotland is going through a period of major change. Launched in 2004, Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is being fully implemented in schools during the 2010/11 session. CfE is the biggest educational reform in Scotland for a generation and aims to transform education in Scotland by providing ‘a coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum from 3 to 18’.
Ipsos MORI has conducted research to inform the development and implementation of CfE, through which we have gained an invaluable understanding of the current issues in Scottish education.
We undertook research to feed into the Consultation on the Next Generation of National Qualifications which aimed to create a qualifications system that reflects the values, purposes and principles of CfE. Our research involved the analysis of more than 1,800 responses to the consultation as well as qualitative research with pupils, headteachers, teachers, parents and employers.
More recently, we undertook the analysis of an online survey of teachers undertaken by the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board. The survey was undertaken at the start of 2010 to obtain the views of teachers and to gather information regarding any additional support needs that they required to prepare for the introduction of the new curriculum.
Another key element of our education research is the evaluation of initiatives. Conducting such evaluations typically involves obtaining data from a range of stakeholders and using a mixed methods approach. For example, this might include a quantitative element in addition to qualitative research with staff, pupils and parents at a selection of case-study schools. We have conducted qualitative research with pupils as young as five and have employed a range of innovative methods in order to engage with pupils of different ages.
Examples of our evaluation work include:
- the Evaluation of the Free School Meal Trial for P1-3 pupils which took place in five local authorities in Scotland. The evaluation aimed to inform roll-out in other areas by looking at changes in uptake in school meals, process and practical issues, the early benefits of the scheme and the impact on costs; and
- the Evaluation of Campus Police Officers in Scottish Schools which explored the roles that officers play in Scottish schools and provided evidence on the impact and effectiveness of their placements. A best practice guide was created to help local decision makers through the process of deployment and the practicalities of placing an officer in a school.
Through these evaluations we have gained a great deal of knowledge about what works in evaluation research and in achieving the balance between obtaining the required data and minimising the research burden on schools.
In addition to schools research, we also carry out research in the fields of further and higher education including work for the Scottish Funding Council. We conducted their stakeholder survey in 2007 and ran a large-scale longitudinal survey of university graduates from 2004-2010.
Current Projects
Evaluation of 'You First' Pilot Programme
In collaboration with the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, based at the University of Edinburgh, we have been commissioned by the Scottish Government to undertake the evaluation of the ‘You First’ Pilot Programme - a parenting programme which has been developed by Barnardo’s Scotland to help improve outcomes for parents and their children in the most deprived areas in Scotland. The evaluation comprises both quantitative and qualitative research with parents, programme facilitators, programme managers, health visitors and other stakeholders. Analysis of administrative data containing the demographics of those who attend the programmes will also be undertaken.
Ipsos MORI contact: Jane Eunson. Tel: 0131 226 8676