A longitudinal study of primary teachers’ perceived competence in, and concerns about, National Curriculum implementation

Abstract

In 1989, a national questionnaire survey of 901 primary teachers was undertaken by the Leverhulme Primary Project team and published in Research Papers in Education (Wragg et al., 1989). A follow‐up survey was conducted in 1991, with a sample size of 433 teachers in 131 schools. Teachers were asked on both occasions how competent they felt to teach the National Curriculum introduced by the 1988 Education Act with their existing subject knowledge. In 1989, whether results were analysed by school size, age of teacher, sex or age group taught, the rank order was similar. Teachers saw themselves as most competent in English and mathematics. Science, music and technology were rated lowest. In 1991, they still perceived themselves to be most competent in English and mathematics but science was elevated to third from eighth place. Music and technology, however, were ranked the lowest, as previously. Within subjects, science and technology show general improvements in personal competence whereas in English and mathematics the trend is to perceive these subjects to be more difficult to teach. Most teachers declared their priorities for future in‐service training (INSET) as being in computers, information technology (IT) and the humanities.

National assessment and testing was applied formally and publicly to year‐2 children at the end of key stage 1 during the summer of 1991. The questionnaire was thus revised to obtain information of teachers’ experience with this process. The quality and nature of INSET and support given to teachers in relation to national testing, while geographically variable, was found to be generally lacking, with school and class routines substantially disrupted, and a preoccupation with assessment tending to drive the curriculum. There were increased pressures on time, increase in workload and evidence of high stress levels on the part of teachers. Year‐2 children were substantially unaffected by the experience of National Curriculum assessment, although younger ones, according to teachers and heads, were neglected during the assessment period.

Teachers in general were not opposed to the National Curriculum, but concerns about national assessment were dominant. Partly this is due to the change process itself and partly to procedural and structural difficulties encountered by teachers in some subject‐specific areas and in conducting national assessment. The preferred assessment model itself in the eyes of teachers requires a reappraisal.

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Notes on contributors

S.N. Bennett

Professor S.N. Bennett, Professor E.C. Wragg and C.G. Carre are at the School of Education, Exeter University; D.S.G. Carter is Visiting Research Fellow, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Western Australia.