Nous écouter, nous soutenir, nous apprendre¹

1. ‘Nous écouter, nous soutenir, nous apprendre’ translates as ‘Listen to us, support us, teach us’.

: a comparative study of pupils' perceptions of the pedagogic process

Abstract

In many countries around the world there is a current focus on the restructuring of education systems in a bid to increase the quality of the educational experience for pupils in order to raise their academic achievement. However, the defiition of quality as expressed through policy may not always accord with the aims and aspirations of individual teachers or, perhaps more importantly, match the constructions given to the concept of quality by pupils. The rhetoric and intent expressed in policy texts may even have the potential to restrict the quality of what teachers do and what pupils experience. This paper draws on the findings of the ENCOMPASS project to illustrate the concepts of quality as expressed by the pupils themselves. It looks at what pupils in England, France and Denmark had to tell us about motivation, engagement and the conditions necessary for effective teaching and learning. It proposes some reflections on questions such as: What do young people see as the purpose of schooling? What motivates young people to learn? What do young people expect from their teachers in order to enhance their learning?

Acknowledgement

The ENCOMPASS Project was funded by the ESRC from 1998–2000 and included the following collaborators: Marilyn Osborn, Patricia Broadfoot, Elizabeth McNess, Claire Planel, Pat Triggs (University of Bristol), Birte Ravn and Thyge Winther‐Jensen (The Danish University of Education), and Olivier Cousin (CADIS, University of Bordeaux 11).

Notes

1. ‘Nous écouter, nous soutenir, nous apprendre’ translates as ‘Listen to us, support us, teach us’.

2. This paper is based largely on the findings of an ESRC‐funded project (Education and National Culture: A Comparative Study of Pupil Attitudes to Secondary Schooling). ESRC's support for this work is gratefully acknowledged.

3. The Loi de l'Orientation is the law that requires schools in France to give guidance and advice to students in choosing various academic pathways.