How to take sides and sometimes influence people Tristram Hooley Framing your research in relation to policy, politics, social justice and practice

Why are you doing an Ed.D?

Research and politics “In researching one’s own workplace, one is inevitably positioned by the prevailing political ideologies, as indeed are research participants, respondents, colleagues and friends. Thus people’s behaviour is driven by political strategy and this means that research in these settings can never be ‘clean’, ‘neutral’ or ‘objective’ ”. Drake and Heath (2011: 23)

WHAT IS POLICY?

Policy A plan or course of action, as of a government, political party, or business, intended to influence and determine decisions, actions, and other matters. Policy is a set of ideas and proposals for action, which culminates in government decision. Typically policy will become a rule or regulation, enforceable by law.

Adult career guidance Universal careers provision Face to face for adults Telephone and web Professionalisation School based careers education School autonomy Independent impartial careers guidance Welfare to Work Increase employment Decrease time on benefits Co-location Professional staff Further Education Demand led Professionalisation Co-location The policy agenda in careers work Jobcentre Plus Co-location

What public policy impacts on your practice?

How policies impact: Education Act 2011 Text  “Must secure that all registered pupils at the school are provided with independent careers guidance during the relevant phase of their education”  Statutory duty lies with the school – head teacher autonomy,  New statutory guidance released (2014) Context  Changing qualification and labour market structures.  Raising of the participation age.  High youth unemployment.  National Careers Service only provides telephone and web based careers services for young people to age 19.  End of the Connexions service (funding not transferred to schools).  No requirement to provide careers education.  End of Aimhigher and Education Business Partnerships.

Text and context “One of the fundamental differences between me and such fatalistic intellectuals….lies in my never accepting yesterday or today, that educational practice should be restricted to a “reading of the word”, a “reading of text”, but rather believing that it should also include a “reading of context”, a “reading of the world”. Pauo Freire (1998). Pedgagogy of the Heart. p.43.

How do you analyse policy and its implication?

Analysing policy What do the documents say? What do policy makers say in speeches etc.? Who is proposing the policy? Who is disagreeing with it? How does it relate to what went before (better, worse, makes no sense)? Will the policy actually be implemented? Where is the money? Who are the beneficaries?

How do you influence policy?

Our engagement with policy As learners As workers/professionals in the education system As citizens As voters As activists As lobbyists As politicians As researchers But what is this role?

Is there a role for researchers? “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it.” (Marx, 1845)

What is an appropriate role? Describing Scrutinising Connecting to evidence Offering solutions Linking to the big picture Providing vision Publicising and agitating

What would Antonio Gramsci say? “All men are intellectuals, but not all men have in society the function of intellectuals. One must speak for a struggle for a new culture, that is, for a new moral life that cannot but be intimately connected to a new intuition of life, until it becomes a new way of feeling and seeing reality.”

Change actors in education policy Education practice Education policy Government Knowledge brokers Trade unions Professional associations Schools organisations Employers Media Intellectuals Etc. Public opinionCivil society Individuals in the system

Example: Economic benefits Timely Relevant Produced through close working with Careers England Passed it to MPs/politicians Continued to make use of it after it was published.

Further Reading BERA. (2003). Educational Policy and Research across the UK. Report of a BERA Colloquium held at the University of Edinburgh, 7–8 November Nottingham: British Educational Research Association. Bridged, D., Smeyers, P. and Smith, R. (Eds) (2008a). ‘“Evidence-based Educational Policy”: What Evidence? What Basis? Whose Policy?’. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 42 (1). Nutley, S., Davies, H. and Walter, I. (2000) Evidence Based Policy and Practice: Cross Sector Lessons From The UK. ESRC UK Centre for Evidence Based Policy and Practice:Working Paper 9. Robertson,S. (2005) Re-Imaging and Rescripting the Future of Education: Global Knowledge Economy Discourses and the Challenge to Education Systems. Comparative Education. 41 (2): Taylor, S. (2004) Researching Educational Policy and Change in ‘ New Times’: Using Critical Discourse Analysis. Journal of Education Policy 19 (4):

For examples of our policy-focused work Hooley, T. and Dodd, V. (2015). The Economic Benefits of Career Guidance. Careers England.The Economic Benefits of Career Guidance. Hooley, T., Shepherd, C. and Dodd, V. (2015). Get Yourself Connected: Conceptualising the Role of Digital Technologies in Norwegian Career Guidance. Derby: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby. Get Yourself Connected: Conceptualising the Role of Digital Technologies in Norwegian Career Guidance. Hooley, T., Watts, A.G., and Andrews, D. (2015). Teachers and Careers: The Role Of School Teachers in Delivering Career and Employability Learning. Derby: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby.Teachers and Careers: The Role Of School Teachers in Delivering Career and Employability Learning Hutchinson, J., Dickinson, B., Hooley, T. and Vickers, R. (2015). The D2N2 Employability Framework: Employers and Schools Supporting Young People’s Routes to Work. Nottingham: D2N2.The D2N2 Employability Framework: Employers and Schools Supporting Young People’s Routes to Work McCarthy, J. and Hooley, T. (2015). Integrated Policies: Creating Systems that Work. Adel, IA : Kuder.Integrated Policies: Creating Systems that Work Hooley, T. (2014). The Evidence Base on Lifelong Guidance. Jyväskylä, Finland: European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN). The Evidence Base on Lifelong Guidance.

Conclusions Your research should pay attention to the wider context. Your research can have an influence on policy and practice. However this is not “knowledge transfer” but rather a process of participation in a wider social and political conversation.

About me Tristram Hooley Professor of Career Education University of Derby