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7.0 CONCLUSIONS
Evidence from the literature review suggests that school drug education in general can be effective. It also indicates that some types and features of drug education are more effective than others. In particular, drug education using highly interactive methods and social influences approaches, specifically including resistance skills and normative education elements, is consistently shown to be more effective.
Scottish Drug Education guidance broadly echoes what the evidence suggests to be effective, although more explicit reference to the weight of evidence supporting particular recommendations could be made.
The vast majority of schools in Scotland report providing drug education. All substances are covered at all ages, although to varying degrees. Schools report covering a range of drug education topics and using a range of teaching methods. Classroom observations, however, show that information provision tends to predominate, and that drug education lessons are not always as interactive as they could be. Social influences featured in a minority of lessons, and normative education approaches hardly at all.
The classroom observations also found limited progression and continuity in drug education between different years, and duplication of content between primary and secondary schools. Resources did not always match the age and abilities of the pupils with whom they were used, and some were perceived by young people as old-fashioned.
Substantial use is made by schools of external visitors as providers of drug education. Although external visitors often have high credibility, both with pupils and teachers, observations suggest that they do not always use methods shown to be effective.
Young people generally find drug education interesting and memorable, despite the concerns above. However, they would like lessons to be more interactive and emotionally engaging, and to help them better link and apply the information provided to their own lives and future circumstances.
Overall, it is clear that there is much good practice in Scotland in drug education, but more can be done to enhance its effectiveness, particularly through clearer guidance on evidence-based methods and approaches, and on continuity and progression; further training and support to boost teachers' knowledge, skills and confidence; and more attention to resources.
Classroom practice
Many of the teachers who were observed or interviewed appeared to favour the rational information acquisition model of learning. This is contrary to findings from the literature review, which indicate that, on its own, this is a much less effective drug education approach than other approaches, such as social influences. However, it may provide a 'safer' approach for teachers who lack the confidence to approach drug education in other ways because they feel they do not have the appropriate experience or are uncomfortable with more open-ended, participatory and activity-based learning. The lesson observations found that social influences featured in only a minority of lessons, and normative education approaches hardly at all.
More emphasis could be placed in drug education lessons on helping pupils make connections, firstly, between their drug education lessons and their everyday lives, and, secondly, between what they are learning and the underlying objectives and key messages of their drug education, whether these be about changing behaviour, assessing risks, coping with peer group pressure or making informed choices.
It was apparent from the lesson observations, the post-observation interviews with teachers and the focus group discussions with young people that credibility is critically important. Expert visitors often had particular credibility with pupils because of their insider's knowledge of the local drug culture. This does not necessarily mean that school-based drug education should be carried out by visitors, but it may mean that in-service or other training and support packs should provide teachers with this contextual information about drugs and drug cultures, whilst at the same time encouraging them not to see their role as simply imparting this information to their classes.
The structure of provision
The research found considerable duplication of drug education content for different age groups. There is no reason why lessons to older pupils should not re-visit certain topics and content areas if the approach is appropriate to the age and experience of the pupils; indeed, this is one of the basic principles behind the idea of the spiral curriculum. However, this research indicated that, particularly for P6 through to S2/S3, content and approaches often tended to be very similar regardless of age or stage. More consideration needs therefore to be given to strengthening liaison processes between primary and secondary schools. This may be more difficult in secondaries with a large number of feeder primaries; however, stronger local and national guidance on progression and continuity within drug education could alleviate some of these difficulties.
Composite classes
Consideration should also be given to progression in the delivery of drugs education to composite classes in smaller primary schools, where pupils from several year groups may be studying the same topics, and to issues around differentiation of content or approach in these settings.
Taking pupils experiences into account
It may be that guidance to schools needs to be more specific about what to teach and when. It may also be necessary to provide teachers with an explicit exposition of the principles underpinning progression and continuity of learning in drug education. However, with drug education the principle of progression is not simply restricted to cognitive development; it also needs to take into account the different experiences of the young people and the communities in which they live. Consequently the guidance also needs to be flexible and responsive to different circumstances.
Guidance on effective methods
Guidance could be made more specific on which packages use methods and approaches found to be effective and how to use these packages. Consideration could also be given to developing a list of recommended effective programmes.
Delivery by outside agencies
The research found a strong reliance on outside agencies for drug education, coupled with evidence of variable practice by these agencies, particularly in terms of use of interactivity. Schools may benefit from more specific guidance on how to use outside visitors more effectively. This should cover understanding visitors' particular strengths and expertise; what areas of drug education should be more appropriately covered by teachers; and ensuring that visitors' inputs support and are integrated better with school provision.
Drug education research
In general, there is a continuing need for evaluation and monitoring of drug education practice in Scotland, both externally and through self-evaluation. There is further work required to examine whether packages and approaches found to be effective in other contexts work equally well in the Scottish context.
Advice to policy makers
1. Guidance to schools should:
- Encourage greater continuity between primary and secondary schools;
- Provide a more explicit account of principles underpinning progression and continuity of learning;
- Acknowledge that progression needs to take into account variations in young people's experiences and not just their cognitive development.
- Emphasise the importance of using evidence-based approaches in drug education, particularly soc ial influences and normative education approaches.
- Demonstrate the weight of evidence behind proven effective approaches and explain the rationale for these approaches: how they are assumed to work.
2. In-service training, support and resources for teachers should:
- Encourage the adoption of approaches and methods proven to be effective;
- Build teachers' confidence to deliver drug education;
- Provide teachers with contextual information about drugs and drug cultures.
3. Give consideration to providing schools with an annotated list of recommended drug education programmes which are based on effective approaches and have been evaluated.
4. Review the resources being used for drug education to ensure that they are:
- Current, accurate and appealing to young people
- Age-appropriate and appropriate to the abilities of young people.
5. Guidance to schools, in-service training and resource packages for drug education should help young people make connections between:
- Their drug education lessons and their everyday lives.
- Their current actions and choices and the consequences, both short and longer term.
- What they are learning and the learning objectives and key messages which underpin their lessons
6. Use guidance and in-service training to further:
- Stress the importance of consistency of approach between school-based staff and outside agencies.
- Ensure that the drug education provided by outside agencies is appropriate to their areas of expertise.
- Ensure that the drug education provided by outside agencies is integrated into schools' overall programmes
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