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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Determined to Succeed ( DtS) is the Scottish Executive's enterprise in education strategy which aims to make a major contribution to the creation of an enterprise culture and economic growth. This Phase 2 study contains both quantitative and qualitative elements, to examine and measure the effectiveness of DtS in bringing about attitudinal and cultural changes and to evaluate its success in delivering national recommendations. The evaluation also aimed to inform policy, delivery and future commitment to the strategy.
2. The DtS strategy is based on a £86 million investment programme over five years (2003-2008) and comprises of four key themes: enterprising teaching and learning, entrepreneurial learning, work-based vocational learning and appropriately focused career education.
Main Findings
- 88% of headteachers believe DtS is an excellent initiative and 78% believe that DtS provides a strong focus for the school. 86% of teachers were confident that DtS is having a positive impact on pupils.
- The majority of schools have experienced positive development in the way they are embracing DtS. This included an increase in activity, as well as teaching and learning which could be classified as DtS-oriented
- Headteachers - as strong 'networkers' - expose the school and its pupils to a wider range of experiences and insights than might otherwise be evident in school life. This fits well with the ethos behind DtS.
- Some schools showed that DtS can act as a vehicle to facilitate the addressing of the wider education policy agenda (such as A Curriculum for Excellence - ACfE).
- Developments in teaching and learning styles - influenced by DtS - are impacting upon pupils' understanding of building competences and transferring strengths across different types of learning experiences.
- Incentives for schools to engage with DtS were more obvious in primary, special and lower-attaining secondary schools.
- Of the 7 DtS-related themes explored in the study, pupil confidence and communication were most readily identified by staff and pupils, as areas of learning focus. Personal effectiveness and approach to learning were least obvious. Problem solving appeared to have a stronger focus in primary schools and life beyond school was a particular focus for special schools.
- Local authorities ( LAs) and schools felt that it was too early to directly attribute outcomes or impacts to the influence of DtS due to other related ongoing strategies/ initiatives in schools.
- A quantitative technique - the Index of Enterprising Attitudes and Behaviour ( IOEAB) - has been developed to set a baseline for the enterprise and behaviour of young people.
About the Study
3. The research and consultation exercise was based on a programme of surveys involving pupils, teachers, parents and headteachers, plus a series of qualitative case study visits to schools. In order to structure the study's quantitative dimension, DtS was broken down into 7 broad components, or themes - working with others; personal effectiveness; problem solving and creativity; communication; approach to learning; confidence; life beyond school. A new technique - the Index of Enterprising Attitudes and Behaviour ( IOEAB) was developed to generate a relative measure or score of determination across the individual 7 themes and at an aggregated level.
Key Conclusions
4. Enterprise Development Officers ( EDOs) indicated that the majority of their schools had experienced positive development in the way they embrace DtS. At this stage, EDOs were unable to conclude that it was having a direct impact upon pupil skills, attitudes and behaviours, although there was general confidence that this would be realised in the future.
5. School management and staff views of DtS were overwhelmingly positive - it was referred to as 'placing the pupil at the heart of the curriculum and not the subject'. It was felt to promote teaching and learning, which focuses on building competencies and transferring strengths.
6. The term 'Determined to Succeed' was not well-known among school partners and stakeholders (including parents and members of the local community). 'Enterprise education' was more familiar, but tended to be restricted to the 'make and sell' aspects and learning about business.
7. The analysis shows that the overall IOEAB is positive for all three groups surveyed - parents, pupils and teachers. While all the scores are positive, there is still significant scope for improvement and it will be important to monitor this over time.
8. While improvement can be achieved across all of the behavioural themes, the priorities for future attention appear to be 'Communication', 'Approach to Learning' and 'Personal Effectiveness'.
Recommendations
9. Positioning DtS as a lever for Scotland's education policy agenda - DtS could act as a conduit for schools to 'gear up' for the wider national policy agenda, particularly ACfE.
10. Improve school staff awareness of DtS within the wider education policy agenda - school staff need a better understanding of the relative 'positioning' of DtS within the wider agenda for 'Ambitious, Excellent Schools'. In the absence of this, staff are unlikely to understand the relative importance and longevity of DtS.
11. National level support in the development of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms - school 'tools' are required to measure progress. The existing HMIe enterprise in education performance indicators should be considered within this context.
12. DtS and pupil accessibility - further emphasis is required of the 'appeal' of DtS to all pupil groups, regardless of academic ability, interest or disability.
13. Further examine the effectiveness of different styles and approaches adopted by EDOs -there is a need for a 'watching brief' on how the EDO role evolves. This would include: factors which influence the role; relative 'positioning' within LA departmental structures; and the effectiveness of different techniques which have been applied across LA sectors.
14. Continued support for EDO networking - continued national support is necessary to facilitate and enhance good practice sharing and different models of school support.
15. Further support for embedding DtS across schools - those schools that are 'ready' to embed DtS require guidance beyond implementing DtS through isolated lessons and topic work.
16. Further promotion of the school cluster model - more mileage could be gained in promoting DtS through this medium and across different school settings.
17. Reviewing secondary school support for vocational education/work placements, in line with DtS - there is a need to ensure that this is valued as much as the non-vocational curriculum.
18. Facilitating transfer of DtS practice from the primary to secondary setting - schools require support to ensure that early gains are not diminished once pupils transfer to secondary schools.
19. Review purpose and effectiveness of mechanisms for local authority 'challenge funding' to schools - transparency of objectives and criteria for LA funding are required in order to ensure that a 'level playing field' is created across schools
20. School-level self-evaluation of DtS progress - the 7 enterprise-related themes could be adapted and applied in school settings to encourage discussions with individuals and groups of pupils about the types of learning they engage in and the transferability of such learning.
21. Promoting how to overcome potential disincentives to engage with DtS - there is a need to appeal to those schools (mainly secondary schools) who perceive that DtS presents a risk to their academic attainment focus.
22. Enhanced efforts to promote DtS to parents - there is a need to ensure that parents view DtS as more than 'enterprise education' and 'make and sell' projects.
23. Identifying and promoting the work of special schools - secondary and primary sectors would benefit from a stronger awareness of the special school sector's approach to education and linkages with the DtS ethos.
24. The IOEAB tool and concept - further work is required to develop the tool, through engagement with policy makers.
25. Additional application of IOEAB methodology - there is scope for applying the IOEAB methodology at a school level and preparing a tool kit for use by schools.
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