Pursuing systemic improvement through heterarchical school systems
A case of educational resources
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11159846 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Catherine Gripton (0000-0003-1832-9480, Observatory for Mathematical Education University of Nottingham Nottingham UK, corresponding author), Andrew Noyes (0000-0002-8147-0105, Observatory for Mathematical Education University of Nottingham Nottingham UK) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 554-571 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Educational Research Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0141-1926 • E-ISSN: 1469-3518 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/berj.4093 |
| OpenAlex | W4403889233 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 33 |
England's schooling landscape is being remodelled and the move from hierarchical to heterarchical modes of governance has implications for systemic change strategies. Balancing local and networked autonomy with centralising policies complexifies choices for schools, creating tensions that this article explores through the context of curriculum resourcing policies. In particular, we consider the contemporary case of mathematics textbook schemes in England's heterarchical school system, comparing them with an earlier resource‐driven systemic change programme—the National Numeracy Strategy—which was implemented in a more hierarchical governance system. Drawing on key ideas from implementation science and data from a Wellcome‐funded study of primary teacher professional learning in mathematics in England, we exemplify the challenges of implementing centralised improvement policies in a nominally schools‐led, self‐improving, heterarchical education system. Each of the 19 participating schools had evolved a bespoke curriculum, and these hybridised ‘mashups’ of different resources were enacted with varying degrees of fidelity by teachers. We discuss the implications of this comparative case for systemic improvement, both in the use of educational resources and for policy implementation more generally
Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Sociology · Educational Assessment and Improvement · Educational Practices and Policies · Psychology · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
How Schools Do Policy
The Return of Large-Scale Reform
Implementation science
Implementation Research
Scaling Out, Scaling Up, Scaling Deep
Metagovernance
Structural integration and knowledge exchange in multi-academy trusts
Analysing English year-one mathematics textbooks through the lens of foundational number sense
Investigating students’ perceptions concerning textbook use in mathematics
Local authorities as actors in the emerging “school-led” system in England
Does the textbook matter? Longitudinal effects of textbook choice on primary school students’ achievement in mathematics
Place-based governance and leadership in decentralised school systems
Market mirages and the state’s role in professional learning
An Investigation of Mathematics Textbooks and their Use in English, French and German Classrooms
Reform by the Book
Designing Educative Curriculum Materials to Promote Teacher Learning
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |