Project presentation2013 MUPSA ConferenceOctober 2013Murdoch UniversityPerthWestern Australia

Presented by Tomaz LasicPhD CandidateSchool of EducationMurdoch University

Parents and NAPLAN

What is NAPLAN?

National Assessment Programme – Literacy And Numeracy

Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation), Numeracy

Years 3, 5, 7, 9

Since 2008

Compulsory in ALL Australian schools

School results shown on MySchool website

Parents receive individual report for each child

The publication of performance data of literacy and numeracy tests on MySchool website and the public accountability of schools for their NAPLAN results justify calling NAPLAN a high stakes test (Lingard, 2010; Lobascher, 2011).

"If the some (parents) vote with their feet that’s exactly what the system is designed to do”

"Of course, we expect this information to provoke frank and robust discussions between parents, their child’s teacher and school principals.”

Paucity of research.

Personal.

Why parents?

July 2012

ARC/Murdoch University

“Effects of NAPLAN”

Dr Greg Thompson Dr Lisa Cary

About the study

… a type of design in qualitative research that may be an object of study, as well as the product of the inquiry. Case study research is a qualitative approach in which the investigator explores a real-life, contemporary bounded system (a case) or multiple bounded systems (cases) over time, through detailed, in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information (eg. observations, interviews, audiovisual material, and documents and reports), and reports a case description and case themes. The unit of analysis in the case study might be multiple case studies or a single case.” (Cresswell, 2013, p. 97)

Methodology – Case Study

Redtail Primary School Carnaby Primary School

ICSEA 943 ICSEA 1138

Low SESHigh SES

AspirationalEstablished

ChangingReputable

The two cases

Parents of children attending …

4 Year 3 parentsSemi-structured interviews - initial Semi-structured interviews – follow up

10 other parents (Year 4 – 7)Semi-structured interviews - initial Semi-structured interviews – follow up

7 Parent & Community Assoc. membersFocus Group (1)

8 School Board membersFocus Group (1)

1 PrincipalSemi-structured interview

Sampling & methods: Carnaby PS

4 Year 3 parentsSemi-structured interviews - initial Semi-structured interviews – follow up

7 other parents (Year 4 – 7)Semi-structured interviews - initial Semi-structured interviews – follow up

7 Parent & Community Assoc. membersFocus Group (1)

3 School Board membersFocus Group (1)

1 PrincipalSemi-structured interview

Sampling & methods: Redtail PS

Document analysis

• School newsletters

• MySchool profile

• School Annual Report

• School Plan

Research Journal

Methods (continued)

A ‘post’ …

Michel Foucault

We are effects of power and knowledge, produced through discourses.

We are not governed, we govern ourselves from within.

Theoretical lens

Discourse - language; determines who, what, when, how

Power creates knowledge creates power creates knowledge … not top-down, multidirectional

Subjectivity – way we see, understand, value the world produced by discourses

The way we speak, think about reality is our reality. This is used to reinforce or subvert power and knowledge.

Theoretical lens: Key ideas

As subjects in advanced late-capitalist, liberal democracies we are governed not by oppression and top-down coercion but through our freedoms and choices that we make.

Regulated ‘from inside’, knowing what free but ‘right’ choices we need to make.

Theoretical lens: Key ideas

How does NAPLAN produce and shape parent subjectivities?

• How do parents internalise these subjectivities?• How do parent enact these subjectivities?• What is the role of numerical data produced by NAPLAN in producing

and enacting parental subjectivities?

Key research questions

market free choice

customers privatisation

efficiency

market-based

Accountability value for money

key performance indicators

competitive audit

return on investment enterprising

de-regulation market-share

Neoliberal moment – markets and enterprising selves

Intensely governed space 'from within' through freedoms and expertise provided to make 'the right', optimising choices or suffer guilt, anxiety of ‘not doing our best’ for our children.

Family – ‘free’?

Performativity – what’s measured counts

Complex realities reduced to simple, seemingly objective, neutral indicators by which individuals, organisations become known by and which they (are expected to) care about and perform to accordingly.

Checking on certain indicators in a complex field, created and privileged to act as a measure of trust we can place on an individual or organisation to get expected returns.

Audit – checking on trust, investment

Putting it all together – How do parents parent in this situation?

AcademicComplement ‘Effects of NAPLAN’ project Add to HS testing literatureInform policy discussions, evaluations

Parents Interrogate ‘common sense’, show freer than we think

SchoolsInsight into parent community

TheoreticalImproved understanding of subject formation based on statistical, numerical data.

Implications, outcomes …

References:

Cresswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five approaches (3 ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Image credits:

Sharman, J. (2013) Jigsaw puzzle [Digital photograph]. Retriened from http://www.thefairtradestore.com.au/store/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/Jigsaw_Puzzle_Di_4f4b5c792a165.jpg

Anon (2011) Self discipline [Digital photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.yoga24x7.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/self-discipline.jpg

Pickles, E. (2013) NAPLAN practice [Digital photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/parents-turn-naplan-into-bestseller-20130508-2j83n.html

Dawson, D. (2010) Carnaby in flight [Digital photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.birdlife.org/community/2010/03/the-noose-tightens-carnabys-black-cockatoo

Nicholson

McCracken

Bennet

References and credits