Democratic Schooling - an alternative approach to education in England

Qualitative research in collaboration with a democratic school to identify it's key pedagogic ingredients.

This project entailed a research collaboration with a progressive democratic school to identify the key ‘ingredients’ of the school’s pedagogic model - the methods of teaching and learning used in practice, and how these contribute to the school's learning environment and community. The objective of the research was to support the school's aim of system innovation and provide evidence-based recommendations to:

• Enhance school practice by supporting the school community to develop a consistent and shared set of theories, language and tools for democratic education.
• Develop system innovation by providing data that evidences its educational operations and thereby support the replicability and scalability of the school model to a wider external audience.

Visual participatory methodology 'Photovoice' was used to elucidate the conditions, values and mechanisms that underpin democratic education and generate inclusivity. In addition, Dr Macdonald, and Dr Oliver, conducted ethnographic research from within the school. The research identified five key ingredients which underpin the school’s democratic pedagogy. A summary of research findings has been circulated to the school and key stakeholders to support the replicability and scalability of the school model.