Article Gold Open Access 2015

Innovation and autonomy at a time of rapid reform: an English case study

Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy
Journal · Vol. 2015 · Issue 2 · Art. 28652
Abstract

This paper sets out to report upon the findings of a case study of an ‘innovative’ school in England. Specifically, the research focusses upon the way in which the school has engaged with the neoliberal policy context in which increased autonomy and diversification of provision is promoted in England as a driver of standards. Using Bourdieu's conceptualisation of symbolic capital, the findings suggest that within this autonomous system, ‘innovative’ localised policy-making can arguably misrecognise the role such ‘innovation’ plays in helping to maintain structures, which may contribute to ensuring the field, and its competitive nature, is protected rather than challenged. © 2015 Ruth McGinity.

Keywords

Author Keywords

autonomy Innovation England misrecognition symbolic capital

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
The University of Manchester, Manchester, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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