Systems Thinking and Formative Engagement As a New Basis for the Collaborative Enhancement of School Education Niall Mackinnon

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Systems thinking and formative engagement as a new basis for the collaborative enhancement of school education Niall MacKinnon

Social Analyst and Headteacher Scottish Highlands

International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement Stavanger, Norway

January 2019

Conference theme: Bringing together – creating innovative educational policies and practices for diversity, equity and sustainability

Conference strand: Rethinking roles and relationships within systems

A story to tell

Look what’s cooking The princess is in great danger Help!

Superheroes to the rescue

But...

Jablonski (1994) Understanding Total Quality Management

Look what’s cooking What is all this? What’s it for? Frequency distributions of dispositions and attributes of the pupils

... We are all in great danger Help!

Superheroes to the rescue

The Scottish Education Weave - an aide memoire for teachers to help them recall key principles of the Curriculum for Excellence. Everything flows from the four values: wisdom – justice – compassion – integrity

‘uruisg’ 23 January 2012

Seeing Our remembrance day poems 11.11.11 We read our poems The Bogside Murals!

The Bogside murals started off in anger and frustration. But to me they are a thing the remember about someone or something from the past. However the last mural is of a large dove of peace. It is painted along with the other murals! Schools

Partnerships An integral way of school being

Fostering awareness Seeking purpose Authentic discovery Engaging with real issues Enabling thinking in myriad ways Genuine contribution Responsibility from ownership Confidence from worth Building new knowledge across domains Transcending teaching transcending learning Transliterate Becoming School becoming less like school My superheroes revealed to me...

Real learning happens through:

● Systemic ● Staged An integral method ● Reciprocal and philosophy of understanding for ● Responsible enhancement within ● Respectful school education ● Evidential ● Formative Niall MacKinnon ICSEI 2019 ● Engagement Stavanger, Norway ● regarding ● Purpose

What’s it say? Acknowledgements and appreciation

Slides 4,5,7,8: are screenshots from the film ‘Uilbheist/Monster’ created by Gaelic medium class 5-7, Plockton Primary School in conjunction with ‘Arts in Motion’ and drama worker Catriona Lexy Cambell. Excerpt from school newsletter: “The upper stages Gaelic medium class are writing a blue screen film. Their scripts will be brought to life in a real film as they are projected against a blue screen. The pupils are the actors and are practising for their filming. They have written the scripts themselves. Real backdrops of superhero scenes will then be edited on. The work has progressed very rapidly with pupils’ storyboards now written. Rehearsals for acting of the dramatic scenes are now ready for the real shoot shortly after the holidays. We will organise a showing and then hope to be able to issue a DVD to each each pupil as a record of their work.” Slide 9: Left image is the poster for the ‘Arts in Motion’ film awards. Top right image is the home page for the Plockton Primary School website. The pupils’ reports of this film are the first report for Autumn 2005. Bottom right image is of the pupils making their costumes. http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_05-06_autumn.shtml Slide 11: “Understanding of un-quality was first brought to my attention by a young woman who…observed a cyclic behaviour to un- quality; it feeds on itself…” Jablonski, Joseph (1994). Implementing Total Quality Management, Technical Management Consortium, Albuquerque. Pp37-39. Slide 12: Note that the evaluation grades are my assessment as head teacher of the inspections and reviews conducted in terms of their methodology, process and ethos. Glossary: QIO: Quality Improvement Officer; QA: Quality Assurance; HMIE: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education; GIRFEC: ‘Getting it right for every child’; HGIOS: ‘How Good Is Our School?’; QI: Quality Indicator; QIF: Quality Information Framework; CfE: Curriculum for Excellence; EFQM: European Foundation for Quality Management; Vanguard Method https://vanguard- method.net/ ; Freedom to Learn https://www.freedomtolearnproject.com/ ; Knowledge Building http://ikit.org/ . Six-point grading scale as used by HMIE/Education Scotland and Care Commission/Care Inspectorate: Excellent; Very good; Good; Satisfactory; Weak; Unsatisfactory. Slide 13: Normal distribution curves https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/standard-normal-distribution.html Slide 14: Image is from slide 14 of the presentation of Pasi Salberg ‘The Global Educational Reform Movement’ at the International Congress and School Effectiveness (ICSEI) on 6 January 2012. The label underneath is mine. Slide 16: Toolkit, The Evaluation Trust. "I don't know much about Evaluation, but it sounds like fun!!" © Andy Ellis (accessed 2007, organisation disbanded and website no longer active) Slide 17: Clockwise from top left: Seddon, John (2008). Systems Thinking in the Public Sector: the failure of the reform regime and a manifesto for a better way, Triarchy Press: Axminster. MacBeath, John, (1999). Schools Must Speak for Themselves: the case for school self evaluation, London: Routledge Sahlberg, Pasi (2011). Finnish Lessons – What can the world learn from educational change in Finland? Teachers' College Press. The Image is the last slide of the presentation of Pasi Salberg ‘The Global Educational Reform Movement’ at the International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) Malmoö, Sweden on 6 January 2012, slide 30: https://www.icsei.net/index.php?id=1429 . Image overlay is of the title of my review article of the book: MacKinnon, Niall, (2011). ‘Kills 99% of GERMS’ Times Educational Supplement for Scotland (11 November) https://www.tes.com/news/tes-archive/tes-publication/kills-999-germs Fullan, Michael and Hargreaves, Andy (2012). Professional Capital – transforming teaching in every school. Routledge: London & New York Robinson, Ken and Aronica, Lou, (2015). Creative Schools: Revolutionizing Education from the Ground Up, Allen Hane. Penguin Books Ball, Stephen (2015). The Education Debate (Third Edition), Policy Press: Bristol

Slide 18: Clockwise from top left: https://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/networks/lfl/ https://vanguard-method.net/ http://joe-bower.blogspot.com/ Bower J. and Thomas P. (eds) (2013). De-testing + De-grading schools: Authentic Alternatives to Accountability and Standardisation, Peter Lang: New York Knowledge Building Summer Institute, Singapore, June 2016, including my presentation with paper and slides: MacKinnon, N., (2016). The need for systems thinking to build cultural capacity for innovation throughout school education. http://ikit.org/ 27th International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia, January 2014 including my presentation with paper and slides: MacKinnon, N. (2014). The Local–National–Global Nexus of Education Change – Action Research Perspectives from a Scottish Rural Primary School, https://www.icsei.net/index.php?id=1618.

Slide 19: Clockwise from top: thinkpurpose https://thinkpurpose.com/7-reasons-you-shouldnt-touch-systems-thinking/ Guilfoyle, Simon, (2013). Intelligent Policing – How Systems Thinking Methods Eclipse Conventional Management Practices. Triarchy Press: Axminster. https://inspguilfoyle.wordpress.com/book-intelligent-policing/ InspGuilfoyle, Stick Child’s School Project, 23 January 2014 https://inspguilfoyle.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/stick-childs-school-project/ Slide 20: “The Scottish Education Weave – an aide memoire for teachers to help them recall key principles of the Curriculum for Excellence. Everything flows from the four values: wisdom – justice – compassion – integrity”. ‘uruisg’ 25 January 2012 http://uruisg.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/truth-about-wisdom-justice-compassion.html Slide 22: Clockwise from left: Salmon in the classroom ‘Epitaph to a Salmon Alevin’, in conjunction with The Wester Ross Fisheries Trust. Microscope work continuing the National Grid for Learning/ Learning and Teaching Scotland award; ‘Pupils on Paths’ in conjunction with The National Trust for Scotland. For details see slide 25. Slides 23 and 24: Remembrance Day, 11 November 2011 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_11-12.shtml Slide 25: Slide from the PowerPoint ‘The Bogside Murals’ made by English medium P5-7 as part of the Thinklinks project (see slides 20,25) Slide 26: With appreciation of partnerships involving joint working, awards, presenting, or publishing with:  The Highland Council  Scottish Community Drama Association  Wester Ross Fisheries Trust  British Educational Communications and Technology Agency  Learning and Teaching Scotland  An Comunn Gaàidhealach  Feàisean nan Gaàidheal including Feàis Rois  Plockton & District Horticultural and Arts & Crafts Society  The Times Educational Supplement  University of Central Lancashire, Cyberspace Research Unit  plockton.org – The Plockton and District community https://www.plockton.org/  3P Network – The network for policymakers, politicians and practitioners in school education  National Institute for Education, Singapore  Schools in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and further afield  2Simple, software publishing company  National Trust for Scotland  Skye and Lochalsh Foodlink ‘A Taste of Local Food’  Oracle Education Foundation  University of Aberdeen Some examples: The Highland Council MacKinnon, N., (2005). Assessment is for Learning: Rediscovering the Heart of the Curriculum? Report on ‘Assessment is for Learning’ Project January – September 2005, Plockton Primary School MacKinnon, N., (2006). Talk by Niall MacKinon given to headteachers at ‘School Improvement through Self-evaluation’ course, 7 March 2006 (at invitation of course presenter, copy of presentation available), and many other partnership initiatives including involvement of external bodies in conjunction with The Highland Council. MacKinnon, N., (2006). Thinklinks, Project Report to Highland Council ‘Determined to Succeed’ enterprise in education initiative.

Scottish Community Drama Association Seven productions at South-West Ross drama festival 2002-2012, including play written by class teachers, two by a local playwright, and winner of David Nelson Trophy for drama in Highland 2004, ‘Magic Moment’ trophy 2004 and the Munro Ferguson Shield 2008 for best performance of a Highland play, one about or located in the Scottish Highlands. Pupil web reports: ‘T-shirts’ play for drama festival’ by John Challan, March 2006 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_05-06_spring_summer.shtml ‘On the beach’ by Jan Storie’ March 2008 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_07-08_winter_spring.shtml ‘Books and Crooks’ by Julia Donaldson, March 2010 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_09-10.shtml ‘Birthday Surprise’ by Julia Donaldson, March 2012 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_11-12.shtml

Wester Ross Fisheries Trust ‘Salmon Alevins Release’ April 2005 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_04-05_summer.shtml ‘Electro-fishing trip’ September 2005 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_05-06_autumn.shtml ‘Salmon in the Classroom’, March 2012 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_11-12.shtml and numerous other projects, including reports to co-sponsors: Highland 2007, Scottish Natural Heritage, The Royal Society

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency BECTA (2005) Transforming Inclusion – Highlights from the 2004 ICT in Practice Awards (Plockton Primary pp:4,5,6) http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151715/https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/15143. pdf Learning and Teaching Scotland Excerpt from school newsletter 14 March 2003. “ICT innovation award In December the school applied for a national award for ideas to use Information Technology in a novel manner. The government’s curriculum agency, Learning & Teaching Scotland, are funding this national competition to develop and resource projects which can then be implemented more widely. We are delighted that our bid for a £3,000 collaborative project to do computer microscope field studies was successful. We invited Broadford and Lochcarron schools to join the bid and pupils from each school will share findings, results and presentations on-line. The project was one of only some 20 in Scotland to be selected.” The project was conducted: “Hi there! Just a bit of POSITIVITY concerning microscopes. GREAT ! WONDERFUL! MARVELOUS! The p1/2/3 are VERY VERY KEEN. Have tic pic (moving video) to send but am not quite at this stage of comp. Literacy… However you may look forward to this in the (hopefully) near future. Anyway, thought I'd share ENTHUSIASM just now..” Teacher in partner school; Project report completed. LTS asked for shortened version for publications as follows: MacKinnon, N., (2004). Microworlds, in: Connected, Learning and Teaching Scotland (p24) http://wayback.archive- it.org/1961/20121215223030/http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/Connected11Autumn04_tcm4-121481.pdf Web reports: ‘Computer Microscopes’, May 2003 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_02-03.shtml ‘Blob’ March 2005 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_04-05_spring.shtml Other LTS funded initiatives and publications: MacKinnon, N., (2006). AifL – Assessment is for Learning: Questioning strategies in Plockton Primary School, Highland. Learning and Teaching Scotland (website) http://wayback.archive- it.org/1961/20100625100412/http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/assess/sharingpractice/for/highqualityinteractions/plocktonps.asp MacKinnon, N., (2006). AifL – Assessment is for Learning: Monitoring and planning for improvement in Plockton Primary School, Highland. Learning and teaching Scotland (website) http://wayback.archive-it.org/1961/20100730123808 http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/assess/sharingpractice/of/monitoring/plocktonps.asp MacKinnon, N., (2007). Formative Fun at the Heart of Learning: approaches to integrating A Curriculum for Excellence and Assessment is for Learning at school level, AifL Project report, July 2007. Plockton and Elgol Primary Schools

An Comunn Gàidhealach Competitions, performances, workshops and plays at local and national Mod festivals; associated organisations Play ‘Is toigh leam isbeanan I like sausages’, pupil web report ‘Am mod’ http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_05-06_autumn.shtml ‘Mod play’ September 2006 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_06-07.shtml Fèisean nan Gàidheal including Fèis Rois Traditional music and arts projects, classes, holiday schools, and drama, with emphasis on Gaelic language and music. ‘Plockalocks’ class band, April 2007 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_06-07.shtml

Plockton & District Horticultural and Arts & Crafts Society Mackinnon, N., (2008). Gàrradh a’bhaile / Highland Village Garden, Highland 2007 Project Report, Plockton Primary School MacKinnon, N., (2010). A Taste of Local Food: Practice, theory and curriculum change, Plockton Primary School. March MacKinnon, N., (2018). Enabling Purpose as Children’s Learning: System Change from the Ground Up. International Conference for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Singapore. Conference presentation with paper and slides. Web reports by pupils: 2005-2012 http://pps2002-12.uk/

The Times Educational Supplement MacKinnon, N., (2007). Scrutiny on the Bounty, ‘Head to Head’, Journal of the Association of Headteachers and Deputies in Scotland, November 2007 and Times Educational Supplement for Scotland, 24 December 2007. https://www.tes.com/news/tes-archive/tes- publication/scrutiny-bounty-1 MacKinnon, N., (2008). The Perils of Permanent Perfection, Times Educational Supplement for Scotland, 21 March 2008. https://www.tes.com/news/tes-archive/tes-publication/perils-permanent-perfection MacKinnon, N., (2008). ‘There is no such thing as the right way’, Times Educational Supplement for Scotland, 4 July 2008. https://www.tes.com/news/tes-archive/tes-publication/there-no-such-thing-right-way MacKinnon, N., (2009). ‘Two cultures of a child-centred approach’. Times Educational Supplement for Scotland. 27 November https://www.tes.com/news/two-cultures-child-centred-approach MacKinnon, N., (2010). CfE – and learning to be 'account able'. Times Educational Supplement for Scotland. 25 June https://www.tes.com/news/cfe-and-learning-be-account-able MacKinnon, N., (2011). ‘Let’s re-energise 'living learning', Times Educational Supplement for Scotland. 18 February. https://www.tes.com/news/lets-re-energise-living-learning

University of Central Lancashire, Cyberspace Research Unit Plockton Primary School entry to INSAFE Cyberspace Research Unit competition, UK runner-up winner 2005 plockton.org The Plockton Community https://www.plockton.org/ So many local individuals and organisations supported the school giving of their time and expertise in so many initiatives. These included churches, art galleries, the Plockton and District Community Council, the Historical Society, the Horticultural and Arts & Crafts Society (as featured above), drama, cooking and cuisine, those offering their grounds and premises, helping on school occasions from concerts, trips to sports day, specialist input from organisations such as the police to those partnering with us as featured here. With particular thanks to Bob Kennedy for his extensive inputs over a very long period with regard to horticulture and links to the Plockton community and associated organisations. With particular thanks to Martin Allan for his extensive establishment, support, encouragement and input with regard to the school website from 2002 and hosting it on the community website; also with appreciation for a series of lessons teaching upper stages pupils the basics of HTML.

3P Network – the network for policymakers, politicians and practitioners in school education MacKinnon, N., (2013). GERM outbreak in Scotland – strategy for infection control and recurrent epidemic prevention, Presentation at the 3P Network Forum for Policymakers, Politicians and Practitioners, 26th International Congress of School effectiveness and Improvement, Santiago, Chile. MacKinnon, N., (2014). The Practitioner Policy Interface – Perspectives from a Scottish Rural Primary School and The World, Presentation at the 3P Network Forum for Policymakers, Politicians and Practitioners, 27th International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia MacKinnon, N., (2015). Inter-school collaboration: a practitioner perspective, ICSEI 3P breakfast network seminar presentation, 28th International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA https://issuu.com/posiwid/docs/nlm-3p-icsei- 2015-paper https://issuu.com/posiwid/docs/nlm-3p-icsei-2015-ppt MacKinnon, N., (2015). Inter-school collaboration: a practitioner perspective, ICSEI Express and Digest, Volume 6 Issue 2, The International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement http://www.icsei.net/index.php?id=1774 (p6)

National Institute for Education, Singapore MacKinnon, N, and Teo, C. L., (2018). Workshop: Designing Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment to Support Children in Enacting Purpose in their Learning Through Knowledge Building. International Conference for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Singapore https://www.icsei.net/2018

Schools in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and further afield See ‘Oracle Education Foundation’ below Virtual Learning Kent (2009). Weather Watch, November 2009, Plockton Primary School, Ross-shire, Scotland / Kherad School, Tehran, Iran / Delat School, Penang Malaysia, November See: 3P Network (2015) above See: Learning and Teaching Scotland (2004) above MacKinnon, N., (2014). Innovative Practice in Modern Languages – a Flavour of Knowledge Building, Knowledge Building Summer Institute, Universiteé Laval, Ville de Queébec, Canada (detailing collaborative work with partner school in France using animated films in native French and English bilingual versions).

2Simple, software publishing company 2Simple Software (2008). 2Control NXT in Scotland, Illustrated brochure incorporating practice of Plockton Primary School 2007-2008 as case study entered in The Education Show 2008, and featuring on the 2Simple stand at the Scottish Learning Festival 2008 together with 2Create Plockton Primary School case study animations (see next entry) Web reports: ‘2Control’ January 2008 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_07-08_winter_spring.shtml ‘2Create stories’ November 2008 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_07-08_winter_spring.shtml

National Trust for Scotland ‘Pupils on Paths’ leaflet produced by Plockton Primary School as part of a series also by other local schools in conjunction with NTS Web report ‘Pupils on Paths’ http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_07-08_winter_spring.shtml .

Skye and Lochalsh Foodlink ‘A Taste of Local Food’ Award entry 2008, Local schools winner 2008. Ross-shire Journal, ‘Tasty treat pupils rewarded’, 13 February 2009. http://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/Features/Tasty-treat-pupils-rewarded-5726.htm . West Highland Free Press, Plockton Primary pupils win local food award, 13 February 2009. The award was based on extensive involvement in food and horticulture over many years.

Oracle Education Foundation Oracle Education Foundation (2007). The Perfect Place – schools unite to create the perfect place, Oracle Foundation explanatory publicity leaflet of collaborative on-line project using Think.com virtual learning environment 2006-07 for the Thinklinks, Project: The joint work and joint working of: Steelstown Primary School, Derry, Northern Ireland. Birchley St Mary’s Primary School, St. Helens, Lancashire, England. Plockton Primary School, Plockton, Highland, Scotland. St John Paul II Primary School, Twardogora, Poland. http://issuu.com/rissui/docs/oracle_report_thinklinks_2007/0 SOLACE (2008). Adding extra value – schools unite to create the Perfect Place using Think.com, Steelstown Primary School, Derry, Northern Ireland. Birchley St Mary’s Primary School, St. Helens, Lancashire, England. Plockton Primary School, Plockton, Highland, Scotland. St John Paul II Primary School, Twardogora, Poland, Focus – the electronic newsletter of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers, (page 40) http://www.solace.org.uk/library_documents/SOLACEFocus-April08.pdf Pupil constructed websites published on Oracle Thinkquest and Think.com and entered for their awards: ‘Walk gently and share my time’ (2007); ‘Animals new to science’ (2007); ‘Sparks (to set the darkness echoing)’ (2010); ‘Growing Green’ (2011); ‘The Plocktonians’ (2012); All featuring as pupils reports 2006-2012 on http://pps2002-12.uk/

University of Aberdeen and other institutes Probationer and student teacher placements; Teacher participation in ‘enhanced practice in learning and teaching’ module with practice exemplification and entailing institutional visit: Web report ‘Pow-wow’, March 2011 http://pps2002-12.uk/primary_archive/reports/webreports_10-11.shtml .

Slide 29: Conclusion As the class-committed head teacher of a small rural primary school I, with colleagues, undertook practice-based implementation research, inquiry, innovation and policy enaction. My whole professional being since being appointed in 2001 has been framed around rethinking roles and relationships within systems. This has been of necessity, but has not been easy-going, for reasons which have been unnecessary and have led to my theoretical, conceptual and applied responses, as here. The practice theoretical framework makes explicit the distinction of performativity with constructivism, and emerging methodologies. The organisational theoretical framework makes explicit the distinction of Taylorist and Fordist formulations of standardisation and control in a modern guise with Systems Thinking and Knowledge Building and cognate philosophies/practices. These find expression in policy and practice rifts. Paramount are those of the neo-liberal ‘improvement agenda’ and ‘post-truth’ audit policy discourse, as conflicting with collegiate professionalism, mutuality and situationally appropriate autonomy, grounded in concepts and theories emanating from 21st century realities. The nature and basis of practice in Plockton Primary School during my headship has been closely linked to normative, technological and policy changes. The ‘real’ research and theoretically informed practitioner inquiry which we undertook were those practically associated with the school’s practice and development to address students/pupils’ needs and potentials within a framework of guidance and policy, itself changing rapidly. Reflections and responses arose with regard to definitions and methods of audit and quality as they impinged on function and change. Conflicts arose which became irreconcilable, then unresolvable and were then merely unexisted. They lie in the contradictions of audit and assessment, of rationale and ethos and of the structuring of change. These were added to by ill- informed, evidentially bereft commentary which disrupted practice and its enhancement as collegiate organic change. They need not have but did so through lack of cognizance of systems thinking, formative engagement, research methods, validation and ethical behaviour. School education is formed of human relationships. Attack those and function founders, at all levels. Major changes are needed at the supra-governance level as apply to schools, not just of them. Audit is an intrinsic component not a bolt-on. It needs to be two-way, indeed multi-way. If we now want schools in Scotland (and elsewhere) effectively enabled to enhance their practice, respond to and partake of new principles, concepts and challenges, as driven by societal or/and policy change, we must stop matching them to fixed specifications and audit statements. We must stop inspecting them, but should now do so in order to enhance accountability, not lessen it. The emerging future lies in engaging and embracing paradoxes, such as this. A linked paradox is that testing is but a sub-component of assessment yet if testing comes to comprise assessment then it destroys it. We all within school education, individually and institutionally, need to become intrinsically ‘account able’ not merely accountable. Mind the gap between those two words, for without noticing it we fall down it. Without transformational learning of the system itself to enable incoming pedagogical and assessment frameworks a dangerous conflict arises as older, narrowly-drawn performance criteria reassert themselves, acquiring total dominance. Unconstrained, they subvert the realisation of incoming concepts and the needs which they address. They restrict the necessary capacity to attend to, embrace and surmount those needs, then on to the enablement of potentials, in all their myriad realisation. I contend that this blockage is now happening, and is evident, in the sense literally of ‘pertaining to evidence’, as I have reported and analysed, but is scarce captured through current audit methods and rationale, which are not engaging coherently with that evidence. This is leading to a widespread, keenly-felt but dimly-understood malaise. To overcome this I present a theoretical and practical alternative of an integral method and philosophy of understanding for enhancement within school education of:

‘Systemic, Staged, Reciprocal, Responsible, Respectful, Evidential, Formative Engagement regarding Purpose’

See: MacKinnon, N., (2010). CfE - and learning to be 'account able'. Times Educational Supplement for Scotland. 25 June https://www.tes.com/news/cfe-and-learning-be-account-able MacKinnon, N., (2011). The urgent need for new approaches in school evaluation to enable Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence, Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, Volume 23, Number 1. February MacKinnon, N., (2012). The 25th International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement’, Malmoö, Sweden, ‘for the love of learning’, http://www.joebower.org/2012/01/25th-international-congress-for-school.html 27 January; and also published as: ‘A Scottish Headteacher’s View of the Effectiveness Challenge’, ICSEI Express and Digest May http://www.icsei.net/index.php?id=1592 (page 10) MacKinnon, N., (2013). Systems thinking for public sector scrutiny, 26th International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement, Santiago, Chile. MacKinnon, N., (2014). What do we need to do to build cultural capacity for innovation in your context? A personal perspective of school education in Scotland, International panel invited presentation, Knowledge Building Summer Institute, Universiteé Laval, Ville de Queébec, Canada. MacKinnon, N., (2014). ‘Innovative Practice in Modern Languages – a flavour of knowledge building.’ Knowledge Building Summer Institute, Universiteé Laval, Ville de Queébec, Canada MacKinnon, N., (2015). Schools as agents of system change, 28th International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. MacKinnon, N., (2015). New Presenting – New Linking – New Thinking: Pedagogic Innovation Beyond Learning, Knowledge Building Summer Institute, Innovation and Digital Technology: Between Continuity and Change. Trieste, Italy Programme: http://www.ckbg2015.disu.units.it/en/program.asp Abstracts: http://www.ckbg2015.disu.units.it/en/book-abstracts.asp Paper: https://issuu.com/rissui/docs/nlm_kbsi_2015_paper Powerpoint (as PDF): https://issuu.com/rissui/docs/nlm_kbsi_2015_ppt MacKinnon, N., (2016). Learning from a multi-ethnic rural school. Conference presentation: The International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement, Glasgow, Scotland MacKinnon, N., (2016). The need for systems thinking to build cultural capacity for innovation throughout school education, Knowledge Building Summer Institute, Singapore. June. MacKinnon, N., (2017). Closing the gap from within – reframing assessment through integral understanding, International Conference for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Ottawa, Canada. https://www.icsei.net/2017/ MacKinnon, N., (2018). Enabling Purpose as Children’s Learning: System Change from the Ground Up. International Conference for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Singapore MacKinnon, N., and Teo, C.L. (2018). Workshop: Designing Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment to Support Children in Enacting Purpose in their Learning Through Knowledge Building. International Conference for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Singapore. Proposal and presentation slides. MacKinnon, N., (2018). Seeking Purpose Beyond Learning as Knowledge Building. Knowledge Building Summer Institute, ‘Knowledge Building: A Place for Everyone in a Knowledge Society’, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. http://ikit.org/summerinstitute2018/ and http://ikit.org/KBSI2018/KBSI2018-Proceedings.pdf

Slide 30: Lego ‘Thank you!’ model made by pupils in English Medium class 4-7 and presented to me as their teacher at the end of session 2006-07 in June 2007.

Returning my thanks to them and to all the pupils of Plockton Primary School, to all the staff, all the parents who gave so much help and encouragement and all who partnered with us and supported us.

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