Browsing by Person "Scholes, Stephen C."

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Challenges and Opportunities in Religious Education: Re-Considering Practitioners’ Approaches in Scottish Secondary Schools
(Taylor & Francis, 2019-10-25) Scholes, Stephen C.
In Scotland, and particularly with regards to non-denominational RE, known as Religious and Moral Education (RME), a current focus of debates is on how and why practitioners are implementing or deviating from legal and curricular expectations. Using the findings of a small-scale qualitative practitioner enquiry centered on one local education authority in Scotland, this article advances recent discussions and engages with comparative international scholarship by identifying the challenges and opportunities in relation to the provision of RME and arguing that practitioners are motivated by the demands of learners and the priorities of school leaders, rather than official expectations.
Empowering future literacy instructors: the role of mastery experiences in pre-service teachers’ literacy knowledge and self-efficacy
(2025-08-14) Law, Jeremy M.; Boese, Karen.; Roy, Suparna.; Boese, Alexandra S.; Scholes, Stephen C.
Teachers play a crucial role in reading development, but many lack explicit content knowledge and literacy self-efficacy for effective instruction. This study explores a mastery experience-focused professional learning opportunity to enhance pre-service teachers’ literacy instruction skills. Grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, it argues that mastery experiences are crucial for developing effective literacy teachers. The program integrates explicit knowledge instruction with hands-on, collaborative experiences over 10 weeks. Results indicate statistically significant growth in self-efficacy and literacy instruction knowledge among participants. The study also highlights potential reciprocal benefits for local children and schools, particularly in supporting struggling readers. The findings suggest this approach effectively prepares pre-service teachers to be literacy instructors, bridging the gap between theory and practice. This research provides valuable insights into the potential of mastery experience-focused initial teacher professional learning opportunities in transforming literacy education.
Festival of Learning: Interim Evaluation Report - June 2024
(Scottish Teachers Association of Religious and Moral Education, 2024-09) Scholes, Stephen C.
This interim report details the initial impact of the Scottish Teachers Associations of Religious and Moral Education's (STARME) first Festival of Learning event, held at Queen Margaret University (Edinburgh) in May 2024.
The Marginalization of Religious Education: Solutions for a Shared Challenge from Scotland
(Taylor & Francis Group, 2025-08-21) Scholes, Stephen C.
Scholarship on Religious Education (RE) has called for knowledge transfer to address the marginalization of the subject. This article builds on this discussion by exploring the situation for RE in Scotland based on new insights from a collaborative project that adopted an action research approach. The article makes three main contributions. First, the data examined includes perspectives from members of the ‘RE community’ in Scotland, enabling it to offer an updated account of the national picture. Second, it explicitly connects Scottish developments to international trends. Finally, it highlights solution-focused insights into the common challenge of the marginalization of RE in Scotland and, potentially, beyond.
The Possibilities of Tutor-Supported Observations in Initial Teacher Education
(Oxford Brookes University, 2024-06-17) Scholes, Stephen C.; Whyte, Steph; Lovett, Claire
Precarious Provision and Mixed Messages: Religious Education, School Inspection, and the Law in Scottish Non-Denominational Secondary Schools
(Taylor & Francis, 2022-03-03) Scholes, Stephen C.
The focus of this article is on the legal requirement for schools in Scotland to ensure Religious and Moral Education (RME) is taught to all children in non-denominational secondary schools. In particular, the article pays attention to the mediating role of inspection in the relationship between the legal requirement and provision in schools. The paper is based on the findings from a documentary research project that uses the inspection documentation from fifty-four schools dating from August 2016 to August 2020. The article makes three main contributions. First, it offers fresh evidence on the degree of compliance with legal requirements. Second, it highlights the inspectorates’ role in drawing schools’ attention to the legal requirements surrounding RME. Finally, it is argued that the inspectorate’s mediatory role in relation to the legal requirements is a significant factor in understanding the continuing precariousness of the position of RME in Scottish non-denominational secondary schools.
Religious and moral education in Scottish non-denominational primary schools: charting curriculum change through school handbooks
(Taylor & Francis Group, 2024-10-01) Scholes, Stephen C.
Religious and Moral Education (RME) in primary schools has been an under-researched aspect of state-funded schooling in Scotland. It has received little scholarly comment, and even less empirical research has been conducted on the extent and nature of provision since the implementation of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence from 2010 onwards. Using the findings from a document analysis of ninety school handbooks from one local education authority, this article contributes to the limited scholarship on this topic. Through a discussion of the themes of compliance, content, and community, the article highlights ongoing challenges concerning implementing CfE RME in the primary sector. It concludes by considering the marginalisation of RME and suggesting that focusing on professional learning and further empirical research are vital next steps.
Suspensions and Detentions
(Routledge, 2024-10-29) Dick, Suzie; Scholes, Stephen C.
The power of placements: reflections on a joyful activity to empower teacher educators
(University of Aberdeen, 2025-09-15) Scholes, Stephen C.; Dey, Donna; Green, Christopher; Michael, Eluned; Oates, Catriona; Payne, Orlaith; Shirazi, Tara; Stevenson, Sarah
In Scottish university-based initial teacher education (ITE), university-based teacher educators support and assess preservice teachers during school placements. This work requires substantial knowledge and skills, rapid relationship building, and extensive travel. Teacher educators navigate emotionally demanding situations, balancing rigorous standards with individual growth when making crucial professional judgements. This piece positions school placements as a joyful and empowering experience. Through curated reflections from eight teacher educators across four Scottish universities, it explores key themes, demonstrating the empowering potential of placement practice. This contribution aims to foster a positive self-image among teacher educators and highlight the value of placement work. In doing so, it challenges institutional views that sometimes overlook the skill, intellectual rigour, and pastoral expertise essential to effective teacher-educators’ placement practice.
Using Scottish school inspection documentation as a primary source for research dissertations
(2023-07-10) Scholes, Stephen C.
Documentary research in education can often be overlooked as an approach to exploring policy and practice issues, particularly for dissertation research projects. However, a range of documents can offer valuable data. In particular, school inspection documentation can be an illuminating and accessible source. Building on my recent research and teaching experiences, this paper provides a guide to utilising school inspection documentation from the Scottish context as primary sources for research dissertations in education and other disciplines. The intention is to support students and researchers undertaking research projects to navigate these sources confidently and to enable them to develop insightful analyses and discussions.
Where grief education goes to die? A response to making learning about grief, death, and loss mandatory in Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence
(Cruse: Bereavement Support, 2024-02-14) Scholes, Stephen C.
This rapid response raises challenges to Dawson et al’s (2023) recent proposals for mandatory grief education in schools; in particular, it considers curriculum crowding, the limitations of legal mandates and initial-teacher education. It proposes collaborative working between specialist groups as a way forward.
Why are you still talking about Black Sabbath? Spotting the music buff charlatans in playlists of contemporary heavy metal music
(The British Psychological Society, 2025-06-17) Bainbridge, Alan; Scholes, Stephen C.