In 2002, Professor Andrew Pollard became Director of the ESRC's Teaching and Learning Programme (TLRP). His first job was as a salesman for his family's printing business. He then trained as a teacher and held posts at a number of primary schools in Yorkshire, before returning to part-time study for a Masters degree, then a PhD, in the Sociology of Education. He is currently based at the Institute of Education, University of London.
"I studied Sociology and Economics as an undergraduate at Leeds. I was particularly keen on interpretative sociology, which is about understanding people’s perspectives. There were similarities between this and primary education in the 1970s, in that, in each case, it was very important to appreciate the subjectivity of individuals.
After university I taught at different schools in Yorkshire, as did my wife, who was also a teacher. Then in the early 1970s, the Houghton Settlement significantly increased teachers' salaries, so both my wife and I decided to take time out to do Masters degrees.
When I finished my MEd I returned to teaching, but continued researching and did a part-time PhD at Sheffield on teacher-pupil interaction and social relationships in classrooms. At the time there wasn't much social science research being done by teachers. By the end of the 1970s, therefore, I had both a PhD and practical experience of teaching. Then I heard about a post in teacher education, with an interest in classroom interaction, at Oxford Polytechnic. I applied for it and got the job. In all, I worked there for five years. During this time I was able to combine research with practical work.
During the early 1980s I used my MEd and PhD research for a book on the 'social world' of pupil experience through schooling. Some years later I joined forces with Ann Filer and was able to continue the theme through a series of studies which tracked two groups of pupils between the ages of 4-16 over the period from 1987-1999. Although I didn't realise it at the time, such 'longitudinal ethnography' was actually very unusual in education. The work was ultimately reflected in a series of 'Social World' books: The Social World of the Primary School, The Social World of Children’s Learning, The Social World of Pupil Career and The Social World of Pupil Assessment. One more book, on the children’s experience through secondary schooling, is in preparation.
Another strand to my research has always concerned education policy and, in particular, research on the impact of educational 'reforms'. This began with the 1988 Education Reform Act. With colleagues Paul Croll, Marilyn Osborn and Patricia Broadfoot, I was awarded an ESRC grant for an initial project on this major legislation, and then two further awards to do follow-up research. We used systematic observation, surveys and interviews in a large sample to study the impact of new curriculum and assessment requirements. Changing English Primary Schools was published in 1994 and we completed two further books in 2000. Many of the things that have since proved problematic about educational reforms were foreseen in this research, and it is a pity that we were not able to have more impact on policy making.
I was initially involved in TLRP as an award holder in a project on Home School Knowledge Exchange with Martin Hughes and colleagues, and I was very interested when the Directorship role for the whole Programme became vacant. The Programme is concerned with developing new understanding which could help 'improving learning' across all stages of the life-course within the UK - not a small ambition. It also seeks to improve the quality of educational research itself. In the late 1990s, educational research had come in for a lot of criticism. When I took over, I thought that one of the most important things was to focus on points of constructive development rather than on the various squabbles between researchers which were all too common. It was crucial to move things forward.
TLRP has developed a great deal over the past four years, and we recently had a very positive evaluation. It is now over three times bigger than it was in 2002 and involves over 500 researchers in some 60 projects and 20 thematic initiatives. We’ve had excellent IT support for our website, and our communication software is very good in helping us to overcome geographical distances and share data. We organise Programme-wide events every term: the directors' forum in the summer; a three-day conference in the autumn; and a capacity building event in the spring.
We're particularly committed to engaging with practitioners and policymakers throughout the research process. To help us in this, we have a team of Associate Directors who have different specialist knowledge and also, crucially, links to a variety of user organisations. Every project also has strong links with practitioners.
We are continually publishing and sending out material throughout the year, some of which is produced in a very short time-frame with the help of journalists. We have newsletters, research briefings, two book series, special issues of journals and TLRP Commentaries on contemporary issues. The only way we're able to produce such material is through the goodwill and commitment of those involved in the Programme. We all believe that what we're doing is important and do our best to help it ‘make a difference’.
Looking to the future, we're hoping to produce, or contribute to, overviews of teaching and learning in each education sector - working in conjunction with other appropriate organisations. Engaging with policymakers is one of our biggest concerns.
I am still involved with my family print business. I think there's a link between my research interests and the firm's past (it's been going since 1781) and its future. The company couldn't survive if all those involved didn't continue to learn. Both organisations also depend on people coming together with a collective sense of purpose. Managing a research programme requires a good organisational structure, as does an efficient business. If you establish a good structure from the outset, you can be more flexible and responsive to circumstances and needs as they emerge.
I think three things that stand out about TLRP are: a sense of moral commitment to 'improve' learning across the lifecourse and the goodwill this generates; its clear organisational structure and expectations; and an inclusive ethos that promotes appreciation of different research approaches. We are trying to contribute substantively in terms of new knowledge and to improve the quality of educational research. In so doing, we also try to enjoy the challenges that these goals bring!"