Of myths and monitoring: learner-centred education as a political project in Scotland

Prevalent constructions of best practice at the global level include learner-centred education as an emancipatory and holistic approach across the life course. However, competing discourses of standardisation and preparation for the workforce are also at play. As a small state constructing an image and role for itself on a global stage, Scotland draws aspirationally on learner-centredness in its current Curriculum for Excellence governing education in schools, and in the Statement of Ambition for Adult Education, aligning it with apparently indigenous ideas of good practice in education while distancing it from prevalent patterns in neighbouring England. However, in operationalising these, competing agendas and versions of best practice interrupt these policy narratives and prove difficult to resist. Using a combination of document analysis, observations of consultation processes, and interviews with policy actors, this article explores these tensions in policy content and process.