ABSTRACT
Twenty years after the publication of the Plowden Report, described at the time by one commentator as the 'progressives' charter' it is perhaps natural to seek explanations for what the previous research overview suggests was moderate progress in the attempts to change certain aspects of classroom practice. Simon attempts a reconstruction of what was happening, generally, in primary schools of the 1960s based upon the Plowden Report itself. The first of the explanations why the initial blossoming of enthusiasm for new approaches did not extend beyond a small proportion of the schools, with the result that in the majority the changes were more cosmetic than real, can be classified as the pressure theory. The second set of explanations for the failure to implement Plowden's theory of progressivism might be called the quality control theory, the idea that too many of the profession lack the intelligence and skills to practise progressive teaching effectively.
