In chronicling the origins of radical education in the United Kingdom between 1790 and 1848, Rich... more In chronicling the origins of radical education in the United Kingdom between 1790 and 1848, Richard Johnson (1979) invoked the idea of ‘really useful knowledge’ as a way of distancing educative or transformative ideologies from the processes of capitalist schooling and related forms of ‘subjection', ‘servility', ‘slavery’ and ‘surveillance’ (or ‘useless knowledge') (1979: 78). He identified four key aspects of radical education that are pertinent to this chapter. First, it involved a critique of all forms of ‘provided’ education including both state and religious. In other words, radical education was strongly oppositional and revolved around ‘a contestation of orthodoxies’ ...
This paper sets out to examine the role of Western Australian state secondary schooling in linkin... more This paper sets out to examine the role of Western Australian state secondary schooling in linking the ideas of 'race' and ability in such a way 'as to justify very different educational experiences for Aboriginal students. The primary purpose is to unearth the ideological nature of school knowledge and how it operated to perpetuate the myth that Aboriginal students were intellectually, socially and culturally inferior compared to white students. Specifically, it examines the nature of the manual and domestic curriculum deemed suitable for the 'needs'. of Aboriginal boys and girls. The final part of the paper argues that Aboriginal students actively resisted European educational ideologies and .practices by not turning up to school'.
Marxist history emphasises the linkage between economic production, social institutions and every... more Marxist history emphasises the linkage between economic production, social institutions and everyday life. Critics of Marxism claim that its analysis of schooling is simplistic, functional and deterministic The first part of this paper examines whether Marxist historical practice was in fact deterministic. It offers a nonreductionist and non-economistic reading of Marx's historical methodology. The second section moves on to consider some of the ways in which post-structuralist theorising can 'loosen-up' and revitalise mechanistic Marxist interpretations of the history of schooling. Marxist histories of schooling assume that individuals and social institutions are the product of historical forces founded in material conditions (economic base). Such a view of society comes from Marx's Preface to the Critique of Political Economy (1859), where he explains how the forces of production determine class positions and social relationships: In the social production of their existence, men inevitably enter into definite relations which are independent of their will, namely relations of production appropriate to a given stage in the development of their material forces of production. The totality of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation, on which arises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of social consciousness (Marx, 1970, p.20) From Marx's perspective, society consisted of the economic 'base' and a predetermined 'superstructure' of other social institutions and practices such as education, ideas, beliefs and values. Bowles and Gintis' seminal book Schooling in capitalist America (1976) is perhaps the clearest exposition of early social reproduction theory. They argue that the 'correspondence principle' explains how schools integrated young people into the economic system (p.88). In brief, this meant that schools perpetuated the forms of consciousness, inter-personal behaviour and personality required to reproduce capitalist social relations (p.9). According to them, schooling reproduces technical and cognitive skills required in the workplace, legitimates economic inequality, rewards desirable personal characteristics, and reinforces a sense of stratified consciousness (pp.129-130). Critics of Marxism argue that it is wrong to claim that the economic base determines state apparatuses, whether in 'the last instance' or not (see . They argue that traditional Marxists are too static and deterministic in their understanding of the role of schooling. Some writers claim that it is impossible for orthodox Marxists to appreciate how schooling can operate in a manner that is not conducive to the requirements of the capitalist class (eg, Frankel, 1978;. Other critics claim that Marxism has not only been deterministic but sexist and racist. It has failed to deal adequately with different male/female and white/black life experiences. Unfortunately, both gender and race have been theoretically non-existent or at best explained as a conjunct of class analysis (eg, . As a result, Marxist categories made it impossible to theorise oppressed groups like Aborigines and women. In this paper I want to argue that despite such criticism Marxist history remains a powerful, coherent and valuable explanatory perspective for analysing the history of schooling. I want to come at this proposition in two major ways. First, to examine whether Marx's historical methodology was in fact deterministic. Second, to consider how poststructuralism can 'loosen up' and revitalise rigid Marxist interpretations of the history of schooling. brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk
In today's dominant modes of pedagogy, questions about issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, ... more In today's dominant modes of pedagogy, questions about issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, colonialism, religion, and other social dynamics are rarely asked. Questions about the social spaces where pedagogy takes place -in schools, media, and corporate think tanks -are not raised. And they need to be. The Explorations of Educational Purpose book series can help establish a renewed interest in such questions and their centrality in the larger study of education and the preparation of teachers and other educational professionals. The editors of this series feel that education matters and that the world is in need of a rethinking of education and educational purpose. Coming from a critical pedagogical orientation, Explorations of Educational Purpose aims to have the study of education transcend the trivialization that often degrades it. Rather than be content with the frivolous, scholarly lax forms of teacher education and weak teaching prevailing in the world today, we should work towards education that truly takes the unattained potential of human beings as its starting point. The series will present studies of all dimensions of education and offer alternatives. The ultimate aim of the series is to create new possibilities for people around the world who suffer under the current design of socio-political and educational institutions.
Early career teachers have often been represented in deficit terms. This important book does much... more Early career teachers have often been represented in deficit terms. This important book does much to confront the outdated and damaging way that they are conceptualised. Influenced by van Manen's work on critical practice, the book is based on a five-year research study of sixty Australian early career teachers. The authors explore how their construct-"socio-cultural, critical teacher resilience"-can enable teachers new to the profession to develop a balance between their own emerging professional identities and the expectations of others in the current over-regulated neoliberal contexts in which they must work. A real strength of the book is its grounding in the personal narratives of many early career teachers. It should be essential reading for politicians, policy makers, teacher educators, teachers, pre-service teachers and community leaders.' Robyn Ewing, University of Sydney 'The new teacher's plight is often seen as stressful, and lonely-a reality that individuals are expected to bear on their own. Sadly, some sink, while others swim. However, from a different perspective-one that highlights the organizational, social, and political factors that shape a new teacher's experience-the teacher's success depends largely on the context in which she works. An individual who succeeds in one setting might well fail in another. With rich case studies and thoughtful analysis, Promoting Early Teacher Career Resilience, makes a compelling case for shifting reformers' attention to the school as a workplace, thus ensuring success for many more novices.' Susan Moore Johnson, Harvard Graduate School of Education 'A book with a powerful and hopeful perspective on teacher socialization: understanding early career teachers' resilience as that outcome of thoughtful negotiations between themselves-their sense of identity, passion, commitment, expertise-on the one hand and the organizational and institutional realities of the school system on the other. By rejecting resilience as a personality trait, the authors move away from blaming the individual and manage to restore the emancipatory and professionalizing potential of the concept. Resilience is not just about bouncing back, but also bouncing forward: developing professional stamina for sustainable and committed educational practices in the teacher career.' Geert Kelchtermans, University of Leuven 'Teachers everywhere have been under pressure and under scrutiny, their work has been subject to constant reform, they are increasingly positioned as classroom technicians. This book addresses a different teacher-the teacher as intellectual, as autonomous moral actor. It works to create a space, a set of possibilities, within which teachers can think. It is a thoughtful, powerful and necessary book-but also a very practical and relevant one. Every new and would-be teacher should read it.'
Policies and practices refer to the officially mandated statements, guidelines, values and prescr... more Policies and practices refer to the officially mandated statements, guidelines, values and prescriptions that both enable and constrain early career teacher wellbeing. Early career teacher resilience and wellbeing is enhanced when systems’ policies and practices show a strong commitment to the principles and values of social justice, teacher agency and voice, community engagement, and respect for local knowledge and practice.
developed the Big Picture approach in setting up the Metropolitan Career and Technology School (T... more developed the Big Picture approach in setting up the Metropolitan Career and Technology School (The Met) in Providence Rhode Island, USA in the 1990s. They have since created Big Picture Learning that has now established more than 80 schools in over 20 States in the USA. They had previously worked with the Coalition of Essential Schools in the United States of America that is based on the research and ideas of Ted Sizer (1996).
ABSTRACT This book addresses one of the most persistent issues confronting governments, education... more ABSTRACT This book addresses one of the most persistent issues confronting governments, educations systems and schools today: the attraction, preparation, and retention of early career teachers. It draws on the stories of sixty graduate teachers from Australia to identify the key barriers, interferences and obstacles to teacher resilience and what might be done about it. Based on these stories, five interrelated themes - policies and practices, school culture, teacher identity, teachers’ work, and relationships – provide a framework for dialogue around what kinds of conditions need to be created and sustained in order to promote early career teacher resilience. The book provides a set of resources – stories, discussion, comments, reflective questions and insights from the literature – to promote conversations among stakeholders rather than providing yet another ‘how to do’ list for improving the daily lives of early career teachers. Teaching is a complex, fragile and uncertain profession. It operates in an environment of unprecedented educational reforms designed to control, manage and manipulate pedagogical judgements. Teacher resilience must take account of both the context and circumstances of individual schools (especially those in economically disadvantaged communities) and the diversity of backgrounds and talents of early career teachers themselves. The book acknowledges that the substantial level of change required– cultural, structural, pedagogical and relational – to improve early career teacher resilience demands a great deal of cooperation and support from governments, education systems, schools, universities and communities: teachers cannot do it alone. This book is written to generate conversations amongst early career teachers, teacher colleagues, school leaders, education administrators, academics and community leaders about the kinds of pedagogical and relational conditions required to promote early career teacher resilience and wellbeing. http://www.springer.com/education+%26+language/learning+%26+instruction/book/978-981-287-172-5
We invited students to share their stories of how they came to be at university, and what it was ... more We invited students to share their stories of how they came to be at university, and what it was like for them once they got there. Importantly, we wanted to understand, through the use of stories, what kinds of obstacles and barriers get in the way of their learning and what assets and resources most help them. In pursuing this project, we turned to Pierre Bourdieu's writing on class, particularly his 1996 book Reproduction, to understand how the processes of economic and cultural reproduction occur in educational institutions such as universities.
This brief outlines a map developed from research into the implementation of The Big Picture Educ... more This brief outlines a map developed from research into the implementation of The Big Picture Education (BPE) design for learning and school in five quite different high schools. In this research we were keen to learn how school communities effectively implement a Big Picture Academy or Big Picture Education orientation within an established school. Out of this research we were also committed to providing school staff with ways of understanding their progress, reflecting on their progress and planning for maturation of the implementation of the design. We hope this map will make a contribution to that goal.
Throughout this chapter it is argued that young people themselves are the 'purest witnesses&#... more Throughout this chapter it is argued that young people themselves are the 'purest witnesses' to what's happening and what works best for them in their schools. The authors draw on the experience of Jacinta, one of the participants from a larger ethnographic study of outer metropolitan high schools in Perth, Western Australia, to better understand how young people navigate the dynamics and complex demands of classrooms. Jacinta's experience sheds light on the ways in which schools are becoming increasingly irrelevant and inhospitable places for some of society's most vulnerable and marginalised young people. The authors contend that far too many young people like Jacinta are being failed by society and excluded from the benefits of education. At the same time, Jacinta captures the sense of hope and optimism that many young people have for their imagined futures and it is this sense of agency that creates new possibilities for education based on the values of democracy, social justice, trust, respect and care for all
This paper describes the early beginnings and some preliminary theorising of the complexities inv... more This paper describes the early beginnings and some preliminary theorising of the complexities involved in obtaining a clearer understanding of schooling for young adolescents in regional and rural settings. We explain how our thinking is developing around ways to approach some case study schools and "their communities that are advancing on the idea of learning as a form of regional and rural engagement. The central theoretical construct is how educational 'capacity building' that engages young people works against the prevailing trend of increasing numbers of young people leaving school prematurely. This construct is illustrated by reference to the complex and diverse situations and needs of young people in the Kwinana/Rockingham area of the Fremantle-Peel Education District in Western Australia.
In chronicling the origins of radical education in the United Kingdom between 1790 and 1848, Rich... more In chronicling the origins of radical education in the United Kingdom between 1790 and 1848, Richard Johnson (1979) invoked the idea of ‘really useful knowledge’ as a way of distancing educative or transformative ideologies from the processes of capitalist schooling and related forms of ‘subjection', ‘servility', ‘slavery’ and ‘surveillance’ (or ‘useless knowledge') (1979: 78). He identified four key aspects of radical education that are pertinent to this chapter. First, it involved a critique of all forms of ‘provided’ education including both state and religious. In other words, radical education was strongly oppositional and revolved around ‘a contestation of orthodoxies’ ...
This paper sets out to examine the role of Western Australian state secondary schooling in linkin... more This paper sets out to examine the role of Western Australian state secondary schooling in linking the ideas of 'race' and ability in such a way 'as to justify very different educational experiences for Aboriginal students. The primary purpose is to unearth the ideological nature of school knowledge and how it operated to perpetuate the myth that Aboriginal students were intellectually, socially and culturally inferior compared to white students. Specifically, it examines the nature of the manual and domestic curriculum deemed suitable for the 'needs'. of Aboriginal boys and girls. The final part of the paper argues that Aboriginal students actively resisted European educational ideologies and .practices by not turning up to school'.
Marxist history emphasises the linkage between economic production, social institutions and every... more Marxist history emphasises the linkage between economic production, social institutions and everyday life. Critics of Marxism claim that its analysis of schooling is simplistic, functional and deterministic The first part of this paper examines whether Marxist historical practice was in fact deterministic. It offers a nonreductionist and non-economistic reading of Marx's historical methodology. The second section moves on to consider some of the ways in which post-structuralist theorising can 'loosen-up' and revitalise mechanistic Marxist interpretations of the history of schooling. Marxist histories of schooling assume that individuals and social institutions are the product of historical forces founded in material conditions (economic base). Such a view of society comes from Marx's Preface to the Critique of Political Economy (1859), where he explains how the forces of production determine class positions and social relationships: In the social production of their existence, men inevitably enter into definite relations which are independent of their will, namely relations of production appropriate to a given stage in the development of their material forces of production. The totality of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation, on which arises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of social consciousness (Marx, 1970, p.20) From Marx's perspective, society consisted of the economic 'base' and a predetermined 'superstructure' of other social institutions and practices such as education, ideas, beliefs and values. Bowles and Gintis' seminal book Schooling in capitalist America (1976) is perhaps the clearest exposition of early social reproduction theory. They argue that the 'correspondence principle' explains how schools integrated young people into the economic system (p.88). In brief, this meant that schools perpetuated the forms of consciousness, inter-personal behaviour and personality required to reproduce capitalist social relations (p.9). According to them, schooling reproduces technical and cognitive skills required in the workplace, legitimates economic inequality, rewards desirable personal characteristics, and reinforces a sense of stratified consciousness (pp.129-130). Critics of Marxism argue that it is wrong to claim that the economic base determines state apparatuses, whether in 'the last instance' or not (see . They argue that traditional Marxists are too static and deterministic in their understanding of the role of schooling. Some writers claim that it is impossible for orthodox Marxists to appreciate how schooling can operate in a manner that is not conducive to the requirements of the capitalist class (eg, Frankel, 1978;. Other critics claim that Marxism has not only been deterministic but sexist and racist. It has failed to deal adequately with different male/female and white/black life experiences. Unfortunately, both gender and race have been theoretically non-existent or at best explained as a conjunct of class analysis (eg, . As a result, Marxist categories made it impossible to theorise oppressed groups like Aborigines and women. In this paper I want to argue that despite such criticism Marxist history remains a powerful, coherent and valuable explanatory perspective for analysing the history of schooling. I want to come at this proposition in two major ways. First, to examine whether Marx's historical methodology was in fact deterministic. Second, to consider how poststructuralism can 'loosen up' and revitalise rigid Marxist interpretations of the history of schooling. brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk
In today's dominant modes of pedagogy, questions about issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, ... more In today's dominant modes of pedagogy, questions about issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, colonialism, religion, and other social dynamics are rarely asked. Questions about the social spaces where pedagogy takes place -in schools, media, and corporate think tanks -are not raised. And they need to be. The Explorations of Educational Purpose book series can help establish a renewed interest in such questions and their centrality in the larger study of education and the preparation of teachers and other educational professionals. The editors of this series feel that education matters and that the world is in need of a rethinking of education and educational purpose. Coming from a critical pedagogical orientation, Explorations of Educational Purpose aims to have the study of education transcend the trivialization that often degrades it. Rather than be content with the frivolous, scholarly lax forms of teacher education and weak teaching prevailing in the world today, we should work towards education that truly takes the unattained potential of human beings as its starting point. The series will present studies of all dimensions of education and offer alternatives. The ultimate aim of the series is to create new possibilities for people around the world who suffer under the current design of socio-political and educational institutions.
Early career teachers have often been represented in deficit terms. This important book does much... more Early career teachers have often been represented in deficit terms. This important book does much to confront the outdated and damaging way that they are conceptualised. Influenced by van Manen's work on critical practice, the book is based on a five-year research study of sixty Australian early career teachers. The authors explore how their construct-"socio-cultural, critical teacher resilience"-can enable teachers new to the profession to develop a balance between their own emerging professional identities and the expectations of others in the current over-regulated neoliberal contexts in which they must work. A real strength of the book is its grounding in the personal narratives of many early career teachers. It should be essential reading for politicians, policy makers, teacher educators, teachers, pre-service teachers and community leaders.' Robyn Ewing, University of Sydney 'The new teacher's plight is often seen as stressful, and lonely-a reality that individuals are expected to bear on their own. Sadly, some sink, while others swim. However, from a different perspective-one that highlights the organizational, social, and political factors that shape a new teacher's experience-the teacher's success depends largely on the context in which she works. An individual who succeeds in one setting might well fail in another. With rich case studies and thoughtful analysis, Promoting Early Teacher Career Resilience, makes a compelling case for shifting reformers' attention to the school as a workplace, thus ensuring success for many more novices.' Susan Moore Johnson, Harvard Graduate School of Education 'A book with a powerful and hopeful perspective on teacher socialization: understanding early career teachers' resilience as that outcome of thoughtful negotiations between themselves-their sense of identity, passion, commitment, expertise-on the one hand and the organizational and institutional realities of the school system on the other. By rejecting resilience as a personality trait, the authors move away from blaming the individual and manage to restore the emancipatory and professionalizing potential of the concept. Resilience is not just about bouncing back, but also bouncing forward: developing professional stamina for sustainable and committed educational practices in the teacher career.' Geert Kelchtermans, University of Leuven 'Teachers everywhere have been under pressure and under scrutiny, their work has been subject to constant reform, they are increasingly positioned as classroom technicians. This book addresses a different teacher-the teacher as intellectual, as autonomous moral actor. It works to create a space, a set of possibilities, within which teachers can think. It is a thoughtful, powerful and necessary book-but also a very practical and relevant one. Every new and would-be teacher should read it.'
Policies and practices refer to the officially mandated statements, guidelines, values and prescr... more Policies and practices refer to the officially mandated statements, guidelines, values and prescriptions that both enable and constrain early career teacher wellbeing. Early career teacher resilience and wellbeing is enhanced when systems’ policies and practices show a strong commitment to the principles and values of social justice, teacher agency and voice, community engagement, and respect for local knowledge and practice.
developed the Big Picture approach in setting up the Metropolitan Career and Technology School (T... more developed the Big Picture approach in setting up the Metropolitan Career and Technology School (The Met) in Providence Rhode Island, USA in the 1990s. They have since created Big Picture Learning that has now established more than 80 schools in over 20 States in the USA. They had previously worked with the Coalition of Essential Schools in the United States of America that is based on the research and ideas of Ted Sizer (1996).
ABSTRACT This book addresses one of the most persistent issues confronting governments, education... more ABSTRACT This book addresses one of the most persistent issues confronting governments, educations systems and schools today: the attraction, preparation, and retention of early career teachers. It draws on the stories of sixty graduate teachers from Australia to identify the key barriers, interferences and obstacles to teacher resilience and what might be done about it. Based on these stories, five interrelated themes - policies and practices, school culture, teacher identity, teachers’ work, and relationships – provide a framework for dialogue around what kinds of conditions need to be created and sustained in order to promote early career teacher resilience. The book provides a set of resources – stories, discussion, comments, reflective questions and insights from the literature – to promote conversations among stakeholders rather than providing yet another ‘how to do’ list for improving the daily lives of early career teachers. Teaching is a complex, fragile and uncertain profession. It operates in an environment of unprecedented educational reforms designed to control, manage and manipulate pedagogical judgements. Teacher resilience must take account of both the context and circumstances of individual schools (especially those in economically disadvantaged communities) and the diversity of backgrounds and talents of early career teachers themselves. The book acknowledges that the substantial level of change required– cultural, structural, pedagogical and relational – to improve early career teacher resilience demands a great deal of cooperation and support from governments, education systems, schools, universities and communities: teachers cannot do it alone. This book is written to generate conversations amongst early career teachers, teacher colleagues, school leaders, education administrators, academics and community leaders about the kinds of pedagogical and relational conditions required to promote early career teacher resilience and wellbeing. http://www.springer.com/education+%26+language/learning+%26+instruction/book/978-981-287-172-5
We invited students to share their stories of how they came to be at university, and what it was ... more We invited students to share their stories of how they came to be at university, and what it was like for them once they got there. Importantly, we wanted to understand, through the use of stories, what kinds of obstacles and barriers get in the way of their learning and what assets and resources most help them. In pursuing this project, we turned to Pierre Bourdieu's writing on class, particularly his 1996 book Reproduction, to understand how the processes of economic and cultural reproduction occur in educational institutions such as universities.
This brief outlines a map developed from research into the implementation of The Big Picture Educ... more This brief outlines a map developed from research into the implementation of The Big Picture Education (BPE) design for learning and school in five quite different high schools. In this research we were keen to learn how school communities effectively implement a Big Picture Academy or Big Picture Education orientation within an established school. Out of this research we were also committed to providing school staff with ways of understanding their progress, reflecting on their progress and planning for maturation of the implementation of the design. We hope this map will make a contribution to that goal.
Throughout this chapter it is argued that young people themselves are the 'purest witnesses&#... more Throughout this chapter it is argued that young people themselves are the 'purest witnesses' to what's happening and what works best for them in their schools. The authors draw on the experience of Jacinta, one of the participants from a larger ethnographic study of outer metropolitan high schools in Perth, Western Australia, to better understand how young people navigate the dynamics and complex demands of classrooms. Jacinta's experience sheds light on the ways in which schools are becoming increasingly irrelevant and inhospitable places for some of society's most vulnerable and marginalised young people. The authors contend that far too many young people like Jacinta are being failed by society and excluded from the benefits of education. At the same time, Jacinta captures the sense of hope and optimism that many young people have for their imagined futures and it is this sense of agency that creates new possibilities for education based on the values of democracy, social justice, trust, respect and care for all
This paper describes the early beginnings and some preliminary theorising of the complexities inv... more This paper describes the early beginnings and some preliminary theorising of the complexities involved in obtaining a clearer understanding of schooling for young adolescents in regional and rural settings. We explain how our thinking is developing around ways to approach some case study schools and "their communities that are advancing on the idea of learning as a form of regional and rural engagement. The central theoretical construct is how educational 'capacity building' that engages young people works against the prevailing trend of increasing numbers of young people leaving school prematurely. This construct is illustrated by reference to the complex and diverse situations and needs of young people in the Kwinana/Rockingham area of the Fremantle-Peel Education District in Western Australia.
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