Educational Theory

A Review of the Relevant Merits and Disadvantages of the Current Assessment Methods used in the Photography BTEC Extended Diploma Course

by Ben Macloughlin

This paper explores the current assessment method used in a Photography BTEC course. It reveals the role of formative... more This paper explores the current assessment method used in a Photography BTEC course. It reveals the role of formative and summative assessment methods in Photography. It identifies the differences between the use of sketchbooks, PowerPoint and blogs to track learner progress and for receiving feedback. The research takes into account the views of the learners and their tutors and offers an insight into teaching and learning styles. The aim of the paper is to discover which assessment method best suits Photography and can possibly raise the standards of teaching and learning in the UK.

Les Enjeux de la critique dans le paysage anglo-saxon de l'éducation: petite course à travers champs

by Michel Alhadeff-Jones

Alhadeff, M. (2002). Les Enjeux de la critique dans le paysage anglo-saxon de l'éducation: petite course à travers champs. Pratiques de Formation / Analyses, n°43, pp.131-144. Paris: Université de Paris VIII.

Cet article est le premier texte à introduire en langue française un aperçu général des courants critiques développés... more Cet article est le premier texte à introduire en langue française un aperçu général des courants critiques développés depuis une quarantaine d'années dans les Sciences de l'éducation de langue anglaise. Il s'articule en trois parties. La première introduit les fondements théoriques caractérisant trois courants dominants: Le Critical Thinking Movement, les Critical & Radical Pedagogies, et le courant du Transformative Learning. La seconde partie problématise ces développements en reprenant les tensions épistémologiques qui caractérisent les débats sur la critique en éducation apparus au cours des années 1990 aux USA. Finalement, la nature et la portée du champ évoqué sont revisitées à partir de cinq axes de questionnement transversaux: les enjeux inhérents à la définition d'une posture critique; les qualités inhérentes au penseur critique; les enjeux propres au développement et à la transmission d'une telle posture; les options méthodologiques privilégiées pour les étudier et, finalement, les présupposés mobilisés pour fonder les démarches de recherche et de formation développées. La conclusion de l'article interroge la pertinence de développer un cadre de compréhension permettant de penser la pluralité des conceptions de la critique en éducation. De même, la dimension implicite des théories de la critique en éducation et la légitimité inhérente à l'institutionnalisation d'un tel champ de recherche apparaissent finalement comme un enjeu de débat à encourager dans le champ francophone des Sciences de l'éducation.

Trois Générations de Théories de la Complexité: Nuances et Ambiguités

by Michel Alhadeff-Jones

Alhadeff-Jones, M. (2008). Trois Générations de Théories de la Complexité: Nuances et Ambiguités. Programme Européen MCX “Modélisation de la Complexité”. Disponible à l’adresse: http://www.mcxapc.org/docs/conseilscient/0805michel.pdf

Le recours contemporain à la notion de "complexité" renvoie fréquemment à des démarches ayant tendance à... more Le recours contemporain à la notion de "complexité" renvoie fréquemment à des démarches ayant tendance à unifier sa définition. En langue anglaise, sa réduction à une forme singulière (complexity theory ou complexity science) s'avère ainsi susceptible de masquer la variété des théories permettant de rendre compte des implications inhérentes au recours à cette notion. Cet article, en prenant en considération à la fois les traditions de recherche latines et anglosaxonnes, associées à la notion de complexité, suggère une approche plus nuancée, évitant la simplification de cette notion à certaines des conceptions dominantes qui y sont associées. Partant d'une approche étymologique, cet article propose d'envisager de façon chronologique l'émergence de trois générations de théories de la complexité; ce faisant, certains de leurs enracinements épistémologiques et socio-culturels sont introduits. D'un point de vue épistémologique, la réflexion proposée met en évidence certaines des interprétations hétérogènes sous-jacentes à la définition de ce qui est perçu comme complexe. Suivant une perspective anthropologique, ce texte évoque également la portée à la fois émancipatrice et asservissante susceptible d'être associée à l'idée de complexité. Sur la base des ambiguitiés mises en évidence, cet article suggère finalement de concevoir les contributions renvoyant aux théories contemporaines de la complexité, au même titre que la remise en question de leur légitimité épistémologique et éthique, à partir des boucles et des dynamiques dont elles sont constitutives. Ce faisant, les chercheurs et les praticiens en Sciences de l'éducation devraient considérer leurs pratiques en tant que processus
d'apprentissage dont la complexité renvoie autant aux transformations qu'ils étudient ou provoquent, qu'aux transformations inhérentes aux systèmes de représentations
auxquels ils ont recours pour les conceptualiser. 

Three Generations of Complexity Theories: Nuances and Ambiguities

by Michel Alhadeff-Jones

Alhadeff-Jones, M. (2008). Three Generations of Complexity Theories: Nuances and Ambiguities. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 40, 1, 66-82.

The contemporary use of the term ‘complexity’ frequently indicates that it is considered a unified concept. This may... more The contemporary use of the term ‘complexity’ frequently indicates that it is considered a unified concept. This may lead to a neglect of the range of different theories that deal with the implications related to the notion of complexity. This paper, integrating both the English and the Latin traditions of research associated with this notion, suggests a more nuanced use of the term, thereby avoiding simplification of the concept to some of its dominant expressions only. The paper further explores the etymology of ‘complexity’ and offers a chronological presentation of three generations of theories that have shaped its uses; the epistemic and socio-cultural roots of these theories are also introduced. From an epistemological point of view, this reflection sheds light on the competing interpretations underlying the definition of what is considered as complex. Also, from an anthropological perspective it considers both the emancipatory as well as the alienating dimensions of complexity. Based on the highlighted ambiguities, the paper suggests in conclusion that contributions grounded in contemporary theories related to complexity, as well as critical appraisals of their epistemological and ethical legitimacy, need to follow the recursive feedback loops and dynamics that they constitute. In doing so, researchers and practitioners in education should consider their own practice as a learning process that does not require the reduction of the antagonisms and the complementarities that shape its own complexity.

Bildung und Kultur. Ästhetische Grundlagen der Vergleichenden Pädagogik, in: Manuel Fröhlich et. al: Bildung und Kultur - Relationen, Jena 2012, pp. 53-80

by Karsten Kenklies

Governmentality – Neoliberalism – Education: the Risk Perspective

by Ondrej Kaščák

Co-authored with Branislav Pupala
Published in Journal of Pedagogy, 2011, 2 (2): 145-160
Themed Issue: Governmentality - Neoliberalism - Education: the Risk Perspective

This paper understands the basic elements of neoliberalism in education and governmentality to be the technologies for... more This paper understands the basic elements of neoliberalism in education and governmentality to be the technologies for the neoliberal government of education. It outlines Foucault’s methodology for analysing governmentality and shows how neoliberalism is a discursive formation which homogenises apparently unrelated language games and discourses. It places particular emphasis on the rhizomatic dispersion of neoliberal discursive and non-discursive practices, which in the end create a mosaic of thinking and acting with its own existing internal logic. This paper provides a cross-sectional perspective on how neoliberalism has implanted itself as a universal phenomenon along the horizontal and vertical lines of the education sphere and shows how, particularly through the policy of lifelong learning for a knowledge society, it is transforming first of all the education of adults and how subsequently it has become a fundamental blueprint for the complex revision of higher education and regional schooling, including pre-school education. This paper prefaces this single-issue edition of the Journal of Pedagogy and therefore presents and summarises the articles published in this issue, and suggests how they are thematic examples of a single and more general theoretical framework.

Vol. 2, No. 2, 2011 (English): Governmentality – Neoliberalism – Education: the Risk Perspective

by Journal of Pedagogy

Themed Issue: Governmentality – Neoliberalism – Education: the Risk Perspective
Ondrej Kaščák & Branislav Pupala (eds.)

Conceptualizing oppression in educational theory: Toward a compound standpoint

by Noah De Lissovoy

Published in Cultural Studies <=> Critical Methodologies

Talking back to theory: the missed opportunities in learning technology research

by Martin Oliver

Bennett, S. & Oliver, M. (2011) Talking back to theory: the missed opportunities in learning technology research. Research in Learning Technology, 19 (3), 179-189.

Research into learning technology has developed a reputation for being driven by rhetoric about the revolutionary... more Research into learning technology has developed a reputation for being driven by rhetoric about the revolutionary nature of new developments, for paying scant attention to theories that might be used to frame and inform research, and for producing shallow analyses that do little to inform the practice of education. Although there is theoretically-informed research in learning technology, this is in the minority, and has been actively marginalised by calls for applied design work. This limits opportunities to advance knowledge in the field. Using three examples, alternative ways to engage with theory are identified. The paper concludes by calling for greater engagement with theory, and the development of a scholarship of learning technology, in order to enrich practice within the field and demonstrate its relevance to other fields of work.

The Necessity of Educational Theory

by Helen E Lees

Co-authored with Gert Biesta. Presented by Helen Lees at British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Institute of London, London, 2011

The necessity of theory in the field of education is in question. A number of publications in recent years have sought... more The necessity of theory in the field of education is in question. A number of publications in recent years have sought to refute the need for theory and theorising in educational research and practice. We show that arguments against educational theory are refutable and that educational studies needs to refute them for the sake of strong development. This paper takes up Gary Thomas’s claims in particular to make a case for the necessity of educational theory. Following criticisms of this work, we move to consider positive uses of theory in education, highlighting its roles and how it serves education as a discipline of activity and debate. In short, an argument is developed that suggests educational theory is needful for education to flourish and be the best that it can be for all those concerned with its uses and development. What Thomas, in particular, identifies as the downfall of educational theory is shown as in fact the downfall of education without theory.

The invisibility of the alternative alternative: an exploratory discussion of factors that stop us seeing educational alternatives in their vital otherness from the mainstream of educational practice

by Helen E Lees

Submitted as a paper for a conference.

This paper considers a theoretical lack of understanding in education that operates to exclude the possibility that... more This paper considers a theoretical lack of understanding in education that operates to exclude the possibility that 'alternative education' is very alternative from mainstream education. The argument considers usage of the 'term' alternative in mainstream education and how, when 'alternative' means theoretical and practical educational 'otherness', it is marginalised by some theorists to mean just another aspect of education meant as a whole and complete field. I argue that this is not possible based on empirical data collected and theoretical lines followed that show forms of education such as democratic schooling and autonomous home education function in many ways as a Kuhnian other world.

Pedagogía y hermenéutica del cuerpo simbólico (2005)

by JORDI PLANELLA

REVISTA DE EDUCACIÓN, 336, 189-201

This article looks at the human body from a social, anthropological and pedagogical perspective. The paradigmatic... more This article looks at the human body from a social, anthropological and pedagogical perspective. The paradigmatic changes which have occurred in artistic disciplines, just as in the area of the Humanities, permit a symbolic reading of the human body. It is this symbolic dimension which allows us to present it as an emer- ging value in young people’s identities; identities which are subjected to bodily transformations through procedures such as cosmetic surgery, body piercing and tattoos and corporal post-humanization. The pedagogy of the symbolic body allows us to accompany our students in their corporal transformation journeys.

Social Justice Pedagogy Across the Curriculum: The Practice of Freedom

by Nikola Hobbel

Textbook for Preservice and Inservice teachers. Co-edited with Thandeka K. Chapman, published by Routledge, 2010.

What knowledge and tools do pre- and in-service educators need to teach for and about social justice across the... more What knowledge and tools do pre- and in-service educators need to teach for and about social justice across the curriculum in K-12 classrooms?

This compelling text synthesizes in one volume historical foundations, philosophic/theoretical conceptualizations, and applications of social justice education in public school classrooms.

Part one details the history of the multicultural movement and the instantiation of public schooling as a social justice project.

Part two connects theoretical frameworks to social justice curricula. Parts I and II are general to all K-12 classrooms.

Part three provides powerful specific subject-area examples of good practice, including English as a Second Language and Special/ Exceptional Education

Social Justice Pedagogy Across the Curriculum includes highlighted 'Points of Inquiry' and 'Points of Praxi's sections offering recommendations to teachers and researchers and activities, resources, and suggested readings. These features invite teachers at all stages of their careers to reflect on the role of social justice in education, particularly as it relates to their particular classrooms, schools, and communities.

Relevant for any course that addresses history, theory, or practice of multicultural/social justice education, this text is ideal for classes that are not subject-level specific and serve a host of students from various backgrounds.

Boundary crossing and boundary objects

by Arthur Bakker

Akkerman, S. F., & Bakker, A. (2011). Boundary crossing and boundary objects. Review of Educational Research, 81, 132-169.

Diversity and mobility in education and work present a paramount challenge that needs better conceptualization in... more Diversity and mobility in education and work present a paramount challenge that needs better conceptualization in educational theory. This challenge has been addressed by educational scholars with the notion of boundaries, particularly by the concepts of boundary crossing and boundary objects. Though studies on boundary crossing and boundary objects emphasize that boundaries carry learning potential, it is not explicated in what way they do so. By reviewing this literature, this paper offers an understanding of boundaries as dialogical phenomena. The review of the literature reveals four potential learning mechanisms that can take place at boundaries: identification, coordination, reflection, and transformation. These mechanisms show various ways in which sociocultural differences and resulting discontinuities in action and interaction can come to function as resources for development of intersecting identities and practices.

The very subjection of the subject: Levinas, heteronomy and the philosophy of education

by Anna Strhan

presented in April 2009 at the annual conference of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain

A Face in" The Glasse": Gascoigne's" Glasse of Governement" Re-Examined

by Linda Bradley Salamon

Pedagogic Strategies Supporting the Use of Synchronous Audiographic Conferencing: A Review of the Literature

by Tim Neumann

Co-authored with Professor Sara de Freitas, published in the British Journal of Educational Technology

Synchronous audiographic conferencing (SAC) refers to a combination of technologies for real-time communication and... more Synchronous audiographic conferencing (SAC) refers to a combination of technologies for real-time communication and interaction using multiple media and modes. With an increasing institutional uptake of SAC, users require an understanding of the complex interrelations of multiple media in learning scenarios in order to support pedagogic-driven planning and effective use of the tool. This paper provides a review of recent literature that explores the pedagogic strategies used to underpin practical uses of SAC for the benefit of learners especially in non-standard contexts such as distance education. The paper reports on approaches from practitioner-oriented perspectives as well as approaches based on educational theory, notably the community of inquiry model, task design and multimodal models of cognition, meaning and interaction. The main features of these models were extracted to provide both a synthesis for future work on dedicated pedagogic models for SAC and a resource for practitioners wanting to link SAC with educational theory.

And Who is My Neighbour? Levinas and the Commandment to Love Re-Examined

by Anna Strhan

published in Studies in Interreligious Dialogue, Vol. 19, No. 2, 2009

With the publication of 'A Common Word' in October 2007, both Christian and Muslim leaders have in recent years... more With the publication of 'A Common Word' in October 2007, both Christian and Muslim leaders have in recent years highlighted the contemporary significance of the commandment to love the neighbour as a starting point in working towards a meaningful peace between these religious traditions. In this paper, I propose that Emmanuel Levinas’s presentation of obligation towards the neighbour in a relation of proximity in Otherwise than Being provides a provocative reinterpretation of this commandment, extending its appeal by suggesting that the demand of responsibility towards the neighbour and the possibility of peaceful relations is a transcendental condition of subjectivity rather than understanding it as a commandment addressed to members of the Abrahamic religions. Levinas’s conceptions of illeity, vulnerability and proximity as preconditions for society and justice provide a challenge to how we think about relations with others in education, particularly for considering the nature of inter-faith and intra-faith dialogue. Levinas’s vision of loving the neighbour is not sentimentalised but admits of the potential violence found in the approach of the neighbour whilst at the same time presenting the obligation of responsibility to the neighbour as bringing the possibility of peace.

Boundary crossing and boundary objects

by Sanne Akkerman

this article is in press in Review of Educational Research and will appear in 2011 in the June or September Issue. For more information contact: s.f.akkerman@uu.nl

Diversity and mobility in education and work present a paramount challenge that needs better conceptualization in... more Diversity and mobility in education and work present a paramount challenge that needs better conceptualization in educational theory. This challenge has been addressed by educational scholars with the notion of boundaries, particularly by the concepts of boundary crossing and boundary objects. Though studies on boundary crossing and boundary objects emphasize that boundaries carry learning potential, it is not explicated in what way they do so. By reviewing this literature, this paper offers an understanding of boundaries as dialogical phenomena. The review of the literature reveals four potential learning mechanisms that can take place at boundaries: identification, coordination, reflection, and transformation. These mechanisms show various ways in which sociocultural differences and resulting discontinuities in action and interaction can come to function as resources for development of intersecting identities and practices. Article is now accessible online at:

http://rer.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/0034654311404435v1?ijkey=4LKMx60v0wQzc&keytype=ref&siteid=sprer

Contemporary Epistemological Research In Education

by Sanne Akkerman

In this article the authors challenge contemporary epistemological research within educational settings. After a... more In this article the authors challenge contemporary epistemological research within educational settings. After a reconciliation of the current models which treat epistemological beliefs as static and mechanical,
the authors present a teaching experience to illustrate their enactivist view that epistemological beliefs should be conceptualized as fluid and dynamic constructs, emerging in web-like configurations. Answers to epistemological questions unfold within the interstices and mutual interactions between people and their environment. Boundaries between
student–teacher, individual–community, cognition–bodily experience are becoming blurred. From this enactivist perspective the researcher’s role changes considerably. Instead of determining teachers’ personal traits and
epistemological make-up, the researcher should sensitize teachers to the subtle ways epistemological beliefs are enmeshed within their day-to-day professional lives, focusing on the complex fabric of the teaching practice.