18 results
Search Results
2. Tomorrow we live: fascist visions of education in 1930s Britain.
- Author
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Fisher, Pamela and Fisher, Roy
- Subjects
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FASCISM & education , *BRITISH education system , *EDUCATION & politics , *SOCIOHISTORICAL analysis ,BRITISH social policy - Abstract
The present paper explores the fascist vision for education in 1930s Britain through the presentation of extracts from official publications of the British Union of Fascists (BUF), as well as from the writings of Party members. The paper presents a socio-historical study of British adherents to fascism and provides an account of their thinking in relation to education and schooling, exposing a milieu of ideologues, Party functionaries and serving teachers who were animated by their political commitment. Following a brief outline of the early years of British fascism, there is an account of some key members and their educational ideas, followed by a discussion of the BUF's educational policies and of its approach to internal education and training. The orientation of the BUF and its membership to education, and the Party's formulated policies in this field present a modernist vision that was calculated to have particular appeal to educational professionals. There is a consideration, through memoirs, of the experiences of two BUF members who were teachers. The paper reveals a relatively hidden episode in the social history of British educational politics; one that contained paradoxes of intent and outcome, and of means and ends, when ostensibly progressive and socially elevating concepts were employed in ways that had an ultimately destructive impact on individuals, both personally and professionally, as well as on whole societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Enchanting a disenchanted child: revolutionising the means of education using Information and Communication Technology and e‐learning.
- Author
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Beastall, Liz
- Subjects
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EDUCATION , *EDUCATIONAL technology , *EDUCATIONAL standards , *CURRICULUM , *BRITISH education system , *TEACHER training , *GOVERNMENT policy , *RESEARCH - Abstract
The Department for Education and Skills currently shows a high regard for the potential of technology transforming the British education system. Government White papers demonstrate e‐learning‐based unification strategies that reinforce the message that introducing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) will raise standards in schools. This paper examines the effect of these developments on teachers and pupils, and questions the government’s motivation for change. The introduction of ICT has not been complemented by increased levels of effective professional development for teaching staff in the pedagogy of ICT across the curriculum and may have merely served to reinforce the generational digital divide. In attempting to enchant the pupils, the government may have alienated the teachers. This paper suggests that the Department for Education and Skills should place more emphasis on developing strategies and providing funding for solutions to gaps in the professional development of teachers in their pedagogical understanding of ICT across the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. On the making and taking of professionalism in the further education workplace.
- Author
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Gleeson, Denis, Davies, Jenifer, and Wheeler, Eunice
- Subjects
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HIGHER education , *BRITISH education system , *EDUCATIONAL sociology , *PROFESSIONALISM , *CONTINUING education - Abstract
This paper examines the changing nature of professional practice in English further education. At a time when neo–liberal reform has significantly impacted on this under–researched and over–market–tested sector, little is known about who its practitioners are and how they construct meaning in their work. Sociological interest in the field has tended to focus on further education practitioners as either the subjects of market and managerial reform or as creative agents operating within the contradictions of audit and inspection cultures. In challenging such dualism, which is reflective of wider sociological thinking, the paper examines the ways in which agency and structure combine to produce a more transformative conception of the further education professional. The approach contrasts with a prevailing policy discourse that seeks to re–professionalise and modernise further education practice without interrogating either the terms of its professionalism or the neo–liberal practices in which it resides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
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5. Unspoken Exclusion: experiences of continued marginalisation from education among 'hard to reach' groups of adults and children in the UK.
- Author
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Milbourne, Linda
- Subjects
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BRITISH education system , *SOCIAL marginality , *SOCIAL policy - Abstract
Despite UK government initiatives aimed to address social exclusion, local experience of those who have the poorest access to economic and social resources is that they continue to be marginalised from education and other mainstream institutions, and excluded from a voice in designing remedial initiatives. This paper draws on the experiences of particularly women and children in a study undertaken with non-English-speaking and other culturally excluded groups in two inner-city areas. It aims to explore both common and discrete experiences of social exclusion in relation to mainstream institutions; and to locate these within a frame of some current social and education policy interventions. The paper contributes to a growing literature that seeks to examine the local effects of new policy initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Capturing Contracts: informal activity among contract researchers.
- Author
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Allen-Collinson, Jacquelyn and Hockey, John
- Subjects
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BRITISH education system , *CONTRACT employment , *OCCUPATIONAL structure , *HIGHER education , *WORK environment - Abstract
Contract researchers constitute an expanding occupational group in UK higher education and contribute significantly to national research output Despite recent concern and debates over their marginal status and inferior conditions of employment, little is known about the actual complexities of contract researchers' working lives. Drawing upon qualitative interviews, an attempt is made to remedy this lacuna, by portraying certain kinds of occupational knowledge and practices utilised by social science contract researchers. The paper focuses on the understandings and strategies which are developed and refined as researchers attempt to sustain employment in a highly insecure realm. What is portrayed is not the technical expertise required for this kind of research, but rather the knowledge, acumen and action which are more informal, tacit and indeterminate. This paper examines the cognitive and interactional processes which need to be developed and combined with technical expertise, if employment is to be maintained in such a competitive and insecure field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1998
7. The Gender Agenda in Teacher Education.
- Author
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Poole, Marilyn and Isaacs, Dallas
- Subjects
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BRITISH education system , *GENDER role , *SEX discrimination against women , *TEACHERS , *TEACHER training - Abstract
This paper explores some of the relationships between the understanding of gender equity and gender issues in education held by academic staff in an institute of higher education, and their views on the importance of incorporating gender into the curriculum. The paper discusses findings pertaining to how academics approach gender issues in their teaching in their relationships with students and with other members of staff In so doing the question is raised--what messages are trainee teachers receiving about gender issues? The findings also discuss some of the pedagogical implications arising from the absence of theoretical perspectives or orientations in relation to gender in preservice teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1993
- Full Text
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8. The `third wave': Education and the ideology of parentology.
- Author
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Brown, Phillip
- Subjects
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EDUCATIONAL sociology , *PARENT-child relationships , *IDEOLOGY , *BRITISH education system , *EDUCATION policy - Abstract
In this paper it will be argued that we are entering a 'third wave' in the socio-historical development of British education and that similar trends are also evident in the USA, Australia and, New Zealand. The 'first wave' can be characterised by the rise of mass schooling for the working classes in the late nineteenth century. The 'second wave' involved a shift from the provision of education based upon what Dewey called the "feudal dogma of social predestination" to one organised on the basis of individual merit and achievement. What is distinct about the 'third wave' is the move towards a system whereby the education a child receives must conform to the wealth and wishes of parents rather than the abilities and efforts of pupils. In other words, we have witnessed a shift away from the 'ideology of meritocracy' to what I will call the 'ideology of parentocracy'. This paper will consider the evidence to support this conclusion and examine its sociological significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1990
- Full Text
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9. Counter-narratives of educational excellence: free schools, success, and community-based schooling.
- Author
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Gerrard, Jessica
- Subjects
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BRITISH education system , *HISTORY of education policy , *FREE schools , *PLACE-based education , *ACADEMIC achievement , *SOCIAL classes , *EDUCATIONAL objectives , *SOCIALISTS , *SCHOOL children , *TEENAGERS , *ELEMENTARY education , *SECONDARY education , *EDUCATION ,BLACK British - Abstract
The notion of ‘competitive excellence’ is an enduring cornerstone of UK educational policy. Most recently, expanding and adapting New Labour’s Academy project with the introduction of free schools, the Coalition’s approach advances and embeds competitive market-based forms of community engagement in education. Responding to this policy paradigm, this paper draws upon history in order to open up the notion of excellence. Through examining alternative practices of achievement and success in histories of community education, I aim to disturb the unquestioned attachment of educational excellence to the ideals of competitive meritocracy. Comparing across two community educational movements – Socialist Sunday Schools (established 1892) and Black Saturday Schools (established 1968) – I explore how achievement and excellence have been mobilised to very different educational aims. In distinct times and circumstances, both of these community initiatives practiced versions of educational achievement that challenged dominant knowledge hierarchies and underlying assumptions of incapability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
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10. 'Education makes you have more say in the way your life goes': Indian women and arranged marriages in the United Kingdom.
- Author
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Bhopal, Kalwant
- Subjects
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ARRANGED marriage , *INDIAN women (Asians) , *BRITISH education system , *SOCIAL capital , *GROUP identity , *HIGHER education , *HISTORY - Abstract
This paper explores Indian women's views on arranged marriages in the United Kingdom. It is based on research carried out with 32 Indian women studying at a university in the South East of England, UK. The article draws on Wenger's social theory of learning to explore how Indian women's participation in communities of practice in higher education contributes to their participation in arranged marriages. The concept of 'social capital' is used to discuss how women are able to negotiate their participation in arranged marriages, It is used to examine the knowledge and identity resources that women develop through their participation in higher education, which provides them with the means from which to develop the necessary 'bridging ties' leading to their active participation in the wider South Asian community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
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11. 'We raised it with the Head': the educational practices of minority ethnic, middle-class families.
- Author
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Archer, Louise
- Subjects
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EDUCATION of the middle class , *EDUCATION of minorities , *BRITISH education system - Abstract
This paper discusses findings from a small-scale empirical exploration of the views, experiences and educational practices of middle-class minority ethnic families in the United Kingdom. It draws on semi-structured interviews conducted with 36 parents, pupils and 'young professionals'. Analyses consider to what extent generic class resources, as identified by the US work of Lareau, are evident within the educational practices of British middle-class, minority ethnic families. It is argued that generic class resources and practices were evident to the extent that parents expressed a desire for personalised education, felt comfortable voicing their opinions and concerns to schools, and were willing to climb the ladder of authority to get their voices heard. However, it is also argued that 'race' plays a significant and complicating role that calls for a qualification (but not a negation) of Lareau's theorisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Appropriating professionalism: restructuring the official knowledge base of England's 'modernised' teaching profession.
- Author
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Beck, John
- Subjects
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BRITISH education system , *PROFESSIONALISM , *EDUCATIONAL standards , *TEACHER training ,GREAT Britain. Teacher Training Agency - Abstract
The present paper examines efforts by government and government agencies in England to prescribe and control the knowledge base of a teaching profession that has, under successive New Labour administrations since 1997, been subjected to 'modernisation'. A theoretical framework drawn from aspects of the work of Basil Bernstein, and of Rob Moore and Lynn Jones, is drawn upon to examine in some detail one key aspect of this ongoing process of governmental appropriation of professionalism: the specification by the Training and Development Agency for Schools of new 'standards' for both initial teacher training and teachers' subsequent career progression. It is argued that although this enterprise represents itself as a species of purely common-sense reform, it is in fact a mode of competency training that is rooted in selective appropriation of elements of post-fordist management theory and a loose form of behaviourist psychology. The capacity of this training discourse to suppress awareness of its own presuppositions and of alternative or competing conceptions of professions and professionalism is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
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13. (Mis)Understanding underachievement: a response to Connolly.
- Author
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Gorard, Stephen and Smith, Emma
- Subjects
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EDUCATIONAL sociology , *ACHIEVEMENT gap , *ACADEMIC achievement , *BRITISH education system , *UNDERACHIEVEMENT ,SEX differences (Biology) - Abstract
In British Journal of Sociology of Education Volume 29 number 3, 2008, Connolly presented what he termed a 'critical review' of some of our previous work on the relative attainment of male and female students in UK schools. He proposed three general areas for criticism - our use of attainment gaps, our consideration of outcomes other than at specific thresholds, and our querying of the idea of student 'underachievement'. These problems, he claimed, have 'given rise to a number of misleading conclusions that have questionable implications for practice'. However, those of his 'criticisms' with any merit are actually the same as our own conclusions, transmuted by Connolly from our papers that he cites, while his remaining 'criticisms' are based on faulty elementary logic. In case readers have not read our work and were somehow misled by Connolly, we give here a brief reply to each criticism in turn. This matters, because a greater understanding of patterns of attainment and of the nature of underachievement is a precursor to the design of successful initiatives to overcome inequalities in educational opportunity and reward. This is both a practical and an ethical issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Leading multi-ethnic schools: adjustments in concepts and practices for engaging with diversity.
- Author
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Shah, Saeeda
- Subjects
- *
MULTICULTURALISM , *EDUCATION policy , *MUSLIM students , *HIGH schools , *BRITISH education system , *RELIGION & ethics - Abstract
The student population across world is increasingly reflective of diverse cultures, religions and ethnicities. This rich diversity may become a challenge for educational leaders, teachers, and policy-makers in the absence of an understanding of diverse sources of knowledge people draw on for directing their beliefs and daily practices. This paper explores the multi-ethnic context in Britain with a focus on Muslim students in English secondary schools, and argues for drawing on diverse ethnic knowledge sources to inform and enrich approaches towards managing diversity. It discusses the concept of Adab derived from Muslim ethics and philosophy, and debates possible contributions of such conceptual adaptations towards improving educational engagement and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Meritocracy through education and social mobility in post-war Britain: a critical examination.
- Author
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Themelis, Spyros
- Subjects
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EDUCATIONAL sociology , *BRITISH education system , *CAPITALIST societies , *DISCRIMINATION in education , *EQUALITY - Abstract
After the Second World War, education in advanced capitalist societies has been perceived as the main 'saviour' of the meritocratic ideal. In this paper I will investigate some of the implications of the lasting emphasis that has been placed upon education in Britain, in the pursuit of a more just and equal society. Initially, I will present two main strands of thought vis-a-vis meritocracy. I will then show how these different approaches have shaped the pertinent debate. The main line of reasoning will be that the 'meritocracy through education' discourse can potentially conceal inequalities and injustices in contemporary market-driven British society. This contention will be supported by evidence from social mobility research, which clearly indicates that the expansion of educational provision and the increase in educational qualifications of the past 60 years has done little to eliminate social class differences and associated privileges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
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16. From reproduction to learning cultures: post‐compulsory education in England.
- Author
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Avis, James
- Subjects
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COMPULSORY education , *EDUCATIONAL law & legislation , *BRITISH education system , *POST-compulsory education , *LEARNING , *EDUCATION policy , *ADULT education , *EDUCATIONAL change - Abstract
This paper examines recent empirical work on the lived experience of learners in post‐compulsory education. The starting point is a brief examination of the socio‐economic context of the sector. Despite the sophistication of analyses of learning cultures, a more radical approach is needed. Failure to do so renders these analyses amenable to appropriation by ‘new labour’ modernisers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
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17. Captured by the Discourse? Issues and concerns in researching `parental choice'.
- Author
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Bowe, Richard, Gewirtz, Sharon, and Ball, Stephen J.
- Subjects
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BRITISH education system , *EDUCATION research , *SOCIAL choice , *IDEOLOGY , *THEORY - Abstract
In this paper we look at the relationship between political, cultural and economic change, the 'position' of parental choice in the various policy texts (in particular, it's centrality to The Parent's Charter) and what we have termed the context of practice (Bowe et al., 1992). In particular, we raise some issues and concerns that arise from research to date, in terms of their methodologies, their analysis and their representations of choice. It is the failure, in all these respects, to consider the complexity and inter-relatedness of choice-making and political and economic change that gives rise to our concerns. We tentatively suggest a heuristic device, the metaphor of landscapes of choice, that we think might help us to explore the relationships between the various policy contexts, whilst recognising the embeddedness of the research process in precisely these contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1994
- Full Text
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18. A New Orthodoxy, Old Problems: post-16 reforms.
- Author
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Avis, James
- Subjects
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BRITISH education system , *POST-compulsory education , *EDUCATIONAL sociology , *POLITICAL parties , *EDUCATIONAL law & legislation , *CAPITALISM - Abstract
The paper explores the emerging consensus around post-compulsory education and training. It argues the notion of settlement needs to be developed to incorporate concepts of race and gender. It suggests a settlement is developing amongst the major political parties and other constituents who have a stake in post-compulsory education and training. These constituents share a common analysis of the problem facing education and training. Whilst these different groups have varying strategies to address the problem these are held under the sway of a capitalist logic. Post-Fordist arguments celebrate the progressive possibilities that inhere in a high skill, high trust economy; however, such optimism is easily co-opted and colonised by capitalist interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1993
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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