The education question in theory and the theory question in education—Introduction to the Special Issue (original) (raw)
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British Journal of Educational Studies, 2006
This paper proceeds through four stages. First, it provides an account of the origins and evolution of the concept of educational theory. Second, it uses this historical narrative to show how what we now call 'educational theory' is deeply rooted in the foundationalist discourse of late nineteenth and early twentieth century modernity. Third, it outlines and defends a postfoundationalist critique of the foundationalist epistemological assumptions on which our understanding of educational theory has been erected. Finally, it argues that the only conclusion to draw from this postfoundationalist critique is that educational theory has run its course and should now be brought to a dignified end.
1996 Educational Researcher The relationship between theory and practice
Scholarly thinking in this century has been dominated by a strong inequality between theory and practice. Abstract knowledge was considered to be of a higher standing and of more value than concrete skills or the tacit knowledge of good performance. Research concentrated on theory formation, both descriptive for explanation and, in the social sciences, prescriptive for behavioral instructions. Consequently, practitioners in different professions, such as teacher education, were confronted with the problem of bridging the gap between theory and practice, a task that never seemed to succeed very well.
Theory's Spell: on Qualitative Inquiry and Educational Research
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The Social Making of Educational Theory
Nordic Journal of Educational History
This article discusses the study of educational theories and ideas. Based on analyses of primarily the Danish scene, positing similarities with the other Nordic countries, we identify and investigate three main and today dominating approaches: a philosophical approach focusing on the content of the ‘great’ thinkers’ ideas, their logical-coherence and/or moral-ethical value; a historical approach centering on individuals and their educational ideas expressed as views in a realistic and contextual story; and a Foucauldian approach which analyzes educational ideas and theories through their place in power-knowledge constellations. On the backcloth of analyses of the ontology and epistemology operating in these approaches we conclude that they all ignore the systematic study of the social context in which ideas and theories are conceived and we argue for a social space and social history approach as a way to fill out this epistemological vacuum.
On the Politics of Educational Theory
2016
What does educational theory do? This bold and original text positions educational theory as producer of social realities and political ideas.' Claudia Ruitenberg, Associate Professor, Philosophy of Education, University of British Columbia, Canada 'Educational theory is seldom treated with more important than it is in this book. Instead of trying to construct yet another educational theory to change, understand or explain the role of education in social contexts, Tomasz Szkudlarek starts from educational theory itself as a porous, vibrating field of energy inherently producing social reality. Instead of social reality establishing the conditions for educational thinking, Szkudlarek stresses how educational theory is a creation of certain visibilities that organize the social world and shape political hegemonies. As such this book is both innovative and provocative in its conceptualisation of the relationship between education, theory and politics and in its capacity to visualise how active social forces constitute what we consider to be 'real'.
A Bridge Too Far? Reflections on Theory in Educational Practice
“Symposia Melitensia”, vol. 16, pp. 71-86., 2020
Praxis is a notion underlying several educational theories and it has led to the development of different models of teacher education. Locally, this has also been one of the concepts discussed during the 'masterisation' of the teaching profession, by virtue of which pedagogical content knowledge builds on prior-achieved content knowledge. As teacher education in Malta was reformed, a number of unprecedented socioeconomic developments created a scenario which, at policy-making level, brought about further educational reforms. These include an outcomes-based model for learning and assessment and a drive towards vocational education. In this presentation, I refer to data regarding teacher-student ratios, as one aspect of the contextualization of education locally, and I proceed to reflect upon two educational documents, using Critical Discourse Analysis. I argue that the cyclical nature of praxis, which requires reflection and action, is somewhat side-lined within the current educational context, possibly because immediate instrumental gains are being prioritized.