The OECD tells us that 90 per cent of education reforms are not properly evaluated. So it seems that governments have not lived up to their own ideals of evidence-informed policymaking. Research and Policy in Education argues that education policy is as often driven by political ideologies as by solid research evidence. It explores this claim with case studies of: the Coalition government's reform of teacher training towards a school-led approach; the use of evidence in international polic...

`This book is a very worthwhile read for teachers, student teachers and teacher educators. It would be encouraging if politically based policy makers were to digest its contents also′ - Citizenship, Social and Economics Education`I recommend this book as an enjoyable, thought provoking and politically important read′ - Widenining Participation and Lifelong Learning`This important book challenges current educational policies in England in a style, f...

The rise of a radical ‘new’ sociology of education during the early 1970s focused attention on the nature of school knowledge. Although this new approach was set to revolutionize the subject, within a few years, many people considered these developments an eccentric interlude, with little relevance to curriculum theory or practice.First published in 1985, this book offers a more positive view of the new sociology of education and its contribution to our understanding of the curricu...

Postmodernism has become the orthodoxy in educational theory. It heralds the end of grand theories like Marxism and liberalism, scorning any notion of a united feminist challenge to patriachy, of united anti-racist struggle, and of united working-class movements against capitalist exploitation and oppression. For postmodernists, the world is fragmented, history is ended, and all struggles are local and particularistic. Written by internationally renowned British and American educational th...

The twentieth century has been marked by the expansion of educational opportunities worldwide. It has been the century of education, and the role of the state in the promotion of public education has been decisive. Yet, at the millennium's turn efforts to diminish the role of the state are rapidly changing education, especially in terms of its role in democracy. This comprehensive handbook offers a fresh view of the social context of education, outlining the challenges as well as the advan...

First published in 1993, Specialisation and Choice in Urban Education explores how city technology colleges (CTC) have managed the task of selecting intakes representatives of their catchment areas and explore their impact on local schools. From their announcements in 1986, CTC have been presented both as a new choice of school for the inner city and as pointing the way to a more diversified education system. This account of their development uses interviews with key architects of...