Knowledge at the Crossroads? : Physics and History in the Changing World of Schools and Universities

"There is much discussion about what needs to change in education institutions in the 21st century, but less attention given to how core disciplinary studies should be considered within that context. This book is based on a major 4-year research study of history and physics in the changing environment of schools and universities in Australia. Are these forms of knowledge still valuable for students? Are they complementary to, or at odds with the concerns about '21st century skills', interdisciplinary and collaborative research teams, employability and 'learner-centred' education? How do those who work in these fields see changes in their disciplines and in their work environment? And what are the similarities and differences between the experiences of teachers and academics in physics and those in history? The book draws on interviews with 115 school teachers and university academics to provide new perspectives on two important issues. Firstly, how, for the purposes of today's schools and universities, can we adequately understand knowledge and knowledge building over time? Secondly, what has been productive and what has been counter-productive in recent efforts to steer and manage the changes in Australia?"--Publisher's description Front Matter....Pages i-xii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Researching the Changing World of Education....Pages 3-11 Front Matter....Pages 13-13 Knowledge and Education in the 21st Century....Pages 15-33 History and Physics as Disciplines....Pages 35-57 New Public Management and the Changing Governance of Universities....Pages 59-75 Changing Agendas and the Governance of the School Curriculum....Pages 77-92 Front Matter....Pages 93-93 Australian ‘History Wars’: The Contested Purpose of History in the Curriculum....Pages 95-108 The Physics Curriculum: What Is the ‘Discipline’ that Needs to Be Nurtured?....Pages 109-124 Inward and Outward Facing Knowledge: Curriculum Purposes and Slippages....Pages 125-139 Front Matter....Pages 141-141 ‘What Does Your Discipline Look Like and How Does It Matter?’ Historians and Physicists Talk....Pages 143-164 Disciplines and Interdisciplinarity....Pages 165-182 Performance Measurement and Management....Pages 183-195 Front Matter....Pages 197-197 Regulation and Governance in Australia: Implications for Knowledge Work....Pages 199-209 Genericism and Specialisation: An Ongoing Problematic for Schools and Universities....Pages 211-223 Knowledge, Disciplines, Identities and the Structuring of Education....Pages 225-239 Back Matter....Pages 241-257