The Epistemological Development of Education : Considering Bourdieu, Foucault and Dewey

This book documents the political and economic ramifications of the policy impetus for a “science of education” and what this means for classroom teachers, their teaching practices and for the field of education. In a critical exploration of current research and policy articulations of the purposes of education, with attention given to Australia, the UK and the USA, this book delineates the evaluative mechanisms involved in the strategic science as method adoption of accountability, competitiveness and test-driven criteria used in major education policy. It brings together the disciplines of sociology and philosophy by drawing on the theoretical insights of Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu and John Dewey. In addition, the book argues for the deliberate use of the theoretical in education and is against the contemporary unquestioning advocacy that often accompanies a narrowly defined master narrative of a science of education. This book will be of special interest to post-graduate students as a source material in general education courses and is also intended for academics with an interest in educational theory/philosophy and the sociology of education. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 1 The emergence of theorizing a “science of education” 10 Introduction – what this book is about 10 An education policy obsession and the attack on progressivism 13 The epistemological development of education 17 Overview of chapters 21 References 24 2 Foucault, Bourdieu and education 26 Introduction 26 Power relations and schooling 26 Foucault, Bourdieu and power 29 The teacher subject as scrutinized technician – an exercise in “system” power 31 The methodological authority of “science” 33 Science and relevance to education 35 The distraction/s of a fake debate 37 Conclusion 40 References 41 3 The confines of education policy-making 44 Introduction 44 The sociology of Pierre Bourdieu – field/s, habitus, practice 45 Doxa 45 A policy doxa on teachers’ work 49 Teacher effectiveness 50 A methodology doxa – models and laws 53 Governmentality 54 Framing the policy argument – the right sort of teacher 55 The global international “player”: the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) 56 A national policy from the USA – A Race to the Top (RttT) 57 Conclusion 59 References 60 4 Crisis and change 64 Introduction 64 Crisis politics and hysteresis 64 Operationalizing teacher agency in times of crisis 67 Professionalization and the teacher “change agent” agenda 71 Autonomy 74 Conclusion 76 References 77 5 John Dewey, teachers and the educative experience today 80 Introduction 80 John Dewey 80 Dewey, the educative experience and teachers 84 A technology of teaching? 86 Personalized teaching and learning 87 Dewey and what is worth knowing 89 Educational aspects of becoming – capabilities 92 Conclusion 93 References 94 6 Teacher identity and expertise – why it matters 97 Introduction 97 Teaching – what is it? 97 Knowledge and expertise of teaching 100 (1) Scientific knowledge about teaching – measurement and evaluation 101 Observations 103 Student surveys 104 Value-added measures 105 (2) Craft knowledge 106 Developing teachers – performance characteristics for a new “creative” age 107 Teacher identity 109 Conclusion 110 References 110 7 Growth in and for what? 113 Introduction 113 Growth and proficiency 113 Dewey and the concept of growth 115 An economizing appropriation of student achievement as growth 118 Authentic pedagogy and growth 122 Conclusion 125 References 125 8 Innovative practice within the evidence-based matrix 128 Introduction 128 “Science” informing teaching practice 128 An evidence base – “what works” 132 Creativity and innovation 134 Professional development and learning 136 The autonomous “entrepreneurial” teacher 137 Conclusion 140 References 140 9 Democratizing the epistemology of education 143 Introduction 143 Democracy as characterized by equality of opportunity 143 The political priority of democracy and real-world properties of systems and structures 148 Sensing the educative opportunity 150 The democratic role of “science” in education 153 Conclusion 155 References 155 10 An epistemology of education to be embodied by educators 157 References 160 Index 162 Economics;,Sociology;,Policy,of,Education;,Dewey;,Bourdieu Economics,Sociology,Policy of Education,Dewey,Bourdieu