This interdisciplinary textbook provides an introduction to the many theoretical developments and controversies which took place in the sociology and politics of education during the 1970s and 80s. The book

• Discusses the arguments concerning humanist and structuralist Marixsm.
• Provides a clear and concise introduction to structuralism and post-structuralism (work of Derrida, Lacan and Foucault) and theorises in the ways they contribute to Marxism or are subversive of it.
• Relates these theoretical perspectives to education and the...

A large number of pupils are, or are liable to become, disaffected with their schooling. In this comprehensive account of the problem, Ken Reid suggests that school can and should do much more to prevent and overcome disaffected behaviour, as manifested by such factors as absenteeism, disruption and underachievement. The book covers disruptive behaviour in its broader context and examines the search for an explanation within schools themselves. Formal and multidisciplinary approaches to the problem are also fully treated. The author has drawn on his considerable school and research...

At the time of its original publication this book was the first major survey of the nature of the difficulties that children with special educational needs experience in the classroom context of mainstream junior schools. The book is based on research involving interviews with heads and teachers, and on extensive observation of children in junior classrooms. The research is related to the report of the Warnock Committee and to problems of definition and assessment in the area of special education. The book describes the views which junior school teachers have of special educational needs...

This volume considers how various sociological approaches to the exploration of the conditions of teachers might be co-ordinated so as to produce a more penetrating and reliable understanding of the main dimensions of teachers work. Three dimensions are selected for special attention: historical, institutional and interactional contexts in which teachers operate. In different way the papers in this collection explore the contribution such an investigation of these contexts can make to our understanding of wider educational concerns.

Social mobility, educational priority areas and equality of opportunity are topics discussed as much today as when this book was first published over 30 years ago. This book is written by people of varying ages and professions who have broken through from poor social beginnings, deprived backgrounds and many disadvantages into a high level of professional achievement. Starting in working class or slum environments in areas such as Sheffield, Wales, Manchester, Leeds, Huddersfield, London, Glasgow and Birmingham they describe their struggles and the ways in which they attempted to over-come...

Stephen Rowland explores the relationship between the turor (or facilitator) and the professional worker on post-experience professional courses. His emphasis in on the processes of reflection and enquiry in professional learning and is not content specific. Drawing upon his experience as a course tutor and the perspectives of students, he suggests an approach to professional learing which is firmly rooted in the experience and interests of the student.

This book is divided into four parts. In Part One the author considers the natural factors which have influenced the various national systems of education. They comprise racial, linguistic, geographical and economic factors. In Part Two he considers the contribution of religious traditions to education, more particularly those of the Catholic and Puritan faiths, and in Part Three the secular traditions of humanism, socialism and nationalism. Finally in Part Four a comparison is made of the systems of education in England and Wales, the USA, France and the Soviet Union.

This collection of papers surveys key aspects of the curriculum, investigates the present situation and discusses what improvements need to be made. It is contributed by teachers, educational advisers and researchers and ranges across a variety of different institutional teaching settings and a variety of different subject areas. The approach is empirical rather than theoretical and the book is divided into three sections covering content, methods and evaluation.

This book reappraises the British and American experience in curriculum studies, the curious way in which it has been dominated by certain ideas and introduces the reader to alternative ways of perceiving, defining and approaching its problems. It provides a radical critique of the whole area, presenting both Marxist and phenomenological perspectives on the current dilemmas that teachers face. The book argues that in order to understand the problems teachers face in coping with the curriculum, we must look at the situation from the point of view of the individual rather than prescribing a...

This volume offers a conceptual justification and methodology for comparative studies of education matching developments in the social sciences and other comparative disciplines. It also relates comparative studies of education to the practical business of policy formulation at all levels. Thus it bridges the widening gap between the purely academic world and the world of decision for development. The author draws illustrations from educational reforms, but goes further in suggesting suitable procedures or institutions which might achieve soundly based policies and secure their...