Teachers and educational policy: Markets, populism and im/possibilites for resistance
Teachers and educational policy: Markets, populism and im/possibilities for resistance
By: Meghan Stacey, UNSW Sydney; Mihajla Gavin, University of Technology Sydney; Jessica Gerrard, University of Melbourne; Anna Hogan, Queensland University of Technology; Jessica Holloway, Australian Catholic University
Published in: Education Policy Analysis Archives, July 2022
This double special issue explores the figurative politics of the teacher in current education systems around the world. In the introduction, the authors discuss how and why teachers have emerged as a key focus of contemporary policy reform. They argue that teachers are seen as a logical site of public commentary in the global knowledge economy, yet teacher expertise is feared as both known and unknowable, becoming a target of heightened surveillance and control.
The papers in the issue are divided into two installments. First, those which address how external actors are seen to be (re)shaping teachers and teaching, as well as notions of professionalism, knowledge and truth in education. The second installment explores experiences of, and possibilities for resistance to, such shifts. The authors end by arguing for a need to reimagine teachers and schooling in ways that are less limited by the systems and structures that have formed common international reference points in policy development thus far.
Watch the video commentary on the issue:
Information pollution in an age of populist politics
By: Joel Malin, Miami University; Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University
Published in: Education Policy Analysis Archives, July 2022
This manuscript argues that “information pollution” relative to U.S. politics and policy is at crisis levels, and that it is particularly acute relative to education policy. The authors show how special interests are using (mis)information strategies to purportedly elevate parent voices, but are in effect promoting the interests of private actors and de-professionalizing both expertise and educators. They seek to understand this major issue, placing it within a broader sociopolitical context. The concluding discussion considers what might be required to move in a healthier direction that would bring U.S. education policy and practice into closer alignment with evidence and expertise.
Review of Culturally competent engagement: A mindful approach
By: Ellen A. Ahlness, Veterans Health Administration
Published in: Education Review, June 2022
Ahlness says a strength of this book is the inclusion of real-life exercises to practices, including activities such as meditations, personal reflections and list making. This book would be beneficial, says Ahlness, for readers who want to treat it like a workbook, spacing out reading, engagement and reflection over time. For example, an exercise in chapter three encourages the generation of love and kindness for the self and others, and involves meditation, centering thoughts on a specific individual, and wishing thoughts such as: may your suffering subside, may you be well, may you experience deep and lasting peace, and may you experience great joy.
These exercises may not be for everyone. Readers with a textbook mentality, or those who are seeking out theory, may not find the book’s emphasis on mediation and reflection suited for their needs, Ahlness notes. Alternatively, some activities may be difficult for individuals to complete alone. For some readers, the prompt to think about specific individuals with whom they have difficult relationships may be a potential trigger, while others may feel the amount of space dedicated to exercises detracts from the incorporation of theory in an already short book, Ahlness says.
About our journals
MLFTC sponsors three innovative, open-access journals on education scholarship. EPAA is a peer-reviewed, international, multilingual and multidisciplinary journal designed for researchers, practitioners, policymakers and development analysts concerned with education policies. Education Review publishes reviews of books on education topics and Acquired Wisdom essays by esteemed educational researchers, and CIE is a peer-reviewed journal led by MLFTC graduate students.
Contact Stephanie McBride-Schreiner to learn more about our journals.