The education question in theory and the theory question in education—Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

This special issue focuses on educational theory and arose from the First International Theorising Education Conference of the Laboratory for Educational Theory (http://www. theorylab.co.uk), held at the University of Stirling in July 2010. TheoryLab was established as a space for the exploration of the work of theory in educational research and educational practice. There is an emphasis on experimentation, engagement and capacity building and of practices of theorising as critique, intervention and reframing. The conference invited participants to consider the theory question in education and the education question in theory. The conference itself was a lively affair, with participants engaging in some more experimental forms of exchange, which were captured, by them and by us, as ‘lines of flight’ (Deleuze and Guattari 1987, p. 161). The papers that comprise this special issue capture some of the spirit of experimentation and certainly offer some new lines of flight. Lisbeth Lundahl considers the concept of ‘knowledge capital’ and its two main educational effects. The first of these is the transformation of education to ensure it supports economic growth and competition and Lundahl notes the impact of this globally. The second effect concerns the increasing demand for scientific evidence for policy and practice, using narrowly defined methods and techniques and the negative consequences for educational research, and educational theory are underlined. Taking a rational argument perspective, Lundahl argues for greater dialogue among researchers, with the funders of research and with teachers and parents to challenge the current situtation and for a rethinking of the place of educational theory. Christine Stephen looks for theory in pre-school education and finds much of it operating at an implicit level, with pre-school teachers speaking of practices which are informed by often contradictory and incompatible theories, but rarely able to make these explicit. This points to the embeddedness of much theory in education practices, but also that incommensurate theories are not inconsisent with such practices. Empirical and normative issues on how theory works in the day-to-day emerge for consideration. Stephen