Contemporary Education Policy Research Articles

School as a place for Bildung and flourishing

Abstract This article explores the potential of schools to enhance students’ well-being and overall quality of life. The discussion is framed through two distinct perspectives: the Bildung tradition and Aristotelian ethics. In regions where the Bildung tradition is prominent, schools are traditionally viewed as environments conducive to fostering humaneness. However, contemporary educational policies often diverge from the core values of Bildung-oriented education. The article advocates for the continued promotion of Bildung and flourishing within schools. To achieve this, certain foundational conditions must be met. One such condition is acknowledging students’ need for a sense of belonging and purpose, which is essential for their flourishing. This flourishing, in turn, equips students with the courage and resilience to face an uncertain future and contribute to societal change. For schools to foster a sense of belonging, they must be meaningful places of interaction and companionship, both physically and socially. This necessitates recognizing that educational environments are situated within specific geographical and cultural contexts. Consequently, education should not be excessively standardized. The Bildung tradition provides insights into why this is important. When combined with Aristotelian ethics, it becomes possible to develop schools that offer students a sense of belonging and purpose, thereby promoting their flourishing. In this framework, Bildung and flourishing are seen as concepts that embody possibilities and optimism, offering hope and empowerment at both individual and collective levels.

Educational Policy: Analysis, Action, and Advocacy Across Contexts

This article is the introduction to a special issue of Educational Policy titled, “Educational Policy: Analysis, Action, and Advocacy Across Contexts.” The special issue presents contemporary education policy analyses from the United States, Canada, and Australia, which collectively represent methodological, contextual, and theoretical diversity. Individually, they offer detailed examinations of education policy processes and outcomes with a common focus on equity. The articles represent a spectrum of approaches to analysing education policymaking and enactment and point out various ways that educators, scholars, policymakers, and activists can take action. In this article, the co-editors identify key themes that distinguish the special issue’s contribution and explain the importance of education policy analysis that informs future advocacy toward more equitable policy processes and outcomes across contexts.

Schools and the Rise of Mass Incarceration in a Post-Brown World

In this article Matthew B. Kautz theorizes schools as unique carceral institutions with the capacities to criminalize, surveil, discipline, and punish and demonstrates how they have mobilized these unique abilities to establish social control. By tracing the development of school disciplinary policy and practice following Brown v. Board of Education, the essay illuminates how policy makers produced politically salable narratives of criminality to rationalize the expansion of jails and prisons during a period of major economic restructuring. Engaging with this history, Kautz provides a different lens for considering contemporary education policy.

The mundane governance of education through time: the case of national testing in Norway

ABSTRACT This article explores national testing in Norway by analyzing technical and bureaucratic documents steering the process of data production. By examining documents through sociological perspectives on time, as well as attuning to the form and genre of the documents, we identify bureaucratic, sociotechnical, and genre-specific ways in which data production is structured to ensure a smooth process of testing. We find that national tests govern (through) time and by ordering time: their time rules produce simultaneity and synchronicity that in turn gently nudge schools and municipalities into alignment. Thus, time rules and routines enable forms of mundane governance that mirror how contemporary education policy happens through short but more prescriptive (and increasingly digital) policy texts. This is how national authorities may make themselves less detectable, but ever more present and productive of national unity. While recent conversations on time and temporality focus on the emergence of complex, non-linear (e.g. networked) time enabled by the digital transformation of society and education, our article attests to the persistence and significance of linear temporalities in and for education governance, and shows how quantification, assessment, bureaucracy and the affordances of digital technologies together play pivotal roles in upholding a linear time order.

Children’s Voice as a Parameter of Ryan’s Model for Promoting Inclusive Education: The Case of Greece

The choice of the appropriate model of educational leadership for the promotion of inclusive education is a key issue for contemporary educational policy. This paper focused on the role of children’s participation in democratic school leadership based on the Ryan model in order to promote good inclusive education practices in primary schools. Five school principals from different schools in Athens, Greece, participated in this research. The research showed that involving children in school leadership through a range of activities can enhance the participation of all children in the daily life of the school. This article concludes with a discussion, suggestions and limitations on using student voice as part of school leadership to strengthen inclusive education.

Revisiting Rancière’s ‘radical democracy’ for contemporary education policy analysis

Just over a decade on from a spike of interest in Jacques Rancière’s writing within educational philosophy and theory, I revisit his interventions on democracy and education to make the case for (re)engaging with Rancière’s writing now to address important questions about contemporary education policy, the role of schools in democratic societies and public debate over the curriculum. Specifically, I argue that Rancière’s interventions on the Platonism that characterises both ‘progressive’ and ‘traditional’ arguments about school curricula in such contexts offer a vital tool for understanding the shifts in education policy and educational debate that animate our current political moment. Building on work that has applied Rancière’s writing to analyse neoliberal education policy, I argue that Rancière’s writing provides a distinctive analytical lens for interpreting a recent shift towards neo-conservative education policy agendas, and the imbrication of schools within the ‘culture-wars’ that characterise the contemporary political landscape in several national settings. Taking recent policies concerned with the teaching of values in England as an example, I argue that a Rancierian perspective on such policy is helpful for revitalising research concerned with education and the role of public schooling in societies that wish to maintain some claim to democracy.

Combating school dropout with Artificial Intelligence in brazilian higher education

This research explores the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an innovative strategy to combat school dropout in Brazilian higher education. Faced with the increasing challenge of student retention in universities, the study focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of AI in this context, analyzing both its capabilities and limitations. The main objective is to understand how AI can be integrated into higher education, assessing its contributions to personalized learning and student engagement. The methodology consists of an extensive literature review, including the collection and detailed analysis of relevant studies on the use of AI in the educational field. The findings highlight that AI offers significant opportunities to tailor education to individual student needs, enhancing engagement and retention. Practical examples from the Brazilian context illustrate how AI implementation has contributed to reducing school dropout rates. However, the study also identifies key challenges, such as the need for adequate technological infrastructure and ongoing training for educators to effectively use AI tools. The conclusion is that AI holds substantial potential to mitigate dropout issues in higher education, but its successful implementation requires careful consideration. It is essential to take into account legal, ethical aspects, and institutional specifics to ensure effective integration of AI into the Brazilian educational system. This study provides valuable insights for strategic decision-making and the development of more efficient and contemporary educational policies.

Governing by prototype and proto-practice: topological configurations of future classroom labs

ABSTRACT The study of topological policy cultures highlights a tendency in policy spaces to undo the effects of topographical and cultural distances and differences. In contemporary education policy trends, such traits are present in the attempts to reimagine classroom spaces. A case in point is Future Classroom Lab (FCL), a physical classroom concept developed and spread across Europe, which promotes the use of digital technologies and divides the classroom into different functional ‘zones’. We analyse FCL as a prototype that incites open exploration in the use and design of classrooms. We argue that prototypes are sometimes equally morphing into proto-practices, which are practised forms of prototypes that are in constant flux, enabling new and different functions, meanings and emotions to emerge. Prototypes and proto-practices secure the continuous transformation of policy spaces through relatively open variation, differentiation and exploration. As such, they are emblematic of contemporary topological policy cultures.

Education Policy and Politics of Education-Globalization and ELT Policy in Japa

In order to be more competitive in global job market, many countries, such as Japan, have adjusted the education policies for preparing capable talents for globalization. English Language Teaching (ELT) policy in Japan is used as an example of contemporary education policy to illustrate the influence of globalization in education field within a country. The aim of this essay is using the ELT policy in Japan as an example to critically analyze how globalization has influenced the development of current education policy. Positivism has been used to guide the policy-making process.

Education Policy and Politics of Education-- Globalization and ELT Policy in Japan

In order to be more competitive in global job market, many countries, such as Japan, have adjusted the education policies for preparing capable talents for globalization. English Language Teaching (ELT) policy in Japan is used as an example of contemporary education policy to illustrate the influence of globalization in education field within a country. The aim of this essay is using the ELT policy in Japan as an example to critically analyze how globalization has influenced the development of current education policy. Positivism has been used to guide the policy-making process.

Belonging: Improving outcomes for a diverse range of high school students. A qualitative systematic literature review

A diverse range of high school students dominate negative outcome data in Aotearoa-New Zealand, and a shift in how we support them is needed for outcomes to improve. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of published and grey literature was carried out to identify how research shows belongingness is an important element in improving outcomes for this population. Eight qualitative studies which explored the subjective experience of belonging for diverse students in high school education were identified and reviewed. The review highlights the paucity of research in Aotearoa-New Zealand, which privileges the voices of young people and focuses on their experiences of belonging, or not-belonging, in high school. The results identified four overarching themes: a sense of belonging is a protective factor, teachers are pivotal in creating a sense of belonging, safe spaces are needed to belong, and schools experienced as unsafe spaces. This study provides school staff with a window into the lived experiences of diverse students and links contemporary education policies with belongingness research. The findings of this review have important implications concerning the health and wellbeing of our young people in Aotearoa-New Zealand, and highlight belonging as a fundamental component in improving outcomes for diverse students.

All the World’s a Stage: Examining the Actors That Influence the Development of Primary Pre-Service Teacher Digital Competence in the Republic of Ireland

In accordance with contemporary educational policy, changes have been made to the requirements of initial teacher education (ITE) with the aim of promoting the development of digital competence among pre-service teachers (PSTs). This paper explores what it means for a primary PST to develop digital competence and posits that programmes of ITE should develop the digital teaching competence of PSTs, alongside positive attitudes toward digital technology use. This is a complex and under-researched process involving multiple actors, including higher education institution tutors, school placement tutors, and cooperating teachers. This research gap is addressed within this paper by examining these actors and unpacking the key issues which may prevent PSTs from developing and enacting digital teaching competence. It appears there is a lack of alignment across these actors, which may negatively impact the digital competence of PSTs. Consequently, we propose that the conceptualization of digital competence across programmes of ITE needs to be brought into alignment. Actions including the establishment of a shared vision of pedagogical use of digital technology, formal induction, and ongoing transformative professional learning for all actors across a programme of ITE are proposed if PSTs are to be enabled to develop the digital competence required by policy.

Towards an historical sociology of global citizenship education policy in Australia

ABSTRACT ‘Global citizenship’ has gained traction as a policy objective across school systems in recent decades. It has been defined as education for the development of a sense of cosmopolitan moral virtue, planetary identification and ‘global competencies’. In this paper, I argue that historical sociology can help explain why this goal has gained prominence in citizenship education policy since the late twentieth century. Focussing on the Australian case, I propose an analytical model where changes in citizenship education policy for schools are articulated to concurrent transformations of nation-state citizenship within a shifting international conjuncture. This approach reveals that the rise of neoliberal statecraft and the diffusion of human rights discourses since the 1970s are pertinent analytical coordinates to make sense of the growing presence of global citizenship within government policy agendas for schools. The Australian case illustrates the relevance of historical sociology to make sense of contemporary education policy.

Humanism and democracy in comparative education

ABSTRACT This article argues that contemporary education policies promoted by UNESCO and the OECD are embracing two distinct post-humanist visions, which I call the ‘sustainable futures’ and the ‘techno-solutionist’ strand. I will relate these strands to two conflicting agendas of education after World War II: the humanistic-emancipatory perspective represented by UNESCO, and the ‘economics of education’ movement, which was dominant in the OECD. I argue that comparative education scholars would be well advised to draw on the humanistic and democratic traditions of the field in critically analysing the range of promissory visions and master narratives that have emerged recently which carry de-humanising tendencies and represent a challenge to democracy.

New Philanthropy and Education Policy in China

This essay will explore how Chinese philanthropy mobilises with the instructions from the central government, and participates in implementation of policies in the form of network governance, by starting to unfold the existing landscape of philanthropy and neoliberalism, the following part will discuss how do they intertwine with contemporary education policy. The next chapter is going to address the idea of ‘new philanthropy’, of how it has become a new form of philanthropy and in what way does it coordinate with the ongoing developing world. Notwithstanding this term is investigated in the global context with the assistance of the previous chapter. More specific examples of Chinese philanthropy businesses will be given in the last chapter, where there will be the combined analysis of recently modified authoritative guidelines and the works that Chinese leading philanthropists are doing, and indeed they are in the relationship of governed and governing with the authority. While the relationship is also changing from the government giving direct and explicit instructions, to a polycentric way of governance.

Apresentação: Brasil e Chile: políticas educacionais e neoliberalismo nas marchas e contramarchas dos anos 2000

ABSTRACT This article presents the dossier “Teacher appreciation in the Brazilian and Chilean contexto in the face of the marches and countermarches of neoliberalism”, considering the singular social and political conditions of theses countries in which neoliberalism was conceived and implemented. Based on the idea that the essence of politics is the debate of the conjuncture, the authors present the elements that define what they call neoliberal marches and countermarches. Starting from this key idea the eight articles that make up the dossier are presented focusing on the issues training policies, remuneration and teachers’ working conditions in Brazil and Chile. The different approaches that make up the analysis reveal a somewhat negotiated agenda that preserves the elements of neoliberalism incorporated in contemporary educational policies.

ПОВЫШЕНИЕ КРЕАТИВНОСТИ СТУДЕНТОВ ИНСТИТУТА ФИЗИЧЕСКОЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ И СПОРТА В ПРОЦЕССЕ УЧЕБНОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ

This scientific article actualizes the importance of development of creativity as a personal quality of future teachers, which determines the success of their professional activities in the context of the requirements of contemporary educational policy. The authors present the results of a pedagogical experiment aimed at increasing the creativity of students of the Institute of Physical Culture and Sports in the process of educational activities. The role of quasi-professional activity in increasing the level of creativity of future teachers is determined.

Charter movement controversy: an American public charter school case study

ABSTRACT Controversy is intensifying with the rapid spread of charter schools and their domination of the education reform agenda. As charter enrolment increases in the USA, inequities in education worsen. This article contributes to the debate on contemporary education policy by critically examining charter issues from the US literature and stakeholder data. We add insights to research on charter controversy from public discourse and stakeholder groups. Our narrative animates pros and cons in the charter debate through stakeholders’ eyes, in effect contributing voices from the field. A case study of a public charter school in Virginia provides a revealing prism for understanding charter schools. Content analysis was performed on data from nine interviews held during the pandemic with founding members (parents, etc.). As found, the charter narrative of success and struggle around public perception, racial equity, segregation, funding, approval, effectiveness, and accreditation was a school story. Charter policy effects on social groups – parents, teachers, community members, and leaders – in their association with the charter’s evolution were identifiable. The conflicting views resonate with polarising tensions nationwide. Regarding international implications of the analysis, the move to privatise and reform public education through independent schools with autonomy continues to impact European countries.

Компетентностно ориентирано обучение, или (де)хуманизация на образованието

This paper looks at the nature of competence-based education (CBE) in the context of the contemporary educational policy, theory, research, and practice. Firstly, it briefly presents the dimensions of the concept of competences in education. Then, the study discusses some terminological and conceptual issues related to CBE. The article also considers some critical voices that question the nature and the effectiveness of CBE. It concludes with a proposal for an educational design that moves beyond the CBE framework and integrates it with humanistic ideas and principles.

Building a collective multicultural consciousness

ABSTRACT Evidence indicates that old approaches to and paradigms of multiculturalism and multicultural education are struggling to meet the emerging needs of society. In response and drawing on international research, this essay presents two examples that seek to change how we do multiculturalism in order to build a collective multicultural consciousness in societies and in schools. The first example shows how social media is being used to end on-line, racist hatred by destroying the financial returns it generates. The second example shows how young people, in line with international research, are calling for schools to be transformed into social havens of belonging that support diversity, equity and social inclusion. Building a collective multicultural consciousness will inevitably involve multiple strategies, but these two examples testify to the growing momentum for educators and policy leaders to engage with the important conversations that are reframing contemporary multiculturalism and multicultural education policy and practice.