Educational Discourse Research Articles

The production of a child in conflict in teacher education – research on available storylines

ABSTRACT Teacher education takes part in producing childhood. This is rarely discussed in teacher education. In this study, we are interested in what kinds of positions become normalised for children and youth in the discourses in teacher education. We utilise the concepts of narrative resources and storylines, looking into the storylines in which student teachers take themselves to be in, and in the positions that are opened for pupils in these storylines. The results show that a child in peer conflict is produced in problematic ways, as an ideal child or object of fixing. Teacher is produced as central and important.

Confronting the idealised ‘Nordic model’ in education with contemporary realities of special education in Sweden

ABSTRACT For decades, the Nordic countries have been admired for their inclusive education systems within egalitarian societies, bolstered by PISA studies and global calls to ensure inclusive education as a human right. This paper contrasts idealised perspectives on Nordic education with internal experiences, exploring recent challenges to the relationship between special and inclusive education. Using Sweden as a case study, it highlights internal diversity within the Nordic region, showing differing paths and gaps between research, policy and school realities. The risks of idealising past educational models are discussed, noting that Sweden, once known for its egalitarian education and low special education needs classification rates, now faces higher classification rates and more separate provision due to policy changes. Recent trends have shown a shift towards increased diagnosis and classification, influenced by marketisation and decentralisation policies. The paper focuses on neurodivergence, analysing shifts in government priorities, teacher education, school practices and research agendas. Analysis of recent policies, reports and educational data reveals winners and losers in school participation, providing insights into the implications for educational discourse, the future of the ‘Nordic model’, and Swedish education in a global context.

Deconstructing Students’ Language Identities On X: A Nigerian and Malaysian Case Study For Education

This study investigated students’ language deconstruction and identities on X social media technology. The Gen Z’s and Big Data are currently in vogue, which affords this research to enquire using a quantitative methodology. Besides, the online data analytics consisting of the number of likes, repost and comments were gathered from the X social media. Nowadays, the social media acts as an online reservoir for internet data that are readily available for use. Learning analytics are records of students’ activities based on their engagement on social media. However, the respondents in this study were students randomly selected from a two-world perspective on X, consisting of Malaysian and Nigerian students. A detailed data analysis was conducted using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and the results showed a recent decline of students’ engagement in educational discourse using indigenous languages on X. The recent decline was informed by this study’s data, which implies an imminent action is required to ensure the indigenous languages are protected from extinction. This study findings are significant to lecturers, policymakers, researchers and Government in ensuring that more language diversity issues are considered in this 21st century. This research likewise addressed the English language (L2) significance in educational discourse with a recommendation for the inclusion of more indigenous language option on X for diversity and equality purpose.

Community-school-university partnerships: possibilities for activism and racial justice

Critical school-community-university partnerships are central to activism for racial justice. Drawing on the scholarship of anti-racist activist leadership and community-school-university partnerships, this critical co-constructed auto-ethnographic comparative case study explores two such cases in Toronto, Ontario, Canada: the York University Faculty of Education Summer Institute (FESI) and the Nubian Book Club (NBC). As insiders-outsiders, the authors analyze various forms of data, such as informal observations, structured conversations between them, and program documents to understand the knowledges and possibilities that emerge in critical community-school-university partnerships and how leadership in these partnerships influence education for racial justice. Both cases resist, refuse, and subvert hegemonic educational discourses, legitimize fugitive and other marginalized knowledges, and imagine future possibilities for racial justice in schooling. This study concludes with recommendations for school districts, universities, and communities to engage in an activism-learning-action trifecta towards racial justice in education.

The Pedagogical Power of Paper

AbstractIn this research, I explore the potential of a material‐led, embodied pedagogical approach to cultivate diverse modes of thinking, knowing and becoming within a pre‐GCSE curriculum. Drawing from my experiences as both an artist and educator, I acknowledge the transformative power inherent in recognising the agency of all forms of matter, whether human or non‐human. Through the implementation of a project titled ‘To Play,’ which utilises paper as a primary pedagogical tool, I engaged Year 9 Art and Design students. Qualitative data collected over a six‐week period underpins the analysis, with a particular emphasis on understanding students' experiences with material‐led processes. The findings highlight the potential of material‐led pedagogies to empower students and challenge anthropocentric perspectives, offering valuable insights for enhancing pre‐GCSE art education and harnessing the educational potential of materials. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse in art education by emphasising the importance of embodied, experiential learning approaches that prioritise creativity, exploration and critical engagement with the world around us.

Guns better than education: political economy of defence, radical education policies, textbooks, and teachers’ outlook in Pakistan

ABSTRACT The proliferation of religious radicalism within Pakistani education has sparked increasing concern, with significant implications both locally and globally. Current scholarship has primarily focused on education policies and textbooks, often overlooking the complex entanglement between the political economy of defence, the influence of military and economic elites, and the particularisation of radical national and religious narratives. This article uses qualitative methods and purposive sampling to explore how these intertwined forces have radicalised education policies and school textbooks. The research reveals a deep historical nexus between the military apparatus, religious groups, and the state’s educational agenda, fuelling radical ideologies among public schools and madrassah (religious school) teachers. The article elucidates how these power structures have shaped educational discourse in Pakistan by examining this entanglement through the lens of Foucauldian governmentality. The findings underscore the critical societal implications of understanding these dynamics, particularly given teachers’ significant role in shaping students’ worldviews. This study offers valuable insights for international policy analysts, educators, and scholars concerned with the intersection of defence, politics, and education.

African Indigenous education in the postcolonial period: A critical reflection

This article examines African Indigenous education in the precolonial period in Southern Africa, focusing on its key elements, characteristics, and educational significance within the broader context of the decolonial education discourse. By delving into primary forms and practices of Indigenous African education, we aim to shed light on how these systems contribute to understanding the educational landscape and the challenges faced in the wake of colonialism. Additionally, we explore the transformative role played by Indigenous education in Southern Africa in addressing the hegemonic influence of Western education during the postcolonial era. Drawing on existing literature and critical analysis, we critically reflect on the nature of a decolonial turn in African Indigenous education. The examination aims at contributing to the ongoing discourse on decolonising education and providing insights into the potential benefits of embracing Indigenous knowledge systems in contemporary African societies by recognising the importance of valuing diverse knowledge systems in fostering inclusive and relevant educational practices.

Deschooling society and open learning: gaining insights from Ivan Illich’s work

ABSTRACT Ivan Illich’s Deschooling Society presented a radical critique of formal educational structures, emphasising their potential detriment to the fundamental ‘right to learn’, and the theory of Deschooling Society turned out to be his profound introduction to world academia. This paper examined the applicability of Illich’s educational ideas to Open and Distance Learning. A critical examination assessed the feasibility of Illich’s proposed alternatives, particularly learning webs, aimed at enhancing educational openness and flexibility. Without disregarding the pervasive dominant educational system, the paper asserts the enduring significance of Illich’s educational theory, affirming its relevance in the context of Open and Distance Learning. It advocates for the continued integration of his ideas into contemporary educational discourse.

The concept of “intercultural competence” in educational and scientific discourses

This article attempts to analyse the definition and structure of the concept of "intercultural competence" in scientific research and normative documents at the Ukrainian and European levels, to identify commonalities and differences, to characterise positive changes and, based on the analysis, to formulate a definition of the concept that would reflect today's realities and take into account modern challenges in education (general, foreign language). Starting from the end of the 20th century, scientific works of English-speaking, German-speaking, and domestic scientists were studied, but the main focus was on research from the last 20 years due to significant changes in the structure of societies due to globalisation, migration processes, and the activation of contacts in the professional and private spheres of representatives of different linguistic and cultural communities. Attention is drawn to the fact that understanding the concept of "intercultural competence" acquired new meanings at different stages of its research. Among the reasons for reconsideration and clarification are primarily the challenges that appeared under the influence of social processes in the pan-European and world dimensions, taking into account the national characteristics of countries' development. In accordance with the shift in emphasis in the definition of the concept, its structure also changed; however, despite the selection of specific components by different authors, the structure of intercultural competence retained a common core and layered new components. In the educational discourse, there is a noticeable increase in attention to the concept in the context of social competence, the development of which is aimed, among other things, at conflict-free coexistence, successful communication, and the ability to adapt to a multilingual and multicultural society.

Early Childhood Education: Listening to A Child’s Voices Through A/R/Tographic Journey

This inquiry explores the impact of child-led perspectives in art education, using the methodologies of a/r/tography and autoethnography to explore the intersection of artistic practice, personal reflection, and educational theory. The research was inspired by a transformative experience with a 7-year-old child at a spring camp, whose imaginative storytelling of a “tire kingdom”, where car tires live secret lives, reversed traditional adult-child dynamics. The child’s insights redefined my roles as an artist-researcher-teacher/learner, placing him in the role of teacher and myself as the learner. This reversal opened up new pathways for reflection and creativity, as his imaginative exploration became a catalyst for my own artistic practice. I created a series of illustrations based on our stories, which evolved into a picture book that amplifies children’s voices, illustrating the importance of recognizing children’s contributions to educational discourse. Through a/r/tography, which integrates art-making, research, and teaching, alongside autoethnography’s focus on personal and cultural reflection, this inquiry underscores the value of interdisciplinary approaches in understanding the fluid relationships between adult and child, teacher and student. It also highlights the importance of listening to and incorporating children’s imaginative inquiries as a means of enriching educational and artistic practices. By engaging in this child’s world, I not only deepened my own creative and educational practice but also discovered the potential of child-led inquiry to reverse-shape adult learning, fostering reciprocal, inter-generational dialogue and new forms of creative collaboration.

Comparing the Impact of Non-Cognitive Skills in STEM and Non-STEM Contexts in Kazakh Secondary Education

The role of non-cognitive skills in academic achievement has garnered increasing attention in educational research. This study explores the impact of non-cognitive skills on academic achievement in STEM and non-STEM subjects in secondary education. Survey data from 795 teachers and 12,965 students across 20 STEM schools in Kazakhstan were analyzed to examine the impact of 26 non-cognitive skills on performance in math, physics, first language, and history. Regression and mediation analyses were conducted to investigate how students’ self-assessment of non-cognitive skills directly affects academic achievement and how these effects are mediated by teachers’ assessments. The findings indicate that non-cognitive skills exhibit varying direct and total effects, with mediated effects showing greater consistency across different subjects. In math and physics, information processing skill and grit show the strongest direct and total effects on academic achievement. In first language and history, responsibility management and teamwork skill are most influential. Except for capacity for optimism and growth mindset, all skills demonstrated mediated effects across the four subjects. This research informs curriculum development and equitable policies by showing how non-cognitive skills impact academic performance across subjects. It studies the case of Kazakhstan, adding to global education discourse and offering valuable insights for enhancing STEM education.

Dimension of Attitudes in Flipped Learning: Enjoyment, Engagement, Motivation, Behavioral Intention, and Perception

This research investigates the influence of video-based flipped learning on the attitudes of students in non-English language programs, focusing on enjoyment, engagement, motivation, behavioral intentions, and perception. The study employed a descriptive research design, collecting data through questionnaires administered to 30 students enrolled in non-English language courses. The findings reveal a significantly positive attitude towards flipped learning, with high scores in enjoyment and engagement indicating a preference for the interactive and dynamic nature of video-based learning environments. The study confirms that motivation and behavioral intentions are positively affected by the flipped model, enhancing students' proactive learning behaviors and overall engagement with the course material. Moreover, the positive perception of video-based learning among students suggests that this method supports a deeper understanding and retention of language skills. This research contributes to the educational discourse by demonstrating that flipped learning models can significantly improve learning experiences and outcomes in non-English language settings. Future studies are encouraged to explore the long-term impacts of flipped learning on language proficiency and retention, aiming to validate and expand upon the current findings.

The Development Of Learner’s Self-Concept As A Function Of Education Quality In Secondary Schools In The Drc

Many schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo face the challenge in fostering educational quality due to learner’s negative self-concept. The use of traditional teaching methods and destructive feedback provided by most of teachers to learners greatly reduces learners’ self-concept in secondary schools, leading to failure and school dropout. However, scientific discourses in education reveals that learner’s self-concept is a key fact resulting to the learner’s motivation to learn. Learner’s self-concept is relevant at secondary school level in enhancing education quality, especially when it leads learner’s better outcomes. The present article reflects the role of the learner’s self-concept and some strategies to develop it at secondary school level for educational quality attainment in DRC

English as a lingua franca discourse in European Union higher education and research policy

The use of English as lingua franca in mainland Europe’s higher education and research sectors has rapidly expanded over the past several decades. Despite these expansions, critics claim that there is a conspicuous absence of European Union (EU) language policy concerned with the use of English as a “contact” language in education and research contexts. This study attempts to assess these claims by conducting a comparative analysis of English as a lingua franca discourse in the policy declarations and communications of two EU actors with remits for higher education and research – the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the European Research Area (ERA). Using methods that draw on critical discourse analysis and corpus linguistics, I compiled specialised corpora consisting of the policy documents published by the EHEA and the ERA over the past twenty years. I then used the corpus analysis tool Sketch Engine and a reference corpus of general EU discourse to assess how often and in what ways language policy was considered. The analysis reveals intra-institutional conflicts in how language is conceptualised between policy actors and across policy portfolios in the EU. The findings also confirm the absence of explicit discourse on the use of English in academic and research contexts over the institutional lifetimes of two actors with remits for these sectors. The study highlights the persistence of a “top-down/bottom-up” conceptual gap at the heart of EU language policymaking regarding English as a lingua franca in European higher education and research.

Scope of Regional Level Professional Studies in Law for Students of SAARC Member States

This paper explores possibilities of making the regional university South Asian University (SAU) at Delhi, India as regional centre of excellence for developing and delivering of legal education to students from member states of regional association known as SAARC. At present, SAARC comprises of eight countries of SAARC and legal education discourse of all eight member states is neither equipped to make students industry ready, nor it makes them employable beyond their domestic jurisdictions. The paper calls upon the SAU to make use of huge infrastructure and resources that it has at its disposal to fulfil the very purpose of regional level education. Keywords: Regional education; legal education; south Asia; SAARC; Curriculum development; law degree; law graduation; gender-based discrimination

포스트-평생학습과 학습의 존재론적 전환

In the various arguments that talk about the future of education, the six principles platform of the suburban education frame, which is still operating in the way of defining the learning style, is 'who, what, how, when, what, why' learning. It is expressed that the person can use it for the purpose of the indigenous people, is separated in time and space, and the object and method can be unique. The lifelong learning approach that can use concepts such as bearing environment learning, transformative learning, situated learning, and expanded learning is included in the scope of application from the moment of expanding the horizon of learning, and more new approaches are possible. In the view of researchers, it is necessary to understand from an independent and neutral perspective. Researchers attempt the generative ability of learning, that is, the '(object)-becoming' of learning, and unravel the new existential members of learning with Latour's owner network theory (ANT) and Gaia theory, which inherited Deleuze's assemblage theory. Through this, they try to refresh the image of “future lifelong education” through lifelong learning. The researchers argue that early lifelong education is futuristic, and what the 'abstract machine' is, and how it differs from the current fitness university signal configuration. Second, they analyze the future educational discourse being discused in the future into several turning points, and judge whether the ontological way of understanding learners will not deviate from the state university interpretation method despite the “future discussion” within it. Finally, the researchers introduce the post-lifelong learning perspective as a new way to replace it, and suggest methods and conditions that can define the existence and function of 'eco-global' learning.

‘마을교육과정’의 평생교육으로서 성격 및 특질 탐색 - 순천 마을교육과정 사례 분석에 기초하여

This study was conducted with the purpose of seeking to explore characteristics of the Maeul curriculum as the lifelong education, the new form of school-communtiy linkage education that emerged under the influence of the lifelong education discourse. In order to achieve this purpose, this study analyzed the Suncheon Maeul Curriculum case based on the qualitative case study method. As a result of examining the Suncheon village curriculum case, the characteristics of the Maeul curriculum as the lifelong education are divided into three dimensions: ① the trans-boundary curriculum that crosses the boundary between in-and-out the schooling, ② the alternative curriculum that teaches the regional-based life context, and ③ the democratic curriculum that expresses the autonomy of the local educational subject. The Maeul curriculum shown by the Suncheon Maeul curriculum, implies the direction of lifelong education discourse.

Narratives and common traits of peace education and the ‘Teaching Students to be peacemakers’ programme: rethinking the role of cooperative learning in peace education

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to analyse the ‘Teaching Students to be Peacemakers’ programme, which is frequently cited in the Peace Education discourse, within the context of Peace Education. Based on a systematic literature review conducted using the PRISMA method, the study focuses on this programme that emerged as significant from the review results. It first examines how the programme reflects the fundamental concepts and peace approaches of the Peace Education discourse. The subsequent section compares the programme with various types of Peace Education and the broader discourse of cooperative learning. It investigates whether the shift in Peace Education literature towards postmodern, poststructuralist, and Critical Peace Education approaches can rely on the cooperative learning paradigm. Additionally, the study highlights how a simplistic methodological interpretation of cooperative learning may hinder its use in supporting these increasingly emphasised approaches and explores how a broader understanding of the cooperative learning discourse can aid in dismantling personal, cultural, and social violence structures, as well as in supporting positive peacebuilding processes.

Ghosts of data futures past: revolution as repetition in datafied education research and governance

ABSTRACT Datafication discourses in education regularly present themselves as radical game changers in education governance and research arenas, transforming future forms of education. Thereby they also make a decisive break with past forms of education governance. As datafication is widely understood as a highly topical and transformative phenomenon, critical studies of datafication mostly focus on developments since the turn of the millennium, with less attention paid to focus on historical continuities. Using Foucauldian and Derridean theoretical approaches and taking history of Finnish educational research and governance as a case example, this paper explores the less studied data futures past – the ways in which the characteristics and role of quantitative data in future forms of educational research and governance is established. As an outcome, the paper argues that the history of datafication involves exclusions and repetitive gestures of promissory futures assuming a spectral, haunting presence.

Neoliberalism in South African higher education language policy: A decolonial perspective

The global spread and hegemony of English as a medium of teaching, learning and research has come to be closely associated with neoliberalisation of higher education in the universities across the world, and has negatively impacted on epistemic issues, especially in Global South universities. No permanent solution has been found on challenges of English hegemony, particularly in African higher education. This article adds to the advancement of neoliberal discourse in higher education in South Africa by analysing neoliberal manifestations in its higher education language policy agenda. The article used desktop analysis to assess relevant literature on mainstream neoliberal ideologies and manifestations in the language policy reform post-apartheid. Drawing on relevant literature and through critical discourse analysis, it integrated evidence from the selected sources associated with mainstream neoliberal ideologies and then analysed the neoliberal manifestations in the language policy reforms pursued in South African post-apartheid context to bring out how the neoliberal actors in the higher education sector have reconfigured neoliberal principles. The decolonial perspective premised on concepts such as coloniality of being, power and knowledge was used to critique the neoliberal manifestations in South African higher education language policy directives. The paper presents the argument that universities in the country are deeply entrenched in linguistic hierarchisation which perpetuates epistemic injustices in teaching and learning. The African higher education should endeavour to underpin its language policies in indigenous knowledge systems to help harness the African content while existing in a global space where all knowledges should be regarded as equally relevant.Contribution: This article contributes to the emerging discourse of neoliberalism in higher education in the Global South and its impact on language policy formulation and implementation.