Nicole Mockler – författare

It has been argued that too much research is conducted for the ''world'' of education research, and not enough for the ''village'' of particular educational institutions like schools. In this edited book, the authors reflect on what it means for teachers to be engaged in and with educational research. What is happening in the ‘village’ of schools, and how is that related to what is happening in the ‘world’ of educational research? What might the distinction between the ‘village’ and the ‘world’ mean today, and is it still a useful one?

The chapters in this book explore the prospects of teacher research in an age in which educational data proliferates, often used for accountability and surveillance purposes, and in which instrumentalist notions of ''evidence-based practice'' dominate. They consider contexts ranging from Initial Teacher Education through to ongoing teacher professional learning in schools.

This volume concludes with an argument for turning the conversation from research as an ''add-on'' to something that can be, should be, and arguably is, a central feature of the everyday work of teaching. It aims to envision positive futures for the kinds of ''villages'' and ''worlds'' that may be possible when enabling meaningful and rich research with, for and by teachers.

This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal, Teaching Education.

It has been argued that too much research is conducted for the ''world'' of education research, and not enough for the ''village'' of particular educational institutions like schools. In this edited book, the authors reflect on what it means for teachers to be engaged in and with educational research. What is happening in the ‘village’ of schools, and how is that related to what is happening in the ‘world’ of educational research? What might the distinction between the ‘village’ and the ‘world’ mean today, and is it still a useful one?

The chapters in this book explore the prospects of teacher research in an age in which educational data proliferates, often used for accountability and surveillance purposes, and in which instrumentalist notions of ''evidence-based practice'' dominate. They consider contexts ranging from Initial Teacher Education through to ongoing teacher professional learning in schools.

This volume concludes with an argument for turning the conversation from research as an ''add-on'' to something that can be, should be, and arguably is, a central feature of the everyday work of teaching. It aims to envision positive futures for the kinds of ''villages'' and ''worlds'' that may be possible when enabling meaningful and rich research with, for and by teachers.

This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal, Teaching Education.

Questioning the Language of Improvement and Reform in Education challenges the language used in education by linking the language of both the public and professional domains with the changing intentions of the governance of education. Exploring various issues, which embody the many manifestations of the manner in which strident, conservative language has captured the public view of education, the book covers topics such as the importance of language in the context of educational practice, the media''s portrayal of teachers globally, the role of students in the face of curriculum reform and the language used in educational policy worldwide.

The book addresses the ways in which the words ‘improvement’ and ‘reform’ have been appropriated and hollowed-out by policymakers in order to justify globalised education policies. Using international case studies and reports, the authors argue that the employment of specific words masks the reality that new educational policies are regressive and require re-examination, while perpetuating the illusion that progressive educational practice is being brought to the fore.

Questioning the Language of Improvement and Reform in Education is a fascinating and original take on this topic, which will be of great interest to educational practitioners, policymakers and linguists.

Questioning the Language of Improvement and Reform in Education challenges the language used in education by linking the language of both the public and professional domains with the changing intentions of the governance of education. Exploring various issues, which embody the many manifestations of the manner in which strident, conservative language has captured the public view of education, the book covers topics such as the importance of language in the context of educational practice, the media''s portrayal of teachers globally, the role of students in the face of curriculum reform and the language used in educational policy worldwide.

The book addresses the ways in which the words ‘improvement’ and ‘reform’ have been appropriated and hollowed-out by policymakers in order to justify globalised education policies. Using international case studies and reports, the authors argue that the employment of specific words masks the reality that new educational policies are regressive and require re-examination, while perpetuating the illusion that progressive educational practice is being brought to the fore.

Questioning the Language of Improvement and Reform in Education is a fascinating and original take on this topic, which will be of great interest to educational practitioners, policymakers and linguists.

Teacher Professional Learning in an Age of Compliance: Mind the Gap examines ways in which practice-based inquiry in educational settings, in a number of different countries and contexts, can transcend current ways of working and thinking such that authentic professional learning is the result.

The authors contend that education policy, under pressure from a number of quarters, is retreating into a standardized, audited, and backward-looking arena, with the advances of more progressive educational philosophy being rolled back.

In an age where practitioner inquiry and action research have often been ‘hijacked’ for the purposes of broad-based policy implementation, this book offers a rationale for reclaiming the critical edge so fundamental to inquiry-based professional learning. It examines the potential of inquiry-based forms of teacher professional learning to contribute to the growth of professional knowledge for and about teachers’ work.

The authors intend that the book will assist in building new forms of professional knowledge that go beyond the current compliance model – engineered from less enduring materials – to inform a new model with its foundations in a strong ethical and moral framework. They also believe that this new model, if implemented, will help to reverse today’s conservative educational trends and make teacher professional development a force for genuine progress once again.

They have consciously moved away from the celebratory tone of much of the academic reporting of teacher professional learning, adopting instead a genuinely critical edge. In covering a wide range of policies and practices from across the international spectrum, they have allowed themselves the freedom to engage in serious epistemological arguments about the nature of professional knowledge, as well as how it is constructed and employed.

One of the most pressing topics worldwide is how we can improve education to enhance  people’s life chances. The BERA-Sage Handbook of Research-Informed Education Practice and Policy, 2 Vol. offers an in-depth exploration of the ways in which education research intersects with and can lead to improvements in education. Through detailed examinations of educational policies, practices, values, and research methodologies, the handbook navigates the complexities inherent in educational systems and in so doing presents a unique new picture of education worldwide.

Volume One of the Handbook set focuses on Understanding Research-Informed Education, and Volume Two focuses on how to implement it. Across six parts and fifty-two chapters, the authors and editors explore a myriad of critical topics including using research to promote equity within education systems, rethinking pedagogy, and knowledge mobilisation through practitioner-led inquiry. New developments in aspects such as systematic approaches to research synthesis are presented by world-leading experts.

Authors of the chapters draw from many different sources to provide a comprehensive understanding of education, including perspectives from the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. This understanding combines cutting-edge education research and scholarship to provide insights into how education is enacted in countries and institutions through policy and practice.

Featuring a truly diverse team of scholars to account for global perspectives, the BERA-Sage Handbook of Research-Informed Education Practice and Policy, 2 Vol. is an invaluable resource for scholars, researchers, students, and practitioners who are interested in the  new frontiers in education research, policy and practice.

Volume One: Understanding Research-Informed Education

Part One - Defining and Theorising Research-Informed EducationPart Two - Methodological Debates in the FieldPart Three - International Comparison and Educational Policy

Volume Two: Implementing Research-Informed Education

Part Four - Effective policy and practice in national contextsPart Five – Curriculum, pedagogy and assessmentPart Six – Practitioners and learners as researchers

Susan Groundwater-Smith is one of the most influential voices in the world of educational practitioner inquiry. The convener in Australia of the Coalition of Knowledge Building Schools, she is a staunch advocate of innovative methods of practitioner inquiry with a particular emphasis upon student voice and the use of images in capturing young people’s perspectives on their learning experience. So it is more than fitting that this unique text on practitioner inquiry and teacher professional learning is dedicated to her.

Rethinking Education Practice Through Reflexive Inquiry is a compilation of essays that explore contemporary issues in practitioner inquiry and action research from the perspective of both university-based and school-based authors. The essays discuss the practical, political and theoretical dimensions of practitioner inquiry, advancing the argument that the adoption of an inquiring approach to practice is both an integral dimension of teachers’ work in the modern school as well as critical to effective and authentic professional learning. And the essays draw on the work of Groundwater-Smith to demonstrate the benefits brought to bear on schools, teachers and learners when the complex nature of the relationship between inquiry and practice is understood and acted upon in pursuit of democratic knowledge interests.