Stolz, Steven, Alasdair MacIntyre, Rationality and Education: Against Education of Our Age, (Springer) 2018

Despite Alasdair MacIntyre being known as an academic who has made many notable contributions to a range of areas in philosophy, his thinking on education is not as well-known and/or properly understood by most audiences and readerships that predominantly reside in educational contexts. With this in mind, this book aims to provide a critique of MacIntyre’s thinking about education, and hence commences with a central theme found in MacIntyre’s extensive corpus concerning the fragmentation and disunification of ideas found in our culture and society that stems both from the rejection of metaphysics and what it means to be a human being living within the context of history. According to MacIntyre, part of the problem why this has occurred is due to educational institutions, particularly universities failing to resist the pressure exerted from industry and the state to conform. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a type of intellectual dissensus where the shared conceptions of rational enquiry and the role of reason have been replaced by pluralistic notions of private and personal choices concerning the good, and a disillusionment with reason that is ultimately exhibited as apathy and conformism. In order to overcome this apathy and conformism found in our culture and society, MacIntyre’s educational project is concerned with the cultivation of rationality; however, this is not an easy undertaking because it involves students being confronted with alternative – sometimes rather hostile – rival traditions so they both come to see rival points of view and understand that each tradition, including their own, does not come from a neutral or value-neutral standpoint. To MacIntyre, dialectical encounters between traditions is a crucial starting point of a good education, but for intellectual and academic progress to be made, rational enquiry needs to be grounded in a shared understanding of first principles that aims at truth and rational vindication.

https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319922751

Hung, Ruyu, Education between Speech and Writing Crossing the Boundaries of Dao and Deconstruction, (Routledge: London) 2018

This unique book explores how graphocentrism affects Chinese education and culture. It moves away from the contemporary educational practices in China of following the Western model of phonocentrism, to demonstrate that each perspective interacts and counteracts with each other, creating a dialogue between Eastern and Western thought.

Chapters explore the consonances and dissonances between the two, problematizing the educational practices of Chinese tradition and proposing a dialectical thinking of post-graphocentrism, based on the concepts of Dao and deconstruction. The volume creates a unique area in the field of philosophy of education by questioning the writing/speaking relationship in Chinese tradition, complete with educational ideas and practices that consider the uniqueness of Chinese character writing.

A pioneering study of its kind, Education between Speech and Writing provides a valuable source for students of philosophy of education, as well as students and academics in the field of Chinese Studies. The book will also appeal to anyone interested in dialogues between Chinese and Western thoughts, especially negotiating between Daoism and deconstruction.

https://www.routledge.com/Education-between-Speech-and-Writing-Crossing-the-Boundaries-of-Dao-and/Hung/p/book/9781138846388

D'Olimpio, Laura., Media and Moral Education: A philosophy of critical engagement, (Routledge: London) 2018

In an age of mass art and social media, the ability to identify reliable sources of information and disregard unreliable ones has become a vital skill. Yet, the educational environment has not kept pace with rapid advances in technology, despite the fact that educating students to engage critically and compassionately with others via online media is of the utmost importance. Media and Moral Education: A philosophy of critical engagement addresses this oversight by demonstrating that the study of philosophy can be used to enhance critical thinking skills that are sorely needed in today’s technological age.

D’Olimpio claims that philosophical thinking skills support the adoption of an attitude she calls critical perspectivism. Critical perspectivism gives citizens the ability to engage with multiple perspectives in a critical and compassionate manner. Drawing upon the work of Martha Nussbaum, who defends the morally educative potential of narrative artworks to cultivate rational emotions such as care and compassion, D’Olimpio applies critical perspectivism to multimedia examples from Australia, the USA and the UK. She further claims that the Community of Inquiry, a pedagogy practised by advocates of Philosophy for Children, creates a space in which participants can practise being critically perspectival. The Community of Inquiry can be conducted with all age levels in a classroom or public setting, making it beneficial for adults, as well as students and children, in shaping democratic and discerning citizens.

This book will be of interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the areas of philosophy of education, philosophy, education, critical theory and communication, film and media studies.

www.routledge.com/Media-and-Moral-Education-A-Philosophy-of-Critical-Engagement/DOlimpio/p/book/9781138291423

Teschers, Christoph, Education and Schmid's Art of Living, (Routledge: London) 2017

Instead of simply following the current neoliberal mantra of proclaiming economic growth as the single most important factor for maintaining well-being, Education and Schmid’s Art of Living revisits the idea of an education focused on personal development and the well-being of human beings. Drawing on philosophical ideas concerning the good life and recent research in positive psychology, Teschers argues in favour of shifting the focus in education and schooling towards a beautiful life and an art of living for today's students.

Containing a thorough discussion of the ideas of contemporary German philosopher Wilhelm Schmid, this book considers the possible implications of developing a more humanistic and life-centred approach to educational policy, research and practice, showing that Schmid’s concept of Lebenskunst provides a firm philosophical basis for this endeavour. Among others, this book draws on analytical and continental traditions to challenge current views and assumptions in regard to education and the role of schooling for contemporary societies. As a result, Teschers’ work is sure to spark a debate about the direction of educational policy and practice in the 21st century.

Education and Schmid’s Art of Living is essential reading for academics and students with an interest in education. Given the importance of such topics as the relationship between education and society, teacher education and how best to structure schools and learning environments, Teschers’ work will appeal to academics and students in a diverse range of fields, including education, philosophy, sociology and psychology.

https://www.routledge.com/Education-and-Schmids-Art-of-Living-Philosophical-Psychological-and/Teschers/p/book/9781138680449

Benade, Leon; Jackson, Mark, Transforming education: Design and governance in global contexts, (Springer: Singapore) 2017

This book is an edited collection grouped into three key thematic areas. Its authors are researchers and theoretical scholars in the fields of education curriculum, education technology, education philosophy, and design for education. They present primary research and theoretical considerations, descriptive accounts and philosophical reflections to provide readers with a broad sweep of the ‘state of play’ in thinking about the place and space of learning.

Transforming Education distils, from a panoply of critical arenas, an understanding of the forces currently at play in redefining curriculum agendas for education – from primary to post-secondary. It analyses the major ways in which the built environment of education is transforming, in response to various globalised policy drivers and new education delivery technologies. Its authors critique the ways education performs a governance function over the users and occupants of space, be it physical or virtual.

For readers who may be seriously engaging with the concept of spatiality in relation to education for the first time, this book provides the opportunity to develop a clear understanding of a wide scope of theory, practice and critique in relation to learning environments.

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-981-10-5678-9

Benade, Leon, Being a teacher in the 21st century: A critical New Zealand research study, (Springer: Singapore) 2017

This book provides scholars, teacher educators, as well as reflective school leaders and teachers with valuable insights into what it is to be a teacher in the 21st century. It does so by presenting original research based on a study of several New Zealand schools between 2013 and 2015, and in particular, a focussed study of four of those schools in 2015.

The book draws on the findings to take stock of some of the central manifestations of 21st-century learning, especially digital pedagogies and the collaborative practices associated with teaching and learning in modern learning environments. It reflects on the mental shifts and sometimes-painful transitions teachers and leaders are making and experiencing as they enter uncharted waters, moving from traditional classroom practices to ones that emphasise collaboration, teamwork and the radical de-centring of their personal roles. It outlines a blueprint for understanding how to navigate these changes, and describes and explains the nature of pedagogical shifts apparent in digital classrooms and modern learning environments.

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-981-10-3782-5

Dall'Alba, Gloria, Exploring education through phenomenology: Diverse approaches, (Wiley-Blackwell: Oxford) 2009

Increasing interest in phenomenology as a philosophy and research movement among scholars in education, the humanities and social sciences makes this book both timely and relevant for educational debate. The book explores contributions of phenomenology to educational practice and research. It juxtaposes diverse approaches to phenomenological inquiry in addressing questions of significance for education today. It thereby demonstrates phenomenology is a contemporary movement that is both dynamic and varied. The book highlights ways in which phenomenology can inform a broad range of aspects of educational theorising and practice, including learning through the body, writing online, being an authentic teacher, ambiguities in becoming professionals, and school transition. Through exploring and interrogating diverse approaches and ideas from phenomenology, this book provides insights into key educational questions.

http://au.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405196599.html

Dall'Alba, Gloria, Learning to be professionals, (Springer: Dordrecht) 2009

Preparing professionals to meet the demands of changes in practice is a compelling issue for the development of society, professions and individual professionals. A key tenet of this book is that we currently prepare professionals for the world of work in ways that are generally limited in scope and inadequate for addressing contemporary professional practice. The book critically investigates professional education programmes and the assumptions upon which they are based, closely interweaving theory and empirical material on learning to be professionals. It argues for an ontological turn in which professional education attends not only to what students know and can do, but also who they are becoming as professionals.

http://www.springer.com/book/978-90-481-2607-1

Lam, Chi-Ming & Park, Jae, Sociological and Philosophical Perspectives on Education in the Asia-Pacific Region, (Springer: Singapore) 2016

This book demonstrates the value of approaching education from a sociological and philosophical perspective. Specifically, it addresses current and long-standing educational issues in the Asia-Pacific region, integrating sociological and philosophical insights with practical applications in four key areas: educational aims, moral education, educational policy, and the East-West dichotomy. It discusses educational aims in terms of rationality, philosophical thinking, and sustainable development and presents the literary, religious, and analytical approaches to moral education. Four educational policies are then considered: Hong Kong’s language policy, Hong Kong’s policy on the internationalization of education, East Asia’s policies on English education, and Australia’s policy on teacher education. Different aspects of the East-West dichotomy are analysed: Confucian rationalism versus Western rationalism, Confucian learning culture versus Western learning culture, and Asian research methodology versus Western research methodology. Taken as a whole, the book shows that issues in education are rarely simple, and looking at them from multiple perspectives allows for rich and informed debates. It presents a rare philosophical and sociological analysis of the cultures and experiences of education in the Asia-Pacific region, and promotes research that leads to more culturally rooted educational policies and practice.

White, E. Jayne, Introducing dialogic pedagogy: Provocations for the early years, (Routledge) 2016

Translating the growing body of dialogic scholarship into a practical application of teaching and learning with very young children, this book provides readers with significant provocations concerning ethical self-other relations, creativity and agency. Investigating dialogic philosophy through the writings of Mikhail Bakhtin and associates, applications to early childhood education are presented, with an emphasis on notions of justice, democracy, ethics and answerability. This book provides unique insights into the amazing world of the youngest child, offering enriched understandings of the profound impact of adults in their journey of becoming.

"The book attempts to capture much of Bakhtin’s work and present it coherently, accurately and in less than two hundred pages for people who will likely not read much of the original text. The book attempts to do all this while introducing Bakhtinian concepts to early childhood education, thus challenging the field. White leaves her reader with a concise summary of “dialogic pedagogy in the early years” which includes the following points: “Dialogue is learning”; “Teaching is a dialogic imperative”; “Teachers are the curriculum”; “Pedagogy is an appreciative process”; “Pedagogy is interactive, responsive and oriented toward other”; “Children are the author of their own learning”; “Meaning is never fixed”; “Learning is a transgradient process”; “Ideology underpins practice”; “Pedagogy can now speak boldly of Love!” (pp. 169-170). But this book does even more!" Beth Fernholt, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, USA.

"White puts out the call to teachers to invest themselves in the art of teaching through dialogic pedagogy. She presents a thesis which is a reclamation of a space for the teacher and for respectful teaching which has been largely lost in the turning away from ‘directive teaching’ to non-directive modes that focus on learning and the learner" John Roder & Slavika Jovanovac, University of Auckland,

Rule, Peter, Dialogue and Boundary Learning, (Sense Publishers: Rotterdam) 2015

In an increasingly monologic world of war, exploitation and fear of “the other”, dialogue within and between humans, and with the world around us, is critical to a humane future.
This book explores dialogue and learning in theory, practice and praxis across a spectrum of lifelong education contexts. It develops a philosophical basis by examining the lives, works and dialogic traditions of four key thinkers: Socrates, Martin Buber, Mikhail Bakhtin and Paulo Freire. It then examines dialogue and learning in contexts ranging from early childhood development to adult, community and higher education. In doing so, it develops and illustrates the innovative concepts of dialogic space, boundary learning and diacognition. It has a specific focus on learners and learning in contexts of oppression and marginality, and with a view to personal and social emancipation. It is located in an African context, specifically South Africa, although its resonance is both local and global.
The book marks an innovative contribution to our understanding of dialogue and learning, framed by the great dialogic traditions of the past, and is a dialogical provocation to the ongoing generation of praxis.
“This book is valuable for grounding lifelong learning experiences within an African context. It underlines the complexities involved in carrying out ‘authentic’ dialogue at different stages of education in Africa throughout the lifespan, exploring cases of border crossing and boundary maintenance.” – Peter Mayo, University of Malta and Series Editor of the International Issues in Adult Education Series

https://www.sensepublishers.com/catalogs/bookseries/educational-futures-rethinking-theory-and-practice/dialogue-and-boundary-learning/

Quay, John, Understanding life in school: From academic classroom to outdoor education, (Palgrave Macmillan: London) 2015

We've all been to school, so what could be simpler than understanding life in school? The problem is that we take school for granted, accepting it for what it is without asking too many questions. This leaves us tinkering around the edges when it comes to school reform. A deeper understanding of life in school is required, which this book seeks to offer by going to the source of the matter itself – the young people who are in the midst of the day-to-day routines of school life. Much is revealed by contrasting their experiences in academic classrooms and school camp, insights that remain invisible without this juxtaposition. Key to analysis of these experiences is an understanding of life as occupational, constituted through many and various ways of being. This highlights the importance to teaching and learning of addressing the issue of who we are, not just what we know.
"This book is a "must read" for educators. It is so because it is animated by a principle which claims that it is more important to help students become well-rounded beings than to transmit to them tidbits of knowledge. Study its manifestation with care, then act upon it."
Philip W. Jackson - David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Education and Psychology at the University of Chicago, USA
"This book is a worthy companion to Philip W. Jackson's Life in Classrooms. It addresses the complexities of life in schools, providing a rich account of how students interpret and negotiate these complexities. In an analysis that is both philosophically astute and highly accessible, John Quay shows how education for these students is about much more than knowing – it is about being and becoming."
Fazal Rizvi - Professor in Global Studies in Education at the University of Melbourne, Australia and Emeritus Professor at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA

http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/understanding-life-in-school-john-quay/?sf1=barcode&st1=9781137391223