The educational writings of John Macmurray, one of the finest 20th century philosophers of his generation, have a special relevance for us today. In similar circumstances of international crisis he argued for the central importance of education addressing fundamental issues of human purpose - how we lead good lives together, the emphasis on wisdom rather than knowledge alone, the advancement of a truly democratic culture, and the overriding importance of community in human flourishing. This remarkable collection of articles from leading international scholars includes the hitherto unpublished John Macmurray lecture – Learning to be Human – and brings together invited contributions from a range of fields and disciplines (e.g. philosophy of education, moral philosophy, care ethics, history of education, theology, religious education, future studies and learning technologies) and a number of countries across the world (e.g. Australia, the UK and the USA). Countering overemphasis on technique and its typical separation from wider human purposes emblematic of much of our current malaise, this book asks what it might mean to take the education of persons seriously and how such a perspective helps us to form judgments about the nature and worth of contemporary education policy and practice. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Oxford Review of Education.

The educational writings of John Macmurray, one of the finest 20th century philosophers of his generation, have a special relevance for us today. In similar circumstances of international crisis he argued for the central importance of education addressing fundamental issues of human purpose - how we lead good lives together, the emphasis on wisdom rather than knowledge alone, the advancement of a truly democratic culture, and the overriding importance of community in human flourishing. This remarkable collection of articles from leading international scholars includes the hitherto unpublished John Macmurray lecture - Learning to be Human - and brings together invited contributions from a range of fields and disciplines (e.g. philosophy of education, moral philosophy, care ethics, history of education, theology, religious education, future studies and learning technologies) and a number of countries across the world (e.g. Australia, the UK and the USA). Countering overemphasis on technique and its typical separation from wider human purposes emblematic of much of our current malaise, this book asks what it might mean to take the education of persons seriously and how such a perspective helps us to form judgments about the nature and worth of contemporary education policy and practice. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Oxford Review of Education.

Over the last decade, the UK has witnessed a stunning resurgence of religious engagement in both politics and civil society. From the social pluralism of New Labour to the rise of post-liberalism, the recovery of religious sensibilities in areas like education and welfare continues to have a significant effect on the content of political debate on both the Right and Left. What unites these diverse projects is an effort to recover a neglected form of selfhood. Less acquisitive, more relational, this vision of human identity has led politicians and policy-makers to reject avaricious and atomist accounts of the self in favour of richer accounts of citizenship and common life. What do these latter models mean for citizens and communities? This book analyses the roots, significance, and future of these developments through the lens of contemporary Christian communities. By drawing on disciplines as diverse as philosophy, theology, history, economics and political theory, Renewing the Self reflects on the prospects and challenges of this rich self in a globalised and rapidly changing world.

Is the world better off because your school is in it? Do you believe schooling has a higher purpose? In Inspiring Purpose in High-Performance Schooling, Mary Anne Heng questions modern-day schooling with its dominant focus on what is efficient and effective in good education and how this is measured. This book critically analyses what really matters in high-performance schooling contexts using Singapore as an example and makes a case for putting purpose at the heart of teaching. Going beyond good education built on evidence-based and reflective practice and the instrumental questions of the “What” and “How” of education, she argues for a view of education as transformation with a deeper purpose that probes the “Why”. Using Singapore as a case example and Israel as a counterpoint, she moves past the rhetoric of developing passion, curiosity, creativity and other 21st-century competencies in high-performance schooling to uncover children’s real experiences of school. Based on research using multiple sources, she analyses surveys with Singapore and Israeli adolescents and in-depth individual student interviews, as well as provides insights from rich discussions and extended field-testing with practicing teachers and educational leaders to inform an urgent call for a new vision in education for the future of education and society—one that celebrates achievement with larger purpose for the wider world. A valuable academic and resource text for teachers, school leaders, policymakers and graduate students in education programmes, as well as education researchers in the fields of educational leadership and change, curriculum, teaching and learning, and youth purpose.

In the World Library of Educationalists series, international experts themselves compile career-long collections of what they judge to be their finest pieces – extracts from books, key articles, salient research findings, major theoretical and practical contributions – so the world can read them in a single manageable volume. Readers will be able to follow the themes and strands and see how their work contributes to the development of the field. Thinking Philosophically about Education highlights several key writings from Richard Pring’s international career in education, providing a historical perspective in relation to current debates about philosophy of education in the UK and internationally, drawing attention to issues of current concern. The text explores key themes such as critical realism, teachers as researchers and a way forward for policy through carefully selected examples from Richard Pring’s writings. A short introduction is provided for each chapter to help readers to understand the significance of what is presented and how this relates to other chapters in the book. Comprehensible and articulate, this selection displays the knowledge and rigor that has made Richard Pring one of the world’s most respected and eminent scholars of the field of philosophy and education. Comprising Richard Pring’s personal selection of what he considers to be his influential writing from book chapters and journal articles throughout his career, it will be of interest to all followers of his work and any reader interested in the development of philosophy and education in the UK and internationally.

How did we let teacher burn-out happen, and what can we do about it – before it's too late? This brave and disruptive book accurately defines the problems of low teacher morale and offers systemic, future-proof and realistic solutions to bringing hope, energy and joy back to the profession. The simple answer is staring us in the face: increase teacher agency. Our rallying cry: our profession needs a return to values of humanity, pride, and professionalism. From research literacy to a collective voice, better CPD to smarter accountability, contributors to this book demonstrate the huge scope for increased teacher influence at every level of the education sector. Education voices including Sam Twiselton, Alison Peacock, David Weston and Andy Hargreaves, supported by a broad range of academics and policy makers, vouch for increased teacher agency and stronger, more powerful networks as a means of improving practice, combatting teacher disillusionment, and radically improving UK education. This text offers an exciting and hopeful perspective on education; urging teachers to work together to ‘flip the system’ and challenging policy makers to help... or get out of the way. Chapters have been contributed by Tom Bennett, Peter Ford, Jonathan Firth, David Weston, David Williams, Zeba Clarke, Julie Smith, Dr Robert Loe, Jeremy Pattle, Debra Kidd, Steven Watson, Ross Morrison McGill, George Gilchrist, Howard Stevenson, Professor Dame Alison Peacock, d’Reen Struthers, Phil Wood, Rae Snape, Simon Gibbs, Ross Hall, Jackie Ward, Simon Knight, David Frost, Sheila Ball, Sarah Lightfoot, Andy Hargreaves, Darren Macey, Gary Farrell, Julian Critchley, Tony Gallagher, Gareth Alcott, Sam Twiselton, Jelmer Evers, Alma Harris, Michelle Jones, Natalie Scott, Deborah M. Netolicky, Jon Andrews, Cameron Paterson, Per Kornhall, Joe Hallgarten, Tom Beresford and Sara Hjelm.

This book brings together for the first time a synthesis of philosophical and psychological material to examine the basis for the professional identity that teachers might believe in, and the effects of misunderstanding and mistreating these beliefs. By critically synthesising findings from a range of sources, the book provides a rationale that argues an essential ingredient of good education is the quality of teachers who have a reaffirmed sense of creativity, autonomy and agency. The book presents a role for educational psychology in informing educational and inclusive processes, filling a longstanding need for a text that delineates the way psychological phenomena underpin education. Beginning by considering notions of ‘self’ and ‘identity’, the book explores the relationship between our identity as defined by ourselves, but also as defined by others in the social and professional groups we may or may not be considered as being part of. It looks critically at how the erosion of the professional identity of teachers has affected education, and considers the morality of ‘othering’ ‘others’ and its damaging effect on teachers and young people. Gibbs reflects on the organisational structure and leadership of schools, the psychology of these institutions, and the barriers that need to be overcome in order to promote greater inclusivity within them. Offering a careful and insightful look at the psychology behind education and teaching, this is an essential read for teacher educators, researchers and academics in the field of education and will appeal to policy makers, teachers and educational psychologists.