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English literature: An aesthetic form of knowledge

English literature was introduced as an essential component of Britain’s school curriculum in the early 20th century as part of a broader effort to create, inter alia, an education system based...

The ambiguities of knowledge, expertise and purpose

In a recent ½¿É«µ¼º½ blog, ‘The neglect of practice’ (14 December 2018; see also Hordern 2018), Jim Hordern argued that we need to consider not just what teachers do when they teach, but what...

Curriculum development through professional enquiry: Developments in Wales

Since the publication of Graham Donaldson’s report in 2015 (Donaldson, 2015) and the adoption of its recommendations by the Welsh Government, pioneer schools across Wales have been taking the...

Rethinking sex and relationship education in the age of #MeToo

In February 2017, the UK government announced that it would introduce legislation to make age-appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE) compulsory within English schools. The objective of...

Unthinkable, unfundable and unknowable: The ‘evidence void’ on making science accessible to pupils with learning disabilities

The question of how, in an age of performativity, we will be enabled to undertake any research other than that which promises to be productive in the short term is becoming increasingly pressing....

Knowledge entitlement or misguided policy? The new multiplication tables check for primary children

In 2020, the UK government will introduce a multiplication tables check for primary school children aged 8–9 in England. ‘Times tables’ are a contentious issue because they represent a lot...

Inequality of pedagogy in English schools: How significant is it?

Addressing educational inequality has been a longstanding focus for educational research as well as for English education policy, yet the attainment gap between rich and poor remains constant...

Helping teachers improve their use of computer games for student learning

Games have been used in schools since the 1970s. Currently, the games most commonly used in classrooms are ‘edutainment’ games such as Math Blaster (Boyle et al., 2016). These games are...

Our ‘science capital’ research story

The ASPIRES/2 and Enterprising Science teams are delighted to be awarded the 2018 ½¿É«µ¼º½ Public Engagement and Impact Award, which reflects our sociological commitment to praxis and, specifically,...

½¿É«µ¼º½ Blog highlights from 2018

½¿É«µ¼º½ Blog end of year highlights

A seasonal welcome to all our ½¿É«µ¼º½ Blog readers in the UK and around the world in this, our third end-of-year-highlights special edition. And what a year this has turned out to be. (I really will...

Integrating a parenting education programme into the primary and secondary school curriculum in Nigeria

All young children tend to misbehave from time to time, which makes it necessary for parents/guardians to step in with disciplinary measures. Although the need for child discipline is broadly...

Arresting ‘epistemic violence’: Decolonising the national curriculum for history

A renewed call to ‘decolonise’ the curriculum has marked a shift in thinking about education and what should form the canon of curriculum content (le Grange, 2016). It has been amplified...