Learning Beyond the Objective in Primary Education explores an existential perspective for pedagogy proposed in response to the current technocratic paradigm of education prevalent in many countries worldwide. This new perspective is termed ‘Bildung’s Repetition.’ The book seeks to encourage policy makers and educational practitioners to consider the impact of education on children, over and above the meeting of set targets and objectives. Located in a philosophical framework, this book considers how children might learn authentically in the light of their own personal contingency. A series of case studies reflecting the effectiveness of this perspective through the curriculum is provided, each illustrating how ‘Bildung’s Repetition’ allows for personalized meaningful learning within current structures. Recommendations for practice are provided, encouraging all stakeholders in education to consider the value of this perspective, and effect a ‘ten-degree shift’ within educational thought. This unique book fuses theory with practice, and will be of great interest to academics, researchers and students in the fields of primary education and teacher training. It will also be of interest to school leaders and practicing teachers.

This novel volume delves into a specific and crucial aspect of early years pedagogy – the intersection between early childhood education and spirituality, offering tips on nurturing spirituality and a sense of connectedness with nature through outdoor learning. With experience both as a scholar and a teacher, the author delves into the ontological and epistemological issues related to outdoor learning and education while keeping accessibility and sustainability at the centre of the volume. Chapters take a comprehensive approach to the exploration of children's innate spirituality and their connection with nature in the context of early childhood education, fusing elements such as a critique of early years policy with philosophy of education and children’s mental health. Using a robust theoretical foundation incorporating philosophical figures such as Froebel, McMillan, Montessori, Dewey and Freire, as well as the inclusion of practical examples from educational settings designed for real-world scenarios, this book reinvigorates the conversation around the holistic development of children by emphasising the importance of nature and child-centred pedagogies. Ultimately exploring avenues that can foster a sense of well-being and social responsibility in children, the book will be of interest to researchers, educators and teacher trainers in the field of early childhood education, environmental education, philosophy of education and teacher education. Policy makers and school leaders may also benefit from this volume.

How do children determine which identity becomes paramount as they grow into adolescence and early adulthood? Which identity results in patterns of behaviour as they develop? To whom or to which group do they feel a sense of belonging? How might children, adolescents and young adults negotiate the gap between their own sense of identity and the values promoted by external influences? The contributors explore the impact of globalization and pluralism on the way most children and adolescents grow into early adulthood. They look at the influences of media and technology that can be felt within the living spaces of their homes, competing with the religious and cultural influences of family and community, and consider the ways many children and adolescents have developed multiple and virtual identities which help them to respond to different circumstances and contexts. They discuss the ways that many children find themselves in a perpetual state of shifting identities without ever being firmly grounded in one, potentially leading to tension and confusion particularly when there is conflict between one identity and another. This can result in increased anxiety and diminished self-esteem. This book explores how parents, educators and social and health workers might have a raised awareness of the issues generated by plural identities and the overpowering human need to belong so that they can address associated issues and nurture a sense of wholeness in children and adolescents as they grow into early adulthood.

This book shines a light on novel and less familiar domains of early English language education for children aged 3 to 12, in mainstream and out-of-school settings. Enveloping the volume is the making of creative connections to wider educational philosophies which extend beyond the confines of a narrow linguistic lens. In reconciling the theory-practice divide in English language education, each chapter presents a synthesis of research issues leading to a practical showcase of ideas. Organised in two main parts, the first focuses on innovations within classroom practice, curriculum development, and child-centred assessment, exploring areas which have either received insufficient attention and/or have been reimagined through fresh perspectives. The second part explores innovations in pre- and in-service teacher education contexts and focuses on lesser-known and/or underexplored topics, including bridging general and language education, multilingualism, in-depth learning, metacognition, and pragmatics. This is a timely publication for teacher educators and practitioners alike.

The Committees report examines the wide range of outdoor learning experiences, from lessons held within school grounds to residential expeditions abroad, and considers the place of outdoor learning in the curriculum from foundation stage to higher education. Issues discussed include: the value of outdoor learning and the decline of opportunities for educational opportunities outside the classroom; the barriers that deter schools from teaching outside the classroom, including perceptions of risks in school trips, the resources and curriculum time available for such trips, availability and costs involved; policy options for the Department for Education and Skills to help encourage schools improve and expand provision for outdoor learning; and funding implications. The Committees recommendations include that the DfES should issue a Manifesto for Outdoor Learning which gives all students the right to outdoor learning and which should attract a similar funding level to the music manifesto (around £30 million) in order to deliver real change.

In response to concerns that the educational system - from public schools through colleges, universities, and apprenticeship programs - cannot adequately prepare students for work in the new economy, Integrating School and Workplace Learning in Canada proposes alternation - a hybrid form of learning that, by combining experiential and cognitive learning skills, allows individuals to develop the relevant skills and intellectual capabilities to address and solve complex problems encountered in the workplace. Alternation involves not only a curricular balance between the theoretical and the practical but also two distinct venues for learning - the classroom and the workplace. The authors discuss cognitive and social learning, its implementation in a variety of settings, its role in smoothing the school/work transition process, and its potential to contribute to the knowledge and skills needed by the workforce. They bring a wide range of disciplinary perspectives to bear in their analyses of the principles and practices of alternation, providing historical, theoretical, and practical insights. Their analysis contributes to and extends the current debate and discussion surrounding necessary changes in our education and training practices.

The Cambridge Primary Review Research Surveys is the outcome of the Cambridge Primary Review – England’s biggest enquiry into primary education for over forty years. Fully independent of government, it was launched in 2006 to investigate the condition and future of primary education at a time of change and uncertainty and after two decades of almost uninterrupted reform. Ranging over ten broad themes and drawing on a vast array of evidence, the Review published thiry-one interim reports, including twenty-eight surveys of published research, provoking media headlines and public debate, before presenting its final report and recommendations. This book brings together the twenty-eight research surveys, specially commissioned from sixty-five leading academics in the areas under scrutiny and now revised and updated, to create what is probably the most comprehensive overview and evaluation of research in primary education yet published. A particular feature is the prominence given to international and comparative perspectives. With an introduction from Robin Alexander, the Review’s director, the book is divided into eight sections, covering: children’s lives and voices: school, home and community children’s development, learning, diversity and needs aims, values and contexts for primary education the structure and content of primary education outcomes, standards and assessment in primary education teaching in primary schools: structures and processes teaching in primary schools: training, development and workforce reform policy frameworks: governance, funding, reform and quality assurance. The Cambridge Primary Review Research Surveys is an essential reference tool for professionals, researchers, students and policy-makers working in the fields of early years, primary and secondary education.

The transition from early childhood education to primary school is a big step for all children, and a step which more and more children are having to take. Quality transitions Should be well-prepared and child-centred, managed by trained staff collaborating with one another, and guided by ...

Trainees and school-based practitioners are being encouraged to engage more with evidence-based teaching methods. Teachers are now more responsible for the outcomes of their own practice and are charged with sourcing ‘best practice’ solutions in their pedagogical approaches. And schools are moving more towards in-house professional development approaches that have a clear focus on raising standards in the classroom. This book focuses on how universities and primary schools can work together to lead, manage and sustain a culture of teacher inquiry. It examines the role of the university in providing a critical perspective on teaching and learning and how academics can support schools by working as ‘knowledgeable others’ and advocates of classroom-based research. As a case study, it explores the journey taken by one particular primary school, in partnership with a university, over a two-year period, detailing how this work has impacted on the professional lives of staff, the children they teach, the overall culture of the school and the impact on school improvement. Chapters are contributed by professional school leaders, university academics and primary teachers and there is a focus on the rigorous examination of models of evidenced-based teaching, practical examples demonstrating some of the best and most sustainable approaches, and positive outcomes.

Making Learning Job-Embedded: Cases from the Field of Instructional Leadership is a book for sitting principals, aspiring principals, and teacher leaders. This edited volume includes studies that describe and detail findings from dissertation research conducted by scholar-practitioners in preK-12 schools. These studies examined job-embedded professional learning—how teachers learned from their work, how they grew in their understandings of their work with students, and how they could learn from their interactions with others. Each chapter examines very specific aspects of professional learning that school leaders need to have understanding about to be able to create systems that support teachers in the work they do to teach students, interact with colleagues, participate in team meetings, and other aspects that constitute the work of being a teacher. Conclusions and recommendations are offered for school leaders to support an environment and culture that embraces job-embedded learning as an integral part of the school’s foundation for building capacity. The messages across the chapters point to the primacy of teacher engagement and the value of job-embedded learning.