Author Description

This Book Is Designed To Provide An Up-to-date Introduction To The Philosophy Of Education. It Addresses Many Of The 'traditional' Topics In The Field, As Well As More Contemporary Policy Issues In Education, Including: * Values, Aims And Society * Culture And The Curriculum * Learning: Knowledge And Imagination * Pedagogy And Prescription * Standards, Performance And Assessment * Civic And Personal Education * Autonomy And Liberal Education * Vocationalism, Training And Economics * Markets, Politics And Education (including Private Schooling And Education At Home) * Education In Multicultural Societies. The Book Is For Undergraduate Students Of Education, Politics And Philosophy. It Is Written In A Clear Style And Presupposes No Previous Knowledge Of The Subject. The Authors Include Detailed Lists Of Suggested Further Reading. Book Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 Values, Aims And Society -- Values In Education -- Education Is A Preparation For Life -- Aims Of Education -- Schools -- Problems With Formulating Aims -- Compulsory And Non-compulsory Phases Of Education -- Conclusion -- Questions For Further Discussion -- Further Reading -- Chapter 2 Culture And The Curriculum -- The Roles Of Schooling -- The Varieties Of Culture And Questions Of Choice -- Choosing The Best -- National Curricula -- The Current English National Curriculum -- Conclusion -- Questions For Discussion -- Further Reading -- Chapter 3 Teaching And Learning -- The Nature Of Teaching -- Learning -- The Varieties Of Knowledge -- The Importance Of Imagination -- Conclusion -- Questions For Further Discussion -- Further Reading -- Chapter 4 Pedagogy, Good Practice And Educational Research -- What Is Pedagogy? -- Good Practice And Its Problems -- A Test Case -- Is Each Educational Situation Unique? -- The Normative Theory Of Teaching -- Conclusion: Teachers And Educational Research -- Questions For Further Discussion -- Further Reading -- Chapter 5 Standards, Performance And Assessment -- Current Concern With These Issues: The National Curriculum, International Competition And Comparison -- Accountability: What It Is And The Different Ways Of Securing It: Process And Outcome Based -- Some Crucial Notions: Standards, Performance, Progression, Assessment -- Progression -- Assessment: The Flew Argument From Seriousness -- Arguments Against Assessment: Validity Is A Problem -- Comparability Of Standards: Performance Against Standards -- Progression And Value Added -- Conclusion: What Can Assessment Tell Us And What Does It Not Tell Us? -- Questions For Further Discussion -- Further Reading -- Chapter 6 Moral, Personal And Civic Education. Introduction: Why Education Needs To Concern Itself With These Issues. The Role Of The Family And The School -- Moral Education: Why We Need It And What Form It Should Take, Including Implicit Moral Education -- Critical Rationality As A Requirement Of School-based Moral Education -- The Content Of Moral Education -- Personal Education -- The Content Of Personal Education -- Civic Education -- Contemporary Civic Education In England And Wales: A Case Study -- Conclusion -- Questions For Further Discussion -- Further Reading -- Chapter 7 Autonomy And Liberal Education -- Conservative And Modern Liberal Education -- The Modern Interpretation Of Liberal Education -- The Goal Of Autonomy And Non-traditional Democratic Societies -- The Conceptions Of Right And The Good: Versions Of Liberalism -- The Central Features Of Autonomy -- Independence, Weak And Strong Autonomy -- Concepts Of The Worthwhile And The Reasonable -- Autonomy As A Necessary Condition Of Worthwhileness And Its Educational Implications -- Conclusion: The Place Of Preparation For Autonomy In Education In A Contemporary Liberal Democratic Society -- Questions For Discussion -- Further Reading -- Chapter 8 Vocationalism, Training And Economics -- Liberal, Civic And Vocational Education -- Practical And Vocational Education -- Jobs And Occupations -- Prevocational Education And Autonomy -- The Various Kinds Of Vocational Education -- The Economic Aims Of Education -- Vocational Education And The Good Life: The End Of Work? -- Questions For Further Discussion -- Further Reading -- Chapter 9 Markets, Politics And Education -- What Is A Market? -- Markets In Education -- The Aims Of Education Revisited: To Educate Or To Provide Educational Opportunities? -- Compulsory Education -- Redistribution And Market-led Education -- Diversity In Educational Need: Can The Market Provide?. The Need For Accountability. Can The Market Provide This? Are Parents Good Judges Of Educational Offers? -- Conclusion -- Questions For Further Discussion -- Further Reading -- Chapter 10 Education And Multi-culturalism -- Political And Educational Liberalism -- Liberty -- Communitarianism -- Faith Schools -- Conclusion -- Questions For Discussion -- Further Reading -- Notes -- Select Bibliography -- Index.