This book addresses a significant gap in the research literature on transitions across the school years: the continuities and discontinuities in school literacy education and their implications for practice. Across different curriculum domains, and using social semiotic, ethnographic, and conversation-analytic approaches, the contributors investigate key transition points for individual students' literacy development, elements of literacy knowledge that are at stake at each of these points, and variability in students' experiences. Grounding its discussion in classroom voices, experiences and texts, this book reveals literacy-specific curriculum demands and considers how teachers and students experience and account for these evolving demands. The contributors include a number of established names (such as Freebody, Derewianka, Myhill, Rowsell, Moje and Lefstein), as well as emerging scholars gaining increasing recognition in the field. They draw out implications for how literacy development is theorized in school curriculum and practice, teacher education, further research and policy formation. In addition, each section of the book features a summary from an international scholar who draws together key ideas from the section and relates these to their current thinking. They deploy a range of different theoretical and methodological approaches in order to bring rich yet complementary perspectives to bear on the issue of literacy transition.

This book is a Festschrift for Emeritus Professor Stephen Kemmis, who has a long and eminent career as an educational researcher and academic spanning over 40 years. His work in curriculum, evaluation, critical practice, action research and practice theory has been influential across all continents of the world. The book examines critical perspectives on educational practice and the participatory nature of action research, including practitioner research particularly as undertaken by teachers in schools. Including vignettes from Kemmis' colleagues and mentors, it draws on contributions from a range of academics whose scholarship has been inspired, influenced and initiated by his work. The chapters stem from a range of countries, including Australia, Canada, Finland, weden, the United Kingdom, United States of America, and Trinidad and Tobago - a testimony to the enduring and global legacy of Kemmis' scholarship. Contributing authors include leading educational research scholars, indigenous elders from Australia, and community leaders concerned with environmental sustainability. The concluding focus of this book turns towards practice theory. Kemmis' later work led to the development of the theory of practice architectures and gave rise to the development of the theory of ecologies of practices in education. Research drawing on the theory of practice architectures and ecologies of practices resulted in the leading text "Changing practices, changing education" (Kemmis, Wilkinson, Edwards-Groves, Hardy, Grootenboer & Bristol, 2014, Springer) that reports on an Australian investigation of the ecological relationship between student learning, teaching, professional learning, leading and researching practices.This theory is now being applied to study practices across a wide range of international contexts, sites and disciplines including early childhood, school education, university education, vocational education and training, community environment, indigenous cultural sustainability and health.

This book critically explores urgent questions that researchers, educators, and policy makers need to consider and address in order to better our understanding and capacity to transform education. Focusing on areas that underpin the empirical, theoretical, and strategic research of the Pedagogy, Education and Praxis (PEP) International Research Network, it discusses the following topics: the nature of educational praxis; research approaches that facilitate praxis and praxis development; changing cultural, social, political and material conditions affecting the educational practices of teachers; and how good professional practice in teaching, leading, and professional learning are understood and experienced. Presenting findings emerging from the Pedagogy, Education and Praxis research, the book raises new questions and offers new ways of thinking about the identified issues and themes in light of current educational concerns and the prevalence of neoliberal conditions being experienced in educational settings around the globe. It provides supporting evidence and illustrative examples to help readers understand important concepts, situations, and concerns, and brings together intellectual and cultural-historical traditions that, when considered in relation to each other, open up critical opportunities and ideas orienting readers towards future educational transformation.

This book aims to help teachers and those who support them to re-imagine the work of teaching, learning and leading. In particular, it shows how transformations of educational practice depend on complementary transformations in classroom-school- and system-level organisational cultures, resourcing and politics. It argues that transforming education requires more than professional development to transform teachers; it also calls for fundamental changes in learning and leading practices, which in turn means reshaping organisations that support teachers and teaching - organisational cultures, the resources organisations provide and distribute, and the relationships that connect people with one another in organisations. The book is based on findings from new research being conducted by the authors - the research team for the (2010-2012) Australian Research Council-funded Discovery Project Leading and Learning: Developing Ecologies of Educational Practice.

Critical participatory action research creates opportunities for people to work together to solve problems and address issues about the conditions under which they work, through mutually agreed on actions in practice. Partnership and recognition hold together the practices of critical participatory action research, and as mutually entwined ideals are fundamental for site-based education development. Drawing on the theory of practice architectures, this book interrogates and extends the concepts and practices of partnership and recognition in action research as they are explored in different educational settings, and as these are played out in the day-to-day experiences and practices of people participating and collaborating in educational change. Partnership and recognition are considered in terms of the agency and actions of both individuals and collectives as they encounter one another in educational change, and in terms of the cultural-discursive, material-economic and social-political conditions that enable and constrain possibilities for partnerships and recognition. Of central importance is the concept of practice theory, and the authors illuminate how recognition, change, learning and development practices are experienced and recognised by people in a range of partnerships. This book was originally published as a special issue of Educational Action Research.

Middle leading refers to those teachers that both teach and have leadership roles, and thus can bridge the gap between the practices of learning and the managemant of schooling. Focusing on the practices of middle leaders, this book addresses the current lack of support and professional development for middle leaders in educational settings. Middle Leadership in Schools positions middle leaders as professional leaders, and an integral part of educational and professional development in schools and other educational institutions. Drawing on empirical research spanning four countries, this book provides readers with a conceptual framework to understand middle leading and shows how middle leading practices unfold in real educational contexts. This is a valuable resource that goes beyond a theoretical conversation about middle leaders to provide readers with practical applications based on extensive research undertaken by the authors. The book is divided into seven chapters, each of which include reflective discussion questions and recommended readings to promote collaborative engagement with the text. Chapters cover topics such as how middle leading is shaped in practice, its role in professional development and its impact on schools. Illustrating to middle leaders how they can develop their leadership skills, the book will also be of interest to school principals and other senior leaders as a guide to supporting their middle leaders.

Critical participatory action research creates opportunities for people to work together to solve problems and address issues about the conditions under which they work, through mutually agreed on actions in practice. Partnership and recognition hold together the practices of critical participatory action research, and as mutually entwined ideals are fundamental for site-based education development. Drawing on the theory of practice architectures, this book interrogates and extends the concepts and practices of partnership and recognition in action research as they are explored in different educational settings, and as these are played out in the day-to-day experiences and practices of people participating and collaborating in educational change. Partnership and recognition are considered in terms of the agency and actions of both individuals and collectives as they encounter one another in educational change, and in terms of the cultural-discursive, material-economic and social-political conditions that enable and constrain possibilities for partnerships and recognition. Of central importance is the concept of practice theory, and the authors illuminate how recognition, change, learning and development practices are experienced and recognised by people in a range of partnerships. This book was originally published as a special issue of Educational Action Research.

Middle leading refers to those teachers that both teach and have leadership roles, and thus can bridge the gap between the practices of learning and the managemant of schooling. Focusing on the practices of middle leaders, this book addresses the current lack of support and professional development for middle leaders in educational settings. Middle Leadership in Schools positions middle leaders as professional leaders, and an integral part of educational and professional development in schools and other educational institutions. Drawing on empirical research spanning four countries, this book provides readers with a conceptual framework to understand middle leading and shows how middle leading practices unfold in real educational contexts. This is a valuable resource that goes beyond a theoretical conversation about middle leaders to provide readers with practical applications based on extensive research undertaken by the authors. The book is divided into seven chapters, each of which include reflective discussion questions and recommended readings to promote collaborative engagement with the text. Chapters cover topics such as how middle leading is shaped in practice, its role in professional development and its impact on schools. Illustrating to middle leaders how they can develop their leadership skills, the book will also be of interest to school principals and other senior leaders as a guide to supporting their middle leaders.

This book critically explores urgent questions that researchers, educators, and policy makers need to consider and address in order to better our understanding and capacity to transform education. Focusing on areas that underpin the empirical, theoretical, and strategic research of the Pedagogy, Education and Praxis (PEP) International Research Network, it discusses the following topics: the nature of educational praxis; research approaches that facilitate praxis and praxis development; changing cultural, social, political and material conditions affecting the educational practices of teachers; and how good professional practice in teaching, leading, and professional learning are understood and experienced. Presenting findings emerging from the Pedagogy, Education and Praxis research, the book raises new questions and offers new ways of thinking about the identified issues and themes in light of current educational concerns and the prevalence of neoliberal conditions being experienced in educational settings around the globe. It provides supporting evidence and illustrative examples to help readers understand important concepts, situations, and concerns, and brings together intellectual and cultural-historical traditions that, when considered in relation to each other, open up critical opportunities and ideas orienting readers towards future educational transformation.

This book is a Festschrift for Emeritus Professor Stephen Kemmis, who has a long and eminent career as an educational researcher and academic spanning over 40 years. His work in curriculum, evaluation, critical practice, action research and practice theory has been influential across all continents of the world. The book examines critical perspectives on educational practice and the participatory nature of action research, including practitioner research particularly as undertaken by teachers in schools. Including vignettes from Kemmis' colleagues and mentors, it draws on contributions from a range of academics whose scholarship has been inspired, influenced and initiated by his work. The chapters stem from a range of countries, including Australia, Canada, Finland, weden, the United Kingdom, United States of America, and Trinidad and Tobago - a testimony to the enduring and global legacy of Kemmis' scholarship. Contributing authors include leading educational research scholars, indigenous elders from Australia, and community leaders concerned with environmental sustainability. The concluding focus of this book turns towards practice theory. Kemmis' later work led to the development of the theory of practice architectures and gave rise to the development of the theory of ecologies of practices in education. Research drawing on the theory of practice architectures and ecologies of practices resulted in the leading text "Changing practices, changing education" (Kemmis, Wilkinson, Edwards-Groves, Hardy, Grootenboer & Bristol, 2014, Springer) that reports on an Australian investigation of the ecological relationship between student learning, teaching, professional learning, leading and researching practices.This theory is now being applied to study practices across a wide range of international contexts, sites and disciplines including early childhood, school education, university education, vocational education and training, community environment, indigenous cultural sustainability and health.

This short book provides an introduction to the study of education, outlining the dual purpose of education - to help people live well and to help develop a world worth living in. It argues that education initiates people into forms of understanding, modes of activity, and ways of relating to each other and the world that not only help individuals to live good lives, but also help secure a culture based on reason, productive and sustainable economies and environments, and just and democratic societies. Subsequent chapters address the history of education in the West; explore how education reproduces the practices and forms of life in societies and groups, and also how it transforms them; and introduce the theory of practice architectures to explain what practices are composed of, and how they are enabled and constrained by local and more general conditions and circumstances. The book closes by showing how the theory of practice architectures unfolds to offer a theory of education - a theory that underpins the definition of education offered at the start of the book. Understanding Education is essential reading for anyone interested in the theory and practice of education.

This book addresses a significant gap in the research literature on transitions across the school years: the continuities and discontinuities in school literacy education and their implications for practice. Across different curriculum domains, and using social semiotic, ethnographic, and conversation-analytic approaches, the contributors investigate key transition points for individual students’ literacy development, elements of literacy knowledge that are at stake at each of these points, and variability in students’ experiences. Grounding its discussion in classroom voices, experiences and texts, this book reveals literacy-specific curriculum demands and considers how teachers and students experience and account for these evolving demands. The contributors include a number of established names (such as Freebody, Derewianka, Myhill, Rowsell, Moje and Lefstein), as well as emerging scholars gaining increasing recognition in the field. They draw out implications for how literacy development is theorized in school curriculum and practice, teacher education, further research and policy formation. In addition, each section of the book features a summary from an international scholar who draws together key ideas from the section and relates these to their current thinking. They deploy a range of different theoretical and methodological approaches in order to bring rich yet complementary perspectives to bear on the issue of literacy transition.

This book aims to help teachers and those who support them to re-imagine the work of teaching, learning and leading. In particular, it shows how transformations of educational practice depend on complementary transformations in classroom-school- and system-level organisational cultures, resourcing and politics. It argues that transforming education requires more than professional development to transform teachers; it also calls for fundamental changes in learning and leading practices, which in turn means reshaping organisations that support teachers and teaching - organisational cultures, the resources organisations provide and distribute, and the relationships that connect people with one another in organisations. The book is based on findings from new research being conducted by the authors - the research team for the (2010-2012) Australian Research Council-funded Discovery Project Leading and Learning: Developing Ecologies of Educational Practice.