The role of anti-racism in early childhood remains a salient concern for many educators working with young children. Yet to what extent, and through what socio-political paradigms, government guidance supports proactive engagement remains an area to be mapped and explored. In this article, through a critical scoping review we aim to consider the…

Teacher quality has attracted much attention both conceptually and empirically, especially in tackling some global challenges. Initial teacher education (ITE) has historically been one of the key actors in developing teacher quality and one of the foci in research. The article contributes to these debates by comparing two ITE programmes, from…

This research study evaluated an Artist-in-Residence-project (AIR-project) at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, focusing on inclusive music education. For this project, the Conservatory invited the organization Drake Music Scotland to work with its students. The project's aim was to provide students with practical skills regarding music technology,…

This article explores connections between language and the social inclusion of immigrants. It analyses three different models of immigration settlement: assimilation, integration through social capital, and inclusion. It then explores how education - and in particular the teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) - can promote…

Does education have a moral purpose, and if so, how can it be defined? In these troubled times, publicly funded schools which are seen to be equitable, inclusive and ethical in their practice have a key role to play in shaping a socially just world. Drawing on the education renewal currently taking place in Scotland and Wales, the author argues…

This article explores how headteachers/principals engage in social justice leadership practice using data gathered from the Scottish and American contributions to the International School Leadership Development Network's (ISLDN) research on social justice leadership. While the literature focuses on high-level strategies to address issues of equity…

Since the re-establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, successive administrations have reaffirmed their commitment to social justice. However, despite high-level equality policies, social-class inequality is a major feature of Scottish society, affecting all social policy domains, including education. In this article, we provide a brief…

Internationally teachers are called upon to act as agents of change. However, there is little clarity about the kind of change teachers are expected to contribute to and even less empirical evidence about the ways teacher agency operates in schools and beyond. Empirical analyses of teacher agency require a clear articulation of the purpose and…

The present paper provides an overview of the current national legislation, policies, curriculum and practice relating to gifted education within Scotland. It begins by providing an overview of the national context and historical background that, to this day, underpin the egalitarian ethos that permeates Scottish education. We discuss how…

This paper discusses the adoption of an integrated approach to children's services. The paper opens by introducing the Scottish policy statements that recommend that it is at the level of the school and community that integrated services need to be effective for the aims of social justice and inclusion to be achieved. The policy discourses are…

The Capabilities Approach places dignity at its core, emphasising people as ends not means who should be enabled to achieve the plans and goals they have reason to value. Focussed on the entitlement of all people to flourish and to be treated with equal respect, we argue here that this approach lends itself to a consideration of ethical issues…

New public management and the neo-liberal principles that sustain it have driven performance agendas in government across Europe and beyond. This has produced a loss of the traditional role of education in creating a coherent and persuasive collective myth of belonging, identity or purpose. This chapter discusses current developments in the policy…

This paper opens with an introduction to the current Scottish legislation and policy context relating to the integration of children's services. It offers the view that integrated service policy is framed by the concept of "social capital" and the notion of social capital building and goes on to introduce the concepts of "types of…