Literature review focuses on what theory and research primarily from political science and sociology of education have to say about families and communities working for change in education. Questions: (1) Do low-income minority families have the power to create positive and lasting change in school and/or district organization and policy? (2) Is…

The central focus in this article is that how language is used can constitute the basis for power relations. In the first place, power functions through linguistic expressions in relationships of superiority and subordination (commands, reprimands etc.). Secondly, language acts can appear as representations of discourse, i.e. linguistic and…

Since 1898 the work of defining and realizing development in Puerto Rico has been carried out within the context of a political-economic relationship with the United States under colonialism. This book focuses on an assessment of the relationship between the history of educational reform policies in Puerto Rico and the issue of economic…

In recent demands for educational excellence, rightists emphasize norms, standardized quality measures, and selectivity; leftists emphasize equality, justice, and inclusion. Liberal response should address state and civic needs, and equity of opportunity. This requires universal education in core subjects; practices and standards that nurture,…

Discusses creativity in higher education and argues that it is analyzed as an intentional act related to ideas from cognitive psychology. States that the culture of engineering education holds a narrow view of creativity and is based on outdated learning theories. Deeper philosophical implications of creativity, i.e., the quest for meaning, must…

The chapters in this book originated in an invited seminar at the Griffith University Gold Coast (Australia) campus on the occasion of a visit by Philip Wexler in December 1993. The seminar explored ways and means of transcending a postmodernist analysis of education. Although the examples are predominantly Australian, the issues are…

Discusses Marxist educational theory from the 1960s through the 1990s, analyzes its decline and degeneration, and looks at possible future directions. Explores five developments that have undercut the "old" educational Marxism: hyper-academicism; dislocations between theory and practice; the postmodern challenge; the liberal left challenge; and…

Discusses the recent interest in teacher research and inquiry, arguing that part of what makes it an official movement is that teacher research stems from various intellectual traditions and educational projects. Identifies five trends that characterize the movement and discusses the future of the movement in the face of current reforms that…

It is perhaps too easy to suggest that rurality in educational terms has been largely missing from the pages of educational research texts. A search of the past few AARE annual conference papers throws up few papers on this topic; although an issue of "Australian Journal of Education" includes a paper on long-staying rural teachers (Boylan &…

Hallie Preskill and Rosalie Torres (1999) describe mental models as a set of personal opinions, perceptions, and views of the world. Developed over time, such values, beliefs, assumptions, and knowledge guide people in their everyday lives and are thought of as "truths." Mental models are powerful because they frame and influence the way educators…

"Educational Knowledge: Changing Relationships between the State, Civil Society, and the Educational Community," edited by Tom Popkewitz, is generally a collection of essays which emphasizes theoretical explications of the linkages between the state, society, and educationists. The author found that the book makes critically important…

This paper discusses the history and trauma of Native education in Canada and stresses the importance of integrating the best of the Native culture with the best of the Western culture in future Native education. The paper is organized in three parts. The first section acknowledges the trauma inflicted on the indigenous peoples by means of early…

The importance of theory in qualitative work is discussed through an examination of the search for theory that arose in relation to a case study of educational change in an American school district. Theory is defined as an analytical, interpretive framework to help the researcher make sense of what is going on in the social setting. Certain…

This study examined the experiences of faculty members in the first year of a new university. Twelve faculty at the new institution were interviewed and observed during the 1995-96 academic year. The analysis presented in this paper is based on one particular interview. Overall, six concrete universals were found during the analysis: (1) the…

Argues that the long reign of the behavioralists and the postbehavioralists has reduced political science theory to a Tower of Babel. Loudly trumpets the revival of Aristotelian political philosophy and identifies some of its leading adherents. Posits three fundamental objections to behavioral political theory. (MJP)