Understanding how teachers make sense of education policy is important. We argue that an exploration of teacher reactions to policy requires an engagement with theory focused on the formation of "the subject" since this form of theorisation addresses the creation of a seemingly coherent identity and attitude while acknowledging variation…

Recent literacy research has made substantial contributions to expanding definitions of literacies beyond stringent parameters of decoding print. These inquiries have intersected with topics such as multimodality and critical literacy in general education literacy classrooms. However, students in isolated special education settings labeled with…

Teachers are obligated to construct an environment inclusive of "all" students. This article argues critical literacy with queer intent can offer strategies to expose normative constructions of gender and sexuality that can exclude some students. I initiate the case with a queer theory analysis of a description of critical literacy…

This paper explores the impact of selection by ability in schooling systems on individual lives. It draws on narratives collected with a group of 18 people (accessed through a local U3A group) who were at school in Britain in a period from the 1940s through to the 1960s. This period saw significant changes in society and to schooling following the…

We examine the impact of "Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading" ("BNR") (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, 1985) with the idea of extending literacy learning beyond the early grades, describing present-day conceptions of secondary-school literacy learning, and calling to "further…

This study examined how interagency collaboration occurs within one local transition community of practice using Wenger's (1998) social theory of learning. While postschool outcomes of youth with disabilities have improved moderately, there continue to be many barriers based upon changes in American society, including the diversity of the…

In this article, I endeavor to explore the historical dimensions of "Bildung" by first focusing on the German linguist and philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt and his theory of "Bildung." The article then addresses the transformation of Humboldt's neo-humanistic ideal into a governmentrun institutionalized "Bildung"…

Building on narratives of students in adult education in Sweden, where the majority of the students are young adults, this paper argues that adult education has both negative and positive aspects in helping individuals to be recognised as valuable. Students, often part of the precariat class, have not always been able to survive in the job market…

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to provide a framework for analysis from which to interpret the transformations that take place, as perceived by the participants, when commercial video games are used in the classroom. We will show how Activity Theory (AT) is able to explain and interpret these changes. Method: Case studies are…

In this article, we analyse the school developmental work of a project team in Norwegian upper secondary schools. The team aims to improve teaching and learning by making use of new technologies. The aim of the article is to explore the "black box" of developmental work practices by analysing the interactions between the team members to…

One approach to tackling problems of division in society has been to promote collaboration and engagement between schools separated on ethno-religious lines. Based on some variant of contact theory, the received wisdom is that inter-group encounters can contribute to prejudice reduction and promote more harmonious relationships. Evidence to…

Since September 11, 2001, Western readers have been turning to bestselling texts written by or about Muslims in their need to learn more about Muslims. These texts promise an insider's view of predominantly Muslim countries and peoples and are informally influencing and educating many Western readers in their perceptions of Muslims because…

In this book, the authors present a new kind of interdisciplinary pedagogy that brings together antipoverty grassroots activism and relevant social theories about poverty. Closely linked to the Poverty Initiative at Union Theological Seminary, this unique book combines the oral history of a renowned antipoverty organizer with accessible…

Australian policy initiatives and state curriculum reform efforts affirm a commitment to address student disengagement through the development of inclusive school environments, curriculum, and pedagogy. This paper, drawing on critical social theory, describes three Australian projects that support the cultivation of teachers' beliefs, knowledge…

Considers group solidarity an important element in understanding teacher resistance to the stultifying effects of the educational system. Offers a case study of four eighth grade teachers acting individually and collectively to illustrate the contradictory and dissonant nature of the teacher's identity as autonomous individual and group member.…