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.

Understanding Education Research, 2nd Edition is designed to help students learn to read educational research articles carefully, systematically, and critically. Readers will learn how to categorize titles, decode abstracts, find research questions, characterize research arguments, break down methods and procedures, explore references, apply analysis strategies, and interpret findings. This textbook and quick reference guide allows students to easily develop the skills they need to become research literate and the 2nd edition has been updated throughout to offer simple guidelines for qualitative, quantitative, and statistical approaches and up-to-date information on complex and confusing methodologies.

Companion guide to: Teaching for understanding / Martha Stone Wiske, editor. 1998.

Analysis of education policy often follows a particular orientation, such as conservative or neo-liberal. Yet, readers are often left to wonder the true meaning and conceptual framing behind these orientations. Without this knowledge, the policy analysis lacks true rigor, its value is diminished as the results may prove difficult to reproduce. Understanding Education Policy provides an overarching framework of four key orientations that lie beneath much policy analysis, yet are rarely used with accuracy: conservative, liberal, critical and post-modern. It details each orientation's application to policy making, implementation and overall impact. The book also argues the value of analysing a policy’s orientation to improve the clarity of its analysis and allow broader trends across the education policy field to emerge. The book offers practical examples, key vocabulary and reflection activities which give equitable, yet critical consideration to all education orientations. This allows readers to see the benefits and disadvantages of each perspective and discover their own biases. This introduction to education policy analysis offers theoretically broad, highly practical coverage. It is adaptable to many kinds of policy analysis areas and will appeal to a wide range of readers with an interest in education policy, from students conducting specific research to policy makers looking for a deeper way to re-think their work.

In the push to bring data to bear on all of the important education issues of the day, one essential fact is often overlooked: Not all indicators are created equal. This bookprovides a comprehensive approach for understanding how statistical measures of achievement are developed, evaluated, and interpreted. Given the extent to which accountability measures determine outcomes for schools and students, this practical introduction is essential reading for a wide audience that includes school administrators, teachers, policymakers, and the media. The authors strive to increase “statistical literacy” by engaging readers in the process of becoming thoughtful and critical users of data. With the practitioner in mind, this hands-on primer: Outlines a viable approach to interpreting the vast array of available data about education in the United States.Uses clear, jargon-free language with real examples from local, national, and international indicator systems.Offers a website (www.educationindicator.com) with additional resources, examples, and a forum for up-to-the-minute policy discussions.Mike Planty is a statistician at the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Deven Carlson is a Ph.D. candidate in political science and a graduate research fellow at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “Mike Planty and Deven Carlson have taken pity on nonexpert readers of the glut of information about schools and, in this incisive and clearly written book, show how to figure it all out.” —Jay Mathews, Washington Post education columnist “In a data-driven world where competing experts will cite conflicting stats and figures to make their case, Planty and Carlson have penned a volume that will prove invaluable to parents, practitioners, and policymakers trying to separate fact from fiction. If you want to know what’s really going on in education today, read this book.” —Frederick M. Hess, Director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute “Education researchers, policy analysts, and journalists interested in understanding what really is going on behind the ‘simple’ data that drive the education policy debate need this book.” —Jack Buckley, New York University and former Deputy Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics

Created in partnership with the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME), this completely revised and updated new edition of Understanding Medical Education synthesizes the latest knowledge, evidence and best practice across the continuum of medical education. Written and edited by an international team, this latest edition continues to cover a wide range of subject matter within five broad areas – Foundations, Teaching and Learning, Assessment and Selection, Research and Evaluation, and Faculty and Learners – as well as featuring a wealth of new material, including new chapters on the science of learning, knowledge synthesis, and learner support and well-being. The third edition of Understanding Medical Education: Provides a comprehensive and authoritative resource summarizing the theoretical and academic bases to modern medical education practice Meets the needs of all newcomers to medical education whether undergraduate or postgraduate, including those studying at certificate, diploma or masters level Offers a global perspective on medical education from leading experts from across the world Providing practical guidance and exploring medical education in all its diversity, Understanding Medical Education continues to be an essential resource for both established educators and all those new to the field.

Understanding Contemporary Education offers an essential exploration of key concepts and issues in education that will allow education studies students, as well as trainee and practising teachers to engage in reflection, not only on work at the classroom level, but on education more broadly. Using detailed examples, the book problematises many popular and taken-for-granted views, allowing the reader to challenge and seriously consider the nature of the education enterprise. In each chapter, a concept is carefully considered, with major features, controversies, and strengths and weaknesses highlighted. Key follow-up questions challenge the reader to reflect on specific issues, and encourage involvement, not just in their own teaching, but in the planning and determination of the total programme of their school, and where possible, that of the nation. The book is divided into seven main parts: The Social Context of Education Education Policy Curriculum Teaching and Learning Leadership in Education Teacher Preparation International Developments in Education. Drawing upon a wide variety of theoretical positions, Understanding Contemporary Education provides an accessible introduction to key themes and concepts in education, challenging readers to fully consider the purpose of education and to reflect intelligently on issues that affect all schools. It is a must-read book for those on education studies courses, as well as trainee and practising teachers.