This paper takes as its starting point Kant's analysis of freedom in the Critique of Pure Reason. From this analysis, two different types of freedom are discerned, formative and instrumental freedom. The paper suggests that much of what passes for the pedagogy of learning in UK universities takes the form of an instrumental freedom. This, however,…

This paper discusses the explanatory possibilities and limitations of the concept of alienation within the framework of educational psychology studies. Research into various phenomena associated with alienation (frustration and burnout, extrinsic motivation, cynicism, etc.) is often limited by the ontological realm of the individual, whereas the…

Theoretical and practical issues concerning the justification of paternalism towards children are widely debated in a variety of philosophical contexts. The major focus of these debates lies either on questions concerning the general legitimacy of paternalism towards children or on justifications of paternalism in concrete situations involving…

While the scientific investigation into creativity is a recent phenomenon, creative thinking has always been a crucial feature of humanity. The ability to creatively solve problems enabled early humans to survive and laid the foundation for the creative imagination that has resulted in our modern society. While most humans no longer face physical…

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are often criticized for failing to focus on real problems of teaching and learning and for failing to deliver improvement. That is where accountability comes into play. Strategic accountability distinguishes PLCs that are effective from those that are not. Everyone knows what accountability is, but the…

The sum of a K-12 education derives from the combined efforts of about 66 teachers and thousands of lessons during about 15,000 hours of class time. How schools orchestrate to connect all of those pieces to ensure some consistency will determine whether each student grows into a well-educated, decent human being.

In his focus article, "Rethinking Traditional Methods of Survey Validation," published in this issue of "Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives," Andrew Maul wrote that it is commonly believed that self-report, survey-based instruments can be used to measure a wide range of psychological attributes, such as…

In this colloquium, the author responds artistically to Bone and Blaise's article "An uneasy assemblage: Prisoners, animals, asylum-seeking children and posthuman packaging," published in "Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood in 2015" (EJ1058615), continuing their trajectory of "different kinds of images than those…

Current discussion of the professionalization of the practice of evaluation is focused on matters of competencies and credentialing and largely overlooks several significant issues. These include conflating professionalizing the practice with promoting the value of evaluation as a social good, assuming there is widespread agreement on what the…

The definition of instruction and curriculum may take on different meanings based on the purpose or interpretation whether political, social, or educational. Teaching effectively requires the skill of a knowledgeable and experienced educator. Teaching can be convincingly debated as being an art or a science or defined collectively as an art and a…

Historically, a liberal arts education was thought to "liberate" students from the narrow perspective of experiential learning. Paradoxically, experiential learning is increasingly being used to broaden a liberal arts education. This chapter provides a discussion on three signature experiential learning practices, and suggests these…

This paper explores the potential of neuroscience for improving educational practice by describing the perspective of educational psychology as a linking science; providing historical context showing educational psychology's 100-year search for an educationally relevant neuroscience; offering a conceptual framework for the connections among…

This paper asks why spatially separated school departments might exhibit, in different ways, very similar practices. Data from an ethnographic study of three secondary school geography departments in England are discussed through a concept of "isomorphism" (homogenising forces), drawn from neo-institutional theory. Similarities across…

Previous research illustrated how principals effectively facilitate the development of teachers' instructional practice through actions such as differentiating professional development, providing continuous professional development, establishing learning communities and using supervision/evaluations to help modify instruction; however, what is…

School leadership nowadays is confronted with ever-changing and fast-growing expectations of what schools should be able to achieve. However, school leadership is an embedded activity, i.e. much depends on the underlying structure and culture of schooling. For instance, different traditions of defining schooling play a significant role in defining…