This article is an attempt to sketch a realist framework for the sociology of education. The central questions may be stated succinctly. What are the properties of social entities and how can they be demonstrated? What properties of people are acquired as a result of socialisation and how do they influence their actions? What are the properties of…

This article presents the author's response to Jim McKenzie's commentary on her article, "Closing the Split between Practical and Theoretical Reasoning: Knowers and the known." In her response, the author wishes to point readers to the book that the article is derived from, for the original article clearly points readers to the preface and…

The notion of "enlightenment" holds within it two seemingly contradictory attitudes. On the one hand enlightenment is synonymous with freedom, self-determination, autonomy and independence. On the other hand, in their critique of enlightenment, Horkheimer and Adorno draw attention to its more pernicious features. This critique of enlightenment as…

This article describes how we used the context of mailing a package with seventh-grade students to explore and connect the different representations of step and linear functions. (Contains 2 tables and 7 figures.)

Theoretical research in HRD has established itself and is now at a point where many avenues exist for further contributions to the field. But what kinds of theoretical research appear to be needed at this stage in the development of HRD? This paper identifies areas in which further research in theory and theory building might be conducted.…

This paper addresses one approach to reconciling theory, research, and practice, namely, a multitiered teaching experiment involving a models and modelling approach to learning. The four-tiered teaching experiment explored in this paper involves participants at different levels of development who work interdependently towards the common goal of…

Since music education straddles theory and practice, the author's purpose is to sketch the strengths and weaknesses of four philosophical models of the relationship between theory and practice. She demonstrates that none of them suffices when taken alone; each has something to offer and its own detractions. She then concludes with four suggested…

Issues of critical inquiry and social and environmental change have entered art education theory and are making their way into art classrooms. Unfortunately, rather than embracing how these ideas are carried out in the community of practicing artists and how they could be made relevant to students, many art teachers artificially force these ideas…

Despite a considerable body of literature devoted to the "behaviour management" of pupils, there is little that actually considers the experience of beginning teachers in learning to cope with that behaviour. Here we consider the experience of student teachers and illustrate their attempts to form deeper understanding, connections between theory…

This article advances a simple conception of test validity: A test is valid for measuring an attribute if (a) the attribute exists and (b) variations in the attribute causally produce variation in the measurement outcomes. This conception is shown to diverge from current validity theory in several respects. In particular, the emphasis in the…

"What is Jewish education [?] I have been trying for 32 years to find out what it is, but I am still looking." In 1931 these were humble words from the mouth of Samson Benderly, one of the leading thinkers and actors in American Jewish education of his time and of the twentieth century overall--someone whom one might presume had all of…

Evidence-based practice is a process used in the helping professions to systematically improve results by focusing on one child, patient, or client. Although not widely used in the school library profession, evidence-based practice could be used to provide a strong foundation for the teacher-librarian's role in student achievement. The process of…

The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) has been created to support and develop England's 25,000 headteachers, as well as the thousands of teachers and others with leadership roles and aspirations in schools. The NCSL has an extraordinarily ambitious goal: every child in a well-led school and every leader a learner. In order to achieve…

The idea of general knowledge is often put forward as a desirable learning goal, in all sectors of education: in schools, universities and even in technical and further education, especially in a changing society. The promotion of such knowledge is usually in terms of its being different from and more desirable than other knowledge, such as…

The aim of this article is to reconsider the (age old) problem of relating theory to practice in art education by placing it within the largely ignored context of improvisation. In so doing it is hoped that some of the well-known "difficulties" art practitioners have when confronted with the (usually mandatory) history and theory components of…