The differences between soul and spirit can be quite difficult to understand throughout the works of John Dewey. What are they, how do they differ, and how do they relate to meaningful growth? Drawing from his personal correspondence and an analysis of the work in the later part of his life, Becky Noël Smith and Randy Hewitt conclude that, in…

This article delineates a Confucian approach to a democratic classroom by drawing upon the educational thought of third-century philosopher Xunzi. It is argued that Xunzi's approach is generally compatible with the three salient features of a democratic classroom: (i) it is a way of life guided by the principles of equality, freedom, justice, and…

In this paper, I address Biesta's notion of world-centred education via a special focus on the school as a site of teacherly gestures. To begin with, I interpret 'world-centredness' -- qua that which goes 'beyond learning' -- through a deployment of tenets from Arendt and her appropriation of Marx's and Heidegger's motifs. Within this horizon, I…

This article advances an (anti)agenda that would center unknowing as a necessary tool to remake autism. While much of the literature on the social study of ignorance describes its corrosive effects for democracy or how ignorance fuels epistemic injustice, I argue that some harms committed against autistic people have come from well-meaning…

In times of growing societal complexity and uncertainty, traditional decision-making mechanisms such as the majority principle are increasingly reaching their limits. This article explores the interplay between Systemic Consensing (SC) and Action Learning (AL) as innovative, participatory approaches to decision-making that are committed to the…

In the film "Sans Soliel", Chris Marker challenges received wisdoms with regard cinematic production of real worlds and real people. In Marker's techniques, Jacques Rancière observes an intensely political, highly accessible, art form that leads to a theorisation of cinema for its democratic and educational functions. In this paper we…

This article scrutinises the ontological nature of democracy and the implications that different ontological assumptions might have for educational practice. To achieve this, we use Karen Barad's notion of diffraction to read John Dewey's, Ernesto Laclau's and Barad's theoretical insights through one another. Our starting point is Dewey's famous…

Education theory has been exhibiting a renewed rejection of education's instrumentality to political and economic influences against a policy trend that implicitly considers education a mere pragmatic tool. This paper suggests an ontological investigation that goes beyond normatively supporting or rejecting the instrumentality of education. It…

This essay explores the interplay between action learning and democracy in organizations, institutions and society. We start by reflecting on the history of democracy as an emancipatory discourse in management learning and education. We elaborate on critical reflection in action-based approaches to learning and identify key elements of critical…

The power of democracy is its adaptability to a changing world. We can envision and work toward a society that is more just than the present. History education is more relevant now than ever. We offer ideas and strategies that can transform the history classroom into a space for understanding the past with the explicit purpose of learning from the…

The German tradition of critical theory (often called the Frankfurt School), represented by such authors as Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Oskar Negt, have given crucial contributions to social and cultural theory in investigating and conceptualizing contradictory conditions of modern Western societies. This paper will discuss the ways in…

This article highlights the primal concern of children at home and in school: knowing where safety lies in relationships of fairness. The article includes scenes where five-year-old children experience breaches in fairness and the framework commonly used to restore and maintain it. The work of Vivian Gussin Paley, the renowned early childhood…

Democracy and capitalism are two of the most consequential institutional systems in the world. However, their dynamic complexity, current turmoil, and evolution make them challenging to study. High-engagement teaching can bring the subjects alive, motivate student exploration, inform choices, animate sensible policy recommendations, and make a…

This concise, digestible book shows how the cultivation of reason became the defining aim of western education, and critiques how this aim has been eclipsed in recent decades by the neoliberal system of mass schooling imposed by the state. Chapters outline succinctly the history of western education and its origins in Ancient Greece, demonstrating…

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes embedded in daily life--from employment and education to healthcare and public services--AI literacy is emerging as both a civic competency and a human right. Yet second language learners, particularly from immigrant and marginalized communities, are often excluded from systems not designed for linguistic…