Violence is considered a major concern in society, specifically regarding school. In this article, the concept of school violence is explored. Different categorisations and manifestations of violence are presented, and the dividing lines between them are discussed. The questions highlighted in the article include the following: How is school…

This exploration takes a look at how students in higher education are disempowered through regimes of social power that are always already extant and ubiquitous within educational regimes. Moreover, this exploration pays particular interest and attention to students in higher education because in many cases throughout relevant research, these…

This article offers a current perspective on George Orwell's 1984 (1949) utopian society in the context of 2022 and implications for higher education and society in the United States. Societies have experienced numerous issues portrayed in 1984 including power struggles and censorship, and identity politics and cancel culture are impeding an open…

The past 30 years has seen a significant increase in research interest and public discussion about school bullying and an associated diversification in perspectives on the issue. In attempting to bridge divisions between different research paradigms, there have been calls for cross-paradigmatic dialogue. In this short think piece, I seek to…

This paper explores the role of material design as a form of institutional power within contemporary school settings. Drawing on concepts of "coercive design" and "hostile architecture" from design studies, the paper examines three "innovative" designs for classroom chairs -- relatively mundane but integral elements…

There has always been a power struggle regarding control over the administration of the university. In the Enlightenment era, the contenders were the State and the Church. However, as the role of the Church in modern educational institutes declined, the state clamoured for greater control (Delanty, 2001b; Rüegg, 1992). In the 1990s, academic…

In this article, the authors argue that a particular view of language underpins approaches to supporting students in higher education, and that this view facilitates neo-liberalism. Universities worldwide have glossaries of terms such as 'describe' or 'discuss', and centralized units to help students understand what an 'essay' or 'report' is, and…

There is a robust debate about innovative ways to improve educational outcomes and governance in public schools located in the poorest townships in South Africa. This article looks at one recent innovation, a new model for providing basic education called 'collaboration schools', based on the British academy schools. We seek to understand what…

Starting from autonomist theorist Antonio Negri's concept of "constituent power" and from decolonial philosopher Enrique Dussel's notions of obediential power and the ethics of "exteriority," this study outlines key principles for democratic education in the present. The article contrasts these philosophical starting points…

The bulk of research on academic rankings is policy-oriented, preoccupied with 'best practices', and seems incapable of transcending the normative discourse of 'governance'. To understand, engage, and properly critique the operation of power in academic rankings, the rankings discourse needs to escape the gravity of 'police science' and embrace a…

Conceptions of education research as independent and serving the interests of truth have come to represent freedoms that emerge from the application of intellectual inquiry. Critiques of education research and its relevance to the enhancement of education, coupled with neoliberal market-led pragmatism, have contributed to the erosion of an…

In this think piece, the author explores a conundrum and tension related to using rubrics to evaluate doctoral work. She ponders whether the use of rubrics provides beneficial ways for students to "crack the code" of academia, and/or whether the use of rubrics is perhaps a tool to engender conformity. With these competing ideas in mind,…

This article considers the role of emotions in the creation of new knowledge and the development of young children's minds. Drawing on recent literature relating to emotions and emotional development and recent research into rhizomatic thinking, the authors argue that emotions are more important within cognitive development than is currently…

On 1 February 2021, a junta launched a coup against the civilian government in Myanmar, causing strong backlash against the coup among civilians and leading the junta to suppress those who protested in an extremely aggressive way. While the citizens, including teachers, teacher educators, and student teachers, have participated in the civil…

This article explores the wider critical and creative powers of education to bring about a society where no one person is valued more than another and where each person is celebrated for their differences -- this the author calls the 'society of equals'. It is argued that discourses of equality are not only co-extensive with democracy; they are…