An academic, Peter Dinniss, discussed the then emerging issue of professionalism in the early childhood education sector in 1974. "There has been much debate over the term ['professional'] together with discussion as to whether teaching is a profession" (1974: 11). On the cusp of the 21st century, the Education Council (now renamed…

Research to date has criticised the policy on education that evolved under a federal Labor government during the period 2007-2013. These analyses suggest that a global neoliberal agenda dominates, with the effect of constructing limited and damaging concepts of equity and social justice. The research presented here offers an alternative…

One of the more rapidly advancing subfields of second language acquisition research is Digital-game based language learning (DGBLL) and many studies have found that Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) games can have a positive effect on vocabulary acquisition. COTS games are specifically made for entertainment purposes, while serious games, which…

As teachers in the US context, we have spent precious little time considering what it would mean to be prepared and ready for Black children. In such readiness, (re)cognition of the spirit and spirituality of Black people would be central in understanding and preparing for our children and families. This article asks the question: What would it…

Societal stories about school do not just reflect our current views and values, they also shape our political preferences and the realities that result from them. In recent decades, stories of the traditional common school and its more collectivist, shared culture have given way to newer stories oriented around competition and choice. Sarah…

Battle Battle: Engaging Diversity in the American Liberal Arts College examines the production of an Asian American hip-hop musical, directed by the author, at a private liberal arts college in the US. This article demonstrates how the production process was determined by the complex history of racial formation and relations in America. Those who…

Facing the typical challenges of urban schooling, including overcrowded schools, mediocre academic outcomes, and high dropout rates, the Los Angeles Unified School District has been at the epicenter of big-city education reform over the past decade. This article takes a look at the past 10 years of reform strategies in Los Angeles, and how…

This article examines contributions to the ethic and practice of cosmopolitanism by Japanese educators Makiguchi Tsunesaburo, Toda Josei and, most significantly, Ikeda Daisaku. Collectively, they are "the philosophers of the Soka movement" that Rizvi and Choo refer to in their call for a special issue on "Asian…

The development of non-Orthodox Jewish day schools in Los Angeles in the 1970s to 1990s can be attributed to a combination of factors, including the city's geography, the deterioration of public education, court-ordered busing that began in the 1970s, and strong rabbinic personalities. Yet, as elementary day schools proliferated throughout the…

This paper attends to the emotional and affective relations that manifest through political discussions in secondary classrooms. In particular, the focus is on the dynamics of classrooms during discussions of political issues. Specific attention is given to interpretations of movements and manifestations of emotions as well as the ways that…

This editorial introduces the "European Educational Research Journal" special issue that hosts four articles co-authored by emerging researchers in the field of educational research in Europe who participated in the Summer School in European Education Studies. We present the Summer School in European Education Studies project, its…

This paper analyses some key historical developments (from early twentieth century to present) in Bangladesh from a socio-historical and language ideological perspective to explore the social injustice faced by the non-dominant and linguistically diverse population. These developments sparked language debates involving questions of identity,…

Education entails conflicting perspectives about its subject matter. In the late 1980s, the conflict developed into a war between interpretive and causal paradigms. Did the confrontation result in a balance between these warring sides? We use text analysis to identify research trends in 137,024 dissertation abstracts from 1980 to 2010 and relate…

Although designed with good intent, remedial math courses have delayed or terminated many students' college careers. Taking remedial courses can delay enrollment into courses for their major, or may, psychologically, result in students feeling unprepared for college. Despite the original intentions of developmental math programs, there is a…

Teacher education is an essential and critical part of every educational system and therefore plays a key and fundamental role in improving quality and enhancing the educational system. The goal of the study was to present an overall picture of teacher education in Pakistan in the context of education policies, quantitative expansion, provision of…