The evolution of Education Studies in higher education in England

Abstract

In this article we examine the recent development of Education Studies as an undergraduate subject of study in England. The evolution of Education Studies is inextricably linked to the political context which it exists to critique. Changes within teacher education have spawned education studies in a number of guises. It is only latterly that policy changes have created the conditions for Education Studies to thrive as a subject in its own right. The genesis of the subject is traced through a brief historical analysis and its current various manifestations are outlined. The nature of Education Studies is discussed. Fundamentally, the authors contend that Education Studies provides a set of analytical discourses that facilitate critique of shifting knowledge bases, policy contexts and socio-economic developments as they impact upon education.

The End of Education? Nietzsche, Foucault, Genealogy

“…It no longer makes sense according to this point of view to speak of educational psychology, the history of education, the philosophy of education, or the sociology of education (as the field was traditionally divided). Admittedly, these sub-disciplines have been disintegrating of their own accord for some time now, at least in the UK, or in the case of educational psychology, have become detached from educational studies, focusing on educational concerns only insofar as they raise psychological questions or professional issues for the educational psychologist (see Lawn and Furlong, 2009;Burton & Bartlett, 2006;McCulloch, 2002;Crook, 2002). The old disciplinary arrangements are no longer seen to be foundational, or necessary, with the study of education divided by theme (i.e., educational management and administration, disability and inclusion) or phase (i.e., early childhood education, childhood and youth studies, higher education).…”

Deconstructing the student experience on an educational studies degree, with reference to student choice, access and outcomes

“…Despite this pedigree, it is commonly regarded as a 'second best' option for those students who cannot access teacher training. However, these perceptions do not reflect the subject's heritage as a serious area of study at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and whilst teacher training is well served with research and there are some studies which explore the growth of educational studies as a discipline, such as those by Tubbs and Grimes (2001), Richardson (2002), Hogarth (2002, 2004) and Burton and Bartlett (2006), little research has been undertaken to explore what kind of students choose the subject, how easily they access it or how they fare as undergraduate students. This lack of critical enquiry does little to challenge the perception of educational studies as the poorer cousin of teacher training, attractive only to less able students, an attitude rooted in the early days of the qualification when, as Burton and Bartlett (2006, 388) point out:…”

“…The emergence of undergraduate degree programmes in educational studies did not occur until the second half of the twentieth century (Burton and Bartlett 2006), evolving initially from the strand which was devoted to teacher training. In the 1950s and early 1960s much teacher training had been at sub-degree level (Crook 2002), and it was only with the emergence of degree-level teacher training that the study of education as a full discipline began to have its exponents.…”