This book was developed as part of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the journal Education 3–13, which has always had primary education as its main focus. The journal has been published by Routledge since 2007 and is the most important academic publication in the field internationally. This book has been edited by a team of academics and senior practitioners, all of whom are members of the Board of the journal or the Association for the Study of Primary Education (which is the owning body of the journal). It will serve as an excellent resource to researchers and students of primary education. Topics include major contemporary issues such as key challenges in the field, learning and teaching, wellbeing, teachers’ work and professionalism, and outdoor learning. The chapters in this book comprise articles published in Education 3–13 in the last ten years.

Contemporary Issues in Learning and Teaching looks at current issues across the three key areas of policy, learning and practice. It will help you to think critically on your Education course, and to make connections between the processes of learning and the practicalities of teaching. The book addresses key issues in primary, secondary and special education, and includes examples from all four countries of the UK. The contributors reflect on current thinking and policy surrounding learning and teaching, and what it means to be a teacher today. Looking at the practice of teaching in a wider context allows you to explore some of the issues you will face, and the evolving expectations of your role in a policy-led environment. The book focuses on core areas of debate including: - education across different contexts and settings - teaching in an inclusive environment - Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for practitioners Each chapter follows the same accessible format. They contain case studies and vignettes providing examples and scenarios for discussion; introduction and summary boxes listing key issues and concepts explored in the chapter; key questions for discussion reflection; and further reading. This essential text will be ideal for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including BEd/BA degrees, initial teacher-training courses, and Masters in Education programmes. All editors and contributors are based in the Faculty of Education at Glasgow University, UK.

Since the 1988 Education Reform Act, our education system has undergone dramatic changes and this in turn has raised a number of controversial issues and questions. This reader brings together key articles, both recently published and specially commissioned, which address these issues and place them in context. Issues covered include: *the curriculum * teaching and learning *assessment *school effectiveness and improvement. Various themes run throughout the book include, the quest for quality within a social context, the application of theory and research to practice, and the positive roles played by both teachers and students in adapting to recent change.

Contemporary Issues of Equity in Education argues that equity and social justice must be brought back to the centre of discussions about education. It traces international, system-wide and local effects of policies that increase marketization and competition between students, schools and systems, whilst erasing wider considerations of the socio-cultural contexts that shape educational experiences and outcomes. Leading researchers interrogate the design of educational systems for social justice, fairness and inclusion at multiple levels from classrooms and schools through to universities and initial teacher education. Chapters trace the ways in which gender, ethnicity, class, and refugee experiences intersect with indices of socio-economic disadvantage in ways that directly impact on young people’s learning and on the pedagogical work of teachers. The book demonstrates collaborative and inclusive approaches for researching schooling in disadvantaged communities. It offers strategies and practices for reimagining schools and universities in ways that enable young people in high poverty and culturally and linguistically diverse communities to effectively engage with education.

Primary arts - art, music, dance and drama - is gaining recognition as a subject, and support in the value it offers primary children. This text examines the problems and opportunities, faced by educators, resulting from recent educational reforms and the implementation of the National Curriculum.

This book is the fifth in a series on research and theory dedicated to advancing our understanding of schools through empirical study and theoretical analysis. Scholars, both young and established, are invited to publish original analyses, but we especially encourage young scholars to contribute to this series. The current volume is similar to its predecessors in that it provides a mix of beginning and established scholars and a broad range of theoretical perspectives; in all 14 authors contributed to 9 separate but related analyses, which were selected for publication this year.

"This book presents a stimulating and up-to-date overview of the context of education in SEN and suggests how educators can address special needs most effectively by keeping in mind an image of the development of the whole child. The editors have assembled an impressive range of thought-provoking contributions to the ongoing debate on the actual, the possible and the ideal responses that our education system makes or could make to the needs of its most vulnerable students." Tony Cline, Educational Psychology Group, University College London, UK. "This book provides readers with a fresh, often incisive approach to many perennial issues in education. These include but are not limited to socio-political agendas in inclusion, labelling, learners' self esteem and the delicate balance between different specialists within school systems that must be achieved in the best interest of the child with or without special educational needs and disabilities. Although written for a UK readership, the editors have ensured that the content of most chapters transcends national and systems boundaries with a healthy balance between psychological / educational theory and its real world application in contexts that may not be instantly responsive to the child's changing needs." Dr Victor Martinelli, University of Malta, Malta. "This book provides a welcome overview and commentary on current complex issues and problems affecting all those with an interest in children and young people with special educational needs. Ranging, as it does, from matters surrounding individuals such as labelling, therapeutic work and self-esteem to wider political, historical and socio- cultural influences, it provides the reader with a challenging, informed and critical set of perspectives. Its strength is the manner in which it tackles complex issues, providing thought-provoking views for those well versed in the world of special educational needs but also ensuring clear, comprehensive background information for novice readers of this topic. This book is an excellent compilation of relevant contemporary pieces thoughtfully woven together by highly skilled, well-placed editors." Jane Leadbetter, University of Birmingham, UK. This thought-provoking and accessible book provides an overview of key issues in the education of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Written by highly experienced practitioners and educationalists, the book explores a range of approaches for working with this diverse group of learners and invites you to consider your possible responses. The book begins with an historical overview of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and a critical guide to current policy. The contributors then expertly explore and summarise many of the fascinating topics which arise in practice and scholarly research in this area, including: Ethical and practical implications of labelling children and young people with forms of special educational needs or disability The role of special schools, particularly in light of enduring debates about inclusion/exclusion What increased student participation, student voice and other facets of a democratic classroom mean for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities The contributions psychology can make to developing and enriching educational practice Understanding 'behaviour' in relation to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Case studies are used to illustrate these discussions and the book includes suggested protocols for good practice throughout. Throughout the book the reader is asked to reflect on the issues presented and come to their own decisions about what represents good practice in their setting.The journey concludes with a look at a possible 'ideal' school or educational setting for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Contemporary Issues in Special Educational Needs is an invaluable guide for trainee and qualified teachers, learning support staff, SENCO's, local authority officers, educational consultants and educational psychologists.

Contemporary Issues in Learning and Teaching looks at current issues across the three key areas of policy, learning and practice. It will help you to think critically on your Education course, and to make connections between the processes of learning and the practicalities of teaching. The book addresses key issues in primary, secondary and special education, and includes examples from all four countries of the UK. The contributors reflect on current thinking and policy surrounding learning and teaching, and what it means to be a teacher today. Looking at the practice of teaching in a wider context allows you to explore some of the issues you will face, and the evolving expectations of your role in a policy-led environment. The book focuses on core areas of debate including: - education across different contexts and settings - teaching in an inclusive environment - Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for practitioners Each chapter follows the same accessible format. They contain case studies and vignettes providing examples and scenarios for discussion; introduction and summary boxes listing key issues and concepts explored in the chapter; key questions for discussion reflection; and further reading. This essential text will be ideal for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including BEd/BA degrees, initial teacher-training courses, and Masters in Education programmes. All editors and contributors are based in the Faculty of Education at Glasgow University, UK.

It is the thesis of this provocative book that the deteriorating state of America's public school system is actually a reflection of the problems in our culture and society. In "Waiting For A Miracle," James P. Comer M.D., Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale University Child Study Center and the author of Maggie's American Dream, and co-author of Raising Black Children, outlines the cause of these afflictions and presents an inspiring paradigm for a new way of thinking and acting with regard to children and family.At the root of the problem, he states, is a social failure to make a commitment to families, and to community and child development.Using many examples from his personal experience of growing up poor, and from more than thirty years of community involvement, Comer argues that schools can be the most important instrument of change in a society. He spells out how private, public and non-profit sectors can collaborate to enable children, families, and communities to survive and thrive.