Pedagogy, Education, and Praxis in Critical Times

204 Pages·2020·4.364 MB·English

by  Kathleen Mahon, Christine Edwards-Groves, Susanne Francisco, Mervi Kaukko, Stephen Kemmis, Kirsten Petrie

Kathleen Mahon 
Christine Edwards-Groves
Susanne Francisco
Mervi Kaukko 
Stephen Kemmis
Kirsten Petrie Editors
Pedagogy,
Education,
and Praxis in
Critical Times
Pedagogy, Education, and Praxis in Critical Times
· ·
Kathleen Mahon Christine Edwards-Groves
· ·
Susanne Francisco Mervi Kaukko
·
Stephen Kemmis Kirsten Petrie
Editors
Pedagogy, Education,
and Praxis in Critical Times
Editors
KathleenMahon ChristineEdwards-Groves
DepartmentofEducationalResearch SchoolofEducation
andDevelopment CharlesSturtUniversity
UniversityofBorås WaggaWagga,NSW
Borås,Sweden Australia
SusanneFrancisco MerviKaukko
SchoolofEducation FacultyofEducationandCulture
CharlesSturtUniversity TampereUniversity
WaggaWagga,NSW Tampere,Finland
Australia
KirstenPetrie
StephenKemmis TeHuatakiWaioraSchoolofHealth
SchoolofEducation UniversityofWaikato,Hamilton
CharlesSturtUniversity NewZealand
WaggaWagga,NSW
Australia
ISBN978-981-15-6925-8 ISBN978-981-15-6926-5 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6926-5
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Preface
Questions about pedagogy, education, and praxis have long been faced by indi-
viduals and societies in global, national, and local contexts. This book, Pedagogy,
Education, and Praxis in Critical Times, explores critical questions about educa-
tionthathaveconcernedresearchersinthePedagogy,EducationandPraxis(PEP)
internationalresearchnetworkforover15years.SuchquestionshaveprovidedPEP
researchers with scope, and direction, to study the conditions and possibilities of
andforeducation,includingthoseassociatedwithunderstandinganddevelopingthe
doublepurposeofeducation—helpingpeopletolivewellinaworldworthlivingin.
Takingthisupasacoreprinciple,thisbookprovidesaqualitativemeta-analysisof
aninternationalbodyofworkthataimedtoadvancetheoretical,methodological,and
practicalissuesandchallengesconcerningpedagogy,education,andpraxis.Chapters
capitaliseonthe“practiceturn”(Schatzki2001)totheorisedifferentdimensionsof
educationalresearchandpractice—researching,leading,teaching,studentlearning,
and professional learning—extending its relevance across multiple fields, global
interests,disciplines,andparadigmswithrenewedimportanceinthelightofcurrent
globaluncertainty,disruption,andprecariousness.
In the first half of 2020, when this book was in the final stages of publication,
humankindwasgrapplingwithaglobalcrisis,unlikeanythingmanyofushaveever
livedthough.COVID-19wassomethingweallexperiencedinuniqueways,bothas
individualsandasmembersofcommunitieswhoseliveswere“dictated”,“disrupted”,
or “diverted” by varied, redesigned, and contextually specific historical, cultural,
economic,social,andpoliticalarrangements.Timeshavealwaysbeenuncertain,and
educationalwayscritical,yetastheworldisconfrontedwithmanyuncertainties,as
forexampleinfacingtheCOVID-19pandemic,hopefulinsightsandnewpractices
have emerged as people have found ways to respond positively, respectfully, and
ethically.
Inrespondingtotherapidlychangingcircumstancesthatsuchcriticaltimesbring,
researchersandeducatorsacrosstheglobearefearfulofareturntotheglobalcapi-
talism that characterised the pre-COVID-19 world. But, in many respects, hope
prevails.Inthelightoftheurgencythatacrisislikethispandemichasthrustupon
humankind, perhaps what has emerged is a new global power to act, to build new
alliances and forms of solidarity, new expressions of agency, and a stronger sense
v
vi Preface
of social activism by which we can pull together to respond to a world impacted
by political unrest, the rise of nationalism, the globalised treatment of educational
data(e.g.literacyandnumeracytesting),theeco-crisisandtheclimateemergency,
threatstopersonalsecurityandhealth,rampantsocialinjustice,andthedisplacement
ofmanygroupsongroundsofrace,culture,gender,(dis)ability,sexualpreferences,
or socio-economic status. In this light, perhaps the emergence of individual and
collectiveconfidencetoactwillforgenewfrontiersineducationalresearchpaving
a stronger united activist way forward to address the other great crisis that throws
its shadow over our times: the climate emergency that threatens the extinction of
thousandsofspeciesinthecommunityoflifeonEarth,includingourown.
Educationandeducatorswerenotimmunetotheimpactsofthepandemic,and
therehassubsequentlybeenmuchdiscussionaboutwhateducationisandshouldbe
inthelightofwhathasbeen(andstillis)anunprecedentedglobalevent.Thepractices
ofeducators,likethoseofhealthcareprofessionalsforinstance,havebeensubjected
tocloser-than-regularscrutinyandexposure;COVIDrealitieshaveseeneducators
grappling with decisions related to “good” practice. And as veils were removed,
the practices of educators perhaps have become more appreciated as parents take
on homeschooling for example, and what counts as “essential work” is rethought.
Teachershavealsobeenamongtheessentialworkerswhowenttoschooltoteachthe
childrenofotheressentialworkers,inthefaceofcontroversyoverthehealthrisks
tothemselvesandtheirstudents,andsometimesputtingtheirownhealthatrisk.It
isthereforeacriticaltimeforeducation,but,asthisbookdemonstrates,education
and the practices of educators are critical regardless of specific events. It is also a
timelyreminderthatwhileCOVID-19mayhavegeneratedasenseofuncertaintyfor
thoseinvolvedineducation,manymembersofourcommunities—thehomelessand
unemployed, many indigenous peoples, and refugees,for example—live uncertain
lives every day, and they are among the groups that have been more vulnerable to
thevirusthanothers.Inthiscrisis,theywillbejoinedbymorepeoplewhoselives
and livelihoods have been fractured by the economic crisis as well as the health
crisis; in many ways, the fabric of society, fraying from its core, weighs heavy on
the minds of educators. Under such conditions, our responsibilities as educators
areintensified,makingmorepressing,andmorerelevant,theexplicitfocusofthis
book on praxis-oriented education. While we educators have been challenged to
consider what education will look like post-pandemic, and regardless of how the
worldinnovatesinitsresponse,itisbeholdenonusasprofessionalstorecognisethe
broadmandatewehaveaseducators,andensurethatasprofessionalswetakealead
inourcommunitiestohelppeopletolivewellinaworldworthlivingin.
While Pedagogy, Education, and Praxis in Critical Times does not specifically
address issues raised as a result of COVID-19, it does provide a timely oppor-
tunity to cast a critical gaze on educational research in unstable times. As PEP
researcherscontinuetoaddresscomplexsocietalconcerns,particularlyintheafter-
math of the COVID-19 crisis, the core of their work will return to understanding
the broad complex of education practices—researching, leading, teaching, student
learning,andprofessionallearning—andwhatthismeansforindividualsandsoci-
eties. These domains of education, as it is argued, cannot be understood without
Preface vii
consideringparticularmethodologicalimperativesandperplexitiesforeducational
researchparticularlyintimesofuncertainty.Moreover,takingupnewmethodolog-
icalandpracticalchallengesassociatedwithresearchingpedagogy,education,and
praxisunderrapidlychangingglobalconditions,researchersacrosstheglobemust
wrestle,withagilityandflexibility,withthecomplexethical,theoretical,andprac-
ticalconcernsconfrontingindividualsandsocieties.Andtheymustdoso,inthelight
ofpractisingnewpracticesthemselves.Thistackisnecessarysincetheconditionsfor
educationaredynamic—newpracticesaremovingfarandfast,quicklyspringingup
andfadingaway,spanninghybridonlineandofflinesites,andreachingparticipants
experiencingconsiderablepracticallifedifficulties.
The work presented here provides critical insights into theoretical and method-
ologicalapproachesthroughwhicheducators(teachers,leaders,professionaldevel-
opers,researchers)canmakesenseoftheconditionsthatshapetheirdecision-making
andpractices,andtheimpactthesecanhaveonlearnersandcommunities.Critically,
itraisesnewchallengesandnewquestionsforeducationandrevealspossibilitiesfor
exploringnewpracticesthathaveemergedfromsuchtimesofuncertainty.Thus,the
challengeofresearchingeducationalpracticeinanuncertainworldmeansaskingnew
questionsandtacklingnewchallengesbyconsidering:Whatarethenewimperatives
foreducation?Whatisthemandateforpedagogy,education,andpraxisinprecar-
ioustimes?Howmightpractice-basedresearchbeconceivedandconstitutedasan
activistproject?Howshouldethicalandpoliticalconsiderationsbeunderstoodand
addressed? What methodological approaches are possible and needed, and which
kinds of research collaborations are necessary and appropriate? Which enduring
principles of pedagogy, education, and praxis should hold fast? In committing to
interrogatingsuchquestions,weenvisagenewdirectionsandimpetusineducational
research,directionsthatalertustore-examinethedoublepurposeofeducation—to
helppeopletolivewellinworldsworthlivingin.
WaggaWagga,Australia ChristineEdwards-Groves
Hamilton,NewZealand KirstenPetrie
WaggaWagga,Australia StephenKemmis
Borås,Sweden KathleenMahon
Tampere,Finland MerviKaukko
WaggaWagga,Australia SusanneFrancisco
Reference
Schatzki,T.(2001).Introduction:Practicetheory.InT.Schatzki,K.KnorrCetina,&E.vonSavigny
(Eds.),Thepracticeturnincontemporarytheory(pp.1–14).London:Routledge.
Acknowledgements
As editors, we warmly acknowledge the work and dedication of all who, partici-
patinginthePedagogy,EducationandPraxis(PEP)internationalnetworkoverthe
years,havecontributedtothefindingsreportedinthisbook.Youhavemademany
contributions,largeandsmall,totheformationandtransformationofthetheoretical
ideas, the practical work, and the strategic aims of PEP. Finally, we pay tribute to
everyone, within and beyond PEP, who has honoured the ideas presented in these
chaptersbyreadingandcritiquingdraftsastheywerebeingprepared.
Withourthanksandappreciation
Paljonkiitoksia[inFinnish]
Tacksomycket[inSwedish]
Tusentakk[inNorwegian]
Bedanktenwaardering[inDutch]
Graciasyaprecio[inSpanish]
Nga¯ mihimaioha[inMa¯ori]
KathleenMahon
ChristineEdwards-Groves
SusanneFrancisco
MerviKaukko
StephenKemmis
KirstenPetrie
ix
Contents
1 EducationforaWorldWorthLivingIn .......................... 1
MerviKaukko,SusanneFrancisco,andKathleenMahon
2 WhatisEducationalPraxis? .................................... 15
KathleenMahon, HannuL.T.Heikkinen, RaunoHuttunen,
TessBoyle,andElaSjølie
3 ResearchthatFacilitatesPraxisandPraxisDevelopment ........... 39
MerviKaukko,JaneWilkinson,andLillLangelotz
4 CritiquingandCultivatingtheConditionsforEducational
PraxisandPraxisDevelopment .................................. 65
IanHardy,KirstenPetrie,AnitaNorlund,IngridHenningLoeb,
andKipronoLangat
5 TeachingasPedagogicalPraxis .................................. 85
StephenKemmis,ChristineEdwards-Groves,RachelJakhelln,
SarojniChoy,Gun-BrittWärvik,LisbethGyllanderTorkildsen,
andCharlotteArkenback-Sundström
6 LeadingasSharedTransformativeEducationalPractice ........... 117
ChristineEdwards-Groves,JaneWilkinson,andKathleenMahon
7 CollaborativeProfessionalLearningforChangingEducational
Practices ...................................................... 141
AnetteOlin, SusanneFrancisco, PetriSalo, MichaelaPörn,
andGunillaKarlberg-Granlund
8 CriticalPraxisforCriticalTimes ................................ 163
KirstenPetrie,StephenKemmis,andChristineEdwards-Groves
NameIndex ....................................................... 179
Index ............................................................. 183
xi
Contributors
CharlotteArkenback-Sundström University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg,
Sweden
TessBoyle SouthernCrossUniversity,GoldCoast,Australia
SarojniChoy GriffithUniversity,GoldCoast,Australia
ChristineEdwards-Groves CharlesSturtUniversity,WaggaWagga,Australia
SusanneFrancisco CharlesSturtUniversity,WaggaWagga,Australia
LisbethGyllanderTorkildsen MalmöUniversity,Malmö,Sweden
IanHardy UniversityofQueensland,Queensland,Australia
HannuL.T.Heikkinen UniversityofJyväskylä,Jyväskylä,Finland
IngridHenningLoeb UniversityofGothenburg,Gothenburg,Sweden
RaunoHuttunen UniversityofTurku,Turku,Finland
RachelJakhelln ArcticUniversityofNorway,Tromsø,Norway
GunillaKarlberg-Granlund ÅboAkademiUniversity,Vaasa,Finland
MerviKaukko TampereUniversity,Tampere,Finland
StephenKemmis CharlesSturtUniversity,WaggaWagga,Australia
KipronoLangat CharlesSturtUniversity,WaggaWagga,Australia
LillLangelotz UniversityofBorås,Borås,Sweden
KathleenMahon UniversityofBorås,Borås,Sweden
AnitaNorlund UniversityofBorås,Borås,Sweden
AnetteOlin UniversityofGothenburg,Gothenburg,Sweden
KirstenPetrie TheUniversityofWaikato,Hamilton,NewZealand
MichaelaPörn ÅboAkademiUniversity,Vaasa,Finland
xiii