This book provides an integrated treatment of the relationship between political economy and vocational education at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Approaching the subject from a philosophical perspective the author engages with debates about* the work-related aims of education * the moral and spiritual significance of work * the concep

This collection of articles by one of the leading philosophers of education in the English-speaking world takes up themes in the philosophy of language, epistemology and the philosophy of learning to shed light on philosophical puzzles concerning learning, concept formation, knowing how, the following of norms and whether there is a single concept of rationality that can be applied universally. Winch writes from a Wittgensteinian perspective, seeking dissolution rather than solution to phi...

A detailed philosophical debate on the nature of expertise is long overdue and Dimensions of Expertise opens up that debate. Christopher Winch firstly explores an account of know-how, derived primarily from the pioneering work of Gilbert Ryle, and moves on to relate this epistemological debate to discussions concerning the nature of expertise in vocational and professional education, including attempts to provide a theory of expertise.

Vocational education and training (VET) have a key role to play in raising skill levels and improving a society’s productivity. In this important new book, a team of international experts argue that too often national VET policy has been formulated in ignorance of historical and political developments in other countries and without proper consideration of the social objectives that it might help achieve.Examining a wide range of contrasting international approaches and development ...

This new edition will be completely revised and re-worked to present a thoroughly modern and essential handbook to reading, writing & reasoning.

Dyslexia is often presented as a clearly delineated condition that can be diagnosed on the basis of appropriate cognitive tests with corresponding forms on intervention. However, this approachable text explores the issues behind this assertion in bringing together leading figures in the field to debate dyslexia.Julian Elliott shows that understandings and usage of the dyslexia label vary substantially with little consensus or agreement and in putting forward his critique draws upon...

This volume examines how the public and private domains in school education in India are informed and mediated by current market realities. It moves beyond the simplistic dichotomy of pro-state versus promarket factors that define most current debates in the formulations of educational reform agendas to underline how they need to be interpreted in the larger context. The chapters in the volume present a series of conceptual and empirical investigations to understand the growth of private s...

This title, first published in 1990, engages in the current debates about the teaching of literacy and the reform of education. Based on his dissatisfaction with prevalent theories of educational achievement and his experience of teaching in elementary schools, Winch argues that the dichotomy of biological inheritance and environmental influence is inadequate to describe the diverse phenomena of educational achievement. This title will be of interest to students of the philosophy of educat...

For the free movement of labour across the European Union, establishing transparency and comparability of qualifications across member states is vital.This book examines how qualifications, knowledge, skills and competences are understood in different national contexts and trans-nationally and reveals a complex picture of differences and similarities both within and between countries. Against the background of EU policy initiatives, and in particular the European Qualifications Fra...

This open access book takes an original view on the social production of knowledge in and across space. It explores how people build and transfer proficiency within and beyond the bounds of social groups. Social groups, such as professions, epistemic communities, or academic disciplines, collectively organize to help individuals gain understanding of and knowledge about specific subjects of expertise. Yet, at the same time, they frame legitimate ways of thinking and learning, and they sanc...

Arguing that policy has become an increasingly central concept and instrument in the organisation of contemporary societies and that it now impinges on all areas of life so that it is virtually impossible to ignore or escape its influence, this book argues that the study of policy leads straight into issues at the heart of anthropology.

Do the arts improve academic achievement? What does it mean to ‘teach’ art? What should the balance of classic and pop be in the music curriculum? Should we encourage young children on the stage? How do we judge whether what a child produces is good? How do we justify the arts in the curriculum? What should be the balance between form and content when teaching art?The arts in education inspire considerable commitment and passion. However, this is not always matched by clarity of un...