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Home > Reflective Teaching in Primary Schools > 5. Deepening understanding > 17. Professional learning > Further Reading > Classroom teaching and society


  1. 1. Becoming a reflective professional
       1. Identity
       2. Learning
  2.    3. Reflection
  3.    4. Principles
  4.    Observing [supplementary chapter]
  5.    Enquiry [supplementary chapter]
  6.    Mentoring [supplementary chapter]
  7.    Techniques of enquiry
       [supplementary chapter]

  8. 2. Creating conditions for learning
  9.    5. Contexts
  10.    6. Relationships
  11.    7. Engagement
  12.    8. Spaces

  13. 3. Teaching for learning
  14.    9. Curriculum
  15.    10. Planning
  16.    11. Pedagogy
  17.    12. Communication
  18.    13. Assessment

  19. 4. Reflecting on consequences
  20.    14. Outcomes
  21.    15. Social justice
  22.    Judgement
       [supplementary chapter]

  23. 5. Deepening understanding
  24.    16. Teacher expertise
  25.    17. Professional learning
  26.    18. Professionalism
  27.    Starting out [supplementary
       chapter]
  28.    Improvement [supplementary
       chapter]

Classroom teaching and society

At a time when many have argued that our education systems are too centralised and controlling, Stenhouse continues to have much to teach us on the role of the teacher in a democracy. He strikes an important balance between professional and personal responsibilities. See:

  • Stenhouse, L. (1982) Authority, Education and Emancipation, London: Heinemann

A text showing interesting continuities with Stenhouse’s vision is:

  • Quicke, J. (1999) A Curriculum for Life: Schools for a Democratic Learning Society, Buckingham: Open University Press.

How do schools respond to these issues?

  • Maguire, M., Ball, S. and Braun, A. (2011) How Schools Do Policy: Policy Enactments in Secondary Schools, Abingdon: Routledge.
  • Youdell, D. (2010) School Trouble: Identity, Power and Politics in Education, Abingdon: Routledge.

A thoughtful book addressing the role of the teacher in relation to citizenship is:

  • Beck, J. (1998) Morality and Citizenship in Education, London: Cassell.

The significance of processes of professional mediation between centralised policy and local needs and circumstances is rehearsed in Chapter 1, section 2.7, of the Reflective Teaching text. It is also described in more detail within Osborn, McNess and Broadfoot (2000) (see above). The work of Woods and his colleagues has also been striking in showing how such mediation operates. See, for example:

  • Woods, P. and Jeffrey, B. (1996) Teachable Moments: the Art of Teaching in Primary Schools, Buckingham: Open University Press.

For child-focused accounts and guidance on human rights education see:

  • Alderson, P. (2000) Young Children’s Rights, London: Jessica Kingsley.
  • Starkey, H. (1991) The Challenge of Human Rights Education, London: Cassell. (see also Reading 17.6)   
  • Steiner, M. (1994) Learning from Experience: World Studies in the Primary Curriculum, Stoke: Trentham Books
  • Franklin, B. and Hammarberg, T. (1995) The Handbook of Children’s Rights: Comparative Legislation and Practice, London: Routledge

This book explores good practice in terms of children's rights across education and other disciplines.

  • Jones, P. and Walker, G. (2011) Children's rights in practice. London: SAGE

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