People and agency
The following suggestions develop further ideas about the roles, identities and influences of teachers:
Firstly two books discuss the impact of policy changes on school staff in primary schools:
- Menter, I., Muschamp, Y., Nicholls, and P. Ozga, J. with Pollard, A. (1997). Work and Identity in the Primary School: A Post-Fordist Analysis, Buckingham: Open University Press.
- Woods, P., Jeffrey, B., Troman, G. & Boyle, M. (1997) Restructuring Schools, Reconstructing Teachers: Responding to Change in the Primary School, Buckingham: Open University Press.
Two books that celebrate the positive aspects of teaching especially against a background of current public criticism are:
- Richardson, R. (2002) In Praise of Teachers: Identity, Equality and Education, Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham.
- Brighouse, T. & Woods, D. (2002) The Joy of Teaching, London: RoutledgeFalmer.
We also recognise the increasing role of Learning Support Assistants and the following book gives LSAs a voice as they describe their pivotal work in a number of different classroom settings:
- O'Brien,T. and Garner, P. (2001) Untold stories: Learning Support Assistants and Their Work, Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham.
The following books will develop further insights into the social and cultural practices of children and their families, in relation to educational processes. Jensen and Mckee’s book researches family change from the child’s point of view, including, for example, the child’s role in major familial decisions such as divorce, and moving house. Roffey and Carpenter explore the issues for the partnership between school and parents with regard to the early stages of behavioural difficulty and in early intervention strategies for children with special needs and disabilities. Freebody and Austin explore school as a location in which social and cultural ideas about childhood are both defined and performed.
- Jensen, A. & McKee, L. (2002) Children and the Changing Family: Between Transformation and Negotiation, London: RoutledgeFalmer.
- Roffey, S. (2002) School Behaviour and Families: Frameworks for Working Together, London: David Fulton.
- Carpenter, B. (1997) Families in Context: Emerging Trends in Family Support and Early Intervention, London: David Fulton.
- Freebody, P. & Austin, A. (2002) Schooling the Child: The Making of Students in Classrooms, London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Three books which provide a more general background to understanding changes in the composition and practices of the contemporary family are:
- Silva, E.B.and Smart, C. (1998) The New Family? London: Sage.
- Muncie, J., Wetherell, M., Langan, M., Dallos, R. and Cochrane, A. (1999) Understanding the Family, London: Sage.
- Erera, P.I. (2001) Family Diversity: Continuity and Change in the Contemporary Family, London: Sage.
Teachers of 'looked-after' children may find the following publication helpful. It compares policies and practices relating to children in care in six European countries:
- Petrie, P., Boddy, J., Cameron, C. and Wigfell, V. (2005) Working with Children in Care: European Perspectives, Maidenhead: Open University Press.
A number of publications have emphasised the importance of creating the spaces and means to listen to children’s voices:
- Davie, R. & Galloway, D. (1995) Listening to Children in Education, London: David Fulton.
- Hallett, C. & Prout, A. (2003) Hearing the Voices of Children: Social Policy for a New Century, London: RoutledgeFalmer.
- Pollard, A. (2000) What Pupils Say: Changing Policy and Practice in Primary Education, London: Continuum.
- Devine, D. (2004) Children, Power and Schooling: How Childhood Is Structured In the Primary School, Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham.
The employment status of teachers cannot be ignored:
- Carter, B., Stephenson, H. P. and Passey, R. (2010) Industrial Relations in Education: Transforming the School Workforce. Abingdon: Routledge.
A classic text by Aries demonstrates that the concept of childhood is constructed according to its historical context.
- Aries, P. (1973) Centuries of Childhood, Harmondsworth: Penguin.
The following texts also provide a challenge to our assumptions about, and constructions of childhood. They incorporate a range of perspectives on the study of childhood, show how the concept of childhood is developing, discuss adult-child relations and examine contradictions in our attitudes to children and the impact of this on public policy.
- Mills, J. & Mills, R. (1999) Childhood Studies: A Reader in Perspectives of Childhood, London: RoutledgeFalmer.
- Moss, P. & Petrie, P. (2002) From Children’s Services to Children’s Spaces: Public Policy, Children and Childhood, London: RoutledgeFalmer.
- Prout, A. (2002) The Future of Childhood, London: RoutledgeFalmer.
- James, A. & Prout, A. (1997) Constructing and Reconstructing Childhood: Contemporary Issues in the Sociological Study of Childhood (2nd edition), London: RoutledgeFalmer.
- Wyness, M. (1999) Contesting Childhood, London: RoutledgeFalmer.
- Kehily, M.J. (2004) An Introduction to Childhood Studies, maidenhead: Open University Press.
There have been several publications examining the relationship between home and school and offering a critique of the rhetoric of partnership and its achievements and shortcomings in practice:
- Edwards, R. (2001) Children, Home and School: Regulation, Autonomy, or Connection? London: RoutledgeFalmer.
- Vincent C. (2000) Including Parents? Education, Citizenship and Parental Agency, Buckingham: Open University Press.
- Bastiani J., & Wolfendale, S. (1996) Home-School Work in Britain: Review, Reflection and Development, London: David Fulton.
- Whalley, M. (2001) Involving Parents in their Children's Learning, London: Paul Chapman. Sage.
- Crozier, G. (2000) Parents and Schools: Partners or Protagonists, Stoke-on-Trent. Trentham.
- Crozier, G. and Reay, D. (2005) Activating Participation: Parents And Teachers Working Towards Partnership, Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham.
- Stern, J. (2003) Involving Parents, London: Continuum.
- Fitzgerald, D. (2004) Parent Partnership in the Early Years, London: Continuum.
- Ramaekers, S. and Suissa, J. (2012) The Claims of Parenting: Reasons, Responsibility and Society. New York: Springer.
- Feiler, A. (2010) Engaging 'Hard to Reach' Parents: Teacher Parent Collaboration to Promote Children's Learning. London: John Wiley & Sons.
Books looking beyond families to social service provision include:
- Stafford, A., Parton, N., Vincent, S. and Smith, C. (2012) Child Protection Systems in the United Kingdom: A Comparative Analysis. London: Jessica Kingsley.
- Edwards, A. (2009) Improving Inter-Professional Collaborations: Multi-Agency Working for Children’s Wellbeing. Abingdon: Routledge.
The following book by Garner and Clough takes a specific look at fathers' involvement in their sons' schooling:
- Garner, P. and Clough, P. (2007) Fathers and sons in and about education, Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham.
A book, offering a particularly innovative analysis of the changing relationships between childhood, schooling and consumer culture is:
- Kenway, J., & Bullen, E. (2001) Consuming Children: Education- Entertainment- Adventure, Buckingham: Open University Press.
More in this chapter
