A Social History of Educational Studies and Research

The character and role of the study of education in the UK have always been contested and often challenged. This book examines the contribution to the study of education that has been made by higher education institutions, journals, textbooks and societies. While key disciplines such as history, sociology, psychology and philosophy have been vital, education has been an unstable coalition of interests rather than a discipline in its own right. This has given rise to tensions that leave it vulnerable to new threats. The study of education has also provided space within the structures of journals, societies and conferences that have allowed the field to survive despite these issues. We discuss the problems and opportunities facing the study of education today, and its prospects of adapting to changes in the decades ahead.