In this essay, the author argues that inquiry and engagement in the social foundations of education is fundamental to cultivating professionalism in education. As many commentators on the subject have noted, teaching does not meet many of the criteria of a profession derived from the sociological study of fields of work. As Joseph Newman observes,…

Nearly forty years ago, Jonathan Kozol wrote on the perennial question posed by children: "Why do I have to go to school?" Rightfully, in David Gabbard and Lori Flint's view, he admonishes those who would "act as though it were a foolish question." The authors of this article take issue, however, with his characterization…

In this article authors Kip Kline and Kathleen Abowitz write that the "new breed of accountability-driven schools is more interested in reaching some number at the end of the school year" than in actually constructing places where teachers can create meaningful learning experiences for students. In this article they argue that…

One of the most discernable qualities of American society is the contradiction it holds between its economic and political systems, namely, capitalism and democracy. Despite scholars' efforts to reconcile both systems, the demands of both systems are incongruous with each other. Capitalism is driven by the logic of inequality, driven as it is…

In their recent landmark study of undergraduate education in America, "Academically Adrift," Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa question whether colleges and universities are really able to justify their traditionally exalted reputations. The study paints a rather dismal portrait of how little learning may actually be taking place on our…

In 2001, Marc Prensky introduced a new metaphor to the educational landscape. He suggested that the rising generation were growing up in a time so filled with new media that they were "digital natives," while those born earlier were "digital immigrants." In this view, because the digital natives are growing up immersed in a sea…

William H. Schubert, retired faculty member at the University of Illinois, Chicago, reflects on his teaching career and the loss of "educational foundations." Schubert states that "Foundations of Education" are being pushed toward the precipice of extinction. He describes a loss of "back-to-basics" education with a…

Kathleen deMarrais, professor in the Department of Lifelong Education, Administration and Policy at the University of Georgia, was honored to be invited to contribute to this special issue of "Critical Questions in Education." deMarrais addressed college/university deans to review the role of social foundations in teacher education and…

Educational foundations scholars promote often the value of pre-service teachers' learning about school and society, yet how often do they consider likely comparable value in pre-service professors' learning about university and society? Could neglect of such graduate education for the professoriate have contributed to this educational…

In this article, the author, after reviewing current educational trends, suggests that what really needs to happen is to "abandon education altogether." He contends that the worst problems of our times result from education, or, at least, what passes for education. The contemporary world's most intractable, most destructive, most…

The question, "what role--if any--should religion play in public schools?," continues to be asked. There is no single answer that satisfies all participants in the debate. The parameters of possibility are too broad, too infused with differing worldviews. Too often both sides see the issue in stark, black and white, either-or terms; and…