The Evolution of Education Studies in Higher Education in England

Overview & Synopsis

In this article we examine the recent development of Education Studies as an undergraduate subject of study in England. The evolution of Education Studies is inextricably linked to the political context which it exists to critique. Changes within teacher education have spawned education studies in a number of guises. It is only latterly that policy changes have created the conditions for Education Studies to thrive as a subject in its own right. The genesis of the subject is traced through a brief historical analysis and its current various manifestations are outlined. The nature of Education Studies is discussed. Fundamentally, the authors contend that Education Studies provides a set of analytical discourses that facilitate critique of shifting knowledge bases, policy contexts and socio-economic developments as they impact upon education.