MA Education, Policy and Society – recommended reading
Welcome once again to our programme, we look forward to meeting you!
In this document, we provide some guidance and suggestions for reading in preparation for your studies. We start from the knowledge that you, our students, are bringing a diverse and valuable range of academic, professional, voluntary and life experiences that will be valuable.
Many of you have previously studied education, sociology, policy, or other related subjects and disciplines, and many of you have professional, voluntary or trainee experience in education. However, don’t worry if this is not true for you – there will be a good reason why we selected you for our highly competitive programme!
We know that some of you may feel a bit nervous – perhaps you have had a break from studying, or you are worried about the transition to MA study, or moving to a different country or city, or perhaps you are concerned about how you will fit everything in with your other commitments. Or perhaps you are just excited and can’t wait to get going! All or any of this is entirely ‘normal’ and legitimate - the main thing is to prepare in whatever way works for you.
For this reason, the recommendations below are merely recommendations – just take what is useful and don’t worry about the rest. For some of you, reading and getting excited about studying education policy will be a great way to spend your summer. For others, the priority for preparation it to have a rest, and/or think about how you will balance study with childcare and work arrangements, and what support networks or strategies may be useful for you.
If English is not your first language and you are worried about that, you might want to spend the time immersing yourself in English through watching television and reading for fun (perhaps even education-related television or stories), rather than diving straight into academic literature.
Our main message here is to do whatever works for you, in your situation!
Recommended readings:
Most of the readings we recommend can be accessed online through our library system when you get here and there is no need to purchase them. However, you may wish to purchase one or two of our core text for the course which will be useful for you throughout your MA studies, especially this one:
Our key text for the course, and for our core module, Critical Perspectives in Education Policy, is: Stephen J. Ball (2021) The Education Debate (4th Ed.), Bristol: Policy Press.
You can buy it affordably from the publisher here and you can get a decent discount if you sign up to their mailing list.
We have given you the reference for the most recent edition of this book. If you already have an older version of the book, don’t worry – there are changes and updates on policy from earlier editions but many of the core concepts are the same. If and when you have been given your KCL log in details, then you can access the most recent edition of the book online through the KCL library system.
The Education Debate analyses many key education policy issues in the UK at present. It is a short book, yet can be quite a challenging read, especially for those who are new to the concepts it contains. Sometimes it is useful to read it slowly, a couple of pages at a time. We will be discussing many of the concepts as we progress through the core module.
If you would like to purchase a second book, we recommend Sharon Gewirtz and Alan Cribb (2009) Understanding Education (A Sociological Introduction) – this is a key text for the Social Context of Education module and provides a really thoughtful and thorough discussion of sociological theory in relation to education and social justice. This book isn’t available online in its entirety. There are a few copies in the library, but we would suggest you purchase a copy, particularly if you decide to take the Social Context of Education module in Semester 2.
During your preparation, it is a good idea to get up to date with current education policy debates in your own country and (if you are an international student) possibly in the UK too. We don’t expect you to be experts (although some of you are very knowledgeable!) but we will be asking you to think about how the concepts we introduce relate to ‘real life’ current examples you have read about. Therefore, it is a good idea to engage with high quality newspapers, magazines, blogs and podcasts that look at current issues in education policy and wider political debate in the contexts you are interested in.
For shorter, general, open access writing on education policy in the UK and beyond, see the BERA blog here.
Additional recommended texts
Other useful texts, depending on your area of interest, include the following – notes are added in italics. These will all be available in the KCL library when you come, often in electronic as well as physical format, so you don’t need to purchase any; but perhaps you would like to select one that you like the look of, or request one or two from your local library.
Gibbons, Simon et al (2023) Becoming a teacher: Issues in secondary education (6th edition). Although this book is mainly aimed at trainee and practicing secondary teachers in the UK context, some of the chapters will be of interest more widely. The chapter on Social Justice is an excellent preparation for the module Social Justice and Education Policy, and the chapter on Education Policy is recommended for Critical Perspectives in Education Policy.
Phillips, D. D., & Schweisfurth, M. (2007/2014). Comparative and international education: An introduction to theory, method and practice. London, UK: Continuum. Highly recommended if you are planning to take the module International and Comparative Education, and available affordably in paperback (especially if you can find a second-hand copy).
Spring, J. (2015). Economization of education: Human capital, global corporations, skills-based schooling.(Chapter 1: Economization and corporatization of education, pp. 1-29). New York: Routledge. This is useful if you are planning to take the module ‘Political Economy of Education in a Globalized World’; however, no need to buy the book if you can’t access it online, you will be able to access it free once you begin the course.
Sen, A (2000) Development as Freedom, Oxford University Press. This book is highly recommended for the module Education and International Development. It is available in our library.
Hooks, Bell (1994) Teaching to transgress: Education as a practice of freedom. Routledge. Although this is a little older it is a classic - an inspiring and hopeful read that engages us in critical thinking about the purpose and practice of schools, universities and education in general, from a Black feminist perspective.
Lingard, B. and Ozga, J. (Ed) (2007) The Routledge Falmer Reader in education policy and politics, London: Routledge. An edited collection of chapters on education policy. You could begin by selecting one or two chapters that interest you.
Hall, S. & O'Shea, A. (2013) Common-sense neoliberalism, Soundings 55: 8-24. An engaging article on how neoliberalism enters into our daily lives – how relevant do you think this argument remains today?
Ball, S. (2012) Global education inc.: new policy networks and the neoliberal imaginary, Abingdon: Routledge. - Another excellent book by the author of our key text, ‘The Education Debate’, Stephen Ball; this one takes a more global perspective.
Education for All 2000-2015: achievements and challenges; EFA global monitoring report, 2015 This report is highly recommended for the module Education and International Development.
Lipman, P. (2011) The new political economy of urban education: Neoliberalism, race, and the right to the city, New York: Routledge. An excellent book on urban education policy from a USA perspective.
Tomlinson, S. (2005) Education in a post-welfare society, Buckingham: Open University Press. An excellent book on education policy.
Hill, M. (2005) The public policy process, Harlow: Pearson Longman. Not specifically education focused, but includes important theory about the policy process.
And finally, the following two articles are recommended for students interested in International and Comparative Education, but only if you have access through an institutional account (e.g. if you are registered as a student somewhere already); no need to pay for them, you can get them free when you are enrolled at KCL.
- Nóvoa, A., & Yariv-Mashal, T. (2003). Comparative research in education: A mode of governance or a historical journey? Comparative Education, 39(4), 423-438.
- Rappleye, J. (2020). Comparative education as cultural critique. Comparative Education, 56(1), 39-56.
Some final notes on preparatory reading:
A reminder that you do not need to read all or indeed any of these in advance – they will be available in the library when you get here. If you have access to one or two of them, be selective and choose something you think sounds interesting. You may have found other books or online articles on education and/or policy; feel free to read widely and for interest at this stage, to get yourself in the habit of reading, and to gain confidence. There will be plenty of time for specific and focused reading once you start the course.
If you returning to study after a break, or if you are new to academic reading in the social sciences and/or in the English language, don’t be put off if you find the reading difficult at first. If you are finding it challenging, instead of reading a whole book at this stage, try reading an introductory chapter slowly and make a list of words and concepts that you want to find out more about. Try out different approaches to reading – slow reading, where you make thorough notes; and skim reading, where you read more quickly and try to form an overall impression. You will need to use a mixture of these reading styles, and others, while you are studying.
This is a time when you can read for interest and without any time pressure, or assignments hanging over you – so use this time to get engaged, get thinking, get questioning – I hope you can enjoy it and feel inspired! Feel free to email me if you have any questions, worries, or any thoughts to share. Good luck and I look forward to seeing you in September.
Tania de St Croix and Emma Towers
Programme Directors, MA Education, Policy and Society
tania.de_st_croix@kcl.ac.uk
emma.towers@kcl.ac.uk