The problem of educational theory

Stefan T. Siegel*, Gert Biesta

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

This interview sheds light on current developments threatening the disciplinary ‘heart’ of education. Taking a starting point in the continental ‘configuration’ of the field, Gert Biesta and Stefan T Siegel argue that there are forms of theory considered distinctively educational. Based on this premise, they discuss why defining educational theories (Erziehungswissenschaftliche Theorien) is so challenging, and why it is nevertheless a rewarding endeavour. By distinguishing between (genuinely) educational theories in a narrow sense and (educationally relevant) theories in a wider sense, Biesta and Siegel attempt to tackle the problem of educational theory and to stimulate the discourse on theorizing education.

Original languageEnglish
JournalPolicy Futures in Education
Early online date30 Jul 2021
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 30 Jul 2021

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • academic disciplines
  • educational studies
  • educational theory
  • philosophy of education
  • purposes of theory

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