Dialectics of Knowing in Education: Transforming Conventional Practice into its Opposite

Under neoliberal capitalism, formal education has become a key economic driver and factor for all countries, but has exacerbated social division and inequality. This has led to an increased pressure on education systems to emphasise individual gain and prosperity at the expense of community care and concern. Drawing on the work of Dewey, Mead, Freire and Biesta, the author argues that formal education at all levels must be transformed so that it does not seek to impose knowledge and truth, but situates knowledge as being constructed by democratic learning circles of staff, students and citizens.

Focusing particularly on the notion of praxis and specific issues involving Indigenous, feminist and practitioner knowing, this book will help scholars, practitioners and policy makers to transform their education theories and practices in ways that encourage democracy, emancipation, social action, culture, inquiry and creativity.