Telling stories about learners and learning

About the book: this is the second in the Trentham series on Discourse, Power and Resistance. It explores and critiques government control over educational practice and research in the US and the UK, and examines the impact of this control on teachers and learners. Chapters illustrate the undermining of professional autonomy, the narrowing effect of ‘learning outcomes’, and the impact of punitive inspection regimes. Other chapters review issues arising from widening participation policies such as the effect of ‘therapeutic education’ on the self esteem of adult learners, and how the policing and control of student experience undermines the trust between tutor and students. The book offers a timely reminder to those engaged in shaping, delivering or experiencing the effects of current educational policy that it is all too easy to be swept away by contemporary rhetoric, without considering its impact on practitioners, researchers and learners. This book will be wholly relevant, especially for those working with adult learners. It will also be of value to students in education, policy studies and professional training. The editors have brought together contributions from Ian Stronach and Patti Lather, Mike Newby, Sue Clegg and Peter Ashworth, James Avis, Valerie Reardon, Pat Sikes and John Clark, Kathryn Ecclestone, Sandra Sinfield, Tom Burns and Debbie Holly, Julia Evans, Roger Harrison and Tamsin Haggis.