New Perspectives on Education for Democracy: Creative Responses to Local and Global Challenges

New Perspectives on Education for Democracy brings together diverse communities of education research in an innovative way to develop a nuanced understanding of the relationship between education and democracy. This book synthesises a range of theoretical, conceptual, and empirical approaches to address the complex challenges faced by young people and societies in the 21st century. Each chapter provides accounts of local democratic encounters in education, while engaging with global debates and issues, such as de-democratisation and growing social, economic, and educational inequality. This book presents new ways of thinking about democracy, local–global enactments of democracy through teaching and learning, and future thinking for a new era of democracy. This book will be relevant for educators, researchers, and policymakers who are interested in educational sociology, critical pedagogy, and democratic education.

Stewart Riddle is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland. His research examines the democratisation of schooling systems, increasing access and equity in education, and how schooling can respond to critical social issues in complex contemporary times.

Amanda Heffernan is a Senior Lecturer in Leadership in the Faculty of Education at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Amanda’s work takes a critical perspective toward school leadership, education policy, and the everyday experiences of educational leaders’ work. She has a particular interest in the work of principals in complex school settings, including those in rural and remote areas. Her research focuses on the contemporary challenges of principals’ work, and what that means for how we can better attract, support, and keep school leaders within the profession.

David Bright is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. His research investigates how educational practices are mediated by perceptions of social, cultural and linguistic difference, and explores how difference can be re-imagined to create new possibilities for democratic education. David has a particular interest in the cultural politics of English language teaching, international schooling, and international student programs.