The value of education on our societies cannot be over-emphasized. The correlation between education and development is well documented, and education is now internationally recognized as a crucial development index. Understanding the history and propositions that resulted into the current state of education systems, therefore, remain the best way to formulate working and viable reformations. In connection to that, here are the top five education policy books that will expose you to historical events as well as current problems that shape today’s education system.
1. Waiting for “Superman”
Authored by Guggerheim Karl Weber, this book will expose you to many pressing failures that have been witnessed in the American public education system. It brings forth a plea to at least reform some of the practices that have negatively impacted kids leaving them unable to thrive in today’s fast-paced business world. Karl does not only propose the way forward to teachers and other educationists but to parents as well. Waiting for Superman is intended for a broader audience, and you don’t have to be in the education industry to pick its content up and understand what this great author is talking about.
2. Teaching What You Don’t Know
Teaching what you Don’t Know, by Therese Huston is a great book that assuages the different anxieties that faces postgraduate and postdoctoral teachers and educationists. Huston highlights a variety of teaching experiences on the United States’ education system, offers great advice on the probable causes of the problem, and goes ahead to outline some of the useful strategies that ought to be implemented to turn thing around. What is more, the author digs deeper into some of the issues that have remained unresolved over the past few years. The hints and tips in this 2009 Foreword Book of the Year finalist are valuable in every higher education system.
3. Disrupting Class
Disrupting Class is a great book authored jointly by Clayton M. Christensen, Curtis W. Johnson and Michael B. Horn. The book focuses on one of the top criticized aspect in the global public education system, but which ignores child development psychology, the issue of standardization. The authors propose various strategies that can be implemented going forward, top among them being dismantling the current education systems and reconstructing it in a manner that promote creativity and thought. Although these strategies will change the education systems for the better and will certainly benefit students, the amount of money, time, and resources required imply that they could take years to implement.
4. Cheating Lessons: Learning From Academic Dishonesty
In this book, James M. Lang majorly talks about good teaching. Like many people, Lang believes that creative teaching practices makes students less likely to be involved in academic dishonesty or cheating. According to Lang, no matter how good an instructor/teacher is, some students are still going to cheat, and nothing can be done to curb this. Lang leaves it to teachers to think about it. If you are an educator who is scouting for the best ways to shake things up in your class, this is the book to read, especially if you want some new insights on teaching.
5. The Broken Compass: Parental Involvement with Children’s Education
Co-authored by Keith Robinson and Harris L. Angel, this is one of the studies that propose that parental involvement does not affect students’ academic performance. The authors found out that some of the most quantifiable forms of parental involvement yield minimum academic dividends for students. In fact, some even backfired regardless of the involved parents’ class, race, and level of education. Although they identified a few habits that make the difference, for instance reading aloud among young kids, they prove that these interventions seldom take place at school, where policy makers tend to exert more pressure—they happen at home.
Related Resource: Top 10 Online Master’s in Education Degrees
Of course more excellent books on education policy exist beyond these. Accordingly, if you are interested in a more broad view, don’t stop here. Think of this list as a guide to a quick starting point as opposed to anything steadfast.
