Philosophy of education in a new key: Snapshot 2020 from the United States and Canada

Abstract

This article shares reflections from members of the community of philosophers of education in the United States and Canada who were invited to express their insights in response to the theme 'Snapshot 2020', and the question 'Where do you see philosophy of education, moving into the future?' This collective writing experiment was inspired by and organized as part of a larger project of the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA) and its journal Educational Philosophy and Theory (EPAT), to capture scholars' voices around the world regarding major issues impacting the field at this moment (see Peters et al., 2020). While each of the authors of this article has a distinctive view, personal and professional, writing collectively signifies a form of solidarity, as it traces an intentional commitment to a larger communitynot just fellow academics, but the public as wellwhile it can also serve as a response to academic norms 'to count and rank all research and teaching activities in individualist and competitive terms as a basis for performance culture and assessment' (Peters et al., 2020, p. 2). As in a piece similarly composed by the PESA Executive, the result is akin to a cadence, as diverse ideas and serial understanding can be expressed through this process, sharing a vivid snapshot, or perhaps many snapshots all in one frame, of the field and community today (Peters et al., 2020; see also Jandric et al., 2017). Experiments take place in contexts. PESA initially imagined this project in a different world, before COVID was recognized as a worldwide pandemic. When I asked my colleagues, mostly based in the United States and Canada, to take part in this exercise, COVID was beginning to take its toll there. This was just before academic and political life there was further jolted by CONTACT Marek Tesar

Philosophy of education in a new key: A ‘Covid Collective’ of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB)

“…There is much to learn from this Covid Collective, which contributes significantly to the growing field of Philosophy of Education in a New Key papers (Hung et al, 2020;Jackson et al, 2020;Jandric et al, 2020;Kato et al, 2020;Papastephanou et al, 2020;Waghid et al, 2020). This is a very special contribution to philosophy of education scholarship.…”

The ethical academy? The university as an ethical system

“…Our current experiencesthe way of teaching in the world of Covid 19and the whole move online has positioned the ethics in academia further into a precarious position (Jackson et al, 2020;Jandric et al, 2020;Tesar, 2020Tesar, , 2021). Jandric has collected and documented experiences from over 80 academics from more than 10 countries, and many of these stories do speak directly back to the idea of the ethical Academy.…”

Future Studies: Reimagining our Educational Futures in the Post-Covid-19 world

“…Such a rapid change for many of us created a rapid tension, insecurity, as well as predictions and ideas – looking back, analysing current conditions or contemplating the future. Indeed, a number of research papers have collaboratively examined possibilities, creating an interesting environment within which we can learn something about our own ontologies and potential for future learning (see for instance Peters et al., 2020; Jackson et al., 2020; Jandric et al., 2020; Kalantzis and Cope, 2020; Littlejohn, 2020). The year 2020 has been different from any predictions and thinking, and it has changed our attention to the world and our educational futures.…”