Reflection on Education and Society

Abstract

The relationship between education and society is complex and fraught with contesting beliefs about what should be taught and how. In this chapter, I will explore this complex relationship from the perspective of my own and my pre-service teachers’ personal and professional experiences: experiences that have shaped personal values and relationships, as well as professional beliefs and teaching priorities. In this way, I hope to make visible not only the ways in which education shapes society but also the ways in which society shapes teachers’ understandings of the means and ends of education. I begin by sharing my own memories as a learner, reflecting on how my personal and educational experiences have shaped my values and beliefs as a teacher educator. Next, I discuss the ways in which the following chapters in this section also offer unique perspectives on the relationship between education and society.