Preface
Chapter 1 Beyond the Tyranny of Testing
Chapter 2 Education as Relational Process
Chapter 3 Toward Relation-Centered Evaluation
Chapter 4 Relational Evaluation in Primary Education
Chapter 5 Relational Evaluation in Secondary Education
Chapter 6 Relational Approaches to Evaluating Teaching
Chapter 7 Relational Approaches to School Evaluation
Chapter 8 Relational Evaluation and Educational Transformation
Chapter 9 Toward Systemic Transformation in Education
Kenneth J. Gergen is Senior Research Professor in Psychology at
Swarthmore College and the President of the Taos Institute. He is
internationally known for his contributions to social
constructionist theory, technology and cultural change, the self,
and relational practices. His major writings include Realities and
Relationships: Soundings in Social Construction,
The Saturated Self: Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life, and
Relational Being: Beyond Self and Community. Gergen lectures
throughout the world and has received numerous awards for his work,
including honorary degrees in both the U.S. and Europe.
Scherto R. Gill is Senior Fellow at the GHFP Peace Research
Institute, Visiting Fellow at the University of Sussex, and Fellow
of the Royal Society of the Arts (FRSA). Through research,
international project development, and writing, she actively
explores ways to foster practices of transformative dialogue, the
ethics of caring, whole person development, and global peace. Her
most recent books include Ethical Education: Towards an Ecology of
Human
Development, Human-Centered Education: A Handbook and Practical
Guide, and Education as Humanisation.
"This is a most welcome and timely volume that succeeds in
developing an alternative approach to assessment, one that is not
based on narrow definitions of performance, but one that centers on
relational qualities of collaboration that lie at the heart of all
good education. This is a volume written from the heart as well as
the mind!" -- Sharon Todd, Professor of Education, Maynooth
University, Ireland
"The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on education around the world
has created an opportunity to reimage schools as communities of
leaners and teachers dedicated to the co-construction of meaning
assisted by advances in communications technologies. This volume is
a must read for anyone interested in addressing this crisis through
a relational vision that places human flourishing at the heart of
evaluating learning and teaching." -- Hanan A. Alexander (PhD),
Professor of Philosophy of Education, University of Haifa;
President, Religious Education Association; author of Reimagining
Liberal Education: Affiliation and Inquiry in Democratic Schooling
(Bloomsbury,
2015)
"Fully inclusive and equitable learning communities can flourish
only when attention and care is given to nurture the relational
process at the heart of education in general, and especially in its
evaluation dimensions. With this new focus in mind and at heart,
Gergen and Gill provide an innovative theoretical foundation
essential for building more inclusive and equitable societies
globally." -- Patrice Brodeur (PhD), Associate Professor, Institute
of Religious
Studies, University of Montreal; Senior Adviser, International
Dialogue Centre, Vienna, Austria, and co-author of Religion as a
Conversation Starter (Bloomsbury, 2009)
"This is a most timely and important book. Timely because we now
recognize the damage done to our educational vision and practice by
the recent obsession with testing and accountability measures. This
book is a justification for a different lens and one which does not
polarise learning and relating but shows the deep connection
between them and how they enhance each other. It also embeds the
argument in strong illustrative evidence. Very important!" --
Professor Colleen McLaughlin, Director of Educational Innovation,
University of Cambridge, author of Implementing Educational Reform:
Cases and Challenges (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming)
"Beyond the Tyranny of Testing demonstrates how evaluation of
students, teachers, and schools can be done in an inclusive and
relational manner that engages all members of the school community.
It is a most timely book as educators are seeking alternatives to
mechanistic and standardized forms of evaluation." -- John (Jack)
Miller , Professor of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Ontario
Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto;
author
of The Holistic Curriculum
"This book pulls together a wealth of tried-and-tested alternatives
to high-stakes testing that chart a clear course towards a fairer,
more life-affirming education system that enables young people to
locate themselves in a story of interbeing, rather than one of
separation. I cannot recommend it highly enough!" -- Dr James
Mannion, Director, Rethinking Education; Bespoke Programmes Leader,
UCL Institute of Education; co-author of Fear is the Mind
Killer:
Why Learning to Learn deserves lesson time - and how to make it
work for your pupils
"In their fascinating book, Gergen and Gill share their relational
vision of education. They provide a range of innovative relational
practices of educational evaluation in primary and secondary
classrooms, as part of teachers professional development, and of
the entire school, unveiling the potential for the transformation
of the learning process." -- Thalia Dragonas, Emerita professor,
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
"If you are concerned about education, read Beyond the Tyranny of
Testing: Relational Evaluation in Education. Gergen and Gill's
masterful treatise calls for a systematic transformation in
education. Gergen and Gill point you toward a path that will help
you become both the educator you want to be and the participatory
leader every school and community needs in working with others to
bring about the schools we desire." -- Rolla E. Lewis,
Professor
Emeritus, California State University, East Bay
"In a world where testing has become a purpose of education in
itself, Beyond the Tyranny of Testing argues in favour of a
Copernican revolution in education: Social relations should be seen
as central, not as a by-product of measurement regimes. With a
focus on collaborative inquiry, this important, well-written and
much-needed book proposes concrete evaluative practices for
everyone in the educational system to see themselves as parts of
this
transformation." -- Professor Peter Dahler-Larsen, Department of
Political Science, University of Copenhagen, author of The
Evaluation Society
"Gergen and Gill have provided us with a radically different way of
thinking about education as a whole. Building on the idea that
education is ultimately a relational process, they redefine what
education is about, and develop a framework for educational
evaluation from a relational perspective, with implications for
pedagogical and curriculum transformation. A splendid book!" --
Edmund W Gordon, Richard March Hoe Professor of Education and
Psychology,
Emeritus Teachers College, Columbia University; John M Musser
Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Yale University
"This book is of great importance to education, as it makes a
fundamental contribution to the dialogue on the role of evaluation
in education. From a relational standpoint it invites new
possibilities, including transforming students and teachers into
learning partners. A must read for both educators and educational
leaders!" -- Loek Schoenmakers (PhD), Educational Specialist,
Teacher Trainer, School Advisor, and CEO of Appreciative Change
Works, The Netherlands
"Beyond the Tyranny of Testing has the potential to revolutionize
education, and I am convinced that it is most timely for such a
revolution to happen. This book can heal the trauma suffered by
learners and educators under the system of traditional assessment,
and bring new hope to the world." -- Professor, Xinping Zhang,
Dean, Nanjing Normal University, China
"What is the alternative to high stakes tests and top-down
accountability measures that tell us very little about the quality
of a student, teacher, or school? Gergen and Gill offer a
provocative answer: relational accountability rooted in
collaborative inquiry. Beyond the Tyranny of Testing is full of
exciting ideas that have the potential to transform education." --
Tony Wagner, best-selling author of The Global Achievement Gap and
Creating
Innovators
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