A dictionary of education appears under the direction of Agnès Van Zanten. If this work wishes to replace sociology at the heart of the educational sciences and exceed certain ideological quarrels, it testifies to the break -up of the field of education and the bond that is established there between the scientist and the political.
“” This dictionary of education is certainly not the first. It is part of a long tradition of knowledge tools which, like the famous dictionary of pedagogy and primary education by Ferdinand Buisson, published at the end of the last century, aim to accompany the transformations of educational institutions ». From the first lines of his “ Foreword », The sociologist Agnès Van Zanten who coordinates this work clearly displays the objectives.
Expressly addressing “ professionals and education managers “, This dictionary intends to provide tools for” justify the sustainability, extension or replacement of this or that teaching policy or practice (Agnès van Zanten foreword, p.VIII.). Logic is therefore that of the popularization claimed, but also of a strong scientific requirement. Agnès Van Zanten insists indeed on the large number of authors, recognized in their field and selected by a representative committee of the various fields of research in education.
An interdisciplinary approach to educational fact
In fact, there are contributions from sociologists, economists, historians, psychologists, didacticians or even pedagogues in this work. This variety of approaches, methods and questions, that only the link with education, defined in the Durkheimian sense as the processes of “ methodical socialization of new generations (Foreword, p.VII.), Can sometimes be perplexed. For example, articles on subjects as varied as “ brain development “,” Citizenship and school “,” social classes ” And “ Cognition and metacognition ». The idea is to go beyond disciplinary boundaries to offer a large set of knowledge, and to encourage dialogues between different approaches.
However, the weight of sociologists and the very fact that the company is directed by one of them reveals another dimension to this editorial enterprise: that of replacing sociology at the center of education sciences. Establishing a state of the place of the sociology of education in francs, Franck Poupeau underlined the double challenge which it was to face: on the one hand it was competed by the science of the Education, on the other, it was dispossessed of the mastery of the “ True figure production By economists. Here, nothing like it. Far from being in competition with the other approaches of educational fact, sociology appears here central, revealing some of the trends “ oligopolistics “Denounced by René Barbier, researcher in educational sciences.
Critical or expert scientist expert ?
To the mixture of disciplines is added that of the statutes, more difficult to identify. Some texts present themselves as states of knowledge in a field, others are much more normative or at least oriented towards action. So an article like “ Self -esteem “Try to assess the impact of this esteem on academic results, wondering whether or not it is” accentuate students’ self »» ? The article concludes on practical advice (“ You must therefore help children abandon the idea that their level of performance is an indicator of their intelligence »).
More generally, scientific concepts and evaluation tools succeeded, without the distinction being always clear for a non-specialist. The article “ Cultural capital “, Bourdieusian tool of critical sociology is thus followed by” Emotional capital », Concept used in particular by theOECD to assess the chances of “ overall success of their lives »Individuals as well as the proper functioning of a given society.
Axiological neutrality sometimes gives way to value judgments: thus the article “ Education administration “He denounces” culture and routines specific to state officials “And a” Opening on the chilly exterior ».
In the end, we no longer know who the scientist or politics guides this work. Articles like “ School efficiency “,” evaluation of educational policies “,” Educational research and practices »Takenate a desire for expertise at the service of actors in the education system, or at least the desire to produce tools immediately applicable outside the scientific field. These orientations are found in various degrees in many texts. Thus the article “ Cognitive sciences and education “Underlines that” Teachers need to understand what mechanisms are at stake in learning to read, spelling ” etc. However, this is not a question of “ Develop prescriptions to the educational world “, As the author points out, but at least to claim a usefulness of this field of research in the field of education. Claim the “ utility »Practice of education sciences appears as a political act, at a time when the future of research in Shs seems uncertain …
It should be noted that the approach which presides over the organization of the work recalls in several respects the British conception of the study of the academic fact. Indeed, in the majority of establishments across the Channel, education sociologists are attached to the Department of Education Sciences-like the prestigious “ Faculty of Education »In Cambridge. This phenomenon is no stranger to the French scene as evidenced by the work of the interdisciplinary group Escol Linked to Paris V, but there is a whole field of sociology of education insert in the departments of sociology.
In addition, English sociology has always been closer to political power than in France (note: the poor and the sociologist), and this articulation between producers of knowledge and political circles allowed the implementation of many school experiments as well as their evaluation.
“” Exceed ideological quarrels »» ?
Eclectic in the choice of disciplines, entries and genres, this dictionary is also in the choice of authors. We can only salute the remarkable editorial work led by Agnès Van Zanten, who was able to bring together more than two hundred researchers around an international scientific committee of twelve people. If most are French or French-speaking, there are contributions from authors from Spain, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, or the United States. To the geographic variety is added that of currents. Among the many sociologists, we find authors that it is rare to see collaborating. However, this wealth can be confusing for those who are not aware of the issues that exist in the university field, and current debates. The displayed will to “ exceed ideological quarrels Do not prevent the biases of the various authors, and leaves certain debates unanswered. So there is an entrance “ educational science “And another” education sciences “, Which testify to a different conception of the education approach, an object defining a specific discipline in one case, or concerning a bundle of approaches in another.
This original editorial policy thus leaves the reader the possibility of making himself an opinion on certain controversial points and goes against the idea of a ready-made science with frozen results, but is not always very didactic. In addition, the articles, unequal in length, are also in quality and originality. If certain contributions prove to be effective syntheses, integrating the most recent work, others are the simple condensed of previous publications.
In the end, this “ Dictionary of education »Appears as a difficult work to classify. Ambitious editorial company, it brings together qualities contributions, written by recognized researchers. However, the desire to embrace both different disciplines, different national traditions and within the same discipline different currents sometimes produces a certain confusion. Few readings are given to the reader: apart from a few thematic references, at the end of each article and a thematic index there is no index by author or discipline.
Original by the richness of its entries, remarkable by the extent of the knowledge gathered, this “ Dictionary of education »Is distinguished above all by the role of guide he assigns to the sciences here mobilized at the service of actors of the education system, and by the desire to unify the knowledge no longer around a discipline but of a theme of study – and object of public policy -, education.