Powerful Knowledge, Epistemic Quality and Knowledge Transformations:

An international symposium on subjects, teacher subject knowledge and the transformation of knowledge in classrooms

Taking a comparative perspective across education systems in England, Finland and Sweden, this free day conference aims to explore how content knowledge is defined and transformed in different school subjects through processes of education. Drawing on the theoretical concepts of ‘powerful knowledge’ (Young, 2008), ‘epistemic quality’ (Hudson, 2018) and ‘transformation’ (Gericke et al., 2018) we explore how these concepts can help educators think about knowledge, curriculum and subject didactics, and about how knowledge can be developed in teaching and teacher education. A central issue in the symposium is how transformation processes (Gericke et al., 2018) can enable knowledge of high epistemic quality (Hudson, 2018) to be taught in school classrooms so that ‘future schools’ are enabled to deliver ‘powerful knowledge’ for all pupils (Young et al. 2014), through a rich and challenging curriculum of engagement that can foster learning as an end in itself.

This symposium is a collaboration between three research groups: ROSE (Karlstad University), HuSoEd (Helsinki University) and SSRG (UCL Institute of Education).

9.30-10.00 am: Registration and Coffee

10.00-11.00 Keynote Presentation: Knowledge: a curriculum and a pedagogic problem

Presenter: Professor Michael Young, UCL Institute of Education.

Respondents: Professor Brian Hudson, Sussex / Karlstad University and Professor Niklas Gerike, Karlstad University

Chair: Dr Arthur Chapman (UCL)

11.00-12.30 Symposium One:Conceptualising Knowledge in and Across Disciplines

How can ‘powerful knowledge’, curriculum ‘futures’ and ‘epistemic quality’ illuminate thinking about disciplines, individual school subjects and cross-curricular themes?

A four paper session including contributions from: Dr Mary Richardson and Dr Arthur Chapman (UCL); Dr Birgitta Ljung Egeland, Karlstad University; Dr Jennie Golding (UCL); and Professor Gabriel Bladh, Professor Niklas Gericke (Karlstad University) and Dr Kalle Juuti and Professor Sirpa Tani (Helsinki).

Chair: Professor Sirpa Tani (Helsinki University)

12.30-13.15 Lunch

1.15-14.45 Symposium 2: Conceptualising Knowledge in Classrooms

How does knowledge appear in classrooms? How can we best conceptualise knowledge manifestation in classrooms and how is the presence of knowledge affected by different teaching practices and classroom activities?

A four paper session including contributions from: Dr Mark Hardman (UCL); Professor Christina Olin-Scheller (Karlstad University); Alison Kitson (UCL); and Alexis Stones (UCL).

Chair: Professor Christina Olin-Scheller (Karlstad University)

14.45-15.00: Coffee

15.00-16.30 Symposium 3: Conceptualising Knowledge in Teacher Education

What are the implications of the ‘knowledge turn’ for the design and delivery of teacher education programmes? How can we empower teachers conceptually and facilitate the development of powerful knowledge for teaching?

A five paper session including contributions from: Dr David Mitchell (UCL); Dr Alex Standish (UCL); Catherine McCrory (UCL); Dr Martin Stolare and Professor Gabriel Bladh (Karlstad University); and Professor Kenneth Nordgren, Karlstad University.

Chair: Dr Cosette Crisan (UCL)

16.30-17.00 Plenary

Key Readings

Gericke, N., Hudson, B., Olin-Scheller, C. & Stolare, M. (2018). Powerful knowledge, transformations and the need for empirical studies across school subjects. London Review of Education 16 (3), 428–444. [Open access]

Hudson, B. (2018). Powerful knowledge and epistemic quality in school mathematics. London Review of Education 16 (3), 384–397. [Open access]

Young, M., and J. Muller (2010). Three educational scenarios for the future: Lessons from the sociology of knowledge. European Journal of Education, 45 (1), 11–28. [Login required]