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When Pupils Protest: Lessons in Voice, Power, and the Lived Curriculum

Posted on 16 October 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

What happens when students turn theory into action? This post tells the story of a classroom discussion that led to a full-scale pupil protest—and what it revealed about power, agency and the possibilities of critical pedagogy. It’s a reflection on voice, justice and the kind of learning that can’t be contained by a textbook.

Demoralisation, Best Practices, and the Moral Centre of Teaching

Posted on 23 September 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

What’s lost when teaching is stripped of its moral core? Building on Doris Santoro’s concept of demoralisation, this post explores how the language of “best practices” can erode teachers’ ethical agency. It asks what it would take to re-centre education on the moral purposes that give teaching its soul.

From the Front Step: Schools, Suicide Prevention, and the Search for Belonging

From the Front Step: Schools, Suicide Prevention, and the Search for Belonging

Posted on 9 September 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

How can schools become places where every pupil feels seen, valued and supported? Combining personal reflection with research on pupil well-being in Wales, this post explores the urgent need for school-wide approaches to suicide prevention. It calls on educators to recognise warning signs, challenge stigma and create environments where no young person feels alone on the front step.

Philosophy in Schools: Teachers’ Views from Wales

Posted on 19 August 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

What role should philosophy play in the classroom? Darius Klibavicius’ research with teachers in Wales explores how philosophy is understood—as a subject, a method or a way of life. Linking Philosophy for Children with contemporary curriculum reform, this post examines why many teachers see philosophy as vital for well-being, reasoning and communication in modern education.

Talking About Race: Why Language and Clarity Matter

Talking About Race: Why Language and Clarity Matter

Posted on 15 August 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

When we talk about race, the words we choose matter. This post responds to a recent online debate by clarifying the differences between race, racism, prejudice and discrimination. Grounded in Critical Race Theory, it explores how language can either obscure or expose systems of power—and why precision is essential if we are to move from reaction to real understanding.

Purpose, Potential and Efficacy: Rethinking What Drives Teachers

Purpose, Potential and Efficacy: Rethinking What Drives Teachers

Posted on 5 August 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

Can teachers truly “help pupils achieve their potential”—or is purpose found elsewhere? This post connects Viktor Frankl’s search for meaning with Bandura’s theory of efficacy to show how purpose in teaching emerges through action, reflection and encounter. It invites educators to think critically about what drives them, how they define success and how a coherent sense of purpose can sustain their practice.

Rethinking “Best Practices”: Teaching Beyond Technique

Posted on 20 July 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

Have we mistaken good technique for good teaching? In this post, Dr Kevin Talbert challenges the “best practices” orthodoxy in education and argues for teacher preparation that cultivates wisdom, reflection and moral purpose. Drawing on Freire and Harris, he makes the case for re-centring teaching on values and vocation, not standardised methods.

Finding Purpose in Teaching

Finding Purpose in Teaching

Posted on 8 July 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

Are teachers guided by aphorisms or axioms? This post looks at what teachers say their top priorities are and questions whether phrases like “help pupils achieve their potential” offer genuine meaning or empty slogans. Drawing on Nietzsche, Frankl and Welsh education research, it invites reflection on how we find—and define—purpose in teaching.

A Pedagogy of Place

A Pedagogy of Place

Posted on 5 July 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

What do pupils’ own words reveal about how they see the places they call home? This post looks at new research on young people’s “place images” in Wales and considers what it means for curriculum design. From Cwricwlwm Cymreig to Cynefin, it explores how a pedagogy of place can deepen understanding of belonging, identity and connection in classrooms across Wales.

800 Words or less…

Posted on 18 June 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

This blog consists of concise posts on various aspects of educational research, pedagogy, and curriculum.