Some of the most important developments in educational thought have been put forward by theorists who have challenged existing notions about the aims of education and its role in society. But how do these ideas relate to today's classrooms and how can you use them to improve your own teaching practice? This textbook gives you a clear overview of fifteen thinkers who have offered challenging perspectives on education, including influential sociological thinkers (Bourdieu, Foucault, Mezirow, Bernstein), those who have questioned the orthodoxy on schooling (Holt, Darling-Hammond) and other key names whose writing has helped shaped our views on teaching and learning.