Leesa Wheelahan

Journal information — jvet.co.uk

The Journal of Vocational Education & Training has a call for a special issue to debate outcomes-based qualifications. Abstracts close 2 February 2026. Two types of papers will be considered: 2000 word articles in a Forum section, and 8000 word scholarly articles: www.jvet.uk/journal-info...

The next symposium THE EIGHTH CAMBRIDGE SYMPOSIUM ON KNOWLEDGE IN EDUCATION 7-8 July 2026 Jesus College, University of Cambridge The International Organising Committee is presently inviting proposals for the Eighth …

The call for papers for the next Knowledge and Education symposium is now out. The due date for 500 word abstracts is 1 March 2026https://cske17.wordpress.com/2017-the-fourth-symposium/

Full article: Revisiting credentialism – why qualifications matter: a theoretical exploration

Gavin Moodie and I have just published an article on why qualifications matter. It is open access

The ontology of personhood and a realist critique of the policy discourse based on skills This paper uses the critical realist concept of human reflexivity to dev­elop a theoretical critique of the notion of ‘skills’ in current policy discourses, particularly in vocational education. We...

Hello @crnetwork.bsky.social, with @leesawheelahan.bsky.social we published an article in @bjse.bsky.social. We theorise the person envisaged in the global education policy discourse based on #skills and propose an alternative based on #CriticalRealism. It's open access. See, doi.org/10.1080/0142...

The ontology of personhood and a realist critique of the policy discourse based on skills This paper uses the critical realist concept of human reflexivity to dev­elop a theoretical critique of the notion of ‘skills’ in current policy discourses, particularly in vocational education. We...

In this article with Leesa Wheelahan, we use the critical realist concept of depth-ontology to examine personhood which is related to, but distinct from, human agency, social structure and the social context in which people practise their skills.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Colleges as anchors of their communities: emergence and agglomeration This paper argues that colleges anchor their communities by developing knowledge and skills within their region; establishing links and exchanges outside the region; contributing to civic, politica...

Here is the companion piece to be published in the same special issue - Colleges as anchors of their communities: emergence and agglomeration: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

@GavinMoodie & I have published an article entitled: What do vocational colleges do & why do they matter? Thinking about the role of colleges as local actors. Colleges are institutions and not providers in markets. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Thanks Dave, I couldn't work out how to post it to this particular group

Realism and theorizing curriculum—the role of knowledge Different realist approaches have emerged as important positions within the sociology of education in theorizing the aims, purposes and structure of c…

Hi all,

Here is an encyclopedia article I wrote that seeks to explain different types of realism to grad students.

Wheelahan, L. (2023). Realism and theorizing curriculum—the role of knowledge.

If you can't get it, let me know and I'll send it to you: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...