Reimagining Schools - Essential Essays on Education Reform

In this review of Reimagining Schools, Elliot W. Eisner offers a collected volume that is best suited to educators, curriculum researchers and policy thinkers who want a sustained, reflective engagement with the ideas that shape schooling. The single biggest reason to buy this collection is its concentration of Eisner's career-long thinking - extracts from books, key articles and major theoretical contributions - presented with a new introduction that situates the pieces and explains their ongoing relevance to education reform.

Key Features

• Career-long selection: Brings together decades of Eisner's most influential writing so readers can follow the development of his thought without hunting through multiple titles.
• New introductory context: A specially written introduction frames the collection and explains how the selections relate to his wider work in arts education and curriculum theory.
• Range of topics: Covers practical and theoretical issues from children and art to curriculum absolutism and relativism, giving readers varied entry points into his scholarship.
• Research and method focus: Includes salient research findings and discussion of qualitative research methods such as educational connoisseurship that are useful for classroom researchers.
• Future-oriented chapters: Addresses the ecology of schooling and the future of education research, prompting readers to consider long-term implications for policy and practice.

Who It's For

This collection is aimed at teacher educators, graduate students and researchers who need a concentrated source of Eisner's contributions to arts education and curriculum studies. It is also valuable to school leaders and policy makers who want theoretical grounding for conversations about reform and the role of aesthetics in learning.

Those seeking a practical classroom manual with step-by-step lesson plans or an introductory textbook for young learners should look elsewhere; the book is reflective and theoretical rather than a how-to guide, and it assumes some familiarity with educational research concepts.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Consolidates a wide range of influential essays, making Eisner's work accessible in one place.
• Introduction provides helpful context that clarifies the selection and the trajectory of his thought.
• Useful coverage of qualitative research methods and aesthetic modes of knowing for scholars and practitioner-researchers.
• Addresses both classroom-level concerns and broader education policy, bridging practice and theory.

Cons

• Not a practical lesson-planning book; readers wanting classroom activities may find the material too theoretical.

Specifications

Our Verdict

Reimagining Schools is a compact, thoughtful collection that brings together Eisner's most important essays and situates them with a useful introduction. It is good value for anyone wanting rigorous reflection on the aims and methods of schooling, particularly in arts-rich and qualitative research contexts, though it is not designed as a practical classroom toolkit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book include new material?
Yes, it begins with a specially written introduction that contextualises the selections and outlines Eisner's career trajectory.

Who benefits most from reading this collection?
Graduate students, curriculum researchers and teacher educators will get the most from the theoretical and research-focused essays.

Is this a practical classroom resource?
No, the volume is reflective and theoretical rather than a source of step-by-step lesson plans.