Conclusion and Recommendations

Abstract

Concluding this book on the sociological experiences of schooling, and the case study of Australians’ school experiences, this chapter outlines the most significant new knowledge and implications offered by the data examined across all chapters. It considers the dominant approaches to education in Australia overall: liberal and conservative. The chapter also considers the dominant approaches on different identity-based social issues; particularly how certain policies and movements pushed forward critical views in a few areas despite how the liberal approach was dominant on most specific topics. It considers the ideological distinctiveness of conservative schools, seen in the way conservative schools most consistently aligned with conservative approaches to specific issues across the data. These schools appeared to be less influenced by education movements, national curricula change or shifting student and community demographics than other school types. This chapter reflects that conservative schools’ tendency towards distinctiveness is likely to increase over time, as government systems move away from education’s past conservative leanings, in response to Australia’s changing population needs and values. The chapter also reflects on the usefulness of elements of critical approaches for different types of students, especially in relation to social impacts like bullying and wellbeing, and given most Australians’ goals for improving their schools. It also reflects on some issues of harmfulness for the conservative approach and some issues with the post-modern approach. Tutorial questions for this chapter ask readers to consider how the research questions of the study at the core of this book were answered and what social issues or questions remain uncovered. They are also asked what sociologists of education – or perhaps they, themselves, as bourgeoning sociologists – should explore next?