Dr John I'Anson

Senior Lecturer

Education University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Dr John I'Anson

Contact details

About me

John's most recent book, written with Alison Jasper, is: A Poetics of Education: Edupoetics and pathways towards new educational collectivities. London & New York: Routledge. (https://www.routledge.com/A-Poetics-of-Education-Edupoetics-and-Pathways-Towards-New-Educational-Collectivities/IAnson-Jasper/p/book/9781032259789) This book is an exercise in re-thinking the discourse of education, through a new approach we have termed edupoetics – a poetics of education. The aim is to open up educational discourse, beyond instrumental concerns, in ways that can acknowledge the complexity of education’s existential negotiations betwixt induction into what has already come to pass and an openness to the incoming of the new. Educational negotiations - as simultaneously critical, ethical, and experimental - are explored in relation to a series of scenes that weave together a broad variety of cultural and disciplinary framings. Themes addressed include: pedagogy and decolonisation, desire, neurodiversity, and educational research at a time of pressing environmental concern. As such, an edupoetics has far-reaching implications for how all educational spaces, as particular kinds of gatherings, might be conceived.

His previous book, Schooling Indifference (Routledge, 2019), also written with Alison Jasper, is now available in paperback. (https://www.routledge.com/Schooling-Indifference-Reimagining-RE-in-multi-cultural-and-gendered-spaces/IAnson-Jasper/p/book/9780367876685?srsltid=AfmBOop9BtGawoWnF_mB8KdmwinAk_unXJ58hLHTnurlsa-ebiHvyi9e) This explores new ways in which cultural and religious difference might be engaged within education drawing upon new pedagogies that include anthropological methods.

He has also written on educational theory, inclusion, children's rights, pharmacy education, physical education and health.

He currently supervises doctorates in the following areas: North American Indigenous Education (jointly with FAH) Re-thinking Physical Literacy in P.E. Student Transitions from College to University Neurodiversity: comparison of policy in Denmark and Scotland Digital Education Climate Change Education and Leadership

John is joint leader of the Philosophy of Education and Linguistics and Society research groups.

His research to date has both a theoretical and empirical orientation and draws upon a wide variety of traditions. For example, his most recent work (A Poetics of Education) includes the following thematics and theorists: pedagogy of desire (Farīd ud-Dīn ʿAṭṭār, Jacques Lacan, Julia Kristeva) postcoloniality (Édouard Glissant) neurodiversity as gift (Erin Manning) precarity (Judith Butler, Mari Ruti) interculturality and doctoral supervision (Merleau-Ponty and Ricoeur) educational research within the context of pressing environmental concern (Serres).

Research Projects:  Scottish Attainment Challenge: Making a Positive Difference. Scottish Council of Deans of Education. 2018-2021. Principal Investigator.

National Implementation Board - Establishing Sustainable Models of Partnerships. Scottish Government - General. 2014-2016. Principal Investigator.

Aesthetic education and creative practice. Creative Scotland. 2012-2013. Principal Investigator.

How young people’s participation in school supports achievement and attainment. Scotland’s Commissioner For Children & Young People. 2014. Co-Investigator.

Religious and Cultural Difference (R&CD) in Educational Spaces: Engaging with Stakeholders. The Carnegie Trust. 2013-2015. Co-Principal Investigator.

Moving Image Literacies Project. Scottish Screen / Creative Scotland 2009-2011. Principal Investigator.

Teaching in Nature. Scottish Natural Heritage. 2010-11. Co-investigator.

‘Fashioning the Real’. Scottish Arts Council funded project. 2006-7. Joint Principal Investigator.

Enhanced Competence-Based Learning in Early Professional Development. Teaching and Learning Research Programme, ESRC 2003 - 2007. Member of extended research team.

Children’s Rights in a Primary School context Funded by Save the Children Scotland and Institute of Education, University of Stirling 2003-5. Co-investigator.

MacRobert Arts Centre research Institute of Education, University of Stirling funded 2001-3. Co-investigator.

Doctoral Supervision: I welcome inquiries for undertaking research in the following areas: Education theory / philosophy Discourse of education / poetics Religious and cultural difference: ontological, epistemological and ethical issues  Equity and Children's rights