Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to interconnect pedagogy and biology via second-order cybernetics.
Design/methodology/approach
– The approach taken is that of a synthesis.
Findings
– Biology can better deal with intersubjectivity within and between species by incorporating approaches and theory from education inquiry. Conversely, educators can de-anthropocentrize their discipline by entering into learning relationships with other species. By rallying around the concept of “eduction”, second-order cybernetics plays a role in both syntheses.
Practical implications
– De-anthropocentrizing education could have practical value in creating ecologically relevant education for children and in developing more integrated environmental impact assessments.
Originality/value
– Finding convergence between the study of life and forms of practitioner inquiry in education research, and connecting these to the environmental movement.
In this paper, I will illustrate the changing nature and complexity of faculty employment in college and university settings. I will use existing higher education research to describe changes in faculty demographics, the escalating demands placed on faculty in the work setting, and challenges that confront professors seeking tenure or administrative advancement. Boyer’s (1990) framework for bringing traditionally marginalized and neglected functions of teaching, service, and community engagement into scholarship is examined as a model for balancing not only teaching, research, and service, but also work with everyday life.
Revisiting fixed- and random-effects models: some considerations for policy-relevant education research