New Questions for Contemporary Teachers: taking a socio-cultural approach to education is an introductory overview of sociology of education. Typically taught as a compulsory subject in education programs, the book covers the needs of both primary and secondary student teachers. From the same team that authored Understanding Education and Practising Education, this title comprises all new chapters reflecting current sociological and educational perspectives. It is divided into three distinctive sections: How to govern? Do we all get a fair go? and Where Now?

Section 1 examines the mechanisms of governance and rejects the simplistic 'domination and coercion' model of the exercise of power. Each chapter within the section explores the ways in which social management occurs through careful and targeted regulation.
Section 2 investigates the questions about how society distributes wealth and access without lapsing into reductionism. It focuses on how notions such as 'cultural capital' and 'habitus' shape educational outcomes.
Section 3 examines the issues relevant to the future of education such as the advances in technology, the role the government plays in implementing school-based management practices and ways in which schools can become more globalised and become far more multi-national, multi-faith and multi-cultural geographic communities.