This new edition of A Student's Guide to Education Studies is an essential resource for any undergraduate making their first explorations into the fascinating world of education. It explores a wide range of alternative visions of education encouraging students to challenge the perceived notions about learning and knowledge. Offering new perspectives and powerful ideas for discussion on a variety of long-standing topics such as class, race and gender, the book is organised around five enduring themes: Policy and Politics, Global and Environmental Education, Knowledge and Learning, Childhood and Youth, Professionalism and Employment. With a distinctive international and global focus, this new edition has been extensively updated to reflect the latest research and thinking in the field and features new chapters on: The sociology of education and the philosophy of education Inclusion Childhood and youth Professionalism and work-based learning Populism in politics Including summary points, questions for discussion and annotated suggestions for further reading, this book provides the theoretical background needed to carry out a critical analysis of education policy and practice and is an essential resource for all students of Education Studies.