Professor Geoff Whitty CBE
MA, MA(Ed), DLit(Ed), AcSS, FCT, FRSA
Job Title:
Professor of Public Sector Policy and Management
Subject Group:
Organisation Studies
Key Research Interests:
Education, Policy, Reform, Leadership
Research Interests
Geoff is a former Director of the Institute of Education, University of London and offers experience of both theory and practice of leadership and management, especially in education and related professional fields.
He has led evaluations of the implementation of major education reforms and has assisted universities, schools and local authorities in building capacity for improvement. His academic background is in history and sociology, and his current research includes studies of the interface between schools and higher education and of the practice of international policy borrowing.
Geoff’s book (with others) Education and the Middle Class won the Society for Educational Studies book prize in 2004. In 2009, he was awarded the Lady Plowden Memorial Prize for outstanding services to education and he recently received a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Geoff is a specialist advisor to the House of Commons Select Committee for Education and a member of the General Teaching Council for England and the Board of Ofsted. He has held visiting appointments in the USA, New Zealand and China and is currently an Honorary Professor at Beijing Normal University.
Publications
Jump to:
Books | Refereed journals papers | Book ChaptersBooks
Apple MW, Whitty G & Nagao A (eds) (2009) Critical Education and the Struggle for Public Schools (Japanese language edition), Akashi, Tokyo
Whitty G (2009) Sociology and School Knowledge: Curriculum theory, research and politics (Japanese language edition) Akashi, Tokyo
Whitty G (2009) Sociology and School Knowledge: Curriculum theory, research and politics (Greek language edition) Epikentro, Athens
Power S, Edwards T, Whitty G & Wigfall V (2008) Education and the Middle Class (Chinese language edition) McGraw Hill, Beijing
Whitty G (2004) Making Sense of Education Policy (Japanese language edition) University Press of Tokyo, Tokyo
Power S, Edwards T, Whitty G & Wigfall V (2008) Education and the Middle Class Open University Press, Buckingham
Whitty G (2002) Making Sense of Education Policy Sage Publications, London
Refereed journal papers
Whitty G (2010) Revisiting School Knowledge: some sociological perspectives on new school curricula. European Journal of Education. 45(1): 28-45. DOI: 10.1111/j.1465-3435.2009.01422.x
Leaton G S & Whitty G (2010) Social trajectories or disrupted identities? Changing and competing models of teacher professionalism under New Labour. Cambridge Journal of Education. 40(1): 5-23. DOI: 10.1080/03057640903567005
Power S, Curtis A, Whitty G & Edwards T (2010) Private education and disadvantage: the experiences of Assisted Place holders. International Studies in Sociology of Education. 20(1): 23-38. DOI: 10.1080/09620211003655622
Whitty G. (2009) The legacy of Neo-liberal School Reform in England. Comparative Education (Japan). 39: 28-39.
Whitty G. (2008) Twenty Years of Progress? English Education Policy 1988 to the Present’. Educational Management, Administration and Leadership. 36(2): 165-184. DOI: 10.1177/1741143207087771
► older publications
Whitty G & Wisby E. (2007) Whose voice? An exploration of the current policy interest in pupil involvement in school decision-making. International Studies in Sociology of Education. 17(3): 303-319. DOI: 10.1080/09620210701543957
Power S, Whitty G & Edwards T. (2006) Success sustained? A follow-up study of the ‘Destined for success’? Cohort. Research Papers in Education. 21(3): 235-253. DOI: 10.1080/02671520600793732
Whitty G & Wisby E. (2006) Moving beyond recent education reform – and towards a democratic professionalism. Hitotsubashi Journal of Social Studies. 38: 43-61.
Whtty G. (2006) Education(al) research and educational policy making; is conflict inevitable? British Educational Research Journal. 32(2): 159-176. DOI: 10.1080/01411920600568919
Agalianos A, Whitty G & Noss R. (2006) The Social Shaping of Logo. Social Studies of Science. 36(2): 241-267. DOI: 10.1177/0306312706053809
Gewirtz S, Dickson M, Power S, Halpin D & Whitty G. (2005) The deployment of social capital theory in educational policy and provision: the case of Education Action Zones in England. British Educational Research Journal. 31(6): 651-673. DOI: 10.1080/01411920500314620
Halpin D, Dickson M, Power S, Whitty G & Gewirtz S. (2004) Curriculum innovation within an evaluative state: issues of risk and regulation. Curriculum Journal. 15(3): 197-206. DOI: 10.1080/09585170412331311466
Halpin D, Dickson M, Power S, Whitty G & Gewirtz S (2004) Area-based approaches to educational regeneration: the case of the English Education Action Zone experiment. Policy Studies 25(2): 75-85 DOI: 10.1080/0144287042000262170
Power S, Whitty G, Gewirtz S, Halpin D & Dickson M (2004) Paving a Third Way? A Policy Trajectory Analysis of Education Action Zones. Research Papers in Education 19(4): 453-476 DOI: 10.1080/0267152042000295474
Campbell C, Carpentier V & Whitty G (2003) Educational Financing and Improvement: Conceptual Issues and Policy Debates in the UK. Revue Suisse des Sciences de l’Education 3: 455-477
Power S & Whitty G (2002) Bernstein and the Middle Class. British Journal of Sociology of Education 23(4): 595-606 DOI: 10.1080/0142569022000038440
Dickson M, Halpin D, Power S, Telford D & Whitty G (2001) Education Action Zones and Democratic Participation School Leadership and Management 21(2): 169-182 DOI: 10.1080/13632430120054754
Agalianos A, Noss R & Whitty G (2001) Logo in Mainstream Schools: The Struggle Over the Soul of an Educational Innovation. British Journal of Sociology of Education 22(4): 479-500 DOI: 10.1080/01425690120094449
Whitty G (2001) Education, Social Class and Social Exclusion. Journal of Education Policy 16(4): 287-295 DOI: 10.1080/02680930110054308
Book Chapters
Whitty G (2011) Securing the future of postgraduate education in L Coiffait (Ed) Blue Skies: New thinking about the future of higher education London: Pearson
Whitty G & Wisby E (2011) Pupil Empowerment in Schools: Limits and Possibilities in K N Panikkar & M Bhaskaran Nair (Eds) Emerging Trends in Higher Education in India Dehli: Pearson
Whitty G (2010) Marketization and Post-marketization in Contemporary Education Policy in J Kauko, R Rinne & H Kynkaanniemi (Eds) Restructuring the Truth of Schooling – Essays on Discursive Practices in Sociology and Politics of Education Jyvaskyla: Finnish Educational Research Association
Whitty G & Wisby E (2009) Quality and impact in educational research; some lessons from England under New Labour in TAC Besley (Ed) Assessing the Quality of Educational Research in Higher Education Rotterdam: Sense Publishers
Whitty G (2009) Towards a New Teacher Professionalism (Japanese translation) in MW Apple, G Whitty & A Nagao (Eds) Critical Education and the Struggle for Public Education Tokyo: Akashi
Whitty G & Wisby E (2008) Moving Beyond Recent Education Reform and Towards a Democratic Professionalism (Japanese translation) in Y Kudomi & Y Matsuda (Eds) Professionalism and Professional Identities of Teachers Tokyo: Keisoshobo
Whitty G (2008) Changing modes of teacher professionalism in B Cunningham (Ed) Exploring Professionalism London: Institute of Education
► older publications
Campbell C & Whitty G (2007) The governance of urban education in the UK: a public, private or partnership future? In WT Pink & GW Noblit (Eds) International Handbook of Urban Education Dordrecht, Netherland: Springer
Leaton Gray S & Whitty G (2007) Comprehensive schooling and inequality in London: past, present and possible future in T Brighouse & L Fullick (Eds) Education in a Global City: Essays from London London: Institute of Education
Sullivan A & Whitty G (2007) Social inequalities and education policy in England in R Teese, S Lamb & M Duru-Bellat (Eds) International Studies in Educational Inequality, Theory and Policy Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer
Power S & Whitty G (2006) Education and the Middle Class: A complex but Crucial Case for the Sociology of Education in H Lauder, P Brown, J-A Dillabough & AH Halsey (Eds) Education, Globalization and Social Change New York: Oxford University Press
Whitty G (2006) Achievement and inclusion in comprehensive education in M Hewlett, R Pring, M Tulloch & T Brighouse (Eds) Comprehensive Education: Evolution, achievement and new directions Northampton: University of Northampton
Whitty G (2005) New Labour and the loss of the sociological imagination in education in D Halpin & P Walsh (Eds) Educational Commonplaces: Essays to honour Denis Lawton London: Institute of Education
Sullivan A & Whitty G (2005) Social inequalities and education policy in England in S Delorenzi, J Reed & P Robinson (Eds) Maintaining Momentum: Promoting Social Mobility and Life Chances from Early Years to Adulthood London: Institute of Public Policy Research
Campbell C & Whitty G (2004) Integrating Social Justice and Schooling: Research Evidence and Policy Concerns in J Forbes (Ed) Values and Vision: Working Together in Integrated Community Schools Aberdeen: University of Aberdeen
Whitty G (2004) Developing comprehensive Education in a New Climate in M Benn & C Chitty (Eds) A Tribute to Caroline Benn: Education and Democracy London: Continuum
Dickson M, Gewirtz S, Halpin D, Power S & Whitty G (2004) Education action zones: model partnerships? In B Franklin, M Bloch & TS Popkewitz (Eds) Educational Partnerships and the State: The Paradoxes of Governing Schools, Children and Families New York: Palgrave Macmillan
Campbell C & Whitty G (2003) From New Right to New Labour: What’s New in English Education Policy? In M Tonnies (Ed) Britain Under Blair Heidelberg, Germany: Universitatsverlag
Whitty G (2003) Making sense of education reform: global and national influences in CA Torres & A Antikainen (Eds) International Handbook on the Sociology of Education Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield 305-324
Campbell C, Gillborn D, Lunt I, Sammons P, Vincent C, Warren S & Whitty G (2002) Strategies and issues for inclusive schooling in C Campbell (Ed) Developing Inclusive Schooling: Perspectives, Policies and Practices London: Institute of Education
Campbell C & Whitty G (2002) Inter-agency collaborations for inclusive schooling in C Campbell (Ed) Developing Inclusive Schooling: Perspectives, Policies and Practices London: Institute of Education
Dickson M, Gewirtz S, Halpin D, Power S & Whitty G (2002) Education Action Zones in M Powell, C Glendinning & K Rummery (Eds) Partnerships, New Labour and the Governance of Welfare Bristol: Policy Press
Apple MW & Whitty G (2002) Structuring the Postmodern in Education Policy in D Hill, P McLaren, M Cole & G Rikowski (Eds) Marxism Against Postmodernism In Educational Theory Maryland: Lexington Books
Whitty G (2001) Vultures and Third Ways: Recovering Mannheim’s Legacy for Today in J Demaine (Ed) Sociology of Education Today London: Macmillan
Whitty G (2001) Has comprehensive education a future under New Labour in C Chitty & B Simons (Eds) Promoting Comprehensive Education in the 21st Century Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books
Whitty G (2001) Devolution and Choice in Education: The research evidence to date in J Oelkers (Ed) Futures of Education Bern, Switzerland: Peter Lang
Whitty G (2001) Quasi-Markets in Education in D Levinson, P Cookson & A Sadovnik (Eds) Education and Sociology: an encyclopedia New York: Routledge Falmer 473-484
Whitty G (2001) Teacher professionalism in new times in D Gleeson & C Husbands (Eds) The Performing School London: Routledge Falmer
