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James Arthur's research and writing cover a wide spectrum of areas, including both professional learning and theoretical texts, on education policy, virtues, social literacy, history, citizenship, religion and communitarian theory. His early research work and first book focused on faith schools and he continues to lead and organize conferences in this area at St. George's House, Windsor Castle as well as publishing important texts in the area - the most recent for Routledge in 2006 is Faith and Secularisation in Religious Colleges and Universities. Recently, the Archbishop of Canterbury launched his edited collection on Christian Leadership in Higher Education which he co-edited with Michael Wright, his former Vice Chancellor in Canterbury. James has also organized and led a number of conferences for the Council of Church Colleges and Universities and represented the research interests of this association on a HEFCE statutory committee. He was appointed the first Director of the National Institute for Christian Education Research 2005-2009 and his educational biography of John Henry Newman (Continuum) was launched in 2009 by Archbishop Vincent Nicholls.

James is also involved in developing new strategies at the University of Birmingham for enhanced public and civic engagement and is piloting an innovative student volunteering program in the City of Birmingham with students from the University. He believes that a university education must prepare its students for lives of significance and responsibility and that all university academics must demonstrate a commitment to public and civic service.

Related Products

  1. Education Matters

    60 years of the British Journal of Educational Studies

    Edited by James Arthur, Jon Davison, Richard Pring

    Series: Education Heritage

    Education Matters draws together a selection of the most influential papers published in the British Journal of Educational Studies by many of the leading scholars in the field over the past 60 years. This unique collection of seminal articles published since the first issue of the Journal provides...

    Published February 12th 2012 by Routledge

  2. Debates in Citizenship Education

    Edited by James Arthur, Hilary Cremin

    Series: The Debates in Subject Teaching Series

    What are the key issues in Citizenship Education today? Debates in Citizenship Education encourages student and practising teachers to engage with and reflect on some of the key topics, concepts and debates that they will have to address throughout their career. It places the specialist field of...

    Published November 10th 2011 by Routledge

  3. The Routledge Companion to Education

    Edited by James Arthur, Andrew Peterson

    Who are the key thinkers in education? What are the hot topics in education? Where will education go from here? The Routledge Companion to Education presents the most comprehensive, up-to-date guide available to the key theories, themes and topics in education. Forty specially commissioned chapters...

    Published October 16th 2011 by Routledge

  4. Education, Politics and Religion

    Reconciling the Civil and the Sacred in Education

    By James Arthur, Liam Gearon, Alan Sears

    In recent years a number of popular books have savaged religion arguing it is a dangerous delusion that poisons human societies and relationships. This is but the most recent manifestation of a secularising agenda that has been sweeping contemporary democratic societies since the Enlightenment....

    Published June 16th 2010 by Routledge

  5. Learning to Teach in the Primary School

    2nd Edition

    Edited by James Arthur, Teresa Cremin

    How can you become an effective primary school teacher? What do you need to be able to do? What do you need to know? Flexible, effective and creative primary school teachers require subject knowledge, an understanding of their pupils and how they learn, a range of strategies for managing behaviour...

    Published March 28th 2010 by Routledge

  6. The Routledge Education Studies Textbook

    Edited by James Arthur, Ian Davies

    The Routledge Education Studies Textbook is an academically wide-ranging and appropriately challenging resource for students beyond the introductory stages of a degree programme in Education Studies. Written in a clear and engaging style, the chapters are divided into three sections that...

    Published December 2nd 2009 by Routledge

  7. The Routledge Education Studies Reader

    Edited by James Arthur, Ian Davies

    The Routledge Education Studies Reader provides an authoritative overview of the key aspects of education for students beyond the introductory stages of a degree programme in Education Studies, enabling students to deepen their understanding. A blend of modern-classic and contemporary readings,...

    Published December 2nd 2009 by Routledge

  8. Citizenship and Higher Education

    The Role of Universities in Communities and Society

    Edited by James Arthur, Karen Bohlin

    Series: Key Issues in Higher Education

    What are the obligations of the university to society and its communities? What are the virtues of university education? What are the university's ethical responsibilities to its students? The role of citizenship and civic responsibility in higher education is a highly contested yet crucial element...

    Published September 17th 2009 by Routledge

  9. Learning to Teach History in the Secondary School

    A Companion to School Experience, 3rd Edition

    Edited by Terry Haydn, James Arthur, Martin Hunt, Alison Stephen

    Series: Learning to Teach Subjects in the Secondary School Series

    In some hands, history can be an inspirational and rewarding subject, yet in others it can seem dry and of little relevance. The aim of this textbook is to enable student teachers to learn to teach history in a way that pupils will find interesting, enjoyable and purposeful. It incorporates a wide...

    Published May 12th 2008 by Routledge

  10. Faith and Secularisation in Religious Colleges and Universities

    By James Arthur

    This book is a detailed study of higher education institutions affiliated to particular religions. It considers the debates surrounding academic freedom, institutional governance, educational policy, mission and identity together with institutions’ relations with the state and their wider...

    Published June 28th 2006 by Routledge

  11. Learning to Teach in the Primary School

    Edited by James Arthur, Teresa Cremin

    This comprehensive new textbook provides valuable support to student teachers on primary ITT, BEd and PGCE courses. It provides a sound and practical introduction to the teaching skills as well as the underlying theory. Written by experts in primary school teaching, the book is divided into ...

    Published June 7th 2006 by Routledge

  12. Professional Values and Practice

    Achieving the Standards for QTS

    By James Arthur, Jon Davison, Malcolm Lewis

    The professional code of the General Teaching Council lists eight new standards, each of them analysed here in detail using questions and activities to describe what trainee teachers need to know, understand and demonstrate as they work towards Qualified Teacher Status. Each of the eight standards...

    Published January 12th 2005 by Routledge

  13. Education with Character

    By James Arthur

    The establishment of citizenship education as a compulsory subject has recently been accompanied by the government's policy of 'promoting education with character.' Schools are identified as having a crucial role to play in helping to shape and reinforce basic character traits that will ultimately...

    Published November 27th 2002 by Routledge

  14. Citizenship Through Secondary History

    By James Arthur, Ian Davies, David Kerr, Andrew Wrenn

    Citizenship through Secondary History reveals the potential of history to engage with citizenship education and includes: a review of the links between citizenship education and the teaching and learning of history an analysis of how citizenship education is characterised, raising key issues about...

    Published September 26th 2001 by Routledge

  15. Teaching Citizenship in the Secondary School

    By James Arthur, Daniel Wright

    This text supports student teachers, NQTs and practitioners in implementing the Citizenship Order in secondary schools - to be introduced in September 2002. With a practical, clear focus, the authors provide an intellectual challenge; argument and evidence to help the reader come to an informed...

    Published August 12th 2001 by David Fulton Publishers

  16. Social Literacy, Citizenship Education and the National Curriculum

    By James Arthur, Jon Davison, William Stow

    This timely book looks at social literacy within the revised National Curriculum which places an obligation on schools and teachers to promote social cohesion, community involvement and a sense of social responsibility among young people.Social Literacy, Citizenship Education and the National...

    Published December 6th 2000 by Routledge

  17. Issues in History Teaching

    Edited by James Arthur, UNIVERSITY OF WALES SWANSEA ROBERT PHILLIPS

    Series: Issues in Teaching Series

    Written by a range of history professionals, including HMIs, this book provides excellent ideas on the teaching, learning and organization of history in primary and secondary schools....

    Published December 1st 1999 by Routledge

  18. Schools and Community

    The Communitarian Agenda in Education

    By Dr James Arthur, Richard Bailey

    Communitarianism, as a movement, is clearly a dominant theme within New Labour's educational policy. How does this affect education and the life and work of schools?Research has shown that there is a correlation between academic achievement and the strength of community life and awareness within a...

    Published November 3rd 1999 by Routledge

  19. Subject Mentoring in the Secondary School

    By James Arthur, Jon Davison, John Moss

    Student teachers have always worked with professionals during their teaching practice, but as teacher training becomes more school based, the role of the mentor has become much more important. Even newer is the emergence of the subject mentor. This book is an examination of the nature of effective...

    Published September 10th 1997 by Routledge


James has given numerous talks to national and international audiences and has been guest lecturer in Boston University, USA, Hiroshima University, Japan, University of Sydney, Australia, Notre Dame University, USA and many others. He has helped to train teachers in Soweto in South Africa and helped to facilitate teachers from England moving to Malawi to work with young people. He collaborated with the Centre for Ethics and Character at Boston University in editing Citizenship and Higher Education (Routledge) and has co-ordinated six international major conferences on citizenship education. In July this year Sir Menzies Campbell MP will launch his new co-authored Routledge book on Education, Politics and Religion at another international citizenship conference he is organising at St. Andrews University.

James has written, co-authored and edited many books and textbooks for Routledge and other publishers. He continues to be interested in educational studies and teacher education and a number of his edited collections are best sellers with Routledge. This includes Learning to Teach History in the Secondary School, Issues in History Teaching and Teaching Citizenship in the Secondary School. The very popular text Learning to Teach in the Primary School with Teresa Cremin has entered its second edition. Just published are the Routledge Education Studies Textbook and the Routledge Education Studies Reader edited with Ian Davies. Available next year will be the Routledge Companion in Education with Andrew Peterson.