What's in a Word?

How language shapes policy, practice, and perceptions

The language employed in education is more than mere semantics: it shapes policy, practice, and perceptions. Edge’s latest series therefore asks, ‘What’s in a word?’. The series will scrutinise the impact, intentional or otherwise, of the terminology we commonly employ in the field.

This is not an effort to police the language we use. Instead, we want to contemplate the implications inherent in our word choices. Complementing our historical and philosophical toolkits and bringing together the diversity of policymakers, practitioners, employers, and researchers around education, we aim to foster a shared understanding of the language we use and its potential to influence meaningful change.

We’ve sought contributions to our discussion from across the educational landscape. Our first season of entries begins with an introduction: unpacking the terminology we use in education policy and research. Month by month we'll then consider a common word of phrase that, on closer inspection, belies easy definition.