3: Divergent Pathways: The Sociology of Education and Initial Teacher Education in Malta, England and Wales

In this paper, I consider two issues. Firstly, I ask why, when Mary Darmanin and my careers as sociologists of education began so similarly, they became so different. In answering that question, I address another more fundamental issue which Mary herself raises (Darmanin, 2012). That is why so much critical/critical theorist teaching and research (including her own) has so often failed to result in any significant increase in social justice in our educational systems. In order to answer these questions, I examine the changing nature of initial teacher education (ITE) in the three countries—Malta, England and Wales—where we have worked over the last 30 years. Focusing in particular on the contribution of sociology, I conclude by considering what has been won and what has been lost in these three very different teacher education policy contexts.