Australian teacher education 1900-1950: conspicuous and inconspicuous international networks

Abstract

Australian historiography has often portrayed Australian education as dependent and isolated. Starting from Foucault's notion of power as capillary, this paper traces two ways in which Australian teacher training in the first half of the twentieth century was tied into international networks. It documents some conspicuous links between key institutions and individuals. It also explores the way referencing of 'overseas' ideas and practice by teachers' college staff as normative constituted an internationalized discursive network. It argues that through these two types of network relations, Australian teacher education was not isolated but firmly and bilaterally tied to British and North American education.