Professor Michael Hand

School of Education
Professor of Philosophy of Education
Deputy Director of the Midlands Graduate School ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0)121 415 8277
Email: m.hand@bham.ac.uk

View my research portal

Address: School of Education
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston, Birmingham
B15 2TT, United Kingdom

Michael Hand is Professor of Philosophy of Education in the School of Education and Deputy Director of the Midlands Graduate School ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership. He is editor of the IMPACT pamphlet series and the Bloomsbury Philosophy of Education book series. Michael's research interests are in the areas of moral, political, religious and philosophical education. He has published books and articles on education for patriotism, the nature and aims of religious education, the justifiability of faith schools, autonomy as an educational aim, philosophy in schools, teaching about sexuality, and controversial issues in the classroom. His latest book is A Theory of Moral Education published by Routledge in 2018.

Michael coordinates the School’s philosophy of education seminar series.

Qualifications

DPhil in Philosophy of Education, University of Oxford
MSc in Educational Research Methodology, University of Manchester
PGCE in Primary Education, Open University
BA Hons in Theology and Religious Studies, University of Cambridge

Teaching

BA Education

Postgraduate supervision

Professor Hand supervises doctoral students working in the field of philosophy of education, including faith-based education, spiritual education, philosophy in schools, education for patriotism, academic freedom in higher education, ministerial training, and the interface between science and religion.

Research

Michael's research interests are in the areas of moral, political, religious and philosophical education. He has published books and articles on education for patriotism, the nature and aims of religious education, the justifiability of faith schools, autonomy as an educational aim, philosophy in schools, teaching about sexuality, and contrioversial issues in the classroom. His latest book is A Theory of Moral Education, published by Routledge in 2018.

Publications

Recent publications

Book

Hand, M 2017, A Theory of Moral Education. Routledge, London.

Article

Hand, M 2020, 'On the necessity of school punishment', Theory and Research in Education.

Hand, M 2020, 'Defining morality, applying standards and shaping attitudes: replies to Copson, Hobbs and Kotzee', Journal of Beliefs and Values.

Hand, M 2020, 'Symposium on Michael Hand’s A Theory of Moral Education: Introduction', Journal of Beliefs and Values.

Hand, M 2019, 'In defence of rational moral education: replies to Aldridge, de Ruyter and Tillson', Journal of Philosophy of Education, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 656-664. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9752.12397

Hand, M 2019, 'Moral education and the justification of basic moral standards: replies to Clayton, Stevens and D’Olimpio', Journal of Moral Education, vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 529-539. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2019.1626704

Hand, M 2018, 'Moral education and indoctrination: replies to John White and John Tillson', Theory and Research in Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878518784588

Hand, M 2018, 'On the distinctive educational value of philosophy', Journal of Philosophy in Schools, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 4-19. https://doi.org/10.21913/JPS.v5i1.1481

Chapter (peer-reviewed)

Hand, M & Davies, R 2015, Introduction. in Education, Ethics and Experience: Essays in Honour of Richard Pring. Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 1-10.

Hand, M 2015, Education for moral seriousness. in M Hand & R Davies (eds), Education, Ethics and Experience: Essays in Honour of Richard Pring. Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 48-61. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315716466

Book/Film/Article review

Hand, M 2018, 'Book review: Randall Curren and Charles Dorn, Patriotic Education in a Global Age', Theory and Research in Education, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 132-133. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878517750745

Editorial

Hand, M 2018, 'Editorial introduction', Impact, vol. 25, pp. 2-4.

Hand, M 2018, 'Editorial', Journal of Philosophy in Schools, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 1-3.

Hand, M 2017, 'Editorial introduction', Impact, vol. 24, pp. 2-4.

Hand, M 2016, 'Editorial introduction', Impact, vol. 23, pp. 2-4. https://doi.org/10.1111/2048-416X.2016.12003.x

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

philosophy of education; moral education; political education; religious education; sex and relationships education; teaching controversial issues; education for patriotism; faith schools; philosophy in schools

Expertise

Philosophy of education; moral, political, religious and philosophical education; education for patriotism, teaching sexuality; the aims of religious education; faith schools; philosophy for children; teaching of controversial issues.