Time in education: Intertwined dimensions and theoretical possibilities

Abstract

In this article, Compton-Lilly proposes that time acts as a constitutive dimension of people’s experiences that significantly affects the ways people make sense of their worlds. After briefly examining the ways time has been conceptualized in educational practice, she explores the temporal affordances of three highly influential theories described by Bakhtin, Bourdieu, and Lemke. To illustrate the temporal potential of these theories, Compton-Lilly draws upon data from a 10-year case study of one student and his family. Temporality is revealed as a multifaceted contextual dimension. Attending to the various ways people operate within time provides important insights into the construction of longitudinal processes including identity construction, literacy learning, and becoming a student. These insights are important not only to researchers who attempt to make sense of the experiences of children and teachers, but also to educators who must seek ways to acknowledge and effect the longitudinal trajectories of children.