Classics and Contemporaries: The “Top Ten” Books Recommended by Some of the Finest in the Education Academy

Oct 15, 2026

Researchers surveyed scholars affiliated with the National Academy of Education (NAE), NAE International Affiliates, and past presidents of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) to collect their “Top Ten” book lists in education. The study aims to support pre-service, new, and veteran educators, as well as educational scholars, in re-discovering “great books” recommended by leading academy members. Findings present the “Top Ten” list, additional salient results, and reflections on scholarly utility.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

“Top Ten” lists and their intended purpose

Educational Foundations

Foundational texts and the great books tradition

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| Classics and Contemporaries: The “Top Ten” Books Recommended by Some of the
Finest in the Education Academy | | --- | --- | NoelleA. Paufler, University of North Texas Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Arizona State University Abstract In this study, researchers surveyed scholars affiliated with the National Academy of Education (NAE), NAE's International Affiliates, and Past Presidents of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), to solicit their “Top Ten” lists of books in education. Researchers conducted this study to help pre-service, new, and veteran educators; educational scholars; and the like (re)discover the “great books” recommended by some of the best in the academy, as these books are at least one set of those that educators should read, have read, or in vernacular terms, “have on their bookshelves.” Researchers present the“Top Ten” list, discuss other salient findings, and also reflect on the utility of this as a scholarly resource and exercise. Keywords: foundations of education; higher education; teacher education; teacher education curriculum; reading lists Introduction “Top Ten” lists may be arbitrary, ephemeral, and reductionist, but they continue to captivate audiences and provoke thought, discussion, and sometimes potential action. Every year is punctuated by a myriad of“Top Ten” lists presumably listing the best (or worst) pop artists, cocktails, movies, etc., and distinguishing them from the others. Although these lists may be arbitrary, they are undeniably popular because they provide an abridged, and therefore convenient and easy-to-understand format for inciting humor, transmitting ideas, cataloguing mindsets, and the like. In the same regard, this “Top Ten” list is intended to register and help teacher educators expand upon ideas, provoke thought, and possibly even provide fodder for their students and others. More specifically, researchers constructed this “Top Ten” list to help others, including not only current but also future educators and educational scholars,(re)discover the books some of the best scholars in the education academy believe they should read, have read, or in more vernacular terms,“have on their bookshelves.” Researchers’ intentions in conducting this study are captured by Poetter’s (2013) reflections in his edited volume, Curriculum Windows: What Curriculum Theorists of the 1960s Can Teach Us About Schools and Society Today. After receiving a large collection of more than 100 books from his doctoral advisor and close friend, Norman V. Overly, upon his retirement, Poetter Critical Questions in Education 9:2 Summer 2018 101 (2013) recalled that he “couldn’t believe [his] eyes. There were copies of famous texts, some of which [he] had read, but many [he] had only read ‘about’”(p. xxv) . Poetter (2013) continued to describe not only his excitement as “the books represented a vibrant history of knowledge and action in the curriculum field” but also some melancholy “knowing that this moment marked a‘passing of the torch,’ that is, that Norm was finished with the books and passing them on to the next generation of scholars”(p. xxvi). Poetter (2013) added that he “felt a responsibility for making the books available, for honoring his legacy and contributions to the field, and for making sure, in some way, that many of the books that [he] had not read on that shelf found their way onto [his] own reading list”(p. xxvi) . In the same regard, researchers intended findings from this study to prompt, at least to some extent, the current and next generations of educational scholars and practitioners to reflect on what is on (or might be added to) their bookshelves. Educational Foundations Although the contribution of social foundations coursework to the preparation of highly qualified teachers has gone largely unrecognized, especially among those who will or do serve in high-needs schools and districts, prospective and current educators still value space to e

FAQs

Who provided the “Top Ten” education book lists in the study?

Scholars affiliated with the National Academy of Education (NAE), NAE International Affiliates, and past presidents of AERA provided their recommended “Top Ten” lists.

What is the main purpose of constructing this “Top Ten” list?

To help teacher educators and educators (current and future) expand ideas, provoke thought, and re-discover education “great books” that should be read or revisited.

How does the study connect foundational texts to teacher preparation?

It highlights social foundations coursework and frames the survey’s purpose as generating a list of foundational works that influenced generations and can serve as a base for future and current educators and scholars.

Oct 15, 2026

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