Research Profile

Dr. Steven Stolz's scholarship sits at the intersection of philosophy and education, with a focus on the relationship between theory and practice. His interdisciplinary work spans multiple fields including educational philosophy, epistemology, phenomenology, embodied cognition, ethics, and curriculum studies.

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5900-0329

Academic Profiles

Connect with Dr. Stolz's research on these academic platforms:

Books

Authored & Edited Books

  • The Body, Embodiment, & Education: An Interdisciplinary Approach (Routledge, 2022)
    Edited collection exploring embodiment theory in educational contexts.

  • Measuring Up in Education: Philosophical Explorations for Justice & Democracy Within & Beyond Cultures of Measurement in Educational Systems (Routledge, 2020)
    Co-edited with Webster, S., examining measurement cultures in educational systems.

  • Alasdair MacIntyre, Rationality and Education: Against Education of Our Age (Springer, 2019)
    Analysis of MacIntyre's philosophical contributions to educational theory.

  • Theory and Philosophy in Education Research: Methodological Dialogues (Routledge, 2018)
    Co-edited with Quay, J., Bleazby, J., Toscano, M., & Webster, S., exploring methodological approaches.

  • The Philosophy of Physical Education: A New Perspective (Routledge, 2014)
    Original contribution to the philosophical understanding of physical education.

Selected Journal Articles

Recent Publications (2022-2025)

  • Stolz, S., & Toscano, M. (2025). A narrative approach exploring the phenomenon of Pretendians in the contemporary university. Policy Futures in Education, 23(2), 518–530.

  • Nezhad, P., & Stolz, S. (2025). The interplay of context and need: unravelling the interwoven threads of teachers' professional learning/development. The Australian Educational Researcher, 52, 1315–1343.

  • Toscano, M., & Stolz, S. (2024). Reconsidering the notion of social justice from an elite theory perspective. British Journal of Educational Studies. Advance online publication.

  • Stolz, S., Winterburn, A. L., & Palmer, E. (2024). Is learning with ChatGPT really learning? Educational Philosophy and Theory, 56(12), 1253–1264.

  • Stolz, S. (2024). Nietzsche, virtue, and education: cultivating the sovereign individual through a new type of education. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 43(1), 31–45.

  • Thorburn, M., & Stolz, S. (2023). Where Merleau-Ponty meets Dewey: habit, embodiment, and education. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 42(6), 599–615.

  • Stolz, S. (2023). Narrative, zombie academics, and the contemporary university. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 44(6), 873–887.

  • Stolz, S. (2023). The practice of phenomenology in educational research. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 55(7), 822–834.

  • Stolz, S. (2022). Nietzsche on aesthetic education: a fictional narrative. The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 56(2), 37–55.

Educational Philosophy & Theory

  • Stolz, S. (2020). Phenomenology and phenomenography in educational research: a critique. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 52(10), 1077–1096.

  • Stolz, S. (2017). Can educationally significant learning be assessed? Educational Philosophy and Theory, 49(4), 379–390.

  • Stolz, S. (2017). MacIntyre, managerialism and universities. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 49(1), 38–46.

  • Stolz, S. (2015). Embodied learning. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 47(5), 474–487.

  • Stolz, S. (2013). Phenomenology and physical education. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 45(9), 949–962.

Studies in Philosophy and Education

  • Stolz, S. (2017). Nietzsche on aesthetics, educators and education. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 36(6), 683–695.

Sport, Education and Society

  • Stolz, S., & Thorburn, M. (2020). Sisyphus, crisis discourse, and the theory-practice gap in physical education: A polemic. Sport, Education and Society, 25(5), 518–529.

  • Stolz, S., & Thorburn, M. (2017). A genealogical analysis of Peter Arnold's conceptual account of meaning in movement, sport and physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 22(3), 377–390.

  • Stolz, S., & Pill, S. (2016). A narrative approach to exploring TGfU-GS. Sport, Education and Society, 21(2), 239–261.

View Complete Publications List

Selected Book Chapters

  • Stolz, S. (2022). Embodiment and Education: Beyond the Gap. In S. Stolz (Ed.), The Body, Embodiment, and Education: An Interdisciplinary Approach (pp. 1–11). Routledge.

  • Stolz, S., & Thorburn, M. (2022). Phenomenology, embodiment, and education: first-person methodologies of embodied subjectivity. In S. Stolz (Ed.), The Body, Embodiment, and Education: An Interdisciplinary Approach (pp. 60–78). Routledge.

  • Stolz, S. (2022). Nietzsche: truth, perspectivism, and his concern with Bildung. In J. T. Ozolins (Ed.), Education in an Age of Lies and Fake News: Regaining a Love of Truth (pp. 105–129). Routledge.

  • Stolz, S. (2020). Can educationally significant learning be assessed? In S. Stolz & S. Webster (Eds.), Measuring Up in Education: Philosophical Explorations for Justice and Democracy Within and Beyond Cultures of Measurement in Educational Systems (pp. 68–79). Routledge.

  • Stolz, S., & Biesta, G. (2018). Gert Biesta on thinking philosophically about education; thinking educationally about philosophy in education and educational research: In dialogue with Steven Stolz. In J. Quay, J. Bleazby, S. Stolz, M. Toscano & S. Webster (Eds.), Theory and Philosophy in Education Research: Methodological Dialogues (pp. 53–67). Routledge.

  • Stolz, S. (2017). MacIntyre, rationality and universities. In J. T. Ozolins (Ed.), Civil Society, Education and Human Formation: Philosophy's Role in a Renewed Understanding of the Meaning of Education (pp. 104–121). Routledge.

Current Research Projects

Embodied Cognition in Educational Contexts

This project investigates how embodied cognition theory can inform educational practice, focusing on the role of physical engagement in learning processes across different subject areas.

Ethics and Educational Measurement

Examining the ethical implications of measurement cultures in education, this project explores alternatives that balance accountability with holistic educational values.

Nietzsche and Educational Philosophy

Ongoing research into Nietzsche's contributions to educational thought, particularly around notions of self-cultivation, truth, and aesthetic education.

AI and Learning

Exploring philosophical questions around AI in educational contexts, including recent work on ChatGPT and its implications for authentic learning.

Research Supervision

Dr. Stolz supervises postgraduate research in the following areas:

  • Philosophy of education (educational theory and practice, knowledge, curriculum)

  • Educational theory (practical relevance, practical reason, rationality)

  • Epistemology (knowing-wh, and other areas)

  • Phenomenology (embodiment, perception, subjectivity, intersubjectivity)

  • Embodied cognition (4E cognition, gesture, and related areas)

  • Ethics and applied ethics (professional values/ethics, educational rights)

  • Curriculum studies and educational policy

  • Pedagogy and critical pedagogy

  • Psychology of learning

  • Narrative inquiry