We live in a fractured world—a time of 'polycrisis' (Tooze, 2021). A sense of anxiety, instability, and rupture marks a crisis. Fassin (2021) defines crisis as 'dramatic ruptures into the normal course of things that […]  call for urgent solution' (p.265). The present perpetual crisis has many faces. Recurring shocks contribute to heightened economic uncertainty—the surging prices of food and energy have substantially elevated the overall cost of living. War has engulfed millions. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic linger. Ecological breakdown threatens life on the earth. With the rise of extreme nationalism, democracy is in trouble. Advances in artificial intelligence have pushed us all into a moment of disjuncture. 

In the context of education, crises can manifest as significant disruptions or challenges that impact the normal functioning of educational systems. In education systems, crises may stem from natural disasters, public health emergencies, economic downturns, or political instability and affect the regular teaching and learning process. The COVID-induced school lockdowns have had profound implications for learning loss, particularly among disadvantaged communities. Limited access to technology, a lack of a conducive learning environment, and a lack of resources exacerbated existing educational inequities. Extended school closure has exacerbated educational disadvantage, as reflected in the evidence of 'learning deficits' in Europe (De Witte & François, 2023) and 'learning loss' internationally (World Bank, UNESCO & UNICEF, 2021).

Crisis marks a crucial decision point (Molla & Cuthbert, 2023; Molla et al., 2023). It erodes confidence in the status quo, resulting in the urgency to return to regularity and making drastic reforms possible and difficult decisions acceptable. However, as Prudham (2005) notes, 'there is no crisis without someone to call it one [and] how it is named will influence how it is addressed' (p.21). Without persistent and timely advocacy, governments often adhere to the status quo. We need advocacy efforts grounded in evidence to prompt policymakers to tackle the adverse outcomes of crises, such as the widening achievement gap due to school closures. The following research question guides this paper:

How can engaged scholars capitalise on crisis to cause the right change in education? 

To answer this question, I draw on a range of theoretical resources, including Bourdieu's (2003) idea of 'scholarship with commitment', Taylor's (2004) concept of 'social imaginaries', and Sen's (2009) call for 'public reasoning'. For Bourdieu (2003), scholarship with commitment entails intervening in "the political field" while adhering to the "rules that govern the scientific field" (p.24). Those who have evidence of the effects of the crisis in society should not shy away from being political—they should raise difficult questions and provide alternative policy ideas. Becoming political means being committed to raising difficult questions and contributing to public reasoning, which combines 'participatory discussions with public decision-making' (Sen, 2009). The desire to make contributions to public reasoning is guided by the assumption that public-facing scholarly engagement can create and shape collective narratives, which entail shared stories, beliefs, and perspectives that form a shared understanding within society. Collective narratives, thus formed, wield considerable influence, extending their impact to the realm of social imaginaries and public policies. Here, social imaginaries encompass the ways individuals envision their social existence—how they perceive their connections with others—and the underlying normative notions and images that shape these expectations at a profound level (Taylor, 2004). Imaginaries take roots through narratives (e.g. causal analysis and moral claims) that anchor shared concerns and framing devices (e.g. metaphors and catchphrases) that represent desired futures and orient actions.

This paper adopts a multifaceted methodology, combining a theoretical synthesis drawing on the works of Bourdieu, Taylor, and Sen with reflective insights derived from personal experiences in public-facing scholarly engagement. The convergence of these approaches offers a comprehensive exploration of how engaged scholars strategically leverage crises to advocate for transformative change in society. The literature review serves a dual purpose: firstly, to establish a comprehensive understanding of the key concepts and debates within each theoretical framework, and secondly, to identify gaps and nuances that warrant further exploration. Drawing on Bourdieu's insights into the dynamics of engaged scholarship, Taylor's exploration of social imaginaries, and Sen's examination of public reasoning, this study establishes a theoretical scaffold to comprehend the intricate ways engaged scholars navigate crises as opportune moments for advocating meaningful societal change. The synthesis of these theoretical perspectives allows for a holistic understanding of the intellectual, cultural, and ethical dimensions of strategically using crises for advocacy. I drew on reflexive engagement to complement the theoretical underpinning. I specifically reflect on how I used the findings of my equity studies to advocate for improved refugee education. In Australia, educational disadvantage—as assessed in terms of who gets access to what kind of education and with what experiences and outcomes—is a significant factor of social inequality among refugee-background African communities. Using this insight, I write newspaper articles, participate in community radio discussions, pen blog commentaries, prepare policy submissions, and serve on government advisory committees. My experiences in public-facing scholarly engagement in the space of refugee education bring a real-world dimension to the theoretical exploration. The personal narratives serve as illustrative examples of the instruments and challenges of engaged scholarship. The reflexive component enriches the study by grounding it in the practical realities of engaged scholarship. The synthesis of theoretical literature and empirical accounts aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the intersection between crisis and engaged scholarship.

Engaged scholarship is transformative in intent. In this paper, I argue that engaged scholars, by leveraging their collaborative, critical, and imaginative capacities, can contribute significantly to addressing societal challenges, including persisting educational disadvantage. The paper set out to answer one central question: How can engaged scholars capitalise on crisis to cause the right change in education? I posit that engaged educational scholars can capitalise on moments of crisis to help build more equitable education systems by critiquing the status quo, creating new social imaginaries, and contributing to public reasoning. Let me briefly discuss each of these points in turn. 1. Problematising the status quo to unveil structural forces underpinning unjust inequality in education. By delving into the complexities of societal structures during times of crisis, scholars can identify and expose systemic flaws that perpetuate educational inequalities in society. For instance, our recent study (Molla et al. 2023) revealed how the digital divide in Australia contributed to the widening achievement gaps during the COVID-19 school lockdowns. 2. Cultivating new social imaginaries that influence policy. A profound critique of the status quo should contribute to envisioning alternative futures. The collective construction of aspirational narratives that transcend existing paradigms benefits from widely shared new knowledge and narratives (Taylor, 2004). By actively conceptualising these alternatives, engaged scholars become architects of change, influencing the foundations upon which future policies are built. 3. Contributing to public reasoning. One way to create new social imaginaries is by directly engaging in public conversations. Active participation in the media and community services can be ideal for contributing to public reasoning (Sen, 2009). By effectively communicating research findings to the public, engaged scholars contribute to democratic dialogue and informed discourse. The assumption is that participatory debates and informed decisions pave the way for societal progress.

Bourdieu, P. (2003). Firing back: Against the tyranny of the market. New York: Verso. De Witte, K. and François, M. (2023). 'Covid-19 learning deficits in Europe: analysis and practical recommendations', EENEE Analytical report. doi: 10.2766/881143. Fassin, D. (2021). Crisis. In V. Das & D. Fassin (Eds.), Words and worlds: A lexicon for dark times (pp.261-276). Duke University Press. Molla, T., Cuthbert, D. (2023). Crisis and policy imaginaries: higher education reform during a pandemic. Higher Education, 86, 45–63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00899-5 Molla, T., Zaini, A., Shokouhi, H., & Arber, R. (2023). 'It's out of my hands': Migrant parents' challenging experiences of home-schooling during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Australian Journal of Education. DIO: https://doi.org/10.1177/00049441231220101 Prudham, S. (2005). Knock on wood. Routledge. Sen, A. (2009). The idea of justice. Harvard University Press. Taylor, C. (2004). Modern social imaginaries. Durham Tooze, A. (2021). Shutdown: How COVID shook the world's economy. Viking World Bank, UNESCO and UNICEF (2021). The State of the Global Education Crisis: A Path to Recovery. Washington D.C., Paris, New York: The World Bank, UNESCO, and UNICEF World Bank. (2020). Education in Times of Crisis: Evidence and Policy Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Author.