David I. Waddington received his Ph.D. in philosophy of education from Stanford University in 2006. His ongoing research interests include John Dewey’s educational thought, the history of progressive education, and philosophical issues surrounding science and technology in education.
Prior to his arrival at Concordia, he served for one year as a postdoctoral fellow in Stanford’s Introduction to the Humanities Program, where he taught courses in political philosophy and the history of science.
He has published articles on technology in education, including Heidegger’s philosophy of technology and the ethics of violent video games, and he has also written several articles on John Dewey’s work. Phone: 514-848-2424 x2039
This essay explores the possibility that a particular type of video game—real-time strategy games... more This essay explores the possibility that a particular type of video game—real-time strategy games—could have worrisome educational impacts.In order to make this case, I will develop a theoretical framework originally advanced by French social critic Paul Virilio. In two key texts, Speed and Politics (1977) and “The Aesthetics of Disappearance” (1984), Virilio maintains that society is becoming “dromocratic” – determined by and obsessed with speed. Extending Virilio’s analysis, I will argue that the frenetic, ruthless environment of real-time strategy games may promote an accelerated, hypermodern way of thinking about the world that focuses unduly on efficiency.
(2018). Broaching the subject: Developing law-based principles for free speech in the classroom. ... more (2018). Broaching the subject: Developing law-based principles for free speech in the classroom. Teaching and Teacher Education, 70: 196-203. The aim of this paper is to put forward a set of law-based principles which define the limits of educators' free discretion to address contested social and political issues in the classroom. The specific type of case we have in mind arises when teachers' purpose is to use the classroom as a place to help young people learn how to discuss controversial matters, and where the choice of topic or pedagogical approach meets with resistance and disagreement from employers, pupils' parents or other stakeholders. Teachers face multiple barriers when dealing with controversial issues in class. These include a sense that students lack the ability or maturity to engage in meaningful political discussions, concerns about creating situations in which some students might feel uncomfortable or unsafe, and teachers' lack of confidence in their own ability to manage the uncertainties that arise when students are invited to air multiple and competing views about. However, the specific barrier with which this paper is concerned is the possibility of sanctions in the workplace as a result of raising controversial issues in class. The threat or imposition of sanctions is sometimes necessary, but it can also have a chilling effect on the reasonable exercise of teachers' professional autonomy and their capacity to provide their students with educational experiences favorable to the development of democratic values and competencies. As scholars who are committed to teacher autonomy and the levels of teacher curricular free speech which accompany it, we deplore what we see as the ongoing erosion of these prerogatives. Hence, our aim in what follows is to chart the current limits and possibilities of teachers' discretion to broach controversial topics. Methodologically, we applied qualitative content analysis (see Krippendorf, 1989; Stemler, 2001) to key U.S. and Canadian jurisprudence and secondary legal writings on teacher free speech to uncover patterns in judges' views on the considerations that need to be taken into account when thinking about whether pedagogical discretion has been exercised in a reasonable and responsible way. We found judges returning consistently to four rights and interests that need to be balanced with teachers' constitutional right to free expression—namely, the State's interest in determining the content taught in schools, the rights of pupils as a captive audience, the right of students to benefit from a stable learning environment, and the interest of maintaining public confidence in the public school system. We argue that these considerations entail four corresponding principles that set reasonable limits on teachers' right to curricular free speech: alignment with the official curriculum, even-handedness, age appropriateness, and avoidance of inflammatory material. Within these limits, however, there is also space for teacher autonomy. We argue that it is not legitimate to prevent teachers from raising and discussing a sensitive topic with their students in class as long as it is done in a way that respects these guiding principles. Before we begin this exercise, a word of caution is in order. For reasons discussed in detail below, adherence to these principles on the part of a teacher by no means guarantees legal protection in the case of a conflict between a teacher and their employer
This article considers the question of whether policies that propose to forbid public officials, ... more This article considers the question of whether policies that propose to forbid public officials, most notably teachers, from wearing religious clothing in the classroom can be justified by political principles of secularism – specifically, the principle of state neutrality and the principle of state autonomy from religious influence. Two prominent arguments on behalf of an affirmative answer to this question are identified and evaluated, ultimately casting doubt on the cogency of prohibitionist arguments. The claim is then advanced that secular principles are most compellingly understood in educational contexts as principles of professional ethics – that is, as grounds for teacher reflection. To support this claim, we conclude by presenting two scenarios in which teachers face difficult decisions about whether to wear or remove an otherwise obligatory religious symbol. In this discussion, the importance of balance considerations of religious conscience with the value of public trust...
Quelles sont les limites raisonnables encadrant l’enseignement de sujets controverses ? L’article... more Quelles sont les limites raisonnables encadrant l’enseignement de sujets controverses ? L’article suivant vise la reponse a cette question et propose, pour ce faire, de degager certains principes juridiquement fondes qui guideront la pratique professionnelle du corps enseignant. L’analyse de la jurisprudence pertinente du Canada et des Etats-Unis, ainsi que de documents legaux secondaires nous a permis de relever les elements recurrents sur lesquels se fondent les juges pour evaluer si la liberte d’expression pedagogique a ete exercee de facon raisonnable et responsable. Notre analyse degage quatre principes delimitant l’exercice de la liberte d’expression en enseignement : l’alignement avec le programme, l’impartialite, le non-usage de propos possiblement incendiaires et la pertinence du contenu en fonction de l’âge.
This study examined the effects of Spaceteam ESL, a digital shouting game, on the development of ... more This study examined the effects of Spaceteam ESL, a digital shouting game, on the development of oral reading fluency (ORF) among 71 English as a second language (ESL) students in three primary and secondary schools in Mombasa, Kenya. Following a mixed-methods approach for data collection and analysis, we pre-tested and post-tested the participants on their ability to read aloud efficiently (speed) and accurately (accuracy) in three tasks: (1) phrases extracted from the game; (2) phrases not related to the game; and (3) a short anecdote. Paired-samples t-tests results revealed that, as hypothesized, participants who played Spaceteam ESL improved their ORF on measures of speed on all tasks, possibly because of the fast-paced nature of the game. However, no significant differences were observed in terms of accuracy due to a ceiling effect: the participants had already mastered the intricacies of the letter-to-sound rules of English orthography. Overall, these findings corroborate our ...
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 2011
Science, technology, society, and environment (STSE) themes occupy a prominent place in the refor... more Science, technology, society, and environment (STSE) themes occupy a prominent place in the reformed Québec junior high school science curriculum. However, studies have demonstrated that STSE curriculum reforms are often not translated into meaningful changes in classroom practice. Although there are multiple possible reasons for this gap between curriculum theory and teaching practice, one reason that is especially worthy of
Abstract. In this essay, Bruce Maxwell, David Waddington, Kevin McDonough, Andrée-Anne Cormier, a... more Abstract. In this essay, Bruce Maxwell, David Waddington, Kevin McDonough, Andrée-Anne Cormier, and Marina Schwimmer compare two competing approaches to social integration policy, Multiculturalism and Interculturalism, from the perspective of the issue of the state funding and regulation of conservative religious schools. After identifying the key differences between Interculturalism and Multiculturalism, as well as their many similarities, the authors present an explanatory analysis of this intractable policy challenge. Conservative religious ...
The analysis revealed four principles that set limits on teachers' right to classroom free speech... more The analysis revealed four principles that set limits on teachers' right to classroom free speech. The first two principles are curriculum alignment and even-handedness. The second two principles are age appropriateness and avoidance of inflammatory material. These four principles are a useful guide for teachers and teacher educators. The protections afforded to teacher free speech remain limited, so caution is warranted.
This essay explores the possibility that a particular type of video game-real-time strategy games... more This essay explores the possibility that a particular type of video game-real-time strategy games-could have worrisome educational impacts. In order to make this case, I will develop a theoretical framework originally advanced by French social critic Paul Virilio. In two key texts, Speed and Politics (1977) and "The Aesthetics of Disappearance" (1984), Virilio maintains that society is becoming "dromocratic"-determined by and obsessed with speed. Extending Virilio's analysis, I will argue that the frenetic, ruthless environment of real-time strategy games may promote an accelerated, hypermodern way of thinking about the world that focuses unduly on efficiency.
Philosophy of Education and the Work of Teachers, 2019
In this chapter, I argue that the status of Dewey scholarship in schools of education is likely t... more In this chapter, I argue that the status of Dewey scholarship in schools of education is likely to decline. To advance this hypothesis, I begin with an account of the factors behind Dewey’s ascent in North American schools of education. I then proceed to review some existing critiques of Dewey, and I explain how they do not capture the key problem with Dewey's philosophy, which is its strong commitment to modernity. Once this core argument is laid out, I explain how this commitment to modernity, along with the progressive movement’s current difficulties, indicate some difficult times ahead for Dewey scholarship.
Why do society and the courts so readily recognize university and college teachers’ academic free... more Why do society and the courts so readily recognize university and college teachers’ academic freedom but just as readily deny primary and secondary school teachers the same right? To investigate this question, this paper considers teachers’ work in light of the standard justifications for granting academic freedom in higher education: that academic freedom is essential to promoting the capacity for critical reflection and the transfer of disciplinary knowledge. Considering the key role that society calls upon teachers to play in advancing both of these educational and social goods, the paper argues that granting academic freedom in higher education, while denying it for primary and secondary teachers, appears to be a double standard. The claims to academic freedom typically reserved for university professors, we show, also apply to the work of primary and secondary teachers. There are significant differences between teaching in the higher education sector as opposed to the compulsory education sector. School teachers work with a conscripted clientele of minors and are therefore rightly subject to more stringent norms of public accountability. These differences notwithstanding, the concept of academic freedom, the paper concludes, is a potentially powerful source of leverage for addressing concerns about the erosion of teachers’ professional autonomy and for increased teacher involvement in the elaboration and management of the regulatory framework that governs their work.
This essay explores the possibility that a particular type of video game—real-time strategy games... more This essay explores the possibility that a particular type of video game—real-time strategy games—could have worrisome educational impacts.In order to make this case, I will develop a theoretical framework originally advanced by French social critic Paul Virilio. In two key texts, Speed and Politics (1977) and “The Aesthetics of Disappearance” (1984), Virilio maintains that society is becoming “dromocratic” – determined by and obsessed with speed. Extending Virilio’s analysis, I will argue that the frenetic, ruthless environment of real-time strategy games may promote an accelerated, hypermodern way of thinking about the world that focuses unduly on efficiency.
(2018). Broaching the subject: Developing law-based principles for free speech in the classroom. ... more (2018). Broaching the subject: Developing law-based principles for free speech in the classroom. Teaching and Teacher Education, 70: 196-203. The aim of this paper is to put forward a set of law-based principles which define the limits of educators' free discretion to address contested social and political issues in the classroom. The specific type of case we have in mind arises when teachers' purpose is to use the classroom as a place to help young people learn how to discuss controversial matters, and where the choice of topic or pedagogical approach meets with resistance and disagreement from employers, pupils' parents or other stakeholders. Teachers face multiple barriers when dealing with controversial issues in class. These include a sense that students lack the ability or maturity to engage in meaningful political discussions, concerns about creating situations in which some students might feel uncomfortable or unsafe, and teachers' lack of confidence in their own ability to manage the uncertainties that arise when students are invited to air multiple and competing views about. However, the specific barrier with which this paper is concerned is the possibility of sanctions in the workplace as a result of raising controversial issues in class. The threat or imposition of sanctions is sometimes necessary, but it can also have a chilling effect on the reasonable exercise of teachers' professional autonomy and their capacity to provide their students with educational experiences favorable to the development of democratic values and competencies. As scholars who are committed to teacher autonomy and the levels of teacher curricular free speech which accompany it, we deplore what we see as the ongoing erosion of these prerogatives. Hence, our aim in what follows is to chart the current limits and possibilities of teachers' discretion to broach controversial topics. Methodologically, we applied qualitative content analysis (see Krippendorf, 1989; Stemler, 2001) to key U.S. and Canadian jurisprudence and secondary legal writings on teacher free speech to uncover patterns in judges' views on the considerations that need to be taken into account when thinking about whether pedagogical discretion has been exercised in a reasonable and responsible way. We found judges returning consistently to four rights and interests that need to be balanced with teachers' constitutional right to free expression—namely, the State's interest in determining the content taught in schools, the rights of pupils as a captive audience, the right of students to benefit from a stable learning environment, and the interest of maintaining public confidence in the public school system. We argue that these considerations entail four corresponding principles that set reasonable limits on teachers' right to curricular free speech: alignment with the official curriculum, even-handedness, age appropriateness, and avoidance of inflammatory material. Within these limits, however, there is also space for teacher autonomy. We argue that it is not legitimate to prevent teachers from raising and discussing a sensitive topic with their students in class as long as it is done in a way that respects these guiding principles. Before we begin this exercise, a word of caution is in order. For reasons discussed in detail below, adherence to these principles on the part of a teacher by no means guarantees legal protection in the case of a conflict between a teacher and their employer
This article considers the question of whether policies that propose to forbid public officials, ... more This article considers the question of whether policies that propose to forbid public officials, most notably teachers, from wearing religious clothing in the classroom can be justified by political principles of secularism – specifically, the principle of state neutrality and the principle of state autonomy from religious influence. Two prominent arguments on behalf of an affirmative answer to this question are identified and evaluated, ultimately casting doubt on the cogency of prohibitionist arguments. The claim is then advanced that secular principles are most compellingly understood in educational contexts as principles of professional ethics – that is, as grounds for teacher reflection. To support this claim, we conclude by presenting two scenarios in which teachers face difficult decisions about whether to wear or remove an otherwise obligatory religious symbol. In this discussion, the importance of balance considerations of religious conscience with the value of public trust...
Quelles sont les limites raisonnables encadrant l’enseignement de sujets controverses ? L’article... more Quelles sont les limites raisonnables encadrant l’enseignement de sujets controverses ? L’article suivant vise la reponse a cette question et propose, pour ce faire, de degager certains principes juridiquement fondes qui guideront la pratique professionnelle du corps enseignant. L’analyse de la jurisprudence pertinente du Canada et des Etats-Unis, ainsi que de documents legaux secondaires nous a permis de relever les elements recurrents sur lesquels se fondent les juges pour evaluer si la liberte d’expression pedagogique a ete exercee de facon raisonnable et responsable. Notre analyse degage quatre principes delimitant l’exercice de la liberte d’expression en enseignement : l’alignement avec le programme, l’impartialite, le non-usage de propos possiblement incendiaires et la pertinence du contenu en fonction de l’âge.
This study examined the effects of Spaceteam ESL, a digital shouting game, on the development of ... more This study examined the effects of Spaceteam ESL, a digital shouting game, on the development of oral reading fluency (ORF) among 71 English as a second language (ESL) students in three primary and secondary schools in Mombasa, Kenya. Following a mixed-methods approach for data collection and analysis, we pre-tested and post-tested the participants on their ability to read aloud efficiently (speed) and accurately (accuracy) in three tasks: (1) phrases extracted from the game; (2) phrases not related to the game; and (3) a short anecdote. Paired-samples t-tests results revealed that, as hypothesized, participants who played Spaceteam ESL improved their ORF on measures of speed on all tasks, possibly because of the fast-paced nature of the game. However, no significant differences were observed in terms of accuracy due to a ceiling effect: the participants had already mastered the intricacies of the letter-to-sound rules of English orthography. Overall, these findings corroborate our ...
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 2011
Science, technology, society, and environment (STSE) themes occupy a prominent place in the refor... more Science, technology, society, and environment (STSE) themes occupy a prominent place in the reformed Québec junior high school science curriculum. However, studies have demonstrated that STSE curriculum reforms are often not translated into meaningful changes in classroom practice. Although there are multiple possible reasons for this gap between curriculum theory and teaching practice, one reason that is especially worthy of
Abstract. In this essay, Bruce Maxwell, David Waddington, Kevin McDonough, Andrée-Anne Cormier, a... more Abstract. In this essay, Bruce Maxwell, David Waddington, Kevin McDonough, Andrée-Anne Cormier, and Marina Schwimmer compare two competing approaches to social integration policy, Multiculturalism and Interculturalism, from the perspective of the issue of the state funding and regulation of conservative religious schools. After identifying the key differences between Interculturalism and Multiculturalism, as well as their many similarities, the authors present an explanatory analysis of this intractable policy challenge. Conservative religious ...
The analysis revealed four principles that set limits on teachers' right to classroom free speech... more The analysis revealed four principles that set limits on teachers' right to classroom free speech. The first two principles are curriculum alignment and even-handedness. The second two principles are age appropriateness and avoidance of inflammatory material. These four principles are a useful guide for teachers and teacher educators. The protections afforded to teacher free speech remain limited, so caution is warranted.
This essay explores the possibility that a particular type of video game-real-time strategy games... more This essay explores the possibility that a particular type of video game-real-time strategy games-could have worrisome educational impacts. In order to make this case, I will develop a theoretical framework originally advanced by French social critic Paul Virilio. In two key texts, Speed and Politics (1977) and "The Aesthetics of Disappearance" (1984), Virilio maintains that society is becoming "dromocratic"-determined by and obsessed with speed. Extending Virilio's analysis, I will argue that the frenetic, ruthless environment of real-time strategy games may promote an accelerated, hypermodern way of thinking about the world that focuses unduly on efficiency.
Philosophy of Education and the Work of Teachers, 2019
In this chapter, I argue that the status of Dewey scholarship in schools of education is likely t... more In this chapter, I argue that the status of Dewey scholarship in schools of education is likely to decline. To advance this hypothesis, I begin with an account of the factors behind Dewey’s ascent in North American schools of education. I then proceed to review some existing critiques of Dewey, and I explain how they do not capture the key problem with Dewey's philosophy, which is its strong commitment to modernity. Once this core argument is laid out, I explain how this commitment to modernity, along with the progressive movement’s current difficulties, indicate some difficult times ahead for Dewey scholarship.
Why do society and the courts so readily recognize university and college teachers’ academic free... more Why do society and the courts so readily recognize university and college teachers’ academic freedom but just as readily deny primary and secondary school teachers the same right? To investigate this question, this paper considers teachers’ work in light of the standard justifications for granting academic freedom in higher education: that academic freedom is essential to promoting the capacity for critical reflection and the transfer of disciplinary knowledge. Considering the key role that society calls upon teachers to play in advancing both of these educational and social goods, the paper argues that granting academic freedom in higher education, while denying it for primary and secondary teachers, appears to be a double standard. The claims to academic freedom typically reserved for university professors, we show, also apply to the work of primary and secondary teachers. There are significant differences between teaching in the higher education sector as opposed to the compulsory education sector. School teachers work with a conscripted clientele of minors and are therefore rightly subject to more stringent norms of public accountability. These differences notwithstanding, the concept of academic freedom, the paper concludes, is a potentially powerful source of leverage for addressing concerns about the erosion of teachers’ professional autonomy and for increased teacher involvement in the elaboration and management of the regulatory framework that governs their work.
Quelles sont les limites raisonnables encadrant l'enseignement de sujets controversés? Pour répon... more Quelles sont les limites raisonnables encadrant l'enseignement de sujets controversés? Pour répondre à cette question, cet article vise à établir un ensemble de principes reposant sur des fondements juridiques en vue de guider la pratique professionnelle des enseignants. Sur la base d'une analyse de la jurisprudence pertinente du Canada et des États-Unis et de documents légaux secondaires, nous avons cerné des éléments récurrents guidant les juges lorsque ceux-ci évaluent si la liberté d'expression pédagogique a été exercée de façon raisonnable et responsable. Quatre principes définissant les limites de l'exercice de la liberté d'expression en enseignement résultent de notre analyse : l'alignement avec le programme, l'impartialité, le non-usage de propos incendiaires prévisibles et la pertinence du contenu en fonction de l'âge. Mots-clés-liberté d'expression des enseignants, droit de l'éducation, éthique professionnelle en enseignement, aborder des sujets controversés en classe, éducation à la citoyenneté.
Et si renoncer au port de signes religieux était une question d'éthique professionnelle pour les ... more Et si renoncer au port de signes religieux était une question d'éthique professionnelle pour les enseignants ?
Abstract. In this essay, Bruce Maxwell, David Waddington, Kevin McDonough, Andrée-Anne Cormier, a... more Abstract. In this essay, Bruce Maxwell, David Waddington, Kevin McDonough, Andrée-Anne Cormier, and Marina Schwimmer compare two competing approaches to social integration policy, Multiculturalism and Interculturalism, from the perspective of the issue of the state funding and regulation of conservative religious schools. After identifying the key differences between Interculturalism and Multiculturalism, as well as their many similarities, the authors present an explanatory analysis of this intractable policy challenge. Conservative religious ...
Uploads
Papers by David Waddington