Educational Philosophy

"Re-imagining 21st century education is ambitious, an ambition born of a sadness as I reflect on a book written 30 years ago.  And I shall of course fall far short of the ambition.  Just to reiterate again the question raised in the invitation to this talk.

What sort of educational vision and practice may be fostered to underpin a new world where people matter?

This is an age-old question.  Its origins is in the idea of the good society that has long been the object of philosophical and political debate. So, specifically we can ask, what sort of education does a vision of the good society demand?  And how should schools be organised to lay a foundation for the realisation of this vision?
"

William Frankena (1966) has suggested a model
for analyzing philosophies of education based on
practical syllogism which goes back to Aristotle
(1925). Even though the deductive method in
philosophy of education was the subject of
attacks, Frankena’s model has been influential
as it has been appealed to in religious education
studies (e.g., Cohen 2010), applied branches of
education (e.g., Martin 2011), as well as philosophical
reflection on education (e.g., Covaleski
2007). Frankena’s model helps students to analyze
philosophies of education and acquire a
proper understanding of values education (Litke
1976), teacher education (Ainsworth and Johnson
2005), and workplace education (Hager 1999).

Amidst ongoing attempts to think beyond Western frameworks for education, there is a tendency to overlook Japan, perhaps because it appears highly modern. This is striking given that some prominent strands of Japanese philosophy have formulated an explicit and exacting challenge to the core onto-epistemic premises of modern Western thought. It is also surprising because Japanese educational practices have resulted in some of the highest achievement outcomes-both cognitive and noncognitive-found anywhere in the world and inculcate a worldview that is distinct. Herein, we thus attempt to make visible the potential contribution of modern Japanese philosophy by outlining some of the core ideas, then turn to sketch resonances with and responses to other projects outlined in this Special Issue. Our approach is elucidation through relational comparison. Through this process, we suggest that the notion of self-negation as a mode of learning may be helpful in explaining why-at the empirical level-the outlook of Japanese students, and perhaps other East Asian students, diverge markedly from their Western peers. Yet we also find that an attempt, such as ours, to link divergent onto-epistemic thought to alternative empirical hypotheses quickly gives rise to various doubts and discomforts, even among otherwise sympathetic scholars.

practice” (1991, p. 354). Research in the U.S. supports these observations. For example, Su’s (1990) study, based on interviews with 112 educators, found that although teachers stated that they valued critical thinking they did not implement it in their classrooms. Similarly, in her study of a three-year project to foster critical thinking in social studies, McKee (1988) found that teachers spent only four percent of class time on reasoning activities.

This paper attempts to advance the thinking in Stetsenko’s paper by situating the concepts of relational ontology and transformative activist stance in the context of coteaching and cogenerative dialogue. In so doing, we hope to make Stetsenko’s ideas more operational in terms of access and application by researchers, teachers, policy makers and other stakeholders in education. Stetsenko argues that moving from relational ontology to a transformative activist stance can be considered as moving from participation to contribution. When this model was applied to coteaching and cogenerative dialogue, it was apparent that the coteaching and cogenerative dialogue moved further, from contribution to shared contribution, adding even greater potential for transformation. The paper also discusses the use of cultural historical activity theory in articulating the relationships, dynamics and interpretations of coteaching and cogenerative dialogue in relation to the wider context of their application.

This study examines a “critical case” of one school district’s efforts to develop and implement a standards-based curriculum. The study was conducted from two competing perspectives that have dominated organizational analysis in education: the rational and the institutional. The findings demonstrate that the district took an expressly rationalistic approach by using standards and a corresponding criterion-referenced test to focus teachers’

Critically reflexive practice embraces subjective understandings of reality as a basis for thinking more critically about the impact of our assumptions, values, and actions on others. Such practice is important to management education, because it helps us understand how we constitute our realities and identities in relational ways and how we can develop more collaborative and responsive ways of managing organizations. This article offers three ways of stimulating critically reflexive practice: (a) an exercise to help students think about the socially constructed nature of reality, (b) a map to help situate reflective and reflexive practice, and (c) an outline and examples of critically reflexive journaling.

In developed countries, the education divide between students with access  and those without access to elite education providers has deepened. Students who have limited access to ‘elite’ education are at risk of joining a vicious circle of low educational outcomes, inadequate and inappropriate training for the emerging workplace, and behaviours that make escape from poverty difficult (Boven, Harland & Grace, 2011). This case study explores the lessons to be learned from a school that has embarked on a path to engage all of its students in 'Education for Enterprise' as a curriculum foundation to help its students aspire and achieve educational outcomes that better position them for modern citizenship, tertiary education, or other promising career pathways.

Related information:
Boven, R., Harland, C., & Grace, L. (2011). More ladders, fewer snakes: Two proposals to reduce youth disadvantage (Discussion Paper 2011/1). Auckland, N.Z.: The New Zealand Institute. Retrieved from http://stakeholderstrategies.co.nz/files/REPORT%20-%20More%20ladders%20fewer%20snakes.pdf

Mellalieu, P., & Vause, A. (2012, March 17). Advancing educational outcomes through Education for Enterprise in a Maori/Pacifika school: The case of Nga Kakano Christian Reo Rua Kura Part ONE: Strategic development issues. Innovation & chaos ... in search of optimality. Retrieved March 17, 2012, from http://pogus.tumblr.com/post/19444076798/advancing-educational-outcomes-through-education-for

This paper examines the theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) as the most viable and effective platform for 21st century educational and instructional methodologies based on the understanding of the value of diversity in today's classrooms and educational institutions, the unique qualities and characteristics of individual learners, the opportunities that arise from applying the ideas of multiple intelligences, the need for flexibility and adaptation in a global society, and the increasing demand for accountability at all levels of education. Several definitions of intelligence are presented and the author examines the theories of Sternberg and Goleman as supportive of the philosophy of multiple intelligences being the most effective for 21st century educational and curricular platform. The author sees the value of MI theory as broad enough to facilitate 21st century understanding of education and intelligence in so much as diversity and technology have fueled changes in the def...

Abstract In this essay, Ryan Bevan explores the pedagogical implications of taking virtue epistemology as the philosophical foundation of educational theory rather than following the instrumentalist approach that is currently dominant. According to Bevan, the critical thinking strategies characteristic of instrumentalism generally work to further the vocationalization of educational discourse as well as the cultivation of unreflective moral agents. He contends that critical thinking should be expanded beyond its rationalist criteria to focus on the process of inquiry. Such a virtue epistemology approach, according to Bevan, has the potential to uncover and change fundamental misconceptions that pervade current theoretical assumptions by encouraging learners to engage in a more inclusive inquiry that draws out alternative perspectives. Bevan concludes that citizenship education in particular can benefit greatly from this more expansive theory with concrete pedagogical implications.

ABSTRACT A long tradition in the philosophy of education identifies education’s most fundamental aim and ideal as that of the fostering or cultivation of rationality. In this article I relate this tradition in philosophy of education to recent work inspired by Wilfred Sellars on ‘the space of reasons’. I first offer a very brief overview of the tradition just mentioned, after which I briefly lay out Sellars’ notion and discuss its place in the work of some of those influenced by Sellars, especially John McDowell. I next address recent work in philosophy of education that suggests that there is a tension between Sellars’ notion and the traditional educational ideal as I have developed and defended it in my own work, or that the Sellarsian view as developed by McDowell resolves outstanding difficulties with my version of the traditional view. I will argue that there is less tension than there appears to some of my critics to be and that the Sellarsian notion is in fact compatible with the traditional view as thus developed, but that it leaves out an important aspect of that view that should not be lost.

Our aim in this conceptual work is to suggest, tentatively, some ways
forward into the breach as teacher educators. Our hope is to make a few
things possible. The first is a reengagement with questions of sexuality and
religion in teacher education that neither begins with that which is legal
nor ends with that which is sacred, and thus untouchable. We use, by way
of illustration, a few suggestive anecdotes from our own scholarly experiences not as exemplars necessarily but rather as illustrations of possibility for the field which neither mark its limits nor trace its ultimate possibility. In some sense, we hope to write this conversation into existence and wish it so through our own successes and failures as teacher educators working to find ways to engage these particular risks educationally.

In Nederland staat sinds enige tijd het thema 'persoonsvorming' op de agenda. Het onderwijs, zo menen invloedrijke mening- en beleidsmakers, moet méér willen doen dan leerlingen rechtlijnig toerusten op studie en arbeidsmarkt. Scholen moet 'vorming' of 'Bildung', al dat wat nog niet zo lang geleden 'de pedagogische opdracht van de school' heette, weer zelfbewust en naar eigen bevinden vorm en betekenis willen geven. Even zag het ernaar uit dat deze ambitie een anker zou krijgen; in de voorgenomen curriculumherziening die bekend staat (stond) onder de naam 'Ons Onderwijs2032', was specifiek plek ingeruimd voor 'persoonsvorming' als doel van het funderend onderwijs. Onder verwijzing naar de grondwettelijke 'vrijheid van onderwijs' is dit aspect inmiddels uit de curriculumplannen geschrapt. Toch blijft in 'het veld'-bij scholen, leraren, bestuurders, ouders en ook bij leerlingen-de vraag leven: hoe kan onderwijs meer betekenisvol worden voor leerlingen, en ook gericht bijdragen aan de vorming van leerlingen tot zelfbewuste, volwassen en vrije mensen? In dit artikel wil ik bijdragen aan het antwoord dat zij zoeken op (persoons)vorming in het onderwijs. In een notitie die ik schreef voor SLO heb ik actuele-maar eigenlijk oude-ideeën omtrent vorming geprobeerd uiteen te rafelen. Ik heb de wolk aan concurrerende begrippen en de verschillende definities ervan geproblematiseerd. Ik heb vorming geduid in termen van eerbiedwaardige tradities en geanalyseerd in het begrippenkader van de actuele stromingen of trends. Gevoed door levende schoolpraktijken in het Hollandse landschap heb ik ten slotte scenario's geschetst waarin persoonsvorming behalve pedagogisch en didactisch ook als 'curriculum', als plan van inhouden en ervaringen, op school gedacht en gedaan kan worden (Visser, 2016). Ook of juist nu 'persoonsvorming' geen thema meer is voor het landelijke curriculum, wil ik hier graag de omgekeerde weg bewandelen en een poging doen om haar toch als eenheid te vatten. Ondanks alle spraakverwarring en schoolvorming rond het nu gangbare begrip en haar vele equivalenten is er wel degelijk één soort mens wiens persoon we (ook) op school vormen. Zijn vorming is een specifiek menselijke, tegelijk unieke én universele ervaring. Zij heeft fysieke, culturele, ja, ook politiek-morele aspecten, en krijgt vorm in en door te onderscheiden (sub)culturele contexten, maar is niettemin wezenlijk voor elke mens. Geïnspireerd door eerder werk van Mariëtte van den Hoven en Kirsten Pols (2016) baseer ik me daarbij op het werk van de Duitse fenomenoloog Helmuth Plessner. Diens theorie over hoe mensen de wereld ervaren, biedt naar mijn gevoel aanknopingspunten voor hoe je over persoonsvorming als een samenhangend domein in het onderwijs kunt denken. Daar kunnen soorten van vragen rond worden gesteld, en dus ook inhouden en vaardigheden voor worden benoemd; lesstof en activiteiten, kortom, die op verschillende niveaus en jaarlagen in het onderwijs een plek kunnen krijgen. Daarmee wil ik een aanzet tot een 'rationale' voor een open 'curriculum' voor persoonsvorming geven. Ook wil ik enkele gefundeerde richtvragen formuleren, die schoolleiders en leraren kunnen gebruiken om hun lesprogramma te bevragen, en daaraan naar wens een eigen didactische, pedagogische en ook levensbeschouwelijke invulling kunnen geven. De theorie van de Duitse fenomenoloog Helmuth Plessner over hoe mensen de wereld ervaren, biedt aanknopingspunten voor hoe je over persoonsvorming als een samenhangend domein in het onderwijs kunt denken.

The status of learning styles theory in educational studies is uncertain as we inhabit the liminal phase between the theory's death as proclaimed by educational psychologists who avow to have disproven it and whatever afterlife will follow. At this moment, with both past and future in view, that we have an opportunity to reflect on the foundational assumptions of the theory. Engaging in the growing community of Agambenian philosophy of education and the ongoing dialogue around educational potentiality, this article approaches learning styles theory as a paradigm of educational Megarianism. In this frame, the error of the learning styles theorists was not in the construction of a particular typology, but in the metaphysical approach to pedagogy. The reflection upon learning styles as paradigm also contributes a paradigmatic case of educational Megarianism to the discussion of potentiality in Agambenian philosophy of education. Writing about endings is both provocative and attractive. The idea of something ending often unsettles and disturbs, particularly when it involves question of politics or the status of a body of knowledge and the future of a profession…Yet the idea of endings is also attractive, not least because it allows us to reexamine settled assumptions , convictions, and commitments; to ask where we are where we are going, but also how we got here. The question of endings is thus simultaneously a question of beginnings (Williams 2013, p. 648) From the side of educational studies populated most densely with psychologists, we hear a death knell ringing for the theory of learning styles. More of interest to the psychologists than philosophers throughout its fashionable phase, we are now in the liminal space between the fall of learning styles theory and the afterlife-a space where the theory's last

... Authors: Hill, Barbara A. ... Source: New Directions for Higher Education, n85 p7-11 Spr 1994. More Info: Help Peer-Reviewed: N/A. Publisher: N/A. Publication Date: 1994-00-00. Pages: N/A. Pub Types: Opinion Papers; Journal Articles. Abstract: The president of Sweet Briar College ...

Since educators are always looking for ways to improve their practice, and since empirical science is now accepted in our worldview as the final arbiter of truth, it is no surprise they have been lured toward cognitive neuroscience in hopes that discovering how the brain learns will provide a nutshell explanation for student learning in general. I argue that identifying the person with the brain is scientism (not science), that the brain is not the person, and that it is the person who learns. In fact the brain only responds to the learning of embodied experience within the extra-neural network of intersubjective communications. Learning is a dynamic, cultural activity, not a neural program. Brain-based learning is unnecessary for educators and may be dangerous in that a culturally narrow ontology is taken for granted, thus restricting our creativity and imagination, and narrowing the human community.

University faculty are increasingly called on to be less of a sage on the stage and more a guide on the side. This discussion introduces the underlying philosophy and assumptions of active learning theory. With this shift in pedagogical philosophy, there has been an increasing call for tools that actively engage students in the learning process. A game-show format is suggested as an effective classroom tool for active learning. Examples are given that draw on the television shows Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and Jeopardy.

The structure of studies of moral education is basically interdisciplinary; it includes moral philosophy, psychology, and educational research. This essay systematically analyses the structure of studies of moral educational from the vantage points of philosophy of science. Among the various theoretical frameworks in the field of philosophy of science, this essay mainly utilizes the perspectives of Lakatos’s research programme. In particular, this essay considers the relations and interactions between different fields, including moral philosophy, psychology, and educational research. Finally, the potential impacts of the new trends emerging from natural sciences that seem to be challenging to existing theoretical frameworks of moral education are examined using the vantage points of philosophy of science.

Vaugeois, L. (2007) “Social Justice and Music Education: Claiming the Space of Music Education as a Site of Postcolonial Contestation” Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education 6/4: 163-200. http://act.maydaygroup.org/articles/Vaugeois6_4.pdf