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Unit 2 part one
This document discusses key concepts in the philosophy of education, including the nature and purpose of education. It addresses several questions: - What is education and how does it relate to schooling? Education involves developing knowledge and understanding through various means, not just formal schooling. - What is the purpose of critical thinking in education? Critical thinking skills allow students to challenge assumptions, avoid biases, and apply knowledge to solve problems. These skills are important for functioning in today's world. - How can critical thinking be developed as a core function of education? Approaches include teaching generic problem-solving and reasoning skills that can be applied across disciplines. - What knowledge should schools promote? Schools could promote knowledge for
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Unit 2 part one
- 1. Dr Joseph JinjaDivala B-Ring 438 011 559 2902 [email protected] EDUCATION STUDIES 3B PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
- 2. GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND EXPECTATIONS Theoreticalperspectives •Unit 1: Equality and Emancipation - Dr Dirk Postma •Unit 2: Aims of education and critical thinking –Dr Joseph Divala •Theory of Knowledge – Dr Solomon A. David •Reading all three chapters concurrently
- 3. Operational matters • Studentsin fixed class venues. • Lecturers rotate periodical with specific topics. • Tutors are attached to topics • (How to read a philosophical text in a simple way - to be dealt with on 20 Feb)
- 4. UNIT 2: AIMSOF EDUCATION AND CRITICAL THINKING Discuss for 3 minutes •Why this? •What is the distinction between an aim and action?
- 5. 5 CONCEPTS AND THEIRPLACE IN EDUCATION • The distinction between words and Concepts? • A word as a language vehicle for communication • A concept as a connection of words forming up a single idea. • What is a concept? Do concepts exist? Where do they exist? • Basically: Mental Constructs • Connected to reality affirmatively or in disjunction.
- 6. 6 CONCEPTS, ARGUMENTS, ASSUMPTIONSAND EDUCATION DISCOURSE • A concept as a primarily a reference to mental contents • Whether sourced from experience (through induction) or from other concepts (deduction). • An argument is interested in the sense/coherence of concepts within a premise and between premises. • A break in this coherence is called a fallacy or simply a bad argument. • An assumption is either right or wrong but primarily is something not clearly stated in an argument.
- 7. 7 MEANINGS, REASONING AND EDUCATION. •Reason and reasoning in life. • What is a reason (in general)? • What is reasoning? • Could it be a form of explanation or belief? • Are there any distinctions between “reason (in general)” and “reasoning”? • Sufficient Reason • A condition of life / existence /action • That which makes us be what we are or do what we do. • Do you think education can exist without reason?
- 8. What is education? •Is it teaching? • Is it schooling? • Is it teaching and learning? • Is it human development? • What is education? • Why education? • How does schooling relate to education? • What are schools for?? • Can schools do their job if they fail to develop critical minds???
- 9. What is education?What does being educated entail? • One has a body of knowledge and a degree of understanding involving a conceptual scheme by reference to which what one knows is more than a collection of disjointed facts. • Such knowledge cannot be inert in the sense that it can be hived off as it were, and thereby fail to characterize one’s way of looking at things for “education” implies that one’s outlook is transformed by what one knows. 9
- 10. • One haswhat he calls a cognitive perspective whereby one does not have an impossibly limited conception of what one is engaged in. • Unlike being trained, an educated person is not merely competent at performing a particular task, rather one’s competence is linked to a much wider belief system than someone merely trained. 10
- 11. Why should weaccept the definition of education provided so far? 11
- 12. • Some ofthe most influential trends in thinking about education suggest that the real purpose of education is to free the human mind and free the person from his /her physical limitation. • This is equivalent to freeing the imagination or thinking capacity of the human mind. • Hence the development of the rational mind /the capacity of the person to think for oneself is isolated as the core function of education. 12
- 13. A distinction betweencore functions and other functions Developing thinking capacity Education for work Education for well- being and happiness 13
- 14. What is therole of education in developing these functions? How are we to determine what is worthwhile? Why should we even bother finding out? 14
- 15. What is theconnection between education and critical thinking? • Teaching children to become effective thinkers is increasingly recognized as an immediate goal of education. • IF students are to function successfully in a highly technical society, an increasingly complex society - socially and economically, THEN they must be equipped thinking skills necessary to acquire and process information in an ever-changing world. • This means the development of thinking skills becomes a lifelong learning process. 15
- 16. http://www.che.ac.za/documents on the purposeof (higher) education • “One of the fundamental purposes of higher education is to address the development needs of society and provide the labor market, in a knowledge- driven and knowledge-dependent society, with the ever-changing high-level competencies and expertise necessary for the growth and prosperity of a modern economy. • Higher education teaches and trains people to fulfill specialized social functions, enter the learned professions, or pursue vocations in administration, trade, industry, science and technology and the arts” (http://www.che.ac.za/documents) 16
- 17. What is thepurpose of higher order thinking in education? • Higher order thinking skills are important because of their relationship not simply to knowledge and skills required by further education and training and employment pathways, but also to their role in student self-development. • A key component of this process is the development of practices of self-reflection. 17
- 18. How can wedevelop critical thinking as a core function of education? • One approach is the development of generic skills such as problem solving, thinking critically, creative thinking and making judgements with sufficient reasons. • These abilities are considered essential for University students to develop, regardless of the discipline area of study (i.e. generic skills). • There was a need to assess a broader range of learning outcomes, which has arisen due to the change in conceptions of the goals of a university education. 18
- 19. What then iscritical thinking in education? • No clear consensus about what is meant by the term critical thinking. • Most people propose a set of thinking skills, such as: The ability to recognize the uncertainties in a problem that might prevent a single “correct” solution. The ability to frame a problem adequately. This involves organizing and analysing information, understanding alternative viewpoints, and recognizing and controlling for initial biases. 19
- 20. The ability toreach, articulate, and defend a solution as most reasonable. The ability to recognize the limitations of a solution and to consider possible re- evaluations as new information becomes available (see also Wolcott,2003) 20
- 21. The Nature ofCritical thinking • Critical thinking is a systematic way to form and shape one’s thinking. • It functions purposefully and exactingly. In other words, it is disciplined, comprehensive, based on intellectual standards, and as such it is a result correct reasoning. • Critical Thinking is distinguishable from other modes/types of thinking because the thinker is thinking with the awareness of the systematic nature of high quality thought. • In addition, one is continuously checking up on himself or herself, striving to improve the quality of thinking. 21
- 22. Nature (cont. 2) •Criticalthinking is not just a random series of characteristics or components. •All of its components –its elements, principles, standards and values – form an integrated, working network that can be applied effectively not only to academic learning, but to learning in every dimension of living (Paul,1995). •Critical thinking’s most fundamental concern is excellence of thought. It is based on two assumptions: 22
- 23. The assumptions: •That thequality of our thinking affects the quality of our lives. •That everyone can learn how to continually improve the quality of his or her thinking. •Therefore, Critical Thinking implies a fundamental, overriding goal for education in school and in the workplace: always to teach so as to help students their own thinking.
- 24. Nature (cont. 3) •auniversity education should lead students to “the imaginative acquisition of knowledge”. This ‘’imaginative understanding is ‘reminiscent of the often- articulated aim that students in higher education should develop the ability to think critically’’., A.N Whitehead 1929 24
- 25. WHY Critical Thinking •Today’s need for teaching thinking skills is created by the rapid changes taking place in society. • Knowledge and information are becoming ever more complex and soon may be dated. Children therefore, have to be equipped with skills of evaluating choices, and identifying and solving problems using logical reasoning. • Thus it is not enough to have a considerable amount of knowledge at one’s disposal (declarative knowledge), but the questions of how to acquire knowledge and how to apply this knowledge are also important(procedural knowledge). 25
- 26. • Students (alllevels) should develop from the uncritical acceptance of orthodoxy to creative dissent. • This involves giving the intellect an opportunity to be stretched to its capacity, sharpening the critical faculty to the point at which it can change ideas. • Hence we need to ask: • What kind of educational system do we have? • What kind do we need? • How do we get from one to the other? • Can education develop students as critical thinkers, skilled workers, and active citizens? • Can education promote democracy and serve all students equitably? 26
- 27. How does criticalthinking assist the process of education • Critical thinking abilities are indispensable in helping one to: • Challenge prejudice. • Avoid over-generalization. • Be aware of misconceptions and their harm on free thinking. • Prevent self-deception, rigidity and narrowness. 27
- 28. WHAT ARE THEDIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH THE TERM EDUCATION IS USED? IS EDUCATION SCHOOLING?
- 29. 29 SOCIOLOGICAL VIEW OFEDUCATION •Idea that “education” does not only take place in a formal institution, neither does it mean “formal teaching or learning”. •Focuses on socialising norms and practices. •Irrespective of whether the norms are true, valid, good or worthwhile •Assumes that one will later assume expected social responsibilities.
- 30. 30 THE INSTITUTIONAL VIEWOF EDUCATION • The development of the person as a result of institutional influences. • Assumes that education only takes place in formal institutions. • That all who have gone through the same institutions are similarly “educated”
- 31. 31 THE GENERAL ENLIGHTENMENT VIEWOF EDUCATION • Education beyond socialisation and formal schooling. • Education as a form of human achievement • Development of the mind. • Characterised by knowledge and understanding
- 32. 32 IMPLICATIONS OF UNDERSTANDING EDUCATIONAS HUMAN ENLIGHTENMENT • That education is intrinsically valuable • The intrinsic – extrinsic distinction • Conceiving education as a means to something is different from considering education as desirable and worthwhile in itself. • Intrinsic value draws us to something as good for its own sake and not for some other ends. • In this case the primary purpose of education is the development of the mind, and the capacity to think.
- 33. 33 • Education involvesknowledge and understanding for its own sake • The simplest denominator of knowing may refer to (simple) acquaintance of different objects, for instance that there are 5 people living in the second floor of my flat. • Understanding shows a deeper awareness of the connections between the different elements under consideration.
- 34. 34 IN GENERAL WHOCAN BE CONSIDERED AS AN EDUCATED PERSON? • One who has mastered a wide range of types of knowledge. • More than superficial acquaintance. • Depth and breadth compliment each other in the “educated” person. • Q: Is it possible to have an educated person who has never gone to a formal school? • The depth and breadth enable a person to have a unified coherent view of life.
- 35. WHAT THEN ISEDUCATION?
- 36. 36 THREE DIMENSIONS INTHE “CONCEPT OF EDUCATION” Education General Enlightenment Sociological Institutional
- 37. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING •This is the central role of education • Education has the capacity to liberate a person from the here and now. • It has the capacity to engage people in worthwhile activities that develop the rational mind and the capacity to think.
- 38. WHAT KNOWLEDGE SHOULDSCHOOLS BE PROMOTING? • Knowledge for Its own sake • Knowing sth for the sake of knowing it and not using that to one’s advantage • Knowledge for work. • The most popular usage of knowledge. • Knowledge enabling one to perform certain tasks. • Knowledge for well-being • For the advancement of the human kind. • Enabling the person to fulfill one’s desires • Enabling one to make significant options in life.