Thesis on "Educational Philosophy and the Nature and Purpose"

Thesis 13 pages (5286 words) Sources: 9

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Educational Philosophy and the Nature and Purpose of Teaching

Teaching is more than the simple act of standing in front of a classroom and lecturing on a given subject. Teaching, as numerous authorities agree, encompasses almost every facet of learning and character development. It is at once individual and social. Through education children discover their potential as human beings, while learning to become useful members of their society. Yet, it is precisely here that difficulties develop. The various authorities disagree as to the precise goals of character formation. Different experts propose differing social goals for the educational system. The Cahn volume contains selections that run the gamut from seeing education as a means of empowering formerly dispossessed groups, to those that conceive of teaching and learning as far more universal. Some aim to mold the young in a new image, one that contrasts markedly with long established American traditions, while others emphasize the importance of staying true to the established canon. Indeed, it often seems that the two camps can agree on little, not even the very definitions of teaching and learning. One of the articles wrestles with this specific problem, yet it informs the discussions of all. For how children learn, is as important as what they learn, for it is children's attitude toward learning that will shape their receptivity toward the ideas presented by their teachers. And though the teachers may present widely differing ideas, with widely variant goals in mind, they nevertheless, take upon themselves the task of shaping and molding young minds. It is this task, and its underlying assumptions, that are the focus of the following selections from the Cahn volume.

"What is Teaching?" By Paul H. Hirst

Major Ideas

Appropriately to a discussion of the nature and purpose of teaching, Hirst's article lays out the question of what defines teaching. According to the author, numerous things may be taken as constituting teaching, but these things in and of themselves do not necessarily explain what it means "to teach." It easier to say which aspects of teaching do not constitute teaching than to say which do. Hirst further notes that teaching often takes place outside of the classroom, and is often accomplished through the agency of those who would not normally describe themselves as teachers. Nevertheless, students learn in either situation; a fact that brings him to the next major point of his discussion -- that learning is as difficult to define as teaching. The author even points out that it is possible to learn both intentionally, and unintentionally. Both kinds of learning can take place in both teaching environments. Indeed, it may sometimes even be desirable that students learn while not actually realizing that a learning exchange is taking place (Cahn, p. 448).

An understanding of both learning and teaching is essential to formulating teaching and learning strategies that are appropriate to pupil's levels of intellectual and moral development (Cahn, p. 452). Without these considerations, few would be able to learn anything. Things might be taught, but would they be learned, and in the proper manner? Hirst raises the idea of teaching as indoctrination, intimating that educators can walk a fine line between simply drilling certain ideas into the young, as opposed to helping them genuinely learn or understand those concepts (Cahn, 454).

Elaboration

Paul Hirst's article is concerned, above all, with understanding the teaching and learning process so as to better train the teachers of the future. Understanding that process requires comprehending the intricate interactions between pupils and educators, both as individuals and groups. Since teachers in the nation's public school system necessarily teach before groups of similarly-aged children, the pedagogue must take into account the mean capabilities of the class as a whole, while at the same time attempting not to confuse or bore those students who might be at noticeably different levels (Cahn, p. 454). Entertaining activities can be used to facilitate learning, but must never be allowed to descend to the level of the merely amusing. This raises an important point of the author's -- that people often learn in situations where there is no apparent intention to learn. The important thing is that the teacher intended for the students to learn a particular something, and that that particular something was indeed absorbed and understood by the student body (Cahn, p. 449). Teaching and learning form a logical process, an equation that adds up to the sum of what has been transferred from one side to the other. Over and over again, the author differentiates between accidental inputs and results, on the one hand, and the intentional use of inputs and outputs that, on the other hand, are the hallmarks of the true teacher.

Analysis

Thus, Hirst brings out the idea that understanding how results are achieved is essential to shaping the teachers of the future. Prospective teacher must carefully note what it is they impart to their pupils. They must consider not only what these students learn, but how, and even, why. The what consists of both the apparent subject matter, and also the hidden elements that derive from teaching style and attitude. Lackluster teaching combined with close attention to activities unrelated to teaching i.e. opening windows, sharpening pencils, etc. (Cahn, p. 445) can itself constitute a form of teaching that imparts unintended lessons to young pupils. Future teachers must also know why it is that students learn what they learn. Even in the best of environments, young people may not be learning what is intended. This may be because of a student's own attitude toward the material or the environment. An individual child might focus on aspects of a lesson that are not the major focus. She may be distracted by other concerns, or be focused more narrowly on achieving pupil or peer approbation. These last ideas, in particular, raise the question of why pupils are being taught specific concepts (Cahn, p. 453). Many political regimes have sought to foster a mindset of unthinking acceptance of certain norms. Hirst raises the question of what precisely is the aim of the American educational system.

"Democratic Education" by Amy Guttman

Major Ideas

Amy Guttman's article concerns the specific philosophies that have underlain education throughout time. The author takes each of these theories, and breaks them down into the ways in which they react upon both individual students, and the larger society. In particular, she is concerned with understanding the larger values these philosophies teach, and what kind of society, or state, would be shaped by such views. Guttman gives each of the theories a name of her own creation, speaking of the Family State, the State of Families, and the State of Individuals, analyzing each in turn according to how it shapes individuals' attitudes toward other individuals, in particular, toward individuals that are different form the students themselves. A respect for pluralism is, in fact, central to Guttman's method of analysis. And it is these various theories inadequacy in the face of creating a truly pluralistic society that leads the author to conclude with her own theory of education, one that she calls, the Democratic State.

Elaboration

Guttman spends much time discussing the way in which theory assigns teacher choice within its society. In the Family State, notes Guttman, a theory largely derived from Plato, the state is conceived of as one big family. Experts, who stand in for universal parents, decide what is best for the rest of the population, and all are educated according to their intended roles within the larger society. The theory runs into problems, according to Guttman, when it comes to deciding who will determine what is best for society (Cahn, p. 416). An objective, greater good is seen as coming, potentially, at the expense of the wishes of some individuals within the larger community (Cahn, p. 418), a fact that appears to obviate individual freedom of choice among society's members. The State of Families, in contrast, holds that individual parents have both an interest in, and a desire to, pass on their own values and ways of life to their children. Guttman argues that this is precisely the reason groups such as the Amish completely insulate their children from the outside world, while at the same time poisoning them toward the beliefs and mores of others -- another example of disallowing personal choice in matters of values and behavior (Cahn, p. 419). Guttman states that such attitudes are unacceptable, and are tantamount to reinforcing traditional prejudices, and racial and religious stereotypes. The ideals of pluralism are best served by compelling the mixing together of students as occurred in Nineteenth Century America when the presence of large numbers of Roman Catholics in virulently anti-Catholic Protestant public schools somehow built up an esprit de corps between the different groups -- much as such the modern day presence of African-Americans and Hispanics enriches the experience of students of all backgrounds (Cahn, p. 420-421). Indeed, the author finds the strongest flaw in this Lockean theory of families to… READ MORE

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