Epistemology in Excess? A Response to Williams

Emma Williams’ ‘In Excess of Epistemology’ admirably endeavours to open the way to an account of critical thinking that goes beyond the one I have defended ad nauseum in recent decades by developing, via the work of Charles Taylor and Martin Heidegger, ‘a radically different conception of thinking and the human being who thinks’, one that ‘does more justice to receptive and responsible conditions of human thought.’ In this response I hope to show that much of Williams’ alternative approach is compatible with my own; that, where incompatible, the alternative is problematic; and, finally, that there is a risk of talking past one another, talking at cross‐purposes, that all sides must work to overcome.     

In Praise of (Reasoned and Reasonable) Speculation: A Response to Robinson et al.’s Moratorium on Recommendations for Practice

In response to the call by Robinson et al. (25(2): 24–28, 2013) for a moratorium on recommendations for practice and policy in articles published in primary research journals, Alexander forwards four counterarguments that allow for what are termed reasoned and reasonable speculations. Among those counterarguments are the claim that (a) seeking influence in educational practice is a raison d'être for educational psychology researchers; (b) problems evident in authors’ conclusions and implications are indicative of a deeper and broader issue; (c) speculations are unavailable and essential aspects of educational research; and (d) potential recommendations should be situated within the primary research document and with the data that justify their articulation.     

Can Cosmopolitanism Work Religiously? A Response to David T. Hansen

This response to David T. Hansen's 2016 plenary address to the Religious Education Association tests the viability of educational cosmopolitanism for religious education. Using a Deweyan methodology of understanding an idea through its consequences, Hansen's proposal is analyzed using dialogues with interreligious and Islamic pedagogies. The question is asked, Can Islam be cosmopolitan?     

How to Use a Textbook Effectively

No textbook can be exactly designed for students; teachers should manage to use a textbook effectively. There are two facets to understand how to use a textbook: one is to go inside the textbook; the other is the context, the students, and the teacher. A framework will do some help when using a new textbook and we‘ll have to adapt in some ways.     

Sympathetic Activation in Response to Infant Cry: Distress or Promptness to Action?

SYNOPSIS

An increase in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity or reactivity in response to stimulation is usually interpreted as an index of heightened maladaptive distress. However, sympathetic activation also underlies promptness to action, so it is not clear whether the same relation could stand for parental responses to infant cry given that a ready and prompt parental response to infant cry favors more adaptive cognitive, social, and emotional development in the infant. Previous studies have not been consistent in the interpretation of sympathetic activation which occurs in response to infant cry. We discuss these two opposing proposed interpretations. A possible alternative interpretation may be that medium activation of the SNS is adaptive because it prepares the organism to act promptly, whereas too low or too high SNS activation is maladaptive because it underlies a lack of empathetic reaction or a highly distressed response.     

Moral Education or Indoctrination in South Africa? A Brief Response to Potgieter

Abstract

This paper is a brief and informal response to Professor P. C. Potgieter's paper Moral Education in South Africa which appeared in the January 1980 edition of this Journal (Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 130‐3). In response to Potgieter the author attempts to present some of the more obvious philosophical and sociological inconsistencies and problems appearing in Potgieter's paper. He concludes, basically, that Potgieter has assumed a marked consensual model of South African society and, therefore, his analysis serves only to misinform the reader as to the complexities of moral education in South Africa.     

The Rebuttlé: A Response to the Science in Society Review Article

Abstract

(This paper is the sequel to a paper published in the previous issue of the Journal.)

There is a fundamental confusion in the categories currently used to present notions of educational levels. These categories are derived from a grading hierarchy, but are used to describe differences between staged educational awards. Empirical data from a recent survey of assessment categories suggests that we use the same categories to assess A level, undergraduate, and postgraduate work. However, it also appears that these three stages can nevertheless be differentiated, not in terms of cognitive function, however, but in terms of the developing social role of the learner and their work. In the light of this argument, a new model for credit accumulation in higher education is proposed.     

‘Who’s Afraid of Secularisation?’ A Response to David Lewin

This response to David Lewin states the purpose of my critique of some aspects of Liam Gearon’s work. It clarifies my position on the aims of ‘inclusive’ religious education, rejecting Gearon’s view that REDCo researchers shared a common pluralistic theology, regarding religious education as having a single political aim. It reinforces Gearon’s misrepresentation of the development of the Toledo Guiding Principles. In addressing the concern that religious education serves political ends, I acknowledge that much educational discourse has a political dimension but, in the case of ‘inclusive’ religious education, I argue that an approach based on John Rawls’ view of political liberalism can facilitate understanding of religions. I respond to Lewin’s assumption that my own view of religious language is entirely propositional and I compare the view of religious language expressed by Morimoto, quoted with approval by Lewin, with that of D. Z. Phillips, noting that its adoption implies that religious ‘insiders’ and those with no religious commitments are incapable of mutual understanding. I introduce the interpretive approach as an impartial methodology for religious education. Finally, I invite Lewin to engage with empirical research informing European policy on religious education, relevant to issues of secularity and secularism.     

Reflection or Refusal? A Response to Hilton Kelly’s 2018 AESA Presidential Address

This short article responds to Hilton Kelly’s 2018 Presidential Address to the American Educational Studies Association (AESA). Although applauding Kelly’s provocative call for a moratorium on publishing in the field of educational studies, we caution that his call to (in)action is framed in overly technical and individualistic terms. In response, we question Kelly’s focus on social significance, and aim to situate the problem he identifies in the more specific socio-political context of neoliberalism. Acknowledging the promise of a moratorium, we ask readers to consider the call to moratorium seriously, but reframed as a task of organized refusal rather than solitary reflection.     

A Response to “Beyond the Mission Statement: Alternative Futures for Today's Universities”

ABSTRACT

Mission statements are critical elements in the long-term success of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. In “Beyond the Mission Statement: Alternative Futures for Today's Universities,” Finley, Rogers, and Galloway (2001) identify a number of possible identities they believe Institutions of Higher Education should pursue in order to be successful. This article expands on their proposed “Futures” and examines the critical role that mission statements have in defining the role of the organization and establishing the framework for effective market strategy.     

Objectivism and Education: A Response to David Elkind's ‘The Problem with Constructivism’

This paper responds to David Elkind's article “The Problem with Constructivism,” published in the Summer 2004 issue of The Educational Forum. It argues that Elkind's thesis—teacher, curricular, and societal readiness lead to the implementation of constructivism—is conceptually problematic. This paper also critiques constructivism and supports objectivism as a viable philosophy of education.     

Reading to young children: A head-start in life?

This paper investigates the importance of parents reading to their young children. Using Australian data we find that parental reading to children at age 4–5 has positive and significant effects on reading skills and cognitive skills (including numeracy skills) of these children at least up to age 10 or 11. The effects on skills more closely related to reading and language are larger than those on skills such as numeracy skills. However, all findings in relation to reading and other cognitive skills are persistent and robust to a wide range of sensitivity analyses. Although reading to children is also correlated with children's non-cognitive skills, after accounting for the endogeneity of reading to children, no causal effect remains.