The Art of Living and Positive Psychology in Dialogue

Abstract

The idea of happiness boomed in the public as well as in the academic domain over the last decade and has not reached its peak yet. However, the understanding of happiness (understood as eudaimonia) as being the utmost goal of human beings is hardly new. Philosophers have discussed this topic, under various terms, throughout history. One of the most recent philosophical concepts has been conducted by Wilhelm Schmid in his book Philosophie der Lebenskunst [Philosophy of the Art of Living], which is a theory about the good and beautiful life from a modern perspective under consideration of the philosophical history of this topic. Martin Seligman presented the ‘happiness formula’ in his book Authentic Happiness in 2002 and research about happiness, subjective well-being and life satisfaction (among others) began to form the field of positive psychology. This article provides a critical comparative analysis of philosophical concepts of the art of living and positive psychological research from an educational point of view. It will explore the extent of common ground between these disciplines, where they differ, and where they might be complementary.     

Representation of the cell and its processes in high school students: An integrated view

This paper presents an integrated view of the ideas and conceptual problems of high school students with respect to the cell, its processes, structure and relation to the functions of multicellular organisms. The theme of cell has divided into eight topics, with a questionnaire for each topic. In these topics, different levels of representation and understanding are distinguished between general considerations about plants and animals, those connected with processes at organ and system levels and, finally, the level of cell processes. Data from 1200 students were analysed. Results show that students have an analogical mechanism that establishes an isomorphism between the representation of the functioning of multicellular organisms of cell processes. A series of problems in understanding was also shown. Results imply that these problems are mainly due to students' lack of differentiation between some processes at organism and organ level, and have important implications for learning this subject. Finally, some suggestions are made for teaching.     

On the (Im)potentiality of an African Philosophy of Education to Disrupt Inhumanity

Abstract

Despite the advances made in the liberal Western philosophical and educational tradition to counteract unethical, immoral and inhumane acts committed by the human species, these acts of inhumanity persist. It would be inapt to apportion blame only to Western thinking, which has its roots in Greek antiquity, as Plato and Aristotle, for instance, perpetually and justifiably pursued and advocated the human enactment of civility and friendship in their writings. Instead of revisiting liberal views on education and arguing for a reconsidered view of humanity—a possible and plausible contention—this article draws on African philosophical thought on education to disturb some of the doubts in potentially disrupting atrocities committed against the human race, especially on the African continent. By drawing on the philosophical ideas of Agamben, in particular the notions of actuality, potentiality and becoming, it is argued that an instance of African philosophy of education—ubuntu (human interdependence and humanness)—can do much to trouble the escalating levels of inhumanity on the African continent.     

Book reviews

Abstract

Studies of good classroom practice have been seen as a route by which teaching and teacher education might be improved. This view is discussed in the light of a study of two teachers indentified as skilled in history teaching who were each doing a history topic in an English junior school. It is argued that one reflected the notion of good practice which underpins the National Curriculum for England, while the other reflected a more common and more pragmatic stance. It is concluded that some priorities and possibilities for English teacher education may be identified.     

The Schooling of Ethics

Abstract

Growing concern about a shrinking cultural consensus on values, coupled with religious pluralisation and the realisation that schooling is not, and cannot be, value-neutral,have led to proposals to teach ethics in schools, interpreted as a contribution of the discipline of philosophy to the common curriculum. To the extent that this approach is seen to hinge on the alleged autonomy of ethics, it has the potential to indoctrinate the contestable view that rationality is the prime motivator of moral commitment. A case is made for regarding philosophical ethics and religious (or world-view) studies not as alternative avenues to values education but each as a core curriculum priority, different but complementary to the other in its content.     

Understanding flourishing: Evolutionary baselines and morality

Abstract

This article introduces an understanding of professional morality that evolves around the notions of discourse and discursive conflict solutions. After a sketch of the basic ideas, a typology of decision‐making strategies is described and particular elements of discursive procedures in conflict solving are highlighted. In the second part of the paper, major goals and results of a series of empirical studies are delineated. The question whether the fundamental ethical orientations of teachers can be influenced and changed was addressed in an intervention study of which the design and selected results are reported.     

The Stranger: Adventures at zero point

Abstract

In one of his notebooks, Albert Camus describes, The stranger, The myth of Sisyphus, Caligula and The misunderstanding as pertaining to a series; a schema that suggests that if one were to write about one of these literary works, one would be writing about parts of a whole unless one also engaged with the others. Whether one does this or not, may or may not reflect the nature of the relationship one sees these texts as sharing. The stranger and The myth of Sisyphus share something unique: they are both as Camus describes them, zero points; a zero point here being understood as the zero point at which one thinks about one’s existence. This article begins with a reflection upon the relative philosophical value of understanding The myth of Sisyphus as a work of art and then occupies itself with how this understanding might provide an opportunity for self-reflection when reading The stranger. The reading of The myth of Sisyphus is not used so much to better understand Meursault (the protagonist of The stranger) and his story but to invert our interpretative methodology such that it is possible to speak to the reader as a significant actor. The novel is thought of in terms of the gifting of a philosophical problem, a problem which the author of this article attempts to understand from the point of view of how one might see oneself as paradoxically implicated in the drama of its articulation. It is this paradox that will lead us to speak of the narrative of The stranger as referring to a problem in how philosophy speaks to our experience of education.     

Andragogy: Student centered classrooms in criminal justice programs

Historically, much of the teaching-learning transactions in criminal justice classrooms have been teacher-centered. Teacher-centered approaches are rooted in the behavioral and cognitive theories of education. Andragogy, a philosophical orientation for adult education, receives little attention in the criminal justice literature. Yet the tenets of andragogy form an organizing framework that is consistent with many contemporary and evolving criminal justice practices. This paper defines andragogy and presents an “andragogical guide,” which may be useful for criminal justice educators who desire to experiment with innovative approaches to foster a more effective teaching-learning transaction.     

Comparing variation theory with Piaget’s theory of cognitive development: more similarities than differences?

ABSTRACT

Lo’s variation theory is a learning and teaching theory based on Marton’s phenomenographic approach and is one of the most important backbones of learning studies. The proponents of variation theory demarcate their approach from constructivist learning approaches, stressing constructivism as philosophical framework, but not as learning theory. At the same time, the phenomenographic approach emphasizes the importance of Piaget’s work about the cognitive development, which should be considered when talking about learning and teaching. We argue that – from a theoretical point of view – Piaget’s theory of how cognitive schemata are developed and how variation theory proposes that learning can be fostered entails many similarities which are not apparent at first glance. We demonstrate the similarities and differences using a teaching example from an English as second language classroom and show the implications for practical instructional work. Finally, we discuss concrete suggestions how variation theory could benefit even more from Piaget’s theory.     

An Interpretation of Principled Morality

Abstract

The commonly used notion of principled morality is interpreted philosophically and psychologically. Five sets of philosophical assumptions embedded in this notion are identified, dealing with the purpose of morality, the place of reason in morality, the autonomy of the moral agent, the autonomy of moral discourse and the nature of moral principles. An attempt is made to make these assumptions more meaningful to the non‐philosophical reader by offering a phenomenological account of how they might be reflected in the real processes of moral judgment. The interpretation emphasizes the dynamic nature of principled moral judgment.     

Editorial Conclusion: A philosophical perspective

The criticisms of educational research and the proposed solutions to those problems, referred to throughout this special issue, are summarised. However, it is argued that many of the difficulties are of a philosophical nature, rarely recognised as such either by the researchers or by their critics. In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to the nature of that which is being researched into, namely, an 'educational practice', and to the distinctive language and values through which such a practice is to be understood and evaluated.     

Wuwei,self-organization,and classroom dynamics

Abstract

This article juxtaposes the notion of wuwei in Daoism and philosophical principles of self-organization in systems theory to re-imagine classroom dynamics in which pedagogical relationships, students’ interactions with texts, and peer interplay come together to enable an open system of education, learning, and growth. Wuwei is a way of governing and leadership, while self-organization is the emergence of new structures at the global level as a result of local interactions. The combination of top-down and bottom-up processes contributes to create a dynamic classroom. The contemporary Neo-Daoists’ concerns with creating conditions for wuwei to happen can be addressed by principles of self-organization, while wuwei provides a philosophical underpinning that is informative to systems theories. This article first introduces the Daoist notion of wuwei, then articulate important principles of self-organization theory, and further juxtapose the two in both resonance and dissonance in four aspects: the role of change, the role of diversity, the role of the individual person, and the role of the teacher’s wuwei leadership in the self-organizing classroom. In the last section, the article discusses how to shift classroom dynamics toward emergent, relational, and creative pathways, including creating conditions for self-organization and wuwei to happen in the classroom.     

Empirical Considerations on Intelligence Testing and Models of Intelligence: Updates for Educational Measurement Professionals

ABSTRACT

This brief article introduces the topic of intelligence as highly appropriate for educational measurement professionals. It describes some of the uses of intelligence tests both historically and currently. It argues why knowledge of intelligence theory and intelligence testing is important for educational measurement professionals. The articles that follow in this special issue will provide readers with considerable information about the history of intelligence theory and testing, and especially of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model of testing and its implementation. The following articles will also provide a well-reasoned approach to the way science should work in evaluating tests and the models on which they are based.     

Small-scale curriculum changes for improving pre-service teachers’ preparation for Family-School Partnerships

Abstract

Family-School Partnerships (FSP) are important for students’ academic achievements and social-emotional development. Therefore, pre-service teachers need to learn how to establish this. However, in teacher education programmes this topic is insufficiently addressed partially attributed to already overloaded programmes. This study reports on a small-scale curriculum change, aiming to foster pre-service teachers’ awareness of the importance of FSP, to broaden their concepts and support them in identifying learning goals for the future. An assignment to interview novice-teachers about FSP was followed by a class on this topic. Afterwards, pre-service teachers reported in written reflections that they had become aware of the importance of FSP, emphasising that FSP is more than just communication. However, their focus for further professionalisation remained on improving their communication skills. Though this small-scale curriculum change seems to be a small step forward to a better preparation on FSP, further improvements are necessary to promote a comprehensive view of FSP.     

Of Cabbages and Key Skills: exploding the mythology of core transferable skills in post‐school education

abstract

The concepts of core, generic or key skills are now ubiquitous in educational discourse and an integral part of recommendations for education and training programmes from school to university. It is our contention that ‐‐ in the sense of free‐standing, context‐independent abilities ‐‐ such skills are without philosophical or empirical support and are entirely illusory. Although the ideas of integrated core units or common learning experiences underpinning the post‐school curriculum have some educational justification, the pursuit of general transferable core/key skills is a wasteful chimera‐hunt and should now be abandoned.     

Students’ ideas about prismatic images: teaching experiments for an image-based approach

ABSTRACT

Prismatic refraction is a classic topic in science education. To investigate how undergraduate students think about prismatic dispersion, and to see how they change their thinking when observing dispersed images, five teaching experiments were done and analysed according to the Model of Educational Reconstruction. For projection through a prism, the students used a ‘split image projection’ conceptualisation. For the view through a prism, this conceptualisation was not fruitful. Based on the observed images, six of seven students changed to a ‘diverted image projection’ conceptualisation. From a comparison between students’ and scientists’ ideas, teaching implications are derived for an image-based approach.     

Moral philosophy,Te Whāriki and gender

Abstract

Early childhood practice in Aotearoa New Zealand is guided by Te Whāriki, a curriculum which is rich in moral concepts. While there are opportunities for early childhood educators in Aotearoa New Zealand to reflect upon moral concepts in their educational settings, it is the position of this paper that critical engagement with these concepts is hindered by two major factors: lack of exposition on the moral concepts maintained within the English version of the early childhood curriculum document, and a historical gendered divide between theory and practice in early childhood education Aotearoa New Zealand. To address these concerns, the author draws from the philosophical writings of Iris Murdoch with particular focus upon her concept of attention. The theoretical plurality in Te Whāriki and the maternal image of the early childhood teacher are discussed. The author articulates the opportunities offered by Murdoch’s vision to view the curriculum and the early childhood teacher anew.     

Terry Storry (1950–2004) An obituary

Abstract

From the discussion in parts one and two there are two main points that emerge. The first is that it is difficult to identify from outdoor education literature a philosophical framework on which practice is based. Secondly, the body of outdoor education literature attaches more importance to learning outcomes relating to personal and social education than environmental education. The purpose of part three is to offer a philosophical framework and use it to consider the relationship between outdoor education, environmental education and the related concept of sustainability education. The paper starts out by looking at the development of western thought and how it has promoted the concept of epistemological dualism's. The paper then presents an alternative framework of epistemological diversity including experiential, presentational, propositional and practical ways of knowing that has particular relevance for environmental education and sustainability education. Although the prime focus of this paper is environmental education it also deals explicitly with a philosophical framework which includes experiential learning. Consequently, it has relevance to other claims made of outdoor education in particular personal and social education.