Feyerabend on Science and Education

This article offers a sympathetic interpretation of Paul Feyerabend's remarks on science and education. I present a formative episode in the development of his educational ideas—the ‘Berkeley experience'—and describe how it affected his views on the place of science within modern education. It emerges that Feyerabend arrived at a conception of education closely related to that of Michael Oakeshott and Martin Heidegger—that of education as ‘releasement’. Each of those three figures argued that the purpose of education was not to induct students into prevailing norms and convictions, but rather to initiate them into the ‘civilized inheritance of mankind’. I conclude that interpreting Feyerabend's educational ideas within this conception of education as releasement lends a new coherence to his remarks on science and education, in a way that renders certain of his political proposals—such as the ‘separation of science and the state'—both more coherent and more compelling.     

Appealing to the soul: towards a Judeo-Christian theory of learning

Beginning with the recognition that every learning theory rests on particular assumptions about the nature and capacities of the learners, this study provides an examination of the implicit premises upon which several of the more prominent learning theories - behaviourism, cognitivism, situated learning, and social cognitivism - have been built. Even as each theory is found to propose a slightly distinct conceptualization of human nature, none are found to accommodate acknowledgement of the role of the soul, the spiritual dimension, in determining individuals' ability to learn. Expanding on Habermas's and Mezirow's ideas of learning domains as popularized by Cranton (1994), this paper shows that ultimately, the learning transaction hinges upon the phenomena of perceptions, and perceptions are realized through the realms of physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual input. This reconceptualization of learning to include the soul as a key determinant concludes with a concrete explanation of how acknowledgement of humans' spiritual dimension holds significant potential for enhancing teaching-learning situations.     

An evaluation of an electronic simulation of hearing impairment in the training of mainstream teachers

This paper describes an evaluation of a simple electronic simulation of sensorineural hearing loss intended to raise the awareness of mainstream trainee teachers during role play as both teacher and hearing-impaired pupil. In the wake of the continuing commitment to integration, it is hoped that such a device can improve the preparation of mainstream trainee teachers for their role as teachers of the hearing impaired. Twenty-four trainee teachers experienced both roles during the simulation, and their comments were scored by an expert panel for their importance. It was found that participants achieved a significant increase in awareness during their two five-minute simulated experiences of being a hearing pupil and teaching a hearing-impaired pupil. The experience of learning as a pupil with a simulated impairment was demonstrated to be as valuable as teaching a pupil with a simulated impairment, although there were differences with respect to the types of issues highlighted.     

Conceptions or Misconceptions? Primary Teachers' Perceptions and Use of Computers in the Classroom

Why should computers be used in primary schools and what roles have they come to play in the classroom? This paper describes an investigation into UK primary teachers' perceptions and use of computers in the classroom. The responses collected illustrate the existence of two broad groups of teachers. Those who adopt a computer awareness perspective and those who believe that the computer should be used as a means to facilitate and enhance teaching and learning. Furthermore, the responses suggest an association between teachers' beliefs about computer use and teachers' patterns of actual computer use and thus demonstrate that educational innovations are primarily and intrinsically realized in our way of thinking before they become practice. Yet, this way of thinking may be formed not only by teachers' interpretations of official orders and requirements but also by their knowledge of information technology (IT) and their comprehension of what teaching and learning is about.