Empowering Dialogues in Humanistic Education

Abstract

In this article I propose a conception of empowering educational dialogue within the framework of humanistic education. It is based on the notions of Humanistic Education and Empowerment, and draws on a large and diverse repertoire of dialogues—from the classical Socratic, Confucian and Talmudic dialogues, to the modern ones associated with the works of Nietzsche, Buber, Korczak, Rogers, Gadamer, Habermas, Freire, Noddings and Levinas. These forms of dialogue—differing in their treatment of and emphasis on the cognitive, affective, moral and existentialist elements—have become more dominant in recent educational discourse and practice—an intellectual phenomenon that calls for a more analytic and reflective elaboration of the essential elements that constitute educational dialogues. Hence it is the purpose of this article to elucidate the distinguishing marks of true dialogues, to set them within the normative discourse of humanistic education and empowerment, and to offer a normative and stipulative conception of empowering educational dialogue that can be utilized in the various intellectual and practical spheres of humanistic education—a paradigm,working definition, and outline for contemporary teachers in their quest to develop their students’ sensibilities and sensitivities, and empower their ability to live complete, autonomous, authentic, moral and dignified human lives.     

人本主义心理观对教师的启示

本世纪50年代末和60年代初兴起于美国的人本主义心理学,不仅提出了丰富的学习论点,而且也形成了自己独具风格的学习理论,以罗杰斯（Rogers）为代表人物的人本主义学习理论突出了以人为本的理念,重视学生在学习过程中的主动性和自主性,强调学习中师生关系的重要性,这对于当前教师教学具有积极的指导意义和启示．     

罗杰斯的“非指导性”教学模式评述

一种教学模式就是一种学习环境 ,直接影响着学生可能的自我整合、学习效率和能否形成客观的自我评价。罗杰斯的“非指导性”教学模式建基于相信人在发展中的自主地能动地建构和生成能力 ,并认为积极的人际关系能够推动人的发展 ,使得教师更多地成为学生发展的伙伴和学习的促进者 ,激励教师围绕着高效的有助于长远发展的学习风格和得到良好指导的个人素质的发展来培养学生。这对有志于在新的课程改革中有所作为的教师来说 ,无疑都是值得学习和大有裨益的。     

罗杰斯心理学方法论的基本内涵

罗杰斯通过批判科学主义的弊端，从“以人为本”出发，创建了人本主义的心理学方法论体系。主要内涵表现在五个转变上：从“客观存在的人”到“主体存在的人”；从“方法中心论”到“问题中心论”；从“客观的科学”到“主观过程的科学”；从“二歧”到“整合”；从“方法论”到“具体的范例”。