1st Edition

Making Sense of Education An Introduction to the Philosophy and Theory of Education and Teaching

By David Carr Copyright 2003
    308 Pages
    by Routledge

    308 Pages
    by Routledge

    Making Sense of Education provides a contemporary introduction to the key issues in educational philosophy and theory. Exploring major past and present conceptions of education, teaching and learning, this book makes philosophy of education relevant to the professional practice of teachers and student teachers, as well of interest to those studying education as an academic subject.
    The book is divided into three parts:

    • education, teaching and professional practice: issues concerning education, the role of the teacher, the relationship of educational theory to practice and the wider moral dimensions of pedagogy
    • learning, knowledge and curriculum: issues concerning behaviourist and cognitive theories of learning, knowledge and meaning, curriculum aims and content and evaluation and assessment
    • schooling, society and culture: issues of the wider social and political context of education concerning liberalism and communitarianism, justice and equality, differentiation, authority and discipline.

    This timely and up-to-date introduction assists all those studying and/or working in education to appreciate the main philosophical sources of and influences on present day thinking about education, teaching and learning

    Part I: Education, Teaching and Professional Practice 1. Education, Persons and Schooling 2. The Complex Character of Teaching 3. The Complex Role of the Teacher 4. Educational Theory and Practice 5. Wider Moral Implications of Education Part II: Learning, Knowledge and Curriculum 6. Learning: Behaviour, Perception and Cognition 7. Learning: Meaning, Language and Culture 8. Knowledge, Explanation and Understanding 9. Curriculum: Purpose, Form and Content 10. Curriculum: Process, Product and Appraisal Part III: Schooling, Society and Culture 11. Liberalism, Impartiality and Liberal Education 12. Community, Identity and Cultural Inheritance 13. Justice, Equality and Difference 14. Freedom, Authority and Discipline 15. Political Dimensions of Education

    Biography

    David Carr is Professor of Philosophy of Education at the University of Edinburgh. He is author of Educating the Virtues (Routledge 1991), Professionalism and Ethical Issues in Teaching (Routledge 2000) and of numerous philosophical and educational articles.

    'As Carr says, without responsible professional reflection there is not much hope, either for teaching or democracy. But teachers already committed to such reflection will find real value in what he says and in his conclusions. And there's an excellent glossary.' - Michael Duffy, TES

    'A tour de force of analytic discrimination, it is testimony to the necessity for plain prose and careful argument in educational discourse.' - Theory and Research in Education