ED4001:Education for Change An introduction to the module: What is ‘an education’ for? What does ‘to be educated’ mean?

Thoughts for the day Attending a lecture is like going to the gym rather than McDonalds.

Education studies is about asking questions 1. Why is maths such an important part of education? 2. Is attending a lecture a good way to learn? 3. Why do most people not go to university? 4. Why do ‘thick rich kids’ do better than ‘poor clever kids’? 5. Should we be worrying about girls education in other countries? 6. What does it mean to be well educated? 7. What is education for?

Are you ‘well- educated’? How many ‘A’ level ‘points’ do you have? How good are you at solving problems? How would you save a boy from drowning? How would you go about starting a business? Вы можете выяснить, почему динозавры вымерли?

Thinking philosophically… ‘Philosophers want to know more than true beliefs. They want to know what is the case. And if [they] cannot know for certain…then [they] want to know why that is so and what is the next best alternative…(Creel 2001) Philosophical questions: How do you know that? How should we decide what is right, wrong, good and best ? What are the possible answers and solutions?

Q: What is education for? Possible answers To ensure we have a trained workforce for the future? To keep people in their place in society? To promote personal development To teach us to think more critically and shape our own future? To create greater equality in life?

A1: Education is to enable people to get work Because a student’s main aim is to get a job Because the country needs particular jobs to be filled Because state schools should help to produce a competitive economy

If education is for work This affects the curriculum we have, the skills we teach, whether we make subjects compulsory or not, the attitudes we hope to instil in children.

A2: Education is for our personal development Because every human has the right to fulfil their potential Because everyone is different Because we will need to know how to find things out for ourselves

If education is for our personal development It should seem relevant and enjoyable We may want to chose the subjects we study We need the teacher to understand where we are starting from We need, with help, to devise our own study pathway

A3: Education should help us to think more critically Because it should enable citizens to be active, not passive Because our democratic society demands the ability to make informed decisions Because if you can’t take part in society, you are at a disadvantage

If education should help us to think critically It has implications for the way we learn and teach It has implications for the curriculum Universities and schools should play a key role in furthering this

A4: Education should help to create greater equality in life Because our society is unfair It should help people to succeed whatever their background It should compensate for disadvantages It should help teach people about the inequalities in society

If education is to reduce inequalities It should be inclusive, open to all Schools and universities need to change to become more democratic structures Pupils and students need to take more responsibility for themselves and their learning We need to look at where power resides in education

What do these people think? Youtube video Their views are informed by their ideology: their way of looking at things, and their view of how the world should be…

An introduction to later topics…

2. What functions does schooling perform? Socialization? Social Control? Social transformation?

Socialization We are not born social people. We learn how to live with others Process begins at home and continues at school We learn the roles we will have in later life

Is this socialisation process necessary? Yes, but… Do schools shuts down opportunities for individuals? Are school teachers the best people to socialise children? Can socialisation go too far?

Social Control Schools were instituted to control the young and mould them in a certain way Schools, asylums and prisons can form a similar function Education may aim to keep us in our place

Social Transformation Many believe education is a force for transformation and growth It is a major player in the formation of people’s beliefs and values and therefore can create change

3. How do people learn? Different theories Through being taught. They are like empty vessels that school can fill up with knowledge Individuals only learn when they choose to learn. Teachers have to start from where pupils are

4. Who should receive the best education? The brightest people The young Those who can pay Males Females The developed world everyone

A final thought… Should the teacher be a passive transmitter? a passive transmitter? an active developer of ideology? an active developer of ideology? Is it a teacher’s role to put others’ ideologies into practice? Is it a teacher’s role to put others’ ideologies into practice?