In this blog post I
will begin to discuss and outline my beliefs regarding the purpose of primary
education and the practice of teaching in primary education. Education is a fundamental
concept that everyone should have the right to access. Education provides
knowledge to learn about the world around us, helping everyone interact with
different cultures and lifestyles while building opinions helps develop a wider
perspective on life. It develops a strong purpose in a child’s life allowing
them to become ambitious capable learners which will enable them to learn throughout
their lives. Education has a pivotal role in benefitting the individual to
become creative contributors to help themselves, families and their community,
ready to play a full part in life and work. Important issues to underpin is the
purpose of education and why teaching and learning is so vital, ‘’Education aims,
and methods are inevitably value-led, concerned with the kind of education best
suited for that aim’’ (Woods 1996, citied (Moore 2012, Teaching and Learning:
Pedagogy, Curriculum and Culture). This academic view suggest what processes
and practices are needed for children to learn most efficiently and effectively,
with this aim in place it will empower children to have a healthy confident
role with education ready for them to lead fulfill lives as valued members of
society.
Stevenson (2010)
defines pedagogy as ‘’the method and practice of teaching, especially as an
academic subject or theoretical concept’’ (Stevenson, 2010, p.1309). This view
could not be different from Freire (1972) who thought teachers were trying to
drill learning by using another participant or plans that have been created by
other professions within education. He then describes this as ‘banking’ too
much education, with one person acting on another, but instead believing people
should work with each other. However, Stevenson fails to analyse how the
purpose of the curriculum develops children and young people’s learning.
Whereas Donaldson (2015) implies pedagogy as more than just a method and
practice of teaching, ‘’pedagogy is about more than ‘teaching’ in the narrow
sense of methods used in the classroom. It represents the considered selection
of those methods in light of the purpose of the curriculum’’ and the needs and
development stage of the children and young people (Donaldson, 2015, p.63).
Therefore, I support Donaldson method and practice in primary education which
results in my pedagogical beliefs that the development of autonomous and
creative thinkers should be a priority in education.
The question we must
ask ourselves is education today fulfilling its purpose? Are we teaching
children to think critically? If we do not provide critical thinking, we will
produce a group of closed mind pupils. Therefore, to expand our horizons we
need to be more conscious with creating creative individuals, teaching pupils
to think intensively and critically, ‘’education is the kindling of a flame, not
the filling of a vessel’’ (Socrates, 470 BC- 399 BC). Children are trying to
‘fit the mold’ that has been used for years which we have provided as well as
expecting them to reach a certain level of learning. Despite the fact we are not
accepting that change is needed many children have many skills to offer society
and education however, they do not fit in line with the ‘’molding’’. In our education system we are not developing
we are currently keeping the same strategies no change, no challenges for our
next generation dismissing unique thinkers. This view is also reinforced by
Freire (1996) he also stressed the importance that education must be relevant
to the learner whilst allowing the learner to develop their own creativity,
‘’problem posing education bases itself on creativity and stimulates true
reflection and action upon reality, thereby responding to the vocation of
persons as beings who are authentic only when engaged in enquiry and creative
transformation’’ (Freire, 1996, p.65). Rousseau (1762) holds the same view that
it is important to give learners the freedom to solve problems themselves and
develop their own reasoning ‘’teach your scholar to observe the phenomena of
nature… Put the problems before him and let him solve them himself. Let him know
nothing because you have told him, but because he has learnt it for himself’’
(Rousseau, 1762, p.126). A variety of different skills within children need to
be expressed more in our education and curriculum, insecurities are developed
within children when different skills do not fit the ‘norm’ that is presented
in education. Society faces so many challenges, ‘’we cannot solve our problems
with the same thinking we used when we created them’’ (Einstein n/d (citied in
Evens & Brown 2015, ‘How to succeed at Medical school’), acknowledgement
that ‘habits’ need to change that already exist in education with
transformations, need to start with the source how we prepare children for life
within education. A key aspect of this change would be allowing the system to
change introducing four purposes that are self, surroundings, insight and
influences that I believe play a vital role in education. Firstly, enabling
children to be their own unique potential self, embracing that everyone has
brilliance no matter their level, find that brilliance in everyone and learn
how you can be at value to that. Insight of who you are as a person what makes
you unique what drives you and how can you influence yourself to grow. Secondly,
learning to shape your own future, being in charge to create your own path.
Thirdly, understanding the importance of sustainable development we all live on
the same planet, all deal with the same problems that are faced so why not be
prepared for it and master these important factors like empathy and respect for
one another. Finally, how to live a happy and healthy lifestyle, essential for
this to work is self-awareness adapting to your surroundings the world around
you and how insight on life and influences effect a happy and healthy
lifestyle, education should involve these goals, children need to learn throughout
these main points.
To conclude, I believe
the purpose of education should be to gain insight into something, wanting to
learn and understand could be a purpose of its own. Encouraging freedom with
learning and creative thinkers enables each one of us to benefit from new
ideas, to improve things in the world to push the boundaries of everything we
known already in education and the knowledge, to bring movements into the
education system.
References:
Donaldson, G. (2015). Successful futures: Independent review of
curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales. Welsh Government.
Evens, D. and Brown, J. (2015) How
to succeed at Medical school: An Essential Guide to Learning, second addition.
West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Freire, P. (1972).
Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Freire, Paulo. (1996). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Penguin. London.
Moore,
A. (2012) Teaching and Learning: Pedagogy, Curriculum and Culture.
London: Routledge. 2nd Edn.
Rousseau, J. (1762). The social
contract or principles of political right.
Stevenson, A. (Ed.). (2010). Oxford dictionary of
English. Oxford University Press, USA.
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