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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 439 256 CE 079 877 AUTHOR Rampp, Lary C., Ed.; Guffey, J. Stephen, Ed. TITLE Philosophical Foundations: A Primer for Adult Continuing Education. PUB DATE 2000-00-00 NOTE 417p. PUB TYPE Collected Works General (020) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC17 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adult Education; *Adult Learning; Behaviorism; Comparative Analysis; *Continuing Education; Educational Benefits; Educational History; Educational Objectives; *Educational Philosophy; *Educational Trends; Feminism; Foundations of Education; General Education; Liberalism; Lifelong Learning; Literature Reviews; Position Papers; Postsecondary Education; Progressive Education; Social Change; State of the Art Reviews; Teacher Education; Teaching Methods; *Theory Practice Relationship; Trend Analysis; Womens Education; Womens Studies IDENTIFIERS Praxis; Progressivism; Radical Education; Radicalism ABSTRACT This document, which is intended as a primer for adult continuing education, contains 11 chapters examining the philosophical foundations of adult and continuing education. The chapter titles and authors are as follows: "Progressivism and Adult Continuing Education" (Michael Day); "Progressivism: An Anthology" (Andrea Reeve); "Progressivism; Instructional Models" (Donna L. Whitson); "Behaviorism" (Roy A Moxley); "Rediscovering the Value of Continuing Liberal Education for Practitioners" (William H. Young and Keith W. Krasemann); "Liberal Philosophies of Adult Continuing Education--An Anthology Overview" (J. Stephen Guffey and Lary C. Rampp); "Radical Philosophy: Social Vision and Social Change" (J. Randall Koetting and Martha W. Combs); "A Challenge for Women: Equal Power--A Response to 'Feminism and Adult Learning: Power, Pedagogy, and Praxis' by Elizabeth J. Tisdell" (Dorothy Trusock); "Feminism and Adult Learning: Power, Pedagogy, and Praxis (Elizabeth J. Tisdell); "Emerging Perspectives: Transformational Education--Instructional Methods" (Margaret Tobin and Dorothy Becker); "Through Chaos to Transformation: An Emerging Perspective for Adult Continuing Education" (Irene Karpiak); and "Emerging Philosophies and Orientations in Adult and Continuing Education" (Irene Karpiak).(Most papers contain extensive references.) (MN) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Philosophical Fo ndations: A Primer for Adult Continuing Education Edited By Lary C. ampp J. Stephen Duffey U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization nating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) document do not necessarily represent 1 official OERI position or policy. 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE Chapter One Progressivism and Adult Continuing Education Michael Day University of Wyoming 3 CHAPTER 1 PROGRESSIVISM Philosophies of education can be neither nostrums nor cure- alls; they can he at best articulations of beliefs, of aspirations, and of experiment. First and last, philosophies of education express a faith on which the believer is ready to bet, if not his own future, other peoples' futures. Horace M. Kallen (1962, p. 54) During the formative years of the American adult education movement, progressivism flowed through its pores. Its influence was felt in the city through the settlement house, workers education, and the adult evening school; in the country through the vocational institute, folk school, and Cooperative Extension Service. Today, few contemporary efforts in adult and continuing education are not touched by "progressive" ideas. This chapter presents the underlying beliefs associated with progressive education with attention to practical applications for adult and continuing education practitioners.It also provides a few illustrations of institutional settings and programs which embody progressive education principles. Before beginning this discussion two issues related to philosophical orientations are briefly examined. Conclusions drawn from this discussion may provide a useful context for examining other philosophies in this book. First, think about your response to the following question. Do adult and continuing education practitioners commonly wear their philosophies of education prominently displayed on their sleeves? Drawing from your (the reader's) experience, are you able to make assumptions about your colleagues' beliefs by observing their behavior? Imagine, for a moment, you are witness to the following scenario and identify, if you can, 4 any belief systems that emerge. The setting is an initial meeting of an adult education class. Anxiously, a room full of students ponder their first encounter with the instructor and with each other: what will the instructor be like; will the instructor give lots of assignments; are the other students better prepared; will the material be useful? Suddenly, the instructor sweeps into the room. "All right people," the instructor bellows, "let's begin. Open your textbook to page four." Given this brief episode, what might you glean from the instructor's behavior? Might you begin speculating upon this instructor's approach to instruction? Perhaps. Might you also begin speculating about the instructor's beliefs about education. Again, perhaps you might, but does behavior necessarily provide you with meaningful insights regarding philosophy? Are technique and philosophy necessarily reflections of each other? Is this practitioner prominently displaying his or her philosophy of education on the sleeve? We don't know. In this scenario, the only individual who can intelligently answer questions regarding beliefs is the instructor. But, this observation does not prevent us from drawing some initial impressions about approaches to instruction. Given our personal beliefs about learning and teaching, we might surmise the instructor is doing a dismal job of climate setting and is introducing an impersonal tone that may negatively affect learning. Still, little is known regarding the instructor's beliefs. Too often, and far too quickly, observations pertaining to teaching tend to generalize; conclusions such as "bad teaching" leap to assumptions about "bad philosophy." The philosophies discussed in this book neither support nor imply "bad practice"! 2 Next, when attempts are made to isolate and contrast distinguishing features of various philosophies of adult and continuing education, such as intended in this book, oversimplification can result. Dewey once cautioned (1938/1963) that in discussions about educational beliefs, authors are best served by thinking "in terms of Education itself rather than in terms of some 'ism about education.... For in spite of itself any movement that thinks and acts in terms of an 'ism becomes so involved in reaction against other 'isms that it is unwittingly controlled by them" (p. 6). One example of an author inadvertently falling into the 'ism quagmire suggested by Dewey is the recent work of Zinn (1996). In 1983, Zinn introduced her "Philosophy of Adult Education Inventory," a fifteen item questionnaire based, it seems, on descriptions of six philosophical orientations discussed in a 1980 work by Elias and Merriam. Though the inventory is useful, Zinn's attempt to finely distinguish one belief system from another can be misleading. Such is the case when she suggests that a theorists such as the "highly individualistic" Herbert Spencer is a representative of progressive education and that teacher-centered methodology such as "lecture" and "standardized testing" are illustrations of its practice. As this section will illustrate, Zinn's recent instrument and discussion are not entirely accurate representations of progressive education. This is noted not to criticize Zinn but to acknowledge the pitfalls of attempting to isolate, compare, and contrast various 'isms. Fortunately, authors of this book were concerned primarily with examinations of their assigned topic, not in neatly packaging their topic and isolating it from others in the collection. In similar fashion, it is hoped readers avoid the tendency to neatly pigeonhole either their own belief systems or those discussed in the book. It is hoped readers also 3 6 avoid the self-righteousness that can occur when supports for their views and beliefs are provided and the smug disregard of ideas seemingly in contradiction to their own. Intelligible discussion of dynamic and complex belief systems is the challenge faced by the authors, not the static categorizations of ideas. Having said this, and returning for a moment to the scenario that began the section, though technique and philosophy are not necessarily mirror images of each other, adult and continuing education practitioners are encouraged throughout the book to mesh the two in their practice. For the significance of our beliefs, as Horace Ka llen observed, is ultimately expressed by lives touched not merely aspirations held. Ka lien's sentiment also provides a natural segue into progressive education. Underlying Beliefs of Progressive Education After years of extensive research into the subject, Cremin (1964) concluded that no satisfactory definition of progressive education exists. According to Cremin, "the movement was marked from the very beginning by a pluralistic, frequently contradictory, character....Throughout