Iranian Teachers' Eachers' Eachers' Views on Educational Ducational
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The 1st Conference on Language Learning & Teaching: An Interdisciplinary Approach (LLT-IA) Iranian TTTeachers’Teachers’ VVViewsViews on EEEducationalEducational PPPhilosophiesPhilosophies of Dewey, Rousseau and Aristotle Mahmood Reza Atai 111 Farhad Mazlum Teacher Training University, Tehran Abstract The present study aimed at investigating Iranian teachers' views about and reactions to the educational philosophies of Dewey, Rousseau and Aristotle. Based on the most important educational philosophies and thoughts of these thinkers, a likert-scale questionnaire was developed. Four open-ended items were also added to let the answerers express their personal philosophies freely. One hundred and twelve teachers participated in this study. Statistical analyses of data (i.e., factor analysis and repeated measure ANOVA) revealed that the respondents had reacted differently to Aristotelian education vis-à-vis Dewey's and Rousseau's educational beliefs. The Aristotelian 'spreading morality is the main purpose of education' was significantly rejected. Although there was a statistical difference in data concerning Dewey's vs. Rousseau's educational viewpoints, it was not significant. To shed some light on the findings and to explain the participants' inclination toward Dewey's and Rousseau's educational understandings and their general disapproval of Aristotelian education, a close scrutiny of some specific items of the questionnaire and open-ended items was followed. The participants' educational views and philosophies are discussed and compared with the educational views of these thinkers. The results are revealing and informative since Western educational philosophies are studied in an Eastern Islamic context. KeywordsKeywords: Educational philosophy, Dewey, Rousseau, Aristotle, Iranian teachers’ philosophy 111.1. Introduction Crews and Glascott (1998) maintain that “your philosophy will lead you” (p. 234). That is why scholars such as Ryan (2007) argue that it is important to study teachers’ educational philosophy since it not only guides their actions but it also “motivates revisions and grounds teachers throughout their careers” (p. 44). In a similar vein, Petress (2003) holds that a teacher’s educational philosophy “constitutes a moral and social compass, behavioural, attitudinal, and value guide-posts, essential personal and professional evaluation” (p. 1). All this explains the significance of investigating and understanding what is nowadays called teachers’ philosophical identity . 1 Email: [email protected] 1 The 1st Conference on Language Learning & Teaching: An Interdisciplinary Approach (LLT-IA) Different teachers may teach in a certain manner for many unexamined and inaccessible reasons. Levin and Nolan (2004), however, suggest that “the single most important factor in determining the learning environment is teacher behavior Intentionally or unintentionally, teachers’ verbal and nonverbal behaviours influence student behaviours” (p. 1). Arguably, all teacher behaviour is connected to his or her philosophy, beliefs, values and motivations which “… become visible during teaching because teaching demands action, reflective thought and revision as success is pursued and challenges are expected” (Ryan, 2007, p. 40). Teachers as key facilitators reveal the curricula content to their students by their behaviours and actions. Briefly then, teacher behavior is connected to his educational philosophy and, at the same time, it affects student behaviour. Each teacher’s conception of philosophy is informed by beliefs about human existence, educational product and process. According to Ryan (2007), These beliefs nourish our positions as we may be called on to speak about the issues relating to the meaning of life, our universe, the limits of knowledge and truth while teaching, coaching, counseling or guiding students. The need to respond to these issues requires self-knowledge, skills and sensitivity (p. 41). Petress (2003) maintains that philosophy “infuses our moral and social compass, behavioural, attitudinal, and value guide-posts, essential personal and professional prescriptions, and a consistent but alterable assessment means for professional evaluation” (p. 1). Actually, educators’ philosophy impacts and affects perceptions, beliefs, understanding and values to the points where all decisions can be traced back to their educational philosophy. Historically, some educational philosophers seem to be more outstanding due to the influences their ideas have had. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Herbart, Froebel, Dewey, Priere are among the most well-known thinkers who brought about shifts, sometimes big ones, in both philosophical orientations and practical issues. Some of the changes they made are still highly appreciated, some are critically questioned, and some totally refuted. This study was an effort to investigate and unearth Iranian teachers’ views on and reactions to educational philosophies of Dewey, Rousseau, and Aristotle. Although space does not permit an extensive elaboration of their educational philosophies, a very short review is provided below. 1.1. Aristotle Aristotelian educational ideas are still relevant for today’s educators (Noddings, 1998). For Aristotle, man is not good by nature. Therefore, the purpose of education is to produce good and virtuous 2 The 1st Conference on Language Learning & Teaching: An Interdisciplinary Approach (LLT-IA) men. Generally speaking, Aristotle’s name is associated with moral education and reasoning . The most important educational beliefs of Aristotle that were taken into consideration in this study include the following: (1) The fundamental aim of education is to spread morality; (2) Initially, children cannot reason; (3) During the early years, the focus should be on children’s right conduct; (4) Community needs and welfare sometimes override individual rights and children’s education must be adjusted to the needs of society; (5) People should be educated or trained for their appropriate places in life; (6) People cannot guarantee their moral behavior because (7) the environmental factors and circumstances make people behave unprecedentedly. 1.2. Jean-Jacques Rousseau In educational philosophy, Rousseau is referred to as the philosopher of freedom (Noddings, 1998) because he seemed to “…extol the natural (or primitive) state of human beings over the civilized one, and in nature, human beings … are free of the pressures and corruptions of the political state” (Noddings, p. 14). For Rousseau, children are born good and do not need the rigid moral education that Aristotle proposes. The following educational views and beliefs of Rousseau were taken into account in this study: (1) Men are born free and good; (2) Children need no rigid moral education; they are already good; (3) Nature should be the main source of educational inspirations; (4) Children’s motivation, direct action, senses and feelings are primary in educating them; (5) Children’s interest is the key determinant of type of education; (6) Timing in education is important (i.e., children are ready at certain times to learn certain things); (7) The entire education of women must be relative to men (i.e., to please them, to be useful to them, to be loved and honored by them); (8) The right direction in education is to move children toward happiness and freedom; and, (9) Through exerting more control and by manipulating environmental factors, better results would be obtained. 1.3. John Dewey Dewey is known as a naturalistic philosopher who believed in what he called the method of science and advocated its use in every sphere of human activity. His educational views have often been accompanied with controversies (Noddings, 1998). Among his educational views, the following were considered in this study: (1) Children are not born good; rather they have the potential of becoming good or bad; (2) Motivation and learning-by-doing are the main factors in learning process; (3) Students must be involved in the establishment of objectives for their own learning; (4) Education must take students’ prior experiences into account and be in concert with them; (5) Different students need different kinds of education; (6) Teachers should not impose beliefs and ideas; (7) Making students learn different subjects (e.g., history, reading, science, geography…) 3 The 1st Conference on Language Learning & Teaching: An Interdisciplinary Approach (LLT-IA) simultaneously would interfere with their natural growth ; (8) Education does not mean preparing and fitting children for future life; education is life itself. 222.2. Method This study aimed at investigating the Iranian teachers’ reactions to the educational philosophies and thoughts of Aristotle, Rousseau, and Dewey. In so doing, some of the most important educational philosophies of these philosophers were selected, put into simple statements, translated into Farsi, reviewed and revised several times after critical and constructive comments of the departments’ professors, and finally, were put into a 28-item questionnaire. 2.1. Instrument A 28-item questionnaire was developed on the basis of educational thoughts and philosophical orientations of Aristotle, Rousseau, and Dewey. Nine items contained Rousseau’s philosophical ideas, twelve items described some of Dewey’s educational orientations, and the other seven items included some educational beliefs of Aristotle. The likert-scale questionnaire required the respondents to choose from Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, to