The purposes of education and my pedagogical beliefs

Pedagogy has been defined as “the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept” (Stevenson, 2010). However, Professor Donaldson goes further than just looking at teaching in the narrow sense of methods used and suggests that pedagogy “represents the considered selection of those methods in light of the purposes of the curriculum and the needs and developmental stage of the children and young people” (Donaldson, 2015, p.63).

This post will outline my beliefs regarding the methods and practice of teaching in primary education. In keeping with Donaldson’s (2015) view, my pedagogical beliefs shall be related to my views on the purpose of education. Therefore this post begins with a discussion of the purpose of education and leads to my pedagogical beliefs.

To begin, I believe that primary education should prioritise the development of skills, knowledge and self-discipline, as well as the process of cultural transmission which children and young people will use and continue to develop throughout their lives. “Cultural transmission refers to the transfer of the knowledge, values, and ideas within a population. The transfer of information is based on social learning specifically” (Hershberger, 2005). 

This view resonates with a 2015 speech to the Education Reform Summit, in which Gibb claimed that “education is the engine of our economy, it is the foundation of our culture and we must ensure that more people have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in a demanding economy”. He also added that “education is about the practical business of ensuring that young people receive the preparation they need for adult life, to secure a good job and a fulfilling career”. In addition to this, it has been argued that “education must provide young people with the necessary knowledge and skills to become responsible global citizens who can take joint actions” (Anderson, 2013). Furthermore, Anderson (2013) also proposes that “it is essential to prioritise knowledge and skills that are linked to 21st century livelihoods, conflict resolution and sustainable development. These skills include critical thinking, problem solving, and relevant content knowledge’. 

In 1916, influential educator E. Cubberly wrote: ‘‘Our schools are, in a sense, factories in which the raw products (children) are to be shaped and fashioned into products to meet the various demands of life’’ (in Leland & Kasten, 2002, p. 8). However, Goodlad (1984) “rejects the ‘relatively simplistic input/output factory model’ and argues that schools are better understood as ‘little villages in which individuals interact on a part-time basis within a relatively constrained and confining environment’” (in Leland & Kasten, 2002, p.10). “In accordance with Goodlad’s analogy, Reich (1989) argues that students (inhabitants of the village) should learn how to ‘‘share their understandings and build on each other’s insights’’ rather than being trained for a type of high-volume standardised production” (in Leland & Kasten, 2002, p. 11). “Dewey (1916) supported the same line of thinking when he described school as primarily a social institution that should represent real life. He viewed schools as institutions that functioned best as authentic social communities” (in Leland & Kasten, 2002, p. 11). King Jr (1947) suggested that “education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life. Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking”. 

Other statements of educational purpose have also been widely accepted, for example, “to develop the intellect, to serve social needs, to contribute to the economy, to create an effective work force, to prepare students for a job or career, to promote a particular social or political system” (Forshay, 1991).

According to Donaldson (2015), the overall purposes of the curriculum in Wales should be that “children and young people develop as: 

› ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives

› enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work

› ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world

› healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society”.

Donaldson (2015) developed twelve pedagogical principles which “teachers should apply when planning their teaching and learning, to ensure that the activities relate directly to the curriculum purposes” (p.71). These principles are: 

• the pedagogy should maintain a consistent focus on the overall purposes of the curriculum
• all learners should be encouraged to recognise the importance of sustained effort in meeting expectations
• Employ a blend of approaches including direct teaching
• Promote problem solving, creative and critical thinking
• Set tasks and select resources that build on previous knowledge and experience and engage interest
• create authentic contexts for learning
• Employ assessment for learning principles
• Areas of Learning and Experience 
• Cross-curricula responsibilities including literacy, numeracy and digital competence 
• encourage children and young people to take increasing responsibility for their own learning
• Support social and emotional development and positive relationships 
• Encourage collaboration. 

In my opinion, the most important pedagogical principles are to create authentic contexts for learning, and to encourage collaboration. To elaborate, I believe children learn better when they know why they’re being taught something and can relate it to real-life situations, and when they “see the relevance in their learning to the world beyond the school gates” (Donaldson 2015, p.67). An example of a context for authentic and meaningful learning would be a forest school. When in the surroundings of nature, I believe children are automatically encouraged to be more creative, imagination and explorative, therefore developing learning that is meaningful and authentic and of much more use to them than looking at pictures or watching videos of nature. 

I believe collaboration in education is fundamental to the successful learning of children and young people. Collaboration is “an act that involves groups working together to solve a problem or reach a goal” (MacGregor, 1990). Barnes and Todd argue that “by setting aside the traditional teaching model learning becomes a social experience, putting pupils into situations where they will be confronted with opposing views requiring negotiation and learning that perhaps others’ viewpoints may be just as valid as their own” (1977, p. 127). 

In conclusion, this post has explored different definitions of pedagogy and has outlined many views on the purposes of education. It is predominantly clear that education has many purposes but I believe Donaldson (2015) covers them perfectly in his report. Following from these views, this post has examined Donaldson’s twelve pedagogical principles and elaborated on the two that I believe are most important, authenticity and collaboration.

References

Anderson, A (2013)  Knowledge and Skills for Becoming Global Citizens. Education Plus Development.

Barnes, D. (1976) From Communication to curriculum. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Dewey, J. (1916) Democracy and education. New York: McMillan.

Donaldson, G. (2015) Successful Futures: Independent review of curriculum and assessments in Wales. Welsh Government.

Foshay, A. (1991) Journal of Curriculum and Supervision ‘The Curriculum Matrix: Transcendence and Mathematics’. Vol 6, No. 4, Page 277.

Gibb, N. (2015) ‘The purpose of education’  The Department for Education. 

Hershberger, S. (2005) Cultural Transmission. Encyclopedia of Statistics in Behavioural Science. 

King Jr, M. (1947) ‘The purpose of education’ The Maroon Tiger. DOI: 125.223.1.156

Leland, C. & Kasten, W. (2002) Literacy Education for the 21st Century: It’s Time to Close the Factory. Vol. 18. Issue 1.

Macgregor, J. (1990), Collaborative learning: Shared inquiry as a process of reform. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 1990: 19–30. DOI: 10.1002/tl.37219904204.

Stevenson, A. (2010) Oxford dictionary of English. University Press USA.