FOUNDATIONAL VALUES IN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION 33
331). This intimacy between philosophy and education is analogous to theory and practice. Education is the
laboratory where philosophical theory is tested in practice.
What is Philosophy of Education?
Philosophy of education is “not external application of ready-made ideas to a system of practice having a radically different origin and purpo” (Dewey, 1916, p. 331). That is philosophy of education is not an a priori
theory applied to practice rather philosophy of education should be constructed bad on experience of
particular society at some specific time. Philosophy of education is an “explicit formulation of the problems of
the formation of right mental and moral habitudes in respect to the difficulties of contemporary social life”
(Dewey, 1916, p. 331). Bad on this view of philosophy of education, Dewey (1916) went on to asrt that the
most penetrating definition of philosophy is “the theory of education in its most general phas” (p. 331).
This definition indicates that philosophy deals with general and fundamental problems or questions of education. Philosophy of university education is not some ready-made theory, but it must ari from critical
reflection on difficulties or challenges of society and there from formulate a theory of how university education
can respond to the challenges. Philosophy of university education is not some dogma, but a general theory
guiding educational practices at the university. Philosophy of university education is evolutionary not static
dogma.
Changes in society, emerging challenges, and needs demands reconstruction of social ideals. Education is ud as means of regenerating society, and therefore, it requires constant reform at its philosophical ba.
Dewey (1916, p. 331) put it well that the “reconstruction of philosophy, education, and social ideals” go hand
in hand. It would be instructive on this point to review national commissions of education in Kenya to find out大哲
if their philosophy of education is the same. For instance, given ideology of Kenya Vision 2030, what should
楼房风水be philosophy of university education?
Competency-Bad Education: Philosophy of University Education
Competency-bad curriculum (CBC) is propod as a respon to ideology of Kenya Vision 2030, which intends Kenya to become a knowledge-bad society (KBS). Education is charged with responsibility of
equipping students with relevant skills for KBS, which are generic skills for 21st century citizens. This requires
reconstruction of philosophy of education at university level in respon to Kenya Vision 2030 educational
reforms. For instance, Kenya Vision 2030 calls for modernization of teacher education to meet demands of 21st
century. What kind of modernization should be done in university teacher education programme? Philosophy of
university education is the theory that guides university educational practice. It is the “business of philosophy”
of university education to make a broad survey of the aims and methods of university education in葛根种植技术
contemporary society. This safeguards university education against degenerating into “a routine empirical affair”
(Dewey, 1916, p. 329).
Philosophy of university education as an ideology. Philosophy of university education is also an ideology. Ideology is “system of beliefs which gives general direction to the educational policies” (Little, 1996,
擦花p. 120). It influences the nature and purpo of education and curriculum of a country. Little Dyke (1996)
formulated a theoretical framework, which illustrated relationship among ideology, pedagogy, and
epistemology. Curriculum is ideological derivative of the political philosophy. That is under social efficiency,
“the central purpo of schooling is to meet the current and future manpower needs of a society by training
youth to become contributing members of society”. This is what Dewey (1973, p. 191) calls the “remote term All Rights Rerved.
FOUNDATIONAL VALUES IN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
34 of the problem of education”, which is “the destination toward which education aims”. “Productive membership in society” is the ultimate educational goal that should inform both individual and society in planning curriculum for its citizens.
Bennaars (1998, p. 14) lamented the “chasm between theory and practice” in education which creates “opportunistic theory of education”. This problem is captured by Dewey (1916, p. 137) as “nominally accepting one educational philosophy and accommodating ourlves in practice to another”. Examination oriented education ignores the aims of education explicitly stated the graduates are obsd with “success in exams” not actual skills, knowledge, and attitude they acquire. This is diploma dia where mere acquiring of diploma certificate overrides all el in an immoral belief that the end justifies the means. The degree certificates become paper tigers. Philosophy of university education is both a product and process. The latter is critical reflection on education practice and beliefs. Dewey (1916, p. 335) described philosophy of education as a process in the following ways.电脑销售
Middle term. University education is the middle term between two terms proximate and remote. The proximate term is the students’ capacities, abilities, and interests, while the remote term is the needs economic, political, and social needs of society. Whereas the proximate term is psychological, the re
mote term is sociological. University education is the middle term which bridges the student and the society. University education is a means to empower learners with competencies to accomplish socially productive engagement (Dewey, 1948). The construct of university education as means to bridging student’s capacities with social needs is instrumental or utilitarian. This idea of university education as a bridge between individual student and social wellbeing is as ancient and classic as Plato.
Plato articulated how society is individual writ large that is society is defined by character of its individual
who constitutes its populace. It is the role of university education to regenerate society by producing citizens
who believe in national ideology. Unfortunately, there is also a hiatus between national ideology and university education, particularly when university remains immune and unresponsive to ideological shifts. At individual level, some professors may continue in dispensing and advancing knowledge uninformed by the new ideology, thus, rendering education irrelevant to social realities. It should be incumbent upon professional consciousness of professors to articulate and expliticize individual philo
sophical positions vice a vi philosophy of university education in the country. Often times, lectures are unaware or espou personal philosophies of university education, which may be antithetical to current ideology of university education. This may mean that even rearch interest is unresponsive to prevalent social, economic, and political challenges.
Philosophy of university education is an aspect of national ideology. Since independence education is a social construct for national development. Ominde’s (1964) commission was declared that education is a function of the Kenyan society. Ideology of university education in democratic society is utilitarian. Utilitarian goal of education is instrumental view of education, as a tool for, to rve the ends of national society. National philosophy of education is the social, political, and economic vision of education for the nation.
University education is national investment in production of competent skilled human resource for national development. University education as is a function of the national government. Educational systems mirror philosophical creeds (Hovre, 1930). Professors at university are intellectual mid-wives who regenerate the society by creating human resource with requisite competencies desirable for social, economic, and political wellbeing of the society. Since the times of Plato as evident in his “magnus opus”, the Republic society is regenerated and reconstructed through its national education
particularly university education. Plato established
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FOUNDATIONAL VALUES IN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION 35
the Akademy which became the first university in Western society. Its role was to produce philosopher—kings
and queens and other royal leaders to the society. Only tho who attained requisite intellectual and moral
aptitudes could be admitted at university.
The concept of university education has two components philosophy and university education. Philosophy is the perspective from which university education is analyzed and evaluated. Philosophical view of university
education means application of philosophical knowledge in critical reflection on the nature and value of
university education for the nation. Philosophy has examines the most general and fundamental principles of
reality. Philosophy of university education examines the most general and fundamental nature, principles, and
properties of university education. An activity or perspective is philosophical when the concepts, principles,
and methods of philosophy are employed. The concepts, principles, and methods are derived from the core
branches of philosophy, namely, logic, epistemology, axiology, and metaphysics.
Logic of university education. Logic is concerned with correct thinking. It identifies types of reasoning and analysis and evaluation of their merit. University education must train students in logical skills of thinking.
In most universities, a cour on logic or under its variant appellation, critical thinking is offered as an
undergraduate university common unit. The caliber of educated person is judged in quality of his/her thinking.
University education should produce graduates with logical reasoning skills uful in defending a position
or applicable in critical analysis of an argument. University graduates should be critical thinkers who are
skeptical and curious to find out rational evidence or support of what is heard or read. Every discipline has its
logic which specifies its methods of investigation and validation of its principles and theories. The quality of
thinking is an intellectual activity that distinguishes educated university graduate from the non-university
graduate.
胡萝卜种植
Epistemology of university education. Epistemology is philosophical study of the nature and justification of knowledge. University is suppod to create, disminate, and demonstrate application of knowledge in
social, political, and economic ctors of society. Classic epistemological question remains poignantly valid
today as it was when it was raid by Herbert Spencer (1861). What knowledge is of most worth? This question
suggests curriculum panning as a deliberative epistemological process. Public universities are mandate to
良知是什么意思produce knowledgeable graduate with masterly of knowledge and competencies in adaptation and u of
knowledge germane to their areas of specialty.
Fundamentally, university education should facilitate learners to acquire pragmatic and epistemic beliefs, which verify ideas, theories, and concepts by practical application or experimentation. The Bi
blical ver
cautions that you shall know them by their fruits (Morrison, 2000). The fruits of intellectual labor are evident in
practical ufulness and productive capacity of knowledge. Learner’s epistemic beliefs should be
acknowledged, analyzed, and continuously reconstructed in the cour of university education. Whereas it is
necessary for learners to acquire knowledge, it should be necessary and uful for creation for 21st century
workers.
Philosophy of university: Teaching or rearch?Philosophy of a university is reflected in how the university defines itlf as either rearch or teaching university. Maher and Tetreault (2001) described
existential tension between teaching and rearch at university. There is a tendency in major universities to
reward rearch and publication than teaching (2001, p. 31). In such scenarios, pedagogical issues are muted
and classrooms are not viewed as centers of knowledge construction. Newman (2012) considered the questionbcaa
of whether university is a place of dispensing or discovering new knowledge. He explained that, “To discover
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