Paula’s Educational Philosophy That Appealed to Me

 

Paula’s Educational Philosophy That Appealed to Me

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Abstract

The varied philosophies of education are the mark of educational reform that took place over time. Right from Dewey’s Essentialism and Perennialism of the teacher-centered philosophy, Progressivism, Humanism, and Constructivism of the student-centered philosophy, and Reconstructionism and Behaviorism of the socially centered philosophies to critical pedagogy concept of education philosophy by Paulo Freire, education had gained merits in the field of education reformation. On top of that, Freire’s Indigenous philosophy on education is another philosophy that strongly focuses on the student’s cultural backgrounds which are integral in the educational process. Whatever the philosophies, the impacts on learners depend on the beliefs, values, and understanding that every individual teacher possesses based on how he teaches and deals with the topic to make some differences in support of their values and beliefs (The Digi Teachers, n.d.). Moreover, teachers are responsible for the future of every student we teach because we are the future creators of the nation and we help them choose the correct profession and help them make perfect identities (edsys, 2018). The main focus on the learners is to be prioritized and should not be compromised with any other factors and ultimately it is the student-centered educational philosophy that makes all the difference in the long run because teacher-centered education never prepares student's lifelong learning.   

Paula’s Philosophy That Appealed to Me

Paula attempted to make various points about education not only about critical pedagogy but also about Indigenous philosophy on education as one must analyze the society where we grow and become an adult. We are shaped by society and Freire’s concept of critical consciousness during humanization plays a vital role in the social process of life.

 Education is considered to be the most prominent socializing force in any kind of society that we live in where knowledge of one’s culture, societal values, and life skills are passed to the preceding generation (Leik, 1992). Therefore, the philosophy of Paula that spoke to me and appealed to me is the Indigenous philosophy of education. I strongly feel that it is education that allows anyone to realize their cultural background for strong citizenship and identity to mend and secure the sovereignty of the nation.  A country with strong customs, traditions, and cultures can always remain an independent and sovereign nation. In the words of Raymond A. Morrow (2008), he stated, “One of the important principles of Freire’s pedagogy is to treat the learner with ample respect – no matter how illiterate or marginal they are.  It  implies  a  kind  of  personal  or  human  equality that does  not  require  formal  equality  of  knowledge” (Morrow, 2008), and yes, I truly believe that human quality counts a lot at present when this world is crowded with desirous people and  Freire  concludes  that  it  is  grounded  on  treating  the  “subjects” of transmission as “objects.”

 What surprised me a lot about Paula’s idea on education is the idea of ‘Culturally Relevant Pedagogy’ because the very idea has the specific ideology of helping children to make them accept their cultural identity positively along with the development of critical perspectives to enable them to tackle with any kinds of disparities or inequalities that they confront within a society which is organized around property rights so that they can analyze inequities (Billings, Gloria, Tale, and William,  1995). The very aspect of this philosophy is to enable students to learn to respect one’s cultural background. The influences of colonization and its impact in the past and the Western culture influence at present time can impact anyone to associate with their country’s norms, but the inclusion of Indigenous pedagogy will enable students to consider their culture and origin despite any form of influences.

I strongly prefer the ‘Culturally Relevant Pedagogy’ as it will keep people intact to reconnect themselves with their own culture despite influences from other sources. One can consider it as the educational philosophy of my country.  My country has high expectations from its citizens that there is the total human development of her children.  The formation of every child to be a man or woman of values, able to respect their country’s culture, custom and tradition themselves in proclaiming its sovereignty although sandwiched between two giant nations, through their profession to contribute good of the society they are in by being valuable and quality citizens (Simeon, 2018), and the influence of western traditions on educational philosophy is never been successful to find a stable basis upon which to rest its aims of education in the context of the country’s goals.

 The said philosophies can spark changes in educational practice or instructional models over time, especially in the context of the education system in my country because it would be able to reclaim and regenerate Indigenous languages, histories, and wisdom traditions safeguarding them from fading away as the process of Education will be basically concerned with the aims of providing literacy, identity, and numeracy (Stewart, 2017). Moreover, Indigenous education for me is the pathway to regenerate people whose language and culture are already stamped out due to some reasons within schooling. 

 

Conclusion

Thus, the recognition of specific educational philosophy is essential through the identification of educational activity to also meet the expectations at par with the country’s vision and mission. It should provide the directions for the intended endeavor. At the same time, one important aspect that any curriculum designer should keep in mind is the amount the indigenous philosophy to uplift education with a great sense of values towards the country’s culture.

 

 

                                                                        Reference

The Digi Teachers. (n.d.). Understanding the Different Types of Teaching Philosophies. Retrieved July 3, 2021 from https://thedigiteachers.com/teaching-philosophies/

Edsys. (2018). Why Is It Important For Teachers to Study Philosophy of Education. Retrieved July 3, 2021 from https://www.edsys.in/why-is-it-important-for-teachers-to-study-philosophy-of-education/

Leik, V. (1992). Bringing Indigenous Perspectives into Education: A Case Study of “Thunderbird/Whale Protection and Welcoming Pole: learning and teaching in an Indigenous World.” Retrieved July 13, 2021 from https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.865.7355&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Morrow, R. A. (2008). Paulo Freire, Indigenous Knowledge and Eurocentric Critique of Development: Three Perspectives. Retrieved July 13, 2021 from https://brill.com/view/book/9789460911446/BP000007.xml

Billings, L, Gloria, Tale, and William, F. (1995). Toward a Critical Race Theory of Education. Retrieved July 13, 2021 from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ519126

Simeon, A. (2018). Indigenous Philosophies of Education and Christian Education. Retrieved July 13, 2021 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346650696_INDIGENOUS_PHILOSOPHIES_OF_EDUCATION_AND_CHRISTIAN_EDUCATION

Stewart, G. (2017). What does ‘indigenous’ mean, for me? Retrieved July 13, 2021 from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131857.2017.1302050