Jeliazkova, margarita civic role of universities

MAIN THEMES

Citizenship addresses the political core of education

Rethinking democracy, rethinking identity

Diversity of teachers’ views and actions

A positive idea of teacher professionalism

Problem solving and sense making – the core of teaching

Universities can support teachers by setting an example

© Margarita Jeliazkova, March 9, 2016

CITIZENSHIP ADDRESSES THE POLITICAL CORE OF EDUCATION

J. Dewey: “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.’

“Politics is too serious a matter to be left to politicians”. Ch. de Gaulle

Education is political in its core. It is based on choices about a future we envisage.


RETHINKING DEMOCRACY, RETHINKING IDENTITY

Citizenship education does not promote democracy automatically.

Democracy is more than representation.

Citizenship is also about borders and belonging.

Exploring these questions is at the heart of teaching citizenship.


DIVERSITY OF TEACHERS’ VIEWS AND ACTIONS

Teachers’ views reflect the views of societies they live in.

In democratic societies, diverse expressions and constructions of citizenship are possible and are a matter of deliberation.


keep them out of

trouble (fatalist)

know your laws (hierarchi

c)

the student

leads (individuali

st)

democrati

c education

(egalitaria

n)

imposed rules

self-created rules

the good citizen

the critical citizen

neut

ralit

y indoctrination

know

ledge

attitudesright

s responsibilities

equity

survival participation

self-interest

Liberal democracy

mentors

Local SocialGuardians

Reflective Humanists

CriticalAcademics

Deliberative Liberals

Global Future Debaters

Pers

onal

Gro

wth

Fa

cilit

ator

s

Critical Cultivation Coaches

Pluralist Democratic Educators

Personal Growth Coaches

School Subject, Discipline

Pragmatic

Conservatives

Patriotic Conservatives

Meritocratic StabilityMentors

Democratic

Debaters

Fatalist Hierarchic

Individual Egalitarian

THREE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES COMPARED

Action Learning

Idealists

Loyal Citizens’ Teachers

Liberal D

emocracy

Mentors

A POSITIVE IDEA OF TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM

Avoid the trap of looking nostalgically towards the past.

Teachers need to be supported in their capacity to judge not only the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of teaching, but first and foremost the ‘WHY.’

Practical wisdom at the heart of teaching: not about the application of rules, but on understanding the particulars of unique situations (Aristoteles quoted by G. Biesta)


PROBLEM SOLVING AND SENSE MAKING – THE CORE OF TEACHING

Textbooks and step-by-step methods encourage unification and deprofessionalize the teacher (Apple).

Asking the right questions is a time-proof skill.

Democracy is about deliberation, and asking questions is at the heart of deliberation.

Teachers and students learn together, through problem detection and problem structuring (R. Hoppe).


UNIVERSITIES CAN SUPPORT TEACHERS BY SETTING AN EXAMPLE

Universities need to revise their role of producers and transmitters of knowledge in a democratic society.

The main issues of humanity today are intertwined with scientific and technological issues. Learning to live with risk and uncertainty is essential.

Universities need to reclaim their role as a social and political actor.


DISCUSSION STATEMENTS

Education for citizenship is education for responsible political choices.

Diversity of views on citizenship is not only inevitable, it should be embraced and encouraged.

Books and curricula do not educate. Teachers do.

The best way to support teachers is to include them in communities of knowledge production and sharing, geared at tackling complex social and political problems.

. © Margarita Jeliazkova, March 9, 2016

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Jeliazkova, margarita civic role of universities