This paper explores liberation movement theory from educational and historical standpoints. Liberation movement theory is defined as a theory in which the oppressed seek personal, political, and social development through freedom from domination. In this paper, liberation, non-formal education, and popular education are learning theories that are…

This paper examines Plato's Philosophy of Education asking what he would say about the current Common Core initiative which is to better help students to become college and career ready. Plato would be in favor of the common core in as much as the standards are tied to specific skills needed in various career jobs as he was a proponent of…

This paper calls attention to parallels in the literature of adventure education and that of Gestalt therapy, demonstrating that both are rooted in an experiential tradition. The philosophies of adventure or experiential education and Gestalt therapy have the following areas in common: (1) emphasis on personal growth and the development of present…

This hermeneutic, or interpretive, inquiry questions the historical cultural roots of the assumption that giftedness is defined in terms of essential properties that identify a select few children. It proposes, instead, a gifted way of life that is constituted by possibilities and is open to all persons. The hermeneutic paradigm of textual…

This publication discusses differential rationality; it asserts that the development of institutions, professions, and individuals involves the differentiation of forms and styles of thinking and knowing that are, in various ways, idiosyncratic. Based on this understanding, differential rationality can be seen as a developmental construct that…

Education is both an idealistic and a practical endeavor. It is essential to have an image of the educated person to which to direct individual efforts and institutional policies. The present view of the educated person is that of a materialist, specialist, individualist, nationalist, secularist, and opportunist. Looking backward, Plato's image of…

Two divergent approaches to a prison educational program attempt to go beyond accreditation or amusement and address instead attitude change, human choice, judgment, and empowerment. The first, most obvious approach, focuses on the provision of knowledge. The second approach starts with a focus on individual development. Its aim is to facilitate…

The language-based education of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has proved more productive than the earlier apprentice learning since it offers cognitive development. The first priority of a modern curriculum should be such cognitive development, and language remains the most suitable tool for this purpose. Politically, the full enjoyment…

Kurt Hahn valued the adventure ethic for the qualities of character it developed, but his particular concern was the development of personal and social responsibility and compassion. Samaritan service is the key element in institutions, such as the Round Square Conference Schools, founded or inspired by the mature Hahn. (JHZ)

Dewey's concept of education as growth can be useful in conceiving of student success. Dewey regarded immaturity as potential for continuous development of both children and adults. His concept of "plasticity" as the capacity to alter present actions because of previous experiences is crucial to the notion of growth. A continuous…

Three of the postulates elaborated and developed in "The Rhythmic Claims of Freedom and Discipline" by A.N. Whitehead contain implications for individualized learning. The first postulate states that the process of education envelopes three major periods--the stages of romance, precision, and generalization; the second postulate states that the…

This paper explains that to bring about any form of educational equity for learners and teachers requires the realization that what is important is to educate the human disposition to understand the self. It identifies a unique relationship between the practical developmental phases of an educator toward a fully conscious professional and the…

Experiential learning as a field of practice is vast. This paper uses the metaphor of a tree to categorize experiential learning's variety, the roots being the underpinning theoretical traditions and the branches the various forms of practice. The place of experience is highly valued in three traditions of adult education: the progressive,…

The most important competence in using language is not to be discovered in the anatomy of isolated features but in the holistic view of writing and speaking in context. Three general views of education can be summarized as defining the learner as willfully ignorant, needing to be whipped into shape; as a blank tablet or empty jug, waiting to be…

Competition is evident within all aspects of life, among all types of people, and throughout the recorded history of mankind. Sport as both an educational process and profession is no exception. In recent years, however, the concept of competition has been increasingly subjected to examination by both educators and participants. What is…