Current social transformations call for a contemporary debate about the future of "Bildung", in which two differing modern utopian tendencies can be highlighted and their discrepancy emphasised. With the end of realistic socialism in Europe, any vision featuring a perspective that might transcend the status quo seems doomed--the "political"…

Historians and philosophers of education tend to emphasise the contribution of Rousseau to the development of individualistic trends in modern education. However, other eighteenth-century thinkers also took part in the quest to bring the individual and his happiness to the centre of contemporary educational discourse. The work of some of these…

The Belgian psycho-pedagogue Ovide Decroly (1871-1932) acquired worldwide renown as one of the pioneers of the New Education Fellowship. In the period between the First and the Second World War, this organization was the forum par excellence for new education in Europe. This article analyzes Decroly's writings in order to examine the…

This study aimed to assess the influence of a philosophy of science (POS) course on science teachers' views of nature of science (NOS), perceptions of teaching about NOS, and instructional planning related to NOS. Participants were 56 undergraduate and graduate preservice secondary science teachers enrolled in a two science-methods course…

This essay explores the contingency of music's value, and the significant ways that contingency qualifies (or should qualify) our understandings of the utility of instructional method. More specifically, it raises the possibility that the altruistic pursuit of methodological purity may serve ends dramatically different than those espoused by…

This paper considers how Hegel's philosophical idealism influenced the thinking and practical activities of four successive holders of the Chair of Moral Philosophy in the University of Glasgow between 1866 and 1927. It argues that their activities were shaped by Hegelian concepts of citizenship, which engendered a commitment to encouraging the…

Over 2,000 years ago, Aristotle wrote a treatise on ethics in which he proposed that there were both intellectual and moral virtues to be developed in the human being. Virtue ("aristeia") was roughly equivalent to the English word "excellence" and the unifying virtue that was both a moral and an intellectual virtue was…

Despite the obvious fact that high performance can be promoted in many ways, the author of this article assumed for much of his academic life as a student and as a teacher that most students were motivated to learn by grades and not much else. Experiments with pass-fail courses and reports to students of their results seemed to confirm this…

The rapid growth in the number of older adult learners presents new challenges and opportunities for adult educators. These include facilitating the development of individuals as they make the transition to their later years and of American society as it struggles to reenvision aging.

Humans are all one species with one brain and neural system, yet consciousness about their existence is highly contextual. Any culturally transcendent view will still be limited to one's personal experience, analytical capabilities, and cultural shaping. Nevertheless, looking beyond humans' narrow perspectives is essential if they are to find…

It is tempting to respond to the question of what research is needed in religious education by saying, "Everything!" Although religious education as an academic discipline can be viewed as over one hundred years old, and much research has been done on a variety of issues, there is still so much that is not understood. In this paper, the author…

This article addresses the question of whether ecumenical theological education may be a practice of peace. Beginning with the potential of religious belief to reinforce entrenched positions and to end in violence, it advocates instead the transformative practices of witness and risk. These practices have the potential to overcome the impasse…

Taking account of crucial differences between the social environments of universities in Newman's time and in ours, this paper considers two key concepts in "The Idea of the University", the "philosophical" and the "liberal". It argues that, despite their merits, both concepts are beset by problems. And it suggests some lines of analysis, partly…

In this essay, David Bridges explores the notion of practice with particular application to the practice of higher education. He considers whether some of the changes in practices linked to the massification of higher education have in fact resulted in the breakdown of higher education as a "practice," at least on Alasdair MacIntyre's definition…

The author examined the effectiveness of training in symbolic logic for improving students' deductive reasoning. A total of 116 undergraduate students (approximately equal numbers of men and women) enrolled in 1st-year university philosophy courses in symbolic logic participated in 2 studies. In both studies, students completed booklets of…