My Pedagogical Philosophy

Freire’s idea of a democratic education with students teaching and learning from each other appealed to me because it reminded me of the community-based project I had been a part of in Paraguay before taking my M.Ed. The goal of the community- based project was to improve human rights, while reducing poverty through sustainable tourism in rural communities. As might be expected, this was a great challenge in a country with political instability and vast social and economic inequity. Although not explicitly presented, the project promoted a transformative and Freirean approach; reflecting and learning from social and political events in Paraguay. Indeed, the project had a social agenda and questioned the unjust social structure of Paraguayan society. In essence, we were engaged in the “political act” of Freire’s critical consciousess* to help the poor communities understand and overcome their sources of oppression. Like Schon, Frier believed that educators should have an action-reflection-action methodology, in other words, a reflective cycle of continual improvement and reinvention. Throughout my educational journey, I was thrilled to find Freire’s academic discourse and influence in a range of disciplines such as pedagogy, linguistics, politics, sociology and theology. 

The trunk of my banyan tree (see below) is called transformative education. This trunk supports other branches and grows from a deep root called humanism. Humanism is based on the assumption that mankind is the most important thing that exists. To me, as a pedagogue, this means treating everyone like humans (and not objects). I want to put humanity back into education. My humanism encourages students to think critically, and act according to the values of humanity. Erasmus* advises us to “embrace the true spirit of the Scriptures- simplicity, naivety and humility”. These he says are the “fundamental human traits that hold the key to a happy life.”(Atkinson, 2011) Indeed, my humanist approach to education is informed by my underground river of inquiry which I can trace back to my childhood. 

Experiential learning stems from a constructivist philosophy (*see Lev Vygotsky) in which humans create knowledge based on their life experiences. Experiential learning is also built on the practices of Dewey and Freire, two of the largest branches of my banyan tree. Another reason why experiential learning theory has become part of my educator identity is that it is highly interdisciplinary, and can be designed to respond to the educational needs of the 21st century. 

Pragmatics reject the central problems of modern philosophy as presupposing false dichotomies (mind/ body, reason/ will, thought/ purpose, reason/ emotions, self/others, belief/ action, theory/practice). Pragmatists believe that human action can improve the human condition and that the results of inquiry are a measure of the theory. Pragmatists deny the possibility of attaining knowledge that is certain or universal.

 I first encountered Brazilian educator, Paolo Freire’s work when our cohort was discussing his “banking*” concept of as “an instrument of oppression” (Freire, 1970) within the context of the Education Through Occupation culture of curriculum. We discussed how this is a type of conveyor belt education has a banking approach in that it “resists dialogue” and “treats students as objects of assistance”. (Freire, 1970, p. 71) Unlike competency-based education  the Freirean approach views the student and teachers in an egalitarian relationship with a focus on dialogue and discussions.

During my 2-years of the M.Ed. program I visited the university library several times. I spent many hours in the education area on the 3rd floor and I was surprised (and overwhelmed) by the number of books Dewey had written. I can see why he is considered to be one of the most significant education thinkers of the twentieth century.  Dewey’s philosophy of education is a large branch of my banyan tree because it focuses on pragmatics*, interaction, reflection, experience, community and democracy. Dewey believed that teaching subjects like geography and history should have the goal of promoting internationalism and global understanding (Bajaj, 2008, p. 26). Dewey was opposed to the notions of patriotism; which in his opinion is one of the reasons why wars commence. Dewey’s branch is also close to Maria Montessori’s branch because she was an advocate for progressive education with its stresses on:

•  Educating the reflective democratic citizen

• Anti-authoritarianism

•  Individual development that emphasizes student need and interest

• The social construction of knowledge (constructivism)

• Social justice

• The school as the driving force of social reconstruction.

Maria Montessori agreed with Dewey that education is vital for sustaining democracy. (Hedeen, 2005) Montessori also believed that humans are natural learners and that if they are immersed in puzzles and problems to explore, they would learn instinctively; but unlike Piaget*, Montessori believed a teacher or adult is required to facilitate the learning.  Montessori’s child-led and student-centered approach to education is aligned with my ideology and is also an important supporting branch of my banyan tree.