Essay Question 2 - State Schiro’s four visions for education and describe each one. (Reading 2, Lecture 2) Flashcards
Introduction to - Question two – State Schiro’s four visions for education and describe each one. (Reading 2, Lecture 2)
Schiro’s four visions for education highlight different curriculum ideologies, their purposes for schooling and the methods of achieving those respective purposes. Each of the four visions for education have their own values, purposes and meaning, whilst each possesses distinct beliefs about:
• What type of knowledge that should be taught in schools
• The inherent nature of children
• What school learning consists of
• How should teachers instruct children
• How children should be assessed
“these four visions of schooling have both stimulated improvement in American schools and have caused conflicts that have inhibited progress in the development of the school curriculum” (Schiro, 2008). “each of the four visions of curriculum embodies distinct beliefs about the type of knowledge that should be taught in schools, the inherent nature of children, what school learning consists of, how teachers should instruct children, and how children should be assessed” (Schiro, 2008).
What is Schiro’s first vision for education?
The Scholar Academic Ideology - believes that over the centuries our culture has accumulated important knowledge that has been adopted into the academic disciplines found in Universities. The purpose of this ideology is to assist children to understand the accumulated knowledge of our culture. They see the aim of education as inculcating youth into a particular discipline. This ideology is all about the truth, its seekers, teachers and the learners of truth. Teachers should be mini-scholars and possess a deep understanding of their discipline and able to easily, clearly and accurately present it to students. It is a hierarchical community of people in search of truth within one part of the universe of knowledge. Based on this hierarchy its aim is to create expert students in their disciplines with the ability to move up from the bottom to the top of the hierarchy in the real world. “ this involves making youth members of a discipline by first moving them into it as students and then moving them from the bottom of the hierarchy towards its top” (Schiro, 2008).
What is Schiro’s second vision for education?
The Social Efficiency Ideology – believes that the purpose of schooling is to efficiently meet the needs of society by training youths to function as future mature contributing members of society. The needs of society are paramount. Subscribers of this vision believe the purpose of schooling is to efficiently meet the needs of society. The aim is to equip these youths with the necessary skills needed in a workplace and at home in order to perpetuate the functioning of society. Education is about skills and procedures to train youth for the workforce. They favour a competency or outcome based approach. They have a particular view of the concepts of learning, the creation and sequencing of learning experiences, and accountability to the client for whom educators work. “central to social efficiency conceptions of scientific procedure is the assumption that change in human behaviour (learning), takes place within a fairly direct cause-effect, action-reaction, or stimulus and response” (Schiro, 2008)
What is Schiro’s third vision for education?
The Learner Centred Ideology – this ideology focuses solely on the individual and their needs and concerns. They believe schools should be a setting for enjoyment and where natural growth can be fostered. The goal is to inspire growth of individuals at their own pace and with their own intellectual, social, emotional and physical attributes guiding them. They believe people contain their own capabilities for growth and are the agents of their own learning. This concept aims to highlight that potential growth lies within the individual and their own capabilities. “the goal of education is the growth of individuals, each in in harmony with his or her own unique intellectual, social, emotional, and physical attributes” (Schiro, 2008) “learning is a function of the interaction between a person and his or her environment” (Schiro, 2008)
What is Schiro’s fourth vision for education?
The Social Reconstruction Ideology – is concerned with issues within society and its injustices done to its members, for example those less fortunate because of social inequalities. View education as facilitating the construction of a new and more just society that offers maximum satisfaction to all of its members. They view curriculum from a social perspective and education as a social process through which society is reconstructed. Their purpose for education is to create an individual who stands for equality within society. They believe our society is unhealthy; we must do something to change it by reconstructing society. They are “conscious of the problems of our society and the injustices done to its members, such as those originating from racial, gender, social and economic inequalities” (Schiro, 2008). “truth and knowledge are basin in and defined by cultural assumptions” (Schiro, 2008)
