Moral Emotions And Human Interdependence In Character Education

Moral Emotions and Human Interdependence in Character Education challenges contemporary mainstream approaches to character education predicated on individualism, ‘essential virtues’ and generic ‘character skills’. This book synthesizes perspectives from phenomenology, psychology, cultural sociology and policy studies into a unique theoretical framework to reveal how ideas from positive psychology, emotional intelligence and Aristotelian virtues have found their way into the classroom. The idealized, self-reliant, resilient, atomized individual at the core of current character education is rejected as one-dimensional. Instead this book argues for an alternative, more complex pedagogy of interdependence that promotes students’ well-being by connecting them to the lives of others. This book is an essential read for academics, researchers, postgraduate students and school teachers interested in character education and social and emotional learning.

In this first systematic reconstruction of the concept of human flourishing, Eri Mountbatten-O'Malley addresses the central problems with the treatment of the concept in psychology, education, policy and science. Drawing on Wittgenstein and his followers, he develops a sophisticated methodology of conceptual analysis and makes the case for paying closer attention to complex human contexts, purposes and uses. Adopting a conceptual approach, informed by fundamental insights adapted from Wittgenstein's philosophy of language, Mountbatten-O'Malley highlights the key features and connections in the conceptual landscape of human flourishing, such as humanness, agency, personal growth, happiness and meaning. He considers the extent to which any claim to knowledge is reliant on a putative human nature, what that nature is, and how we can better understand such notions. Re-humanizing current research on the concept that is technicalized and detached from ordinary uses, this volume takes the 'human' in conceptions of human flourishing seriously.

Indirect Education discusses direct and indirect pedagogies and the complexities of these concepts within the field of education practice and research. It addresses the question of when it is most beneficial to be indirect with regard to teaching and educational research. The book offers an original approach to education in how it reasserts our right to a sense of ownership and agency in educational explorations. It argues that there should be space for indirect ways of teaching and communication when matters without clear answers and objectives enter the educational sphere. Bringing together a mix of empirical studies presented with a degree of storytelling, the book explores the literature of educational theory to make a novel and relatable argument for making space for indirectness in learning contexts. Putting forward a compelling case that is necessary for education in the difficult times that we are living in, the book will appeal to academics, researchers and students in the fields of educational theory, pedagogy, leadership studies and educational practice. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

This book responds to the need for new ways of defining the aims and forms of education, in an age that has seen the ideals of progress and growth lead the planet and its inhabitants to the brink of extinction. Arguing that contemporary ideas of performance and accountability counter "the heart" of education, the book calls for a retuning of education that encourages the younger generation to study objects and ideas for their own sake, rather than to appease established and conventional notions in society – therefore stepping into a common space of reflection and study. The chapters examine why and how we educate, and offer the alternative of engaging with educational questions, not determined by the logic of progress and growth but with an objective of creating a relation to the world around us. Using the works of Hannah Arendt combined with the tradition of Allgemeine Pädagogik to argue for a new conception of Bildung, the book encourages a method that emphasises outrospection over introspection. Ultimately questioning modern-day education, the book redirects and retunes education away from being wholly concerned with achievement and growth, and will therefore be of interest to students, researchers and academics in the fields of philosophy of education, education and curriculum studies, education policy and politics, and sociology of education.

Directly inspired by Indian British activist Satish Kumar’s 2013 seminal work ‘Soil, Soul and Society’, this book rethinks education in line with thoughts around the current climate crisis, the purpose of education in a post-pandemic world, and the mental health of children, teachers and youth across societies. Acknowledging the realities of a world battling with the after effects of COVID-19, the author envisions a future for education that realises real-world solutions to contemporary existential, ecological and societal challenges that might otherwise be limited to an imaginary or idealist space. Offering a novel approach through a combination of narrative-based inquiry and auto-ethnographic study, the book provides a synthesis of ideas from both Kumar and political philosopher Hannah Arendt not usually linked to debates in sustainability education. Ultimately providing a critique of a predominantly Western-orientated, global education movement, this interdisciplinary book will appeal to scholars, researchers, and post-graduate students involved in education theory and the philosophy of education, as well as indigenous and sustainability education more broadly.

A Dilemmatic Approach to Education offers a unique approach to educational theorizing that enriches the way we think about education. Problematizing conventional education theory, it presents an unorthodox thesis that education is defined by an internal conflict between competing core values, which in turn produce core dilemmas. The book locates the theoretical foundations of a dilemmatic approach in the works of thinkers such as G. H. Mead, Gert Biesta, Luca Tateo, and Etienne Wenger. It then relates this dilemmatic approach to a general theory of education, partly defined as the realization of the 'good', conceived in terms of competing core values. The book uses Schwartz's theory of universal values as a framework for disclosing the core values competing in educational models. The dilemmatic nature of educational leadership (including social justice leadership) is set within the context of leading leadership theories and illustrated through exemplary leadership dilemmas. Lastly, the book identifies ethical self-understanding and communities-of-practice as practically affecting a dilemmatic approach to education. Presenting an innovative understanding of the nature and meaning of education, this book will be of great interest to academics, researchers and post-graduate students in the field of educational theory and educational research, as well as those interested in a deep engagement about the meaning of education.

There is widespread agreement that schools should contribute to the moral development and character formation of their students. In fact, 80% of US states currently have mandates regarding character education. However, the pervasiveness of the support for moral and character education masks a high degree of controversy surrounding its meaning and methods. The purpose of this handbook is to supplant the prevalent ideological rhetoric of the field with a comprehensive, research-oriented volume that both describes the extensive changes that have occurred over the last fifteen years and points forward to the future. Now in its second edition, this book includes the latest applications of developmental and cognitive psychology to moral and character education from preschool to college settings, and much more.