In Week 3 of the MOOC you consider education as a more philosophical endeavour whilst exploring the complex structures of education in the UK and internationally. You are encouraged to reflect upon your subject knowledge and begin to plan for the kind of teacher you might want to be in the future. Here we pick up on some of these themes and explore them in a little more detail.
IMPORTANT: At the end of this MOOC, you have the option of paying for a certificate of completion. You do not need to do this in order to complete this pathway! You just need to click the pink complete button at the bottom of each of these pages.
This week explores philosophies and ideologies. You might want to think more about your own associations, and those reflected in the MOOC in the following video, by Manchester Met’s Dr Mark Peace:
‘Neoliberalism’ is an ideological approach often said to shape education in the Western world. Chapter one of the following book will help you to understand this further:
Read: Chapter 1- The Neoliberal Educational Landscape
I<em>n Carr, S. (2015). Motivation, educational policy and achievement: A critical perspective. London, Routledge</em>
This is not to say that all Education systems are the same! In the MOOC, Jo Baynham discusses the various ways that the education system in England is organised. As an international contrast, watch this video that outlines the ways that education is organised in Finland:
Stop and Reflect:
One educator says their aspiration is for ‘all schools to be equal’. How does this differ from the UK model of education? Reflect upon the status given to the role of the teacher and the trust from parents within the Finnish context.
Finally, read p226 of the following book on ‘Unschooling’ as an alternative idea around education, including the reflective questions:
Read: Education Studies: The Key Concepts
<em>Trotman, D., Lees, H. E., & Willoughby, R. (Eds.). (2017)</em>
The resource is not open access.