Learning and Teaching Transformative Processes

Abstract

Scientific studies never replace or supplant subjective theories, but, in the best case, enter a productive symbiosis; they can contribute to reflecting on and understanding one's own assumptions and thereby making them available to change. Therefore, it is pedagogically sensible to address this tension between scientific and subjective theory, and thereby making pedagogical reflection accessible. For this reason, I bring forward the argument that, only after a practical experience in the field of education has been made a scientific theory-oriented education should follow. This turns conventional education theory upside down: normally a well-grounded scientific education is required first, followed only afterward by cautious experiences in practical areas. Consequentially, a valuable source of pedagogical knowledge is underrated, and regretfully also often discredited. The awareness and reflection of one's own subjective theories have to however, be an integral part of any educational discussion of pedagogy and learning, should they not pass by reality. The idea of allowing educational experiences without previous scientific education was tested in the winter school program "Modern Teaching Methods" at the Telavi State University. The participants in the winter school program were students from different disciplines none, however, had studied educational sciences. The participants were thus highly heterogeneous with respect to their educational training, but homogeneous with respect to their scientific inexperience in relationship to educational sciences. The interaction of the participants with theoretical assumptions of and models of pedagogy and their own experiences generated a productive tension that makes continuing related learning very probable.



Author Information
Irma Barbakadze, East European University, Georgia
Jan Bohm, University of Education Upper Austria, Austria
Nino Sozashvili, Caucasus International University, Georgia
Tyrone Bynoe, University of the Cumberlands, United States

Paper Information
Conference: ECE2014
Stream: Education for sustainable development

This paper is part of the ECE2014 Conference Proceedings (View)
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Posted by James Alexander Gordon