Dominik’s Radio Times

Show

John Elliott: Philosophy And Educational Practice

Programme
Humanities Conversations
Date
No date recorded
Length
52 min

About this show

Introduction

In this episode of Humanities Conversations, Dominik interviews John Elliott on the intersection of philosophy and educational practice. Elliott discusses his initiation into analytic philosophy and the humanities curriculum project. Key moments include a critique of behavioral objectives and an exploration of action research as a form of practical philosophy that allows teachers to reflect on their values to close the gap between aspirations and classroom reality.

Dominik interviews John Elliott regarding the intersection of philosophy and educational practice. Elliott discusses his initiation into analytic philosophy at the London Institute of Education and the influence of Wittgenstein. The conversation covers the humanities curriculum project, contrasting Paul Hurst's objectives model with Lawrence Stenhouse's focus on worthwhile learning processes and expressive objectives. Elliott explores the concept of action research as a form of practical philosophy that allows teachers to reflect on their values and practice to close the gap between aspirations and classroom reality. He distinguishes this from Donald Schön's reflective practitioner model, arguing that action research generates public rather than private knowledge, providing a form of accountability that resists the 'measurement of science'.

Topics

  • Analytic versus continental philosophy of education
  • Objectives-based curriculum and behavioral objectives
  • The relationship between philosophical reflection and educational practice
  • The conflict between teaching as an ethical enterprise versus teaching as a technology.
  • The role of the professional philosopher of education versus the teacher-researcher.
  • The tension between academic publication requirements and the practical needs of teachers in action research.
  • Action research versus traditional educational research
  • Evidence-based practice in education
  • The role of parents and governors in educational research

Participants

  • Dominik
  • John Elliott
  • Unidentified speaker

Names are taken from the archive as written and may include spelling variants.

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Obscure. In fact, it was described by one major figure in the analytic philosophy of education. It was described as mumbo jumbo, and broadly, it was called continental philosophy.

To be philosophers in their own classrooms, right? Now, of course, that in the minds of a of a local education authority official is a recipe for disaster. Or a minister of education, when you when you say that, is they're they're probably going to look askance.

So it yielded private rather than public knowledge. So I've always tended to use the words action research, and insisted on keeping the term research.

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