PEACE VALUE MODEL (2010)

PEACE VALUE MODEL (PVM)
(T. C. Thankachan et al. 2010)

T. C. Thankachan MA (Pol), MA (Socio.), M. Ed, M.Phil,
Assistant Professor, St. Thomas College of Teacher Education, Pala, Kerala.

Teaching is an interactive process between the teacher and the student which involves pre active decision making activities and post- active redirections. The teacher, the student and the curriculum are the three components in the teaching act. All components of teaching play an equally important role in the process of teaching and learning. Attempts have been made by researchers to match the different approaches or strategies or styles of learning with the objectives of instruction and learning styles. Development of models of teaching is one of the recent innovations in teaching.
Models of Teaching help the teacher to have a wide range of approaches for creating a proper interactive environment for learning. It will help the teacher to adapt him to the learning needs of the students. The credit for transforming prevailing teaching theories into different models of teaching goes to Bruce Joyce and Marsha Weil (1980). “A model of teaching is a set of inter-related components arranged in a sequence which provides guidelines to realize specific goal. It helps in designing instructional activities and environmental facilities, carrying out of these activities and realization of the stipulated objectives” (N.K. Jangira, 1983). “Teaching models re prescriptive teaching strategies designed to accomplish particular teaching goals” (Paul Eggan).
Joyce and Weil has given three meanings of teaching models: (i) “Teaching models are just instructional designs. They describe the process of specifying and producing particular environmental situations which cause the student to interact in such a way that specific change occurs in his behavior.” (ii) Teaching model is a “pattern or plan which can be used to shape a curriculum or course, to select instructional materials and to guide a teacher’s actions.” Models are designed to attain specific goals. When a teacher identifies a goal, selects a particular strategy designed to attain that goal, we can say that he is using model approach. (iii) “A model of teaching consists of guidelines for designing educational activities and environments. It specifies ways of teaching and learning that are intended to attain certain kinds of goals.”
One of the most widely used textbooks on teaching, Models of Teaching (Joyce and Weil 1986, 1992), describes two dozen models of teaching grouped into four distinct families. 'Models from the four families can be combined to increase their effects' (Joyce and Weil). Because the different models address different aspects of learning and have different effects, there is no one all-purpose model. We find no easy route to a single model that is superior for all purposes. What is the teacher to do, then? The message is that the most effective teachers need to master a range of models and prepare for a career-long process of adding new tools and polishing and expanding their old ones. Here comes the need for an innovative model for solving peace conflicts scientifically, considering the values though a step-by-step analysis of conflict resolution. This model can be utilized for conflict resolution and value education.
Peace Value Model (2010)
The University Grants Commission, New Delhi has sanctioned a major research project on developing peace values and peace skills though peace value model to the project team (T.C. Thankachan, principal investigator; Dr. Anandi Martis and Dr. T.M. Mollykutty, co-investigators and Sunu Austin, Project Fellow). As a result of the team work, the project team prepared an innovative model called peace value model for resolving the peace conflicts through systematic self analysis of the conflicting situations. A model of peace education is not restricted to the development of a particular domain of the value system. The peace of mind of the individual is the basis of peace at familial, social, national and international levels. Solving the peace conflicts at the individual level is the most important and the first step to attain peace at the expected level. The Model prepared by the Project team enables all to analyse the value dilemma or peace conflict and solve the conflicting situation based on the preferred values and value system.
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF MODEL OF TEACHING IN PEACE
Model of teaching peace
 Is plan or guidelines or patterns or strategies of teaching to solve peace related conflicts.
 Is systematic procedures to modify the behaviour of learners through discussions and creative suggestions
 Specify the learning outcomes in terms of observable value preferences and measurable problem solving ability of students.
 Specify in definite terms the environmental condition under which a student’s response should be observed.
 Specify the criteria of acceptable values expected from the students.
 Specify mechanism that provided for students reaction and interaction to the conflicting situation.
 Systematically list the alternatives with respect to the conflicting situation.
 Specify the positive and negative alternatives before the central character in the dilemmatic situation.
FUNCTIONS
Model of teaching in peace education has some functions in the teaching learning or instructional process. They are
a) Designing, selection of curriculum or course of study in terms of conflicting situations.
b) Development and selection of instructional materials and supporting evidences.
c) Guiding the group activity in the conflict resolution process.
d) Improving classroom interaction based on group work, teacher guidance and creative suggestions.
e) Orienting teachers and academicians to be a sensitive, rational and flexible in handling and solving dilemmatic situations while trying to use and balance different worthy models and methods.
FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF MODELS OF TEACHING
Models of Teaching are really models of learning. Joyce and Weil suggested some concept in the procedure of the implementation of any instructional model. These concepts are focus, syntax, social system, principle of reaction, support system, application context and instructional and nurturant effects. The peace value model evolved out of the UGC Major Research Project, also focus on the fundamental elements already established by Joyce and Weil. But the peace value model concentrate more on the conflict resolution style for solving the peace dilemmatic situation.
1. Focus: focus is the central aspect of the teaching model. Objectives of teaching and aspect of the environment generally constitute the focus of the model.
2. Syntax: the syntax includes the sequences of steps or activities (called phases) involved in the organization of the complete programme of teaching. Each model has a distinct flow of phases.
3. Principle of reaction: this element is concerned with the way a teacher should regard and respond to the activities of the students. These responses should be appropriate and selective.
4. Social system: it provides the description of the student and teacher roles and relationships and the kinds of norms that are observed and student behaviour which is rewarded.
5. Support system: the support system relates the additional requirements other than the usual human skills or capacities of the teacher and the facilities usually available in the ordinary class room. These requirements refer to special skills, special audio-visual materials like films, self instructional materials, visit to special places etc.
6. Application context: several types of teaching models are available. Each model attempt to describe the feasibility of its use in varying context.
7. Instructional and nurturant effect: Instructional effects are those directly achieved by leading the learner in certain directions. The nurturant effect comes from experiencing the environment created by the model.
The implementation of a model of peace value development in a real situation of the classroom is a challenging job and it requires a perfect understanding of the theoretical aspect as well as a competence in the practical aspects of the model. In analyzing a peace dilemma through peace value model, a teacher has to follow some procedures and processes in the classroom situation, which are: Presenting the peace conflicting situation, Identifying and clarifying values which conflict in this situation, Identifying the alternatives before the central character, Listing the possible positive and negative consequences of each alternative, Identifying the values under each consequences, Creative suggestions for solving the problematic situation, Selecting the best alternative considering the consequences, Evaluating the reasons for the selection of the particular alternative, Citing the related examples, etc.
All these processes and elements of Peace Value Model are systematically presented in the following manner.
I. Focus
Focus is the central aspect of every teaching/learning model. Objectives of teaching/learning through peace value model are given below;
1) To identify the peace values, which conflict in the peace conflicting situation.
2) To analyze the conflicting situation, the alternatives for problem solving, consequences of alternatives, etc.
3) To acquire ability to think critically and creatively in analyzing the peace conflicting situation.
4) To develop the skill of co-operation to work effectively with others towards a common goal.
5) To develop the competencies for open discussions and creative suggestions in every problematic situations for efficient conflict resolutions.
6) To develop peace values, peace skills and other related values and skills.
7) To develop the skill of applying the values in the daily life.
8) To apply the scientific procedures for peace conflict analysis and ensure conflict resolution and conflict management.
9) To evaluate the entire process of conflict resolution.
II. Syntax
There are seven phases in this model. All these seven phases includes different instructional styles and learning activities for conflict resolution.
1. Presentation – presenting the peace conflicting situation.
2. Identification – identifying and clarifying the values which conflict in the situation, identifying the alternatives before the central character, listing the positive and negative consequences of the major alternatives, etc
3. Dialogue – formation of small groups, discussions within groups, open discussions on values under each consequences, presentation of the views, etc
4. Creative suggestions – creative suggestions for problem solving from all groups, listing of the suggestions based on effective problem solving, determining the value criterion to analyse the consequences, etc.
5. Selection – selection of the best alternative considering the values, consequences, long term effect, etc
6. Evaluation – evaluation of the process of conflict resolution, evaluating the best alternative, suggestions from the groups, etc.
7. Conflict resolution – value based conflict resolution, declaring the values helped in the process of solving the peace conflict and citing related examples.
Phase One - Presentation
(i) Presenting the peace conflicting situation;
In a class room the peace conflicting situation may be presented in the form of short readings, through a film, film strips, OHP/LCD projection, Xerox copies, readings, paper cuttings, etc. The conflicting dilemmatic situations can be taken from the conflicts in the family, peer interaction situations, personal conflicts, situations from class rooms and institutions, social situations, etc. After presentation of the dilemma the teacher asks certain questions in order to help the students to clarify the circumstances involved in the dilemma, identifies and defines difficult terms, identifies the characteristics of the central character.
Phase Two - Identification
(ii) Identifying and clarifying values which conflict in the situation;
The teacher clarifies the value questions and helps the students to do the same. There may be different values and value systems conflict in the presented situation, which has to be clarified through classroom discussions. The responsibility of the clarification of value conflict should be shared by teacher and students. The teacher asks about the value conflict faced by the central character in the conflicting situation. The values which conflict in the presented dilemma is analysed here.
(iii) Identifying the alternatives before the central character;
In this phase, the activities which should be done through individual or group work, brain storming, encouraging the class to suggest ideas, etc. What alternatives are open to the central character is the main theme of this phase. The students with the help of the teacher identify maximum number of alternatives open to the central character to solve the conflicting situation. Then through discussions the most important alternatives (two or three) are selected.
(iv)Listing the possible positive and negative consequences of each alternative;
In this phase, the students predict the consequences of each alternative. The teacher asks some questions in this phase. Listing of the consequences here means identifying the future effects when the conflict is solved or if it is not solved. In this phase the discussion can be arranged based on the following questions. E.g. What might be the consequences of each alternative? What are the positive and negative consequences of each alternative? What might be the short term and long-term consequences? What might happen if the alternative were to become a reality? Who would be affected and how? What about the effects on the future generation?
Phase Three – Dialogue
(v)Formation of Groups;
In this phase, it is necessary to form the groups for open discussion and free flow of ideas through communication with less formality.
(vi) Open Discussions on identifying the values under each consequence;
After listing all the consequences of each alternative the teacher asks the students to identify the values under each consequence. These values may be from human, social, aesthetic, religious, political, theoretical, intellectual values, etc. The purpose of identifying the values to get a value based clarity on all the consequences.
(vii) Presenting the views
Here, the students present their views on each consequence, its desirability and on the ideas shared by other groups and the teacher.
Phase Four – Creative suggestions
(viii) - Creative suggestions for solving the problematic situation;
In this stage the students are asked to give their suggestions to solve the dilemmatic situation based on the views presented in the groups. The creative suggestions given by the students are coordinated by the teacher and the most important suggestions evolved from the group deliberations are presented before the entire class. The creative suggestions of the students are motivated and reinforced in this stage.
(ix) Determining the value criterion to analyse the consequences
All the creative suggestions are analysed based on the value consciousness of students. The most important values implied in the consequences are listed and the criterion is fixed based on that. The value criterion is the background for selecting the best alternative for solution of the problem.
Phase Five – Selection
(x) Selecting the best alternative considering the values, consequences and long term effect;
After listing the consequences of each alternative and the creative suggestions given by the students, the teacher asks the students to select the best alternative based on the values, long term effect of the consequences, the impact of the positive and negative consequences, modeling with respect to social implications, the applicability of the creative suggestions, etc. The teacher assesses the best alternative suggested by the students and if necessary modifies it.
Phase Six – Evaluation
(xi) - evaluation of the process of conflict resolution, evaluating the best alternative, suggestions from the groups;
The teacher directs the students to evaluate the process of conflict resolution through the difficulties felt by them at the beginning, especially when the peace conflict is introduced in the class, when the students identified the alternatives, consequences and the values in that, and in the suggestions for problem solving. This phase will help the teacher and the students about the real reflection of the problem, feedback for all, and finally apt and effective decision making.
Phase Seven – Conflict Resolution
(xii) Value based conflict resolution;
The values, which helped the students for the conflict resolution process, are listed here and the teacher gives some explanations on the importance of these values and the need for preferring these. In this stage, the students will be aware of the need for a value and value system and their preference for solving the issues in any conflicting situation.
(xiii) Declaring the values helped in the process of solving the peace conflict;
The major values are declared by the students in their groups and the teacher co-ordinate the values and declare for all. The teacher can give the message of right value preferences with respect to the conflicting situation. This declaration and internalization of the values will help the students in choosing and prizing the values, which they have preferred and analysed.
(xiv) Citing related examples;
The teacher encourages the students to cite related examples from different life situations, news papers, reports, articles, television news, magazines, friends, etc. These situations can gains be analyzed in following the same scientific procedures. In similar situations students will be able to analyze their peace conflicts or conflicts related to the different life situations. The examples suggested by the students can be taken as the conflict analysis for the next class.
III. Principle of Reaction
This element is concerned with the appropriate and selective way a teacher should regard and respond to the activities of the students. The systematically presented peace conflicting situation is given for open discussions and creative suggestions. The suggestions given by the students are properly analysed and modified by the teacher if necessary. The teacher’s role in peace conflict resolution is counselor, director, motivator, leader, director, etc. He or she must guide the students to reflect on the procedures and processes in the conflict resolution.
IV. Social system
It provides the description of the student and teacher roles and relationships and the kinds of norms that are observed and student behaviour which is rewarded. The creative suggestions of the students at the time of group discussion are rewarded by the teacher. The students identifies and lists the values, alternatives and consequences of alternatives after the dilemma is presented by the teacher. The final decision making with respect to the conflict resolution is the result of the combined effort of the teacher and the students.
V. Support system
The support system relates the additional requirements other than the usual human skills or capacities of the teacher and the facilities usually available in the ordinary class room. These requirements refer to special skills, special audio-visual materials like films, self instructional materials, etc. The peace conflicting situation is presented with the help of OHP, LCD presentations, news paper reading, etc. If the issues analysed in the Television channel is presented before the students, the recording or the same channel can be made available in the class. The life situation also can be analysed with the help of press, media, personal explanations, computer assistance, etc. All the available resources can be utilized here.
VI. Application context
Several types of teaching models are available. In peace education, Peace Value Model is a systematic learning model emphasis on value based conflict resolution. This model attempts to describe the feasibility of its use in varying life related conflicting contexts. The level of conflicting situation determines the sample for the application of this model. Most of the complicated life conflicting situations can be introduced among the mature students. The adolescents and children also can be oriented towards solving peace conflicts through this model within their intellectual and social domains.
VII. Instructional and nurturant effect
In every model instructional effects are those effects which are directly achieved by leading the learner in certain directions. The attainment of peace values and peace skills, value preferences, problem solving ability etc are the instructional effects of this model. The nurturant effect comes from experiencing the environment created by the model. The development of creativity, interpersonal warmth, co-operative co-existence, interdependence in problem solving, etc. are the nurturant effects of this model.
Peace Value Model – Classroom Practice
The process of conflict analysis or analysis of the peace conflicts is done through the help of scientifically prepared worksheets. The work sheet is considered as a data record used by the students during teaching learning process. In the Peace Value Model the students have to move from phase one to phase seven and through the sub phases. The recording under different phases would help the students to proceed higher phases of peace conflict management. The main items given in the students’ worksheet are given below.
(a) Main points in the peace conflict: - Here the students are asked to write the main points mentioned in the dilemma case.
(b) Identification of the difficult terms and asking questions: - The students are asked to identify and write the difficult terms in the dilemma and get it clarified. Here the students ask questions which need more explanation and clarify them.
(c) Values which conflict in the dilemma: - Here the students write about the peace value conflict faced by the central character.
(d) Alternatives open to the central character: - Students finds out the major alternatives open to the central character.
(e) Positive and Negative consequences of alternatives: - At this stage the students identify and write consequences for each alternative.
(f) Identifying the values under each consequence: - After listing maximum positive and negative consequences, the students identify the values under each consequence.
(g) Suggestions for solving the peace conflict: - Here the students give their creative suggestions for solving the conflict based on the consequences.
(h) Best alternative open to the central character: - After analyzing each consequence and the creative suggestions the students’ select one alternative, which they think, is the best.
(i) Reasons for the selection of the best alternative: - Here the students state the reasons for the selection of the best alternative open to the central character.
(j) Evaluation points – students give the evaluation of the process of conflict resolution, selection of the best alternative, etc.
(k) Value declaration - declaring the values helped in the process of solving the peace conflict.
(l) Citing the related examples: - The students list some related examples and in the next class it can be taken for analysis.
Conclusion
The mark of an educated person, wrote Plato in The Republic, is the willingness to use one’s knowledge and skills to solve the problems of society. Education must imbue children with a proactive social conscience. Society is the empowering context for individuals. No one can become fully human or attain dignity and fulfilment outside the web of relationships and responsibilities presupposed in society. Thus education must train and equip individuals to live creatively, responsibly, and peaceably in a society. Education for peace could be an effective catalyst in activating a holistic vision for education. This could transform education into a movement for national integration and regeneration, which is the need of the hour.

CRITICAL PEDAGOGY

Critical Pedagogy – A Conceptual Analysis
T. C. Thankachan M.A. (Pol.), M.A. (Socio.), M. Ed, M. Phil
(Secretary, All Kerala Training College Teachers Association (AKTCTA) & Lecturer, St. Thomas College of Teacher Education, Pala.)

Critical Pedagogy is also called as ‘conscientization’ or ‘education for critical thinking’. The term was coined by Brazilian educator, activist, and theorist Paulo Friere in his work Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970). Paulo Reglus Nevus Freire was born on September 19th, 1921 in Brazil. He took a vow at the age of eleven to dedicate his life to the struggle against hunger so that other children would not have to face the agony he was then experiencing, has made a profound impact not only in the overall struggle for development in the Third world countries but also in the field of education. Friere worked in close association with a number of groups engaged in new experiments in education. He acted as a consultant at Harward University’s school of education. His most popular work Pedagogy of the Oppressed, is dedicated to the poor and deprived people of this world, and to those who identify with and fight for the impoverished.
In education critical pedagogy aims to - facilitate radical transformation of the social structure, development of critical consciousness, to discover and implement liberating alternatives through social interaction and transformation via conscientization – process by which people achieve a deepened awareness , both of socio-cultural reality that shapes their lives and of their capacity to transform that reality. Criticism and dialogue are the two activities in critical pedagogy.
Background of Critical Pedagogy
Critical pedagogy was heavily influenced by the works of Paulo Freire, arguably the most celebrated critical educator. According to his writings, Freire heavily endorses students’ ability to think critically about their education situation; this way of thinking allows them to "recognize connections between their individual problems and experiences and the social contexts in which they are embedded." Realizing one’s consciousness ("conscientization") is a needed first step of "praxis," which is defined as the power and know-how to take action against oppression while stressing the importance of liberating education. "Praxis involves engaging in a cycle of theory, application, evaluation, reflection, and then back to theory. Social transformation is the product of praxis at the collective level."
Postmodern, anti-racist, feminist, and postcolonial theories all play a role in further explaining Freire’s ideas of critical pedagogy, shifting its main focus on social class to include issues pertaining to religion, military identification, race, gender, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, and age. Many contemporary critical pedagogues have embraced postmodern, anti-essentialist perspectives of the individual, of language, and of power, "while at the same time retaining the Freirean emphasis on critique, disrupting oppressive regimes of power/knowledge, and social change." Critical pedagogy considers how education can provide individuals with the tools to better themselves and strengthen democracy, to create a more egalitarian and just society, and thus to deploy education in a process of progressive social change.
In his book, Critical Pedagogy (2008, second edition), Joe L. Kincheloe helps explains the central dynamics of critical pedagogy: "Advocates of critical pedagogy are aware that every minute of every hour that teachers teach, they are faced with complex decisions concerning justice, democracy, and competing ethical claims. While they have to make individual determinations of what to do in these particular circumstances, they must concurrently deal with the surrounding institutional morality. A central tenet of critical pedagogy maintains that the classroom, curriculum, school structures, teachers etc, are not neutral sites waiting to be shaped by educational professionals. While such professionals do possess agency, this prerogative is not completely free and independent of decisions made previously by people operating with different values and shaped by the ideologies and cultural assumptions of their historical contexts. These contexts are shaped in the same way language and knowledge are constructed, as historical power makes particular practices seem natural—as if they could have been constructed in no other way." Kincheloe lists the basic concerns of critical pedagogy:
• all education is inherently political and all pedagogy must be aware of this condition
• a social and educational vision of justice and equality should ground all education
• issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and physical ability are all important domains of oppression and critical anti-hegemonic action.
• the alleviation of oppression and human suffering is a key dimension of educational purpose
• schools must not hurt students--good schools don't blame students for their failures or strip students of the knowledges they bring to the classroom
• all positions including critical pedagogy itself must be problematized and questioned
• the professionalism of teachers must be respected and part of the role of any educator involves becoming a scholar and a researcher
• education must both promote emancipatory change and the cultivation of the intellect--these goals should never be in conflict, they should be synergistic
• the politics of knowledge and issues of epistemology are central to understanding the way power operates in educational institutions to perpetuate privilege and to subjugate the marginalized--"validated" scientific knowledge can often be used as a basis of oppression as it is produced without an appreciation of how dominant power and culture shape it.
• education often reflects the interests and needs of new modes of colonialism and empire. Such dynamics must be exposed, understood, and acted upon as part of critical transformative praxis.
Important Critical Pedagogues
Authors of critical pedagogy not only include Paulo Freire, as mentioned above, but also Michael Apple, Henry Giroux, Peter McLaren, Joe L. Kincheloe, Howard Zinn,Suresh Canagarajah,Alastair Pennycook, Graham Crookes and others. Educationists including Jonathan Kozol and Parker Palmer are sometimes included in this category. Other critical pedagogues more known for their anti-schooling, unschooling, or deschooling perspectives include Ivan Illich, John Holt, Ira Shor, John Taylor Gatto, and Matt Hern.
Constructivism
A philosophy that views learning as an active process in which learners construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through action and reflection. Constructivists argue that individuals generate rules and mental models as the result of their experiences with both other human subjects and their environments and in turn use these rules and models to make sense of new experiences.
Three important concepts emerge from this definition:
1. Knowledge is socially constructed. It is not something that exists outside of language and the social subjects who use it. Learning - obtaining knowledge and making meaning - is thus a social process rather than the work of the isolated individual mind; it cannot be divorced from learners' social context.
2. Learning is an active process. Students learn by doing rather than by passively absorbing information.
3. Knowledge is constructed from experience. Students bring prior knowledge into a learning situation, which in turn forms the basis for their construction of new knowledge. Upon encountering something new, learners must first reconcile it in some way with their previous ideas and experiences. This may mean changing what they believe, expanding their understanding, or disregarding the new information as irrelevant.
In this framework then, learning is not a process of transmission of information from teacher to student, a model which positions the student as a passive receptacle, but an active process of construction on the part of the learner that involves making meaning out of a multiplicity stimuli.
In practice, educators use active techniques (experiments, real-world examples, problem solving activities, dialogues) to introduce students to information and issues and then encourage students to reflect on and talk about what they did and how their understanding is changing. The teacher makes sure she understands the students' preexisting conceptions and guides activities to address and build on them. Constructivism also often utilizes collaboration and peer criticism as a way of facilitating students' abilities to reach a new level of understanding.
Constructivism and Critical Pedagogy
Many of the characteristic tenets of critical pedagogy are consistent with a constructivist approach to education. Long before Paulo Freire (1921-1997) wrote Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970), which contains his famous critique of the "banking concept of education" (education that revolves around the actions of teachers who "deposit" knowledge into their passive students), John Dewey (1859-1952), generally considered the founder of "progressive" education and constructivist educational theory in the United States, rejected teaching practices that positioned students as passive receptacles, such as the rote learning of isolated facts, advocating instead for a pedagogical approach that involved students' active engagement with each other and with the world. Like Freire, who embraced both "problem posing" and dialogic educational practices, Dewey emphasized the importance of active social learning environments, rather than one-sided lectures, and argued that learning involves the active construction of knowledge through engagement with ideas in meaningful contexts, rather than the passive absorption of isolated bits of information. And just as Freire maintained that education must engage with the language and experiences of learners, drawing upon their thematic universes, Dewey had also argued that learning takes place within meaningful contexts that allow students to build upon the knowledge they already have. Both argue that educators need to understand the experiences and worldviews of their students in order to successfully further the learning process. Moreover, both associate learning with critical reflection, with actively seeking after truth and applying it to future problems. They also draw a connection between critical reflection and politics, with Freire linking critical reflection with the fight against oppressive social conditions and Dewey linking it to responsible and ethical democratic citizenship.
Problem Posing Education
It rejects banking education, or education as the process of transferring information, and embraces a view of education as consisting of acts of cognition that take place through dialogue. Students and teachers become critical co-investigators in dialogue with each other (Pedagogy of the Oppressed). According to Freire, with problem posing education, "no one teaches another, nor is anyone self-taught. Men teach each other, mediated by the world, by the cognizable objects which in banking education are 'owned' by the teacher". The Kerala Curriculum Framework (KCF) identifies certain issues related to Kerala society. Those issues are to be treated considering the aims of education. The aims of education are-
• Education for social justice
• Education for balanced development
• Education for citizenship development
• Education for development of national feeling
• Education based on rights of individuals
• Education for development of scientific and technology based outlook
• Education for the protection of cultural uniqueness
• Education for development of job skills
• Education for social and democratic values
• Education for self-sufficiency
• Education for resistance
• Education for construction and exchange of knowledge
• Education for developing a critical outlook
In education critical pedagogy aims to - facilitate radical transformation of the social structure, development of critical consciousness, to discover and implement liberating alternatives through social interaction and transformation via conscientization – process by which people achieve a deepened awareness , both of socio-cultural reality that shapes their lives and of their capacity to transform that reality. Criticism and dialogue are the two activities in critical pedagogy.
The selected eight issues that are rooted in Kerala culture has to be analyzed with the help of the curriculum is the need of the hour according to KCF. These eight issues are;-
• Absence of vision as a universal citizen
• Lack of work competency development
• Lack of understanding on uniqueness of out culture and its independent development
• Absence of considering Agriculture as a culture
• Lack of scientific attitude on health and public health
• Lack of concern for the marginalized sections of the society
• Lack of scientific land – water management and
• Lack of eco-friendly industrial and urban development
Critical Pedagogy –Steps
Critical pedagogy is a teaching approach which attempts to help students question and challenge domination, and the beliefs and practices that dominate. In other words, it is a theory and practice of helping students achieve critical consciousness. Critical pedagogue Ira Shor defines critical pedagogy as, "Habits of thought, reading, writing, and speaking which go beneath surface meaning, first impressions, dominant myths, official pronouncements, traditional clichés, received wisdom, and mere opinions, to understand the deep meaning, root causes, social context, ideology, and personal consequences of any action, event, object, process, organization, experience, text, subject matter, policy, mass media, or discourse." Critical Pedagogy has the following steps;
Context – Students come from different context or background. The educators must know the family, social, political, economical religious context or background of each student.
Vocabulary- The educators observe the students in order to ‘tune in’ to the universe of their vocabulariy. For example, even within one state or country people use different vocabulary. For example, the vacabulary ‘Kappa’ is pronounced slightly different by a true Keralite than a non-Keralatie living in Kerala. Both may abe born in Kerala yet there will be difference in pronunciation.
Codification- There is codification of culture or context in vocabularies or words. Teachers should know the culture or context of students codified in their vocabulary. For example, vocabularies or words differ from place to place. Some vocabularies or words used in Pala may not be used in Trivandrum or Thrissur or may have different meanings.
Decodification- Words and themes are generated by a ‘culture cycle’. For example, vocabularies or words differ from place to place. By listening to the vacabulary or words we can say whether the person is from Pala or Trivandrum, whether the person is Hindu, Muslim, Christian, whether person is educated or not, whether the person is from viallage or town etc..
Codification of these words into visual images, which stimulated people submerged in the culture of silence (not conscious) to emerge as conscious makers of their own culture. For example , student in a group says a vocabulary ‘slum’, the teacher should ask the studens to see the ‘slum’ in imagination or in visual images; they see small huts, no proper drinking water, no electricity, etc. When the students see the vocabulary ‘slum’ in images they become aware of their conditions, they become conscious.
Dialogue – The teacher should lead the students to dialogue. The dialogical approach to learning abandons the lecture format and the banking approach to education in favor of dialogue and open communication among students and teachers. According to Paulo Freire, in this method, all teach and all learn. The dialogical approach contrasts with the anti-dialogical method, which positions the teacher as the transmitter of knowledge, a hierarchical framework that leads to domination and oppression through the silencing of students' knowledge and experiences. For example, after visualizing the condition of a ‘slum’ the students become aware of their conditions. They will have dialogue, they talk among themselves on what can they do and how can they make the slum better.
Dialogical method is based on the dialogue between persons. In the dialogical relations, no one teaches another, nor is any one self-taught. People teach each other. In the dialogical system, students are co-investigators in the dialogue with the teacher. In the dialogical relations, arguments based on authority are no longer valid. Authority is on the ‘side’ of freedom, not ‘against’ it.
Praxis (Action) – The dialogue leads to action. Those who were formerly illiterate or not conscious of their conditions now begin to reject the role as mere ‘objects’ in nature and social theory. They undertake to become ‘subjects’ of their own destiny. Those who were formerly illiterate or not conscious of their condition now begin to oppose against exploitation, oppression, injustice and bring justice and social transformation.
Critical Pedagogy advocates dialogical method in teaching. A variety of multi sensory-stimulation techniques such as graphic and audio-visual aids including charts, diagrams, maps, pictures, slides etc, are advocated to educate the people and conscientise them. The substance or the content should be defined by the people. This is possible if the leaders employ the dialogical method. Dialogue with the people is the first step into education. People should describe the world and reality around them, create values rather than receive them and thus develop their understandings and commitments for action. Their understandings, needs only to be recognized interpreted, discussed and refined. These are the steps in teaching in Critical Pedagogy.
Friere’s ideas are of a rebel and as such they are too revolutionary. Theoretically they appear to be quite sound but functionally they are ‘Utopian’ in nature. Friere has not clearly provided any framework of a workable formal system of education. Of course, his methodology of education can be used with some modifications.

"The future isn't something hidden in a corner. The future is something we build in the present."--Paulo Freire

References
Aronowitz, S. (2003). How class works: Power and social movement. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Friere, P.(2002), Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Harmonds worth, Penguin.
Grande, S. (2004). Red pedagogy: Native American social and political thought. Boulder, CO: Rowman and Littlefield.
Kincheloe, J. (2008). Critical pedagogy. 2nd edition. NY: Peter Lang.
Monchinski, T. (2007). The politics of education. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
NCERT (2006), National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2005, New Delhi.
SCERT (2008) Kerala Curriculum Framework, Thiruvananthapuram.
SCERT (2008) Kerala Curriculum Framework - Teachers Manual, Thiruvananthapuram
Shor, I. (1992). Empowering education: Critical teaching for social change. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

PHILOSOPHY

EDUCATION AND PHILOSOPHY
T.C. Thankchan M.A. (Pol.), M.A. (Socio.), M. Ed, M. Phil, Assistant Professor, St. Thomas College of Teacher Education, Pala.

Etymologically the word philosophy is derived from the Greek words ‘philos’ (love) and ‘sophia’ (wisdom) that means love of wisdom. Wisdom is not the same thing as knowledge. Wisdom includes knowledge and goes beyond it to find relationships and to discover implications. In this way, the search of wisdom or truth is called philosophy and the man who engages himself in the search is called a philosopher. Various scholars from various angles have defined philosophy. According to Cicero “Philosophy is the mother of all arts and the true medicine of mind”. Coleridge defines “Philosophy as the science of sciences”. A Philosopher according to Plato is “one who has a taste for every sort of knowledge, who is curious to learn and is never satisfied”. The philosopher is even now interested in the first principles and final conclusions of all knowledge. The meaning of philosophy can be summed up as:
• Philosophy as search for truth
• Philosophy as an activity of analysis – analysis of some of the most difficult problems that mankind has ever faced.
• Philosophy as criticism and clarification
• Philosophy as an activity of synthesis – philosophy is a search for a comprehensive view of nature, an attempt at a universal explanation of nature of things.
• Comprehensiveness, penetration and flexibility are three dimensions of philosophical thinking.
Different Areas of Philosophy
• Problem of Reality (Metaphysics)
• Problem of Knowledge (Epistemology)
• Problem of Values (Axiology)
Metaphysics is concerned with the nature of reality, time and space, origin of universe and purpose of human life. Epistemology deals with questions regarding the nature, structure and validity of knowledge. Axiology deals with Ethics, Aesthetics and logic. Ethics deals with values. It is the science of values. (What is the good and valuable in human life). It discusses the criteria of right and good. Aesthetics deals with the nature and criteria of beauty. The theory of beauty, forms of beauty, relationship between truth and beauty, etc., are discussed under aesthetics. Logic studies truth, methods of judgment, types of propositions, hypothesis, definitions, classifications etc. Logic focuses on the methods of arriving at knowledge.
The characteristics of Philosophy may be summed up as under:
• Philosophy is a way of life
• Philosophy is an art as well a science
• Philosophy is the mother of all arts and sciences
• Philosophy is a dynamic and living force
• Philosophy is a search for reality and truth
• Philosophy is closely related to education
Relationship between Education and Philosophy – Significance of studying philosophy
Education and philosophy are closely inter-related. If philosophy is love of knowledge then education is acquisition of knowledge. Philosophy is the corner stone of the foundation of education. Education is a practical activity of philosophical thought. Without philosophy, education would be a blind effort and without education, philosophy would be crippled. Philosophy answers thousands of questions pertaining to the whole field of education. If the child is to educated why is he to be educated, for what he is to be educated, how is to be educated, by whom is to be educated are questions which are answered by philosophy. Knowledge certified by philosophy enters the curriculum of education. Method approved by philosophy for building knowledge form the basis of methods and techniques of teaching, the truth arrived at by philosophy sets the goals and objectives of education as well as the instruments and end use of evaluation. Great philosophers like, Socrates, Plato, Rousseau, Froebel, Gandhiji, Tagore, Radhakrishnan and so on have been great educators also.
The study of educational philosophy helps an educationist to critically evaluate his own practices and make necessary changes in his practice. Philosophy has the potential for provoking revolutionary changes, revise and reject some of our beliefs, develops analytical and logical skills and reasoning. Educational philosophy clarifies concepts and analyses propositions, beliefs and theories of education. A philosophical vision is essential to understand the new trends in the educational systems especially the contemporary educational movement. Montessory schools of Maria Montessori, Kindergarten system of Education of Froebel, Gandhiji’s Nai Taleem, Jiddu Krishnamurthi’s Rishi Valley Schools, Aurobindo’s International Centre for Education, Pondecherry are some of the educational movements and that can be evaluated only in the background of educational philosophy. Philosophy is also interpreted as an attempt at developing a comprehensive picture, an integral vision, a holistic view, a synthetic understanding, a total picture, a synoptic vision of the universe around us. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan had defined the aim of education in the University Education Commission report, thus, “the aim of education is to give an integrated view of the Universe.”
The relationship between Education and Philosophy can be summed up as follows.
• Philosophy determines what constitutes a life worth living. The chief task of education is to make life worth living.
• Philosophy tells us the goal and essentials of good life. Education tells us the means to achieve those goals and learn those essentials of good life.
• Philosophy is the theory; education is the practice.
• Philosophy is the contemplative side and education the active side.
• Education is applied philosophy.
• Philosophy deals with ends, education with the means and techniques of achieving those ends.
• Philosophy deals with the abstract education deals with the concrete
• All great philosophers are great educators.
• The truth and principles established by philosophy are applied in the conduct of educative process.
• Philosophy is always in the background for shaping things in education.
• Philosophy answers thousands of questions pertaining to the whole field of education.
• There is no aspect of education – aims, curriculum, methods, textbooks, discipline, teacher etc. that is not influenced and determined by philosophy.
• Philosophy sets ultimate values on the basis of which aims of education are determined.
• Height and breadth of education is probed in by philosophy.
“The art of education will never attain complete clearness without philosophy” Fichte
“Education is the Dynamic side of philosophy” James Ross.
“Philosophy is the theory of education in its most general phases”.-John Dewey
Thus, Education and Philosophy are the two sides of the same coin.

METAPHYSICS AND EDUCATION
Philosophy deals with everything in the world an all of knowledge. It is primarily divided into three branches – metaphysics, epistemology and axiology. Metaphysics is the science of existence or reality. It is the study of fundamental nature of reality and existence and of the essences of things. Metaphysics, in brief, deals with reality in man, world and hereafter. Aristotle covered a wide range of studies, one of which was the study of nature (physics); much of it could be subjected to bservation and reasonable inference; some go beyond the testable level and is therefore assigned to metaphysics.
Metaphysics is often divided into two areas - Ontology and Cosmology. Ontology is the study of being. Cosmology is the study of physical universe, or the cosmos taken as a whole. Metaphysics deals with such questions as, What is real? Is the world one or many? What are the fundamental characteristics of creation? What is space? Is there a God? What is the difference between appearance and reality? Does mind have the same sort of being as physical object? Does God have the same kind of being as do molecules and electrons? Is any unchangeable being as well as changeable one? Metaphysics considers all these questions and tries to answer all these. In brief, metaphysics discusses the three aspects of Reality – the world, the self and the God. The main branches of metaphysics are:
• Cosmogony - This is a study of creation. Is world created, or is it eternal? How was world created? Why was it created? Who created the world? What is the purpose of creation? All these are the problems of cosmogony.
• Cosmology – It is the study of physical universe. The main problems of cosmology are: Is the world one or is it many? Is it both one and many?
• Ontology – it is the study of ultimate reality. Is the reality one? Is it many? Is it both one and many? If reality is many, what is the relation between these many elements? All these are ontological questions.
• Philosophy of self – this is mainly concerned with the philosophical analysis of self. What is self? What is its relation with the body? Is it free or does it depends on the body? Is it one many? All these are the problems of pilot of self.
• Eschatology – the discussion of the condition of soul after death, the nature of the other world, etc. from the subject matter of this branch of philosophy.
The meaning of metaphysics can be summed up as follows:
 Metaphysics is an attempt to know the reality.
 It means beyond nature
 Metaphysics is basically the search for what ultimately is real.
 Metaphysics deals with questions related to the theory of what exists and what is real.
 It deals with the nature of existence and the essence of things.
 Metaphysics discusses the three aspects of Reality – the world, the self and the God.
Metaphysics – Education, Man, Nature and Society
Aristotle developed the study of metaphysics to be studied after physics. While physics studies the laws of external form of existence. Metaphysics thinks over the real essence of things. Metaphysics deals with reality in man, world and hereafter. This has a close bearing upon the aims and ideals of education the metaphysical attitude provides the educationists the proper perspective for devising aims and ideals of education. The concept of self is the basis of the development of character, the central aim of education. Know thyself and be thyself is the universally acknowledge aim of education. Moral and religious education is based upon the metaphysical concept of God. It shows that our explanation of the ultimate reality of the total reality, call it God or anything else, has important bearing upon education particularly it aims and ideals and therefore its means and plans. The most important metaphysical theories which have influenced education are: Naturalism, Idealism, Pragmatism and Realism.
Man is a part of great world system. All men share the same human nature and this nature is constant. It does not change. Since all men have the same nature, all men have the same natural powers. By virtue is meant the perfection of a natural power and since all men have the same natural powers, the virtues are the same for all men. Education is concerned with the development of man’s rational powers. i.e, with the formation of the intellectual powers. Since the aim of education is the formation of the intellectual virtues and since these virtues are the same for all men, the aim of education is also the same for all men. Relationship between man and nature is another dimension of metaphysics.
EPISTEMOLOGY AND EDUCATION
Philosophy implies both process of seeking wisdom and wisdom itself. This wisdom is nothing but theoretical and practical knowledge related to problems of life and universe, which is derived out of systematic, critical and reflective thinking. The three important foundations of education are ontological (related to reality) epistemic (related to knowledge) and axiological (related to values) of which epistemic is the most fundamental one. It is only knowledge that reveals reality and facilitates values realization. Philosophy began with metaphysical questions and the answers for metaphysical questions lead to epistemology. The term epistemology has derived from two Greek words episteme – means knowledge and logos – means study, science or discussion. It is the conditions under which knowledge takes place.
One of the important tasks of philosophy is to study the nature and phenomenology of our knowledge and to formulate the norms and criteria of its validity and truth. Thus in philosophy we study, the meaning of knowledge, how it is generated, its nature and how it is validated. This in essence, is the scope of epistemology, as a branch of philosophy. In epistemology, we study different philosophical perspectives held about meaning, origin, source and nature of knowledge and theories of truth. The important areas in epistemology are falsehood, validity, truth, limits, nature, etc of knowledge, knower and known of knowledge etc.
All education ultimately culminates in the realization of values or ideals expressed in the educational objectives. The study of epistemology helps in answering the following questions in a fruitful manner. What are the goals of education? What should be content of education or curriculum? How is the content justified and validated? What are the approaches in transacting the content material and to realize the goals of education? What are the values that need to be acquired? What is their nature and sources? How can they be acquired?. These questions are basically epistemological and answers to these questions may vary according to one’s philosophical perspective.
Fundamental to the realization of educational objectives is imparting and acquisition of knowledge, prior to this process requires one to have an insight into the nature of knowledge in its different forms and structure, the sources of knowledge and the validation of knowledge itself. The study of epistemology helps in eliminating non-essential things and including essentials of curriculum content, which includes different forms of knowledge, fixing the priorities for transmitting them.
Epistemology is directly related with knowledge, its sources, nature, validity, scope, origin etc. According to the opinion of some philosophers knowledge means knowing the external world and it is an act of awareness – a cognitive act involving perception. There was no knowledge before the existence of man, and there will be no knowledge after him. These are the views of some philosophers on epistemology. It is generally accepted that knowledge is power, which things are done and known.
Sources of Knowledge
There are two views or perspectives in the ways of knowing or sources of knowledge –the western perspective and the Indian perspective. The following are the means or sources or pramanas by which we come to ‘knew’ of things according to western perspective.
Sense experience: Here the knowledge is acquired through the sense experience- through the proper use of five senses. It is seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting. Through sense experience we can know that physical things and their knowledge exist and what their characteristics are. Adequate sense experience will enable an individual to have awareness about the external things and their experience. There are also internal senses, which help us to acquaint ourselves with our own internal states like feelings, pains, pleasures, attitudes etc. Some times we use some words to describe people’s inner states, like ‘I love’, ‘I dislike’ etc. Sense experiences – external and internal- enables individuals to get correct and first hand experiences about the world and surroundings.
Reason: We come to know that 1+1=2 not by sense experience but by reasoning. On the basis of a set of statements or premises we infer a statement called conclusion of the arrangement. We infer unobservable on the basis of observable. Here we employ reasoning as a source of knowledge. Reasoning can be inductive, deductive or both. Reasoning helps in knowing something not known earlier by any amount of sense experience. Reasoning is what we do, but reason is an ability to think. Reason is prerequisite of all knowledge.
Authority: We come to know of things from some other source, a person or a book written by somebody whom we take for granted without checking the truth of the statements made by him. The authority here is depends on the authenticity of the statement. It may be impossible to check the truth of statements we read or hear within our life span. However, certain precautions are to be observed- a) the person whose word is taken on authority must really be an authority, a specialist in the field of knowledge. b) suspend judgment when authorities themselves disagree. c) there should be a possibility for one to check the truth of another person’s statement on authority. Authority cannot be the primary source of knowledge. Because, it is ultimately sense experience and reason that justify the truth of the statement.
Intuition: Intuition cannot be clearly defined. But it is the ability to perceive or know things without conscious reasoning. It is certain kind of experience –an immediate understanding- that cannot be described. People claim to know by intuition that a proposition is true. They know the solution to a problem by intuition but cannot give out the steps of problem solving. Its validity is low.
Revelation: Sometimes people claim that they had a ‘vision’ or something was revealed to them in a dream or from God and so on. It is communication, by a divinity or by divine agency, of divine truth or knowledge. Some people described this, as God’s manifestation of the divinity or of the divine will to humanity. It is a sort of vision and its validity also is low. E.g. The revelation of St. John the Divine.
Faith: It is an unquestioning belief, complete trust, confidence, or reliance in God, religious tenets, or in knowledge that does not require proof or evidence. E.g. I believe it because I have faith in it. However, the truth of the statements from Intuition, Revelation and Faith suffer the same problem as with ‘authority’ as a source. Thus, sense experience and reason are the primary sources of knowledge.
Ways of Knowing - Indian Perspective
They are referred to as ‘pramanas’, the basis on which we come to know. There are six ways suggested by different Indian philosophies and philosophers, although not all them agree to all the six ways of knowing. They are as follows:
Pratyaksha (Cognition) : this is synonymous with ‘sense experience’ as a source knowledge described earlier, with a few differences. They different sense organs have corresponding substances with which they can associate,. E.g. eyes can see tings that constitute light, tongue can tasted things. Mind establishes the link between the sense organs and the object of perception. Hence without mind nothing can be perceived. Mind or ‘Manas’ is taken as th4e sixth sense organs, which help, in perceiving objects of experience directly including the soul. There are two types of pratyaksha – Loukika pratyaksha and Aloukika pratyaksha.
Loukika pratyaksha involves perceiving things directly (perceived through the five senses). Through the sense of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching etc one can know things and their effect. Aloukika pratyaksha is perception beyoiond direct sense experience. For example, when we see a cow, we see its ‘pious’ nature also and perceive its other characteristics based on previous experience.
Anumana: This is synonymous with inference and reason explained earlier. This is classified as Poorvavat, Seshavat and Saamaanyatho drushtaha. The first one is conclusion or inference derived from pervious experience like inferring fire on the hilltops when one sees a smoke, the second one is also logical inference, and the third involves inference about metaphysical objects based on analogy using objects ordinarily perceivable.
Sabda (Verbal Testimony): to some extend it overlaps with authotity as a source of knowledge described earlier. Nyaya philosophy refers to this as ‘Apta Vakya’ the words of the one who knows the ‘truth’ and report it without any error. Such an ‘Apta’ is no one but God. He is the author of ‘vedas’, who is ‘sarvagna’ i.e. knows all. Hence according to the traditional Indian conept, the ultimate source of all knowledge is ‘Vedas’.
Upamana (Comparison): Here knowledge is derived on the basis of comparison of similar objects. This is one of the ways of reasoning in which similar objects are compared and recognized in such a way.
Arthapatti: Based on premises that apparently appear contradictory, the truth or knowledge not known earlier is derived. This is referred to disjunctive syllogism.
Anupalabdi (Non-cognition): This involves knowing absence of a thing (which is in focus and must have been there).
Thus all sources of knowledge referred by Indian philosophers help in self-realization or knowing the ultimate truth which is spiritual in nature. Almost all Indian philosophers tried to explain the divine force behind all living things in the universe especially the human being. So they tried to make meaning in man’s life through identifying the divine perfection already in man. According them, the true knowledge is identifying the divine spark or divinity in man.
Epistemology, or theory of knowledge, is the branch of philosophy, which examines questions about the nature of knowledge as how we get it. It attempts to answer the questions- what is knowledge? What are the best ways of acquiring knowledge? One of the central concerns is to investigate whether our means of getting knowledge are trustworthy.

AXIOLOGY AND EDUCATION
Axiology is the branch of philosophy hat deals with the problem of value. It posses the question - What is good? What should man prefer? What are the fundamental values? What is beauty? What is art? What is really desirable? Etc. Every moment of our lives is up with valuing. Without discussing these fundamental problems regarding values, we cannot solve many problems concerning values in our everyday life. Axiology has been divided into the following three branches:
• Ethics – concerns human conduct, character and values. It studies nature of right and wrong and the distinction between good and evil. Ethics explores the nature of justice and of a just society, and also one’s obligation to one self, to others and to society. Ethics asks such questions as, What makes right actions right and wrong actions wrong? What is good and what is bad? And What are the proper values of life? Problems arise in ethics because we often have difficulty in knowing exactly what the right thing to do is. The central question posed by ethical enquiry is, what should I do? What is right or good? This is referred as moral philosophy deals with judgments of approval and disapproval, rightness and wrongness, goodness and badness, virtue and vice.
• Aesthetics – deals with the relation and principles of art and beauty. It also studies our thoughts, feelings and attitudes when we hear or read something beautiful- in nature or in art. In addition aesthetics investigates the experience of engaging in such activities as painting, dancing, acting and playing. Aesthetics is sometimes identified with the philosophy or art, the process of artistic creation, the nature of the aesthetic experiences and the principles of criticism. But aesthetics has wider application. The central question posed by aesthetics is, What is beautiful? Why are certain forms preferred to others? Is there higher and lower order enjoyment of beauty? In short, it discusses the nature and criteria of beauty.
Aesthetic is the science of beauty, as logic is the science of truth and ethics is the science of good. Education seeks to realize the true, the good and the beautiful. Therefore, it requires not only logic and ethics but also aesthetics. The aim of education is to realize all-round development of the educand. In this development moral and aesthetic development occupy foremost place. While moral development requires knowledge of ethics, aesthetic development requires training in aesthetics. Aesthetics again is the basis of all literary and artistic criticism. It supplies the philosophical basis to literature and art. As literature and art contribute significantly to education, the value of aesthetics in education is clear.
Anything that excites appreciation, attracts man with its innate beauty and crates a feeling of joy and hilarity has aesthetic value. Anything having appeal to the aesthetic yearning of man of man has aesthetic value. Teaching is an art and for a born teacher has an aesthetic value as he enjoys teaching and continues bubbling with enthusiasm. His creativity and ingenuity can create atmosphere of good values. There is a stimulating influence of aesthetic values on the perception and intensification of other of values.
The major area under study (Axiological)
• Different kinds of values – classifications: Traditional Values of India, Constitutional Values, Values under different Religions.
• Different perspectives of Values – Idealistic, Pragmatic, Naturalistic and Existentialist.
• Place of Logic, Ethics and Aesthetics in Education.