The Role of Education

Introduction

This reflection has given me deep insights into the role of education in the world and the influences of social, political, economic, legal, and technological perspectives in today's diverse educational systems. I have read many classical and modern thinkers and explored what future education holds and the role of teachers in the 21st century and beyond. I cannot stop thinking about my philosophy of education and the reason for my teaching. However, as a practitioner, I have discovered that progressivism is purpose-driven and concerned with daily methods and behavioural change. In contrast, behaviourism embraces behavioural objectives, practice, feedback and reinforcement. (Spurgeon & Moore, n.d)

My beliefs on teaching consider educational teaching practice an interactive body of methodological foundations linked to educational existence. Therefore, the philosophy of education practice is a way of cognition, transformation, and mastery of reality in academic activity. (Bim-Bad & Egorova, 2016)

How does the Role of Education impact my teaching and beliefs?

This Role of Education has informed me of the main concepts related to the development of existential philosophy and humanistic psychology, such as freedom and autonomy, trust, active cooperation and participation, and self-directed learning. This is a good example of humanistic adult education with practices such as group dynamics, group relations training, group processes, sensitivity workshops, encounter groups, and self-directed learning. These activities are part of my practice with my business and education studies students.

In addition, radical social change such as anarchism, marxism, socialism, and left-wing Freudianism bringing radical adult education connecting with a social, political, and economic understanding of cultures and methods to inculcate awareness of responsible social action, has informed me of what I should become more aware of in the world at large. (Spurgeon & Moore, n.d)

My choice of philosophy is progressivism rather than behaviourist philosophy. Progressivism is purpose-driven and has given me meaning in my daily teaching. I feel a sense of achievement each time I can effectively deliver a lesson plan, and students' participation informs me that they have understood the concepts and the tasks they will need to produce to succeed in their studies.

My reason for teaching

I have been teaching since the beginning of March 2018 in the areas of business studies for undergraduate and college grades. My students are mainly from diverse Asian backgrounds like China, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Thailand. In preparing my students for their higher education, I am constantly engaging students' minds, cognitive awareness, exploratory interest and creative abilities. I am also working with professional materials with a group of students to influence their professional trajectory and impact their prospective workplace, which will successively take an active role in their education and ethical judgement. Hence, I discovered that teaching practices must be the purpose of scientific-oriented and scientific philosophical study and conception. (Bim-Bad & Egorova, 2016)

I have always endeavoured to give my students the shared experiences I had with the business and education world and, at the same time, the moral, ethical and legal perspectives of doing business and education. I am informed that learners from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds can be offered a more democratic social justice orientation in the curriculum. I am working with University-community and University-school partnerships to develop a pedagogy based on societal equity that goes beyond the classroom. (Andrews, Richmond, & Floden, 2018)

My school's mission is to nurture talent to serve businesses and society. Hence, many students will become successful entrepreneurs or business leaders in the next decade.

The quotation that resonates with me is from George Bernard Shaw: "You see things as they are, and you ask why? I dream of things that never were, and I ask, why not?"

Conclusion

This quotation has significant meaning to me. It inspired me to pursue my teaching profession despite my busy schedule and desire to be the best teacher/instructor I can be.

References

Andrews, D. J., Richmond, G., & Floden, R. (2018). Teacher Education for Critical Democracy: Understanding our Commitments as Design Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of Teacher Education, 69(2), 114-117. doi:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022487117752363

Bim-Bad, B. M., & Egorova, L. I. (2016). Interaction Between Philosophy of Education and Teaching Practice. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL & SCIENCE EDUCATION, 11(10), 3385-3393. Retrieved 21 Mar 2021, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1114663.pdf

Spurgeon, L. P., & Moore, G. E. (n.d). The educational philosophies of training and development professors, leaders, and practitioners. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ553242.pdf

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