Non-affirmative Theory of Education and Bildung (Educational Governance Research, 20)

Interpreting the modern heritage of ‘Bildung’ in connection to education theory, this open access volume explores non-affirmative theory of education and ‘Bildung’ as a language of education for the 21st century. In this ‘Bildung’-centered view of education, discerning thought on knowledge and values are critical objectives of education. To promote these aims, education practice must recognize but not affirm existing conditions or future ideals but instead pedagogically summon the student to self-directed critical treatment of the contents. Drawing on contemporary developments of modern education theory, especially as developed by Dietrich Benner in Berlin, the volume highlight how ‘educative teaching’ aims at supporting the growth of the individual as a person and citizen. The volume shows how it is possible to identify a position beyond education either as a mere transformative or a reproductive power. Instead of such an instrumentalism, education is seen as a critical societal practice, necessary for reflexive action and democracy. In different ways, the chapters demonstrate how non-affirmative theory offer an alternative to contemporary neo-liberal and conservative policies. The non-affirmative approach offers a strong education theory, relationally connecting the interactive level of teaching, studying and learning with the societal level and educational governance. Non-affirmative theory on education and ‘Bildung’ provides an elaborate point of departure for empirical research on teaching and educational leadership, teacher education and policy making. In five sections, the volume highlights how non-affirmative education theory relate to Didaktik, educative teaching, school didactics, democratic education and social justice. The approach is also analysed in relation to phenomenology, sociology, hermeneutics, cultural-historical activity theory, discursive institutionalism, empirical research, educational leadership and governance and 21st century competencies. Chapter “On Affirmativity and Non-affirmativity in the Context of Theories of Education and Bildung” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License via link.springer.com. Why Engage in Non-affirmative Theory of Education and Bildung? A Preface The Idea of This Volume Contents Part I: Introduction Chapter 1: Non-affirmative Theory of Education: Problems, Positionings and Possibilities Non-affirmative Education: A Long Tradition and Recent Developments Education Operates Indirectly Beyond Societal and Cultural Reproduction and Transformation Non-affirmative Education as a General, But Not Universal, Theory The Hermeneutical Character of Education Theory This Volume References Chapter 2: On Affirmativity and Non-affirmativity in the Context of Theories of Education and Bildung On Initial Attempts to Identify Non-affirmativity as a Characteristic of Critical Pedagogical Thinking and Action Outline of a Non-affirmative Philosophy of Education: Foundational Concepts, Theories and Forms of Pedagogical Practice On the Further Development of the Concept of Pedagogical Non-affirmativity and the Development of Basic Pedagogical Differentiations In-Depth Studies of the History of the Problem On Basic Pedagogical Distinctions and Their Possible Meaning for a Supra-paradigmatic Description of Educational Processes (Erziehungs- und Bildungsprozessen) The Importance of the Basic Concepts for the Conceptualization of Educational Research Projects The Sustained Importance of Critical Non-affirmativity, Which Must Be Constantly Redefined and Reassessed References List of References by the Author of this Chapter General List of References Part II: Non-affirmative Interpretations of Didaktik Chapter 3: Knowledge, Values and Subject-ness: Educative Teaching as a Regulative Idea of School Development in the Twenty-First Century Introduction Non-affirmative Education as Discipline, Teaching and Guidance Educative Teaching and the Public School Dimensions of Non-affirmativity Objective Insight Own Value Judgment Many-Sidedness Radical Consideration Conclusion References Chapter 4: Herbart’s Educative Teaching in Times of Big Data-Based Measurement and Assessment Introduction Is Educative Teaching Outdated? The Alienation of the Teaching-Learning Relationship in Measurement Culture Makes It Necessary Again The Non-affirmative Characters of Educative Teaching: An Understanding Based on Herbart’s Concept of “Aesthetic Representation of the World” The Non-affirmative Requirements for Modern Teaching-Learning Relationship in Consideration of Educative Teaching Conclusion References Chapter 5: Bildung-Centred Non-affirmative School Didactics Introduction School Didactics: Features and Influences Why ‘School Didactics’? The Modern Education Theory Heritage in Finland Phenomenological Research in Teaching and Learning Non-affirmative Education Theory A Non-affirmative Interpretation of School Didactics How Societal Interests Transform into Pedagogical Practice: A School Didactic Perspective Beyond Universal and Particularist Approaches to Transformation of Societal Interests Using Non-affirmative School Didactics for Identifying Policy Positions Bildung and Bildsamkeit in School Didactics Pedagogical Work as Summoning Self-Activity Concluding Remark References Part III: Non-affirmative Education and Related Theoretical Positions Chapter 6: Dewey, Existential Uncertainty and Non-affirmative Democratic Education Introduction Uncertainty and the Beginning of Learning Uncertainty, Thinking and Freedom Uncertainty and Receptivity to Difference Existential Uncertainty, Teaching and Democratic Education Teacher as Artist Listening and Relationality: Towards Non-affirmative Democratic Education References Chapter 7: Forgotten Relations Between Justice and Education: A Non-affirmative Education Approach Introduction Limitations of a Distributive Justice/Social Justice Perspective on Understanding Education Moving Beyond a Distributive Justice Perspective on Education The Original Concept of Justice The Forgotten Relations Between Justice and Education Emergence and Decline of the Ethics of Self-Care: The Triumph of the “Great Didactic” The Non-affirmative Education as an Alternative Way to Justice in Education Conclusions References Chapter 8: Between Doxa and Transformational Bildung: A Phenomenological and Social-Theoretical Rehabilitation of the Formation of Opinions with Egon Schütz and Pierre Bourdieu Introduction Non-affirmative Education and Bildung in Dietrich Benner’s Work Bildung as the Formation of Opinions (Meinungsbildung) Doxa and Habitus: Habit and Transformation Conclusion References Chapter 9: Hermeneutics in the Non-affirmative Theory of Education Introduction Education and Bildung vs. Subjectivity and Intersubjectivity What Comes First, Subjectivity or Intersubjectivity? Hermeneutics in Education as Summoning of Self-Activity and Bildung Bildung as an Intepretative Process Education as Mediation Between Individual and Society Understanding: The Dialectics Between Being, Thinking, and Knowing Language, Dialogue, and Subjectivity Conclusion References Part IV: Non-affirmative Education and Empirical Research Chapter 10: Pedagogical Experimentalism and the Principle of Verification. A Quest for Non-affirmative Educational Research Introduction Mainstream Research on Education Pedagogical Experimentalism Critical Pedagogy and the Researching Community Verification as a Principle of Emancipatory Research Projecting a Space of Possibilities in Educational Research References Chapter 11: Non-affirmative Theory of Education and Cultural-Historical Activity Theory: Where Do They Meet? Introduction—Three Dilemmas for Educational Theory NAT and CHAT—Shared Roots with Divergent Branches NAT of Education Constitutive Principles of Non-affirmative Theory Bildsamkeit Summoning to Self-Activity Regulative Principles of Non-affirmative Educational Theory Non-hierarchical Relations How Societal Interests Are Transformed into Legitimate Pedagogical Practice CHAT Expansive Learning Formative Intervention NAT and CHAT: A Comparative Analysis—Where Do They Meet? Ontological Similarities and Differences Learning and Teaching The Learners’ Activity in the Centre The Object or Contents of the Learning Process Recognition The Pedagogical Process The Context of Learning Cultural and Historical Context Epistemological Comparison Normativity Concluding Remarks References Chapter 12: Understanding Municipal Education Leaders in the Tension Between Politics, Professionals and Parents Introduction The Context of Educational Leadership in a Municipality Non-affirmative Theory Discursive Institutionalism (DI) Ideas and Discourses Institutions Power Regulative Principles for Social Actions Discussion References Part V: Non-affirmative Education Perspectives on Governance and Policy Chapter 13: Operating in an Outcomes-Based and a Democratic Bildung Discourse Introduction Discourses The First of Two Discourses Governing the Neoliberal State The Second Discourse The Contract and Social Technologies Discourse on Democracy: Organising and Relations Digitalisation Past, Present, and Future? References Chapter 14: On the Normativity of Data-Driven Curriculum Policy-Making: A Discursive and Non-affirmative Approach Introduction Data-Driven Curriculum Policy-Making A Discursive and Non-affirmative Approach Discourse and Ideas A Non-affirmative Approach Normative Ideas in Data-Driven Curriculum Policy-Making Objective Data for Comparing Educational Progress at the Societal Level Standardised Classrooms at the Curriculum Level Digitising Human Interaction at the Classroom Level Concluding Remarks Educational Ideas in Data-Driven Curriculum Work Towards a More Reflexive Position References Chapter 15: Bildung and Twenty-First Century Competences: In Need of Mutual Recognition? Bildung and Twenty-First Century Competences: An Introduction Recent Bildung and Competence-Oriented Research in Norway and Kosovo An Educational Theoretical Framing of Bildung and Twenty-First Century Competences Bildung and Twenty-First Century Competences in Transnational and National Education Frameworks Bildung and Twenty-First Century Competences: A Potential Way Forward References Chapter 16: From ‘Didactics’ to ‘Curriculum-and-Didactics’ and Beyond: A Non-affirmative Approach to the Analysis of the Changes in Didactics in Mainland China A Reflection on the Shifts and Changes That Have Taken Place in Chinese Pedagogics and Didactics A Reconsideration of the Relationship of Chinese Education to Politics and Economy from the Perspective of the Non-affirmative Theory of Education Integrating German Didactics with Anglo-American Curriculum Studies Based on Chinese Harmonism: A Non-affirmative Approach to Integration Concluding Remarks References Part VI: Concluding Reflections and Openings Chapter 17: Non-affirmative Education Theory as a Language for Global Education Discourse in the Twenty-First Century Non-affirmative Theory as a Critical Theory Non-affirmative Theory in Understanding School Teaching Non-affirmative Education and Related Theoretical Positions Non-affirmative Education and Empirical Research Non-affirmative Education and Contemporary Curriculum Policies Non-affirmative Education Theory as a Language for the Twenty-First Century References Index