Philosophical factors affecting education The content of the curriculum, and the aims and functions of schooling The issue of what should be taught to students at all levels of education—the issue of curriculum content—obviously is a fundamental one, and it is an extraordinarily difficult one with which to grapple. In developing a curriculum (whether in a specific subject area, or more broadly as the whole range of offerings in an educational institution or in a system), a number of difficult decisions needs to be made. Issues such as the proper ordering or sequencing of topics in the chosen subject, the time to be allocated to each topic, the lab work or excursions or projects that are appropriate for particular topics, can all be regarded as technical issues best resolved either by educationists who have a depth of experience with the target age group or by experts in the psychology of learning and the like. But there are deeper issues, ones concerning the validity of the justifications that have been given for including particular subjects or topics in the offerings of formal educational institutions. Freire (1921-1999) who worked to transform teaching and learning from the limited concept of transmitting information to engaging in the project of completing one’s identity and meaning in a world that needs to be made more equitable and humane. According to Freire, pre-service preparation should involve future teachers in dialogues in which they critically assess the social, economic, and political conditions that have an impact on schools. In their classroom practice, teachers should help students to work for social justice by creating a true consciousness that expresses the conditions that marginalize them and their communities.
Reference: * Changing contexts in education 2E, for La Trobe University (2012). Compiled by Ian Bentley