Student teachers, educational judgement In the 21st century classroom, Essay

Student teachers, educational judgement In the 21st century classroom, 'using the knowledge of good ends to decide appropriate - Essay Example This paper provides a brief philosophical view of education to identify the good ends that mentors should aim for in their teaching education program. Guided by traditional and modern philosophy of education and the insights offered by the current literature in the field, the present paper hopes to contribute to the proposal of identifying good ends to decide appropriate means for training 21st century teachers. Identifying the ‘good ends’ ‘Good ends,’ in the teaching field are the ideal characteristics student teachers should possess in order to prepare them for the challenges in the field. Good ends would serve as guide to help mentors determine the process that student teachers should undergo during education. To identify these qualities, we take light from the wisdom of the great philosopher, Aristotle. In addition, we dig upon the current literature to reveal further insights on the qualities of an effective teacher. Coulter and Wiens (2002) explored Ar istotle’s view of phronesis and related it to the desirable qualities of a teacher. According to the authors, the term phronesis may mean the same as practical wisdom or practical judgment. By practical wisdom, Coulter and Wiens (2002) mean the possession of knowledge and the ability to apply knowledge in actual terms. In their discussion of phronesis, Coulter and Wiens consider the arguments made by Hannah Arendt, a Jew philosopher who distinguishes between good thinking and making good decisions. Coulter and Wiens point out that there are teachers who possess knowledge yet are unable to transform their ideas into concrete actions, in other words, they are unable to attain phronesis as they stop in merely possessing knowledge. A review of current literature on the qualities of an effective teacher confirms the importance of knowledge or subject matter expertise as one ideal teacher quality (McNamara and Webb, 2008; Auger and Wilderman, 2000; Chickering and Gamson, 1991). How ever, the said sources do not reflect qualities relating to the concept of phronesis, thus confirming the lack of realisation of the difference between the possession of knowledge and its application. Coulter and Wiens (2002) articulate Arendt’s argument that to possess phronesis, teachers should be ‘judging spectators’ and ‘judging actors’ at the same time. Judging spectators are able to think and reflect on what is happening around them. They possess an understanding of occurrences, and are able to interpret these occurrences on their own. Following this, future teachers should be trained to make good judgments. This is possible if teachers will be allowed to think and decide for themselves. Krishnaveni and Anitha (2007: 28) identify the exercise of autonomy and proper decision making as a form of teacher empowerment. Thus, to promote the attitude of judging spectators, mentors should provide opportunities for student teachers to make their own dec isions whether in terms of instruction, classroom management, and assessment. Moreover, teachers who are judging spectators are able to deal with ‘plurality’or the ability to coexist with others, even those from other cultures.