Faculty of Humanities and Education (Postgraduate) - The University ...

POSTGRADUATE REGULATIONS & SYLLABUSES 2012 - 2013
THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES & EDUCATION
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Postgraduate Diploma in Education
SEMESTER:
COURSE CODE: EDFA 5210
COURSE TITLE: FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
NUMBER OF CREDITS: 5
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course consists of five components
Philosophy of Education, Psychology of Education, Sociology of
Education, Language in Education, and Health and Family Life
Education.
Syllabus
A. Philosophy of Education
Rationale
This unit is intended to provide students with a wider perspective
on education and the serious questions of principle that are
involved in it.
OBJECTIVES
The discussion of philosophical questions will:
1. illustrate how philosophizing about teaching and education
has practical importance in reading and in larger decisions
about education;
2. develop in teachers a flexible and analytical way of thinking
of issues and problems in teaching;
3. help teachers to analyze questions in education with
comprehensiveness and penetration;
4. help to clarify and formulate a clear and coherent set of
values to which teachers could commit themselves, and
strive to promote at all times.
CONTENT
1. Introduction
Philosophy and decision-making: selection of decisions,
justification of decisions.
2. What is to be taught?
• Principles of utility, autonomy, rationality, and truth
• Whatever will most benefit each pupil
• Whatever will most benefit most people
• Whatever will best sustain a legitimate state
• Whatever will most increase the most
beneficial human knowledge
3. Who should be taught?
• Principles of utility and justice
• Distribution through the market: Entitlement theory
• Market and state: Schooling as a public good
• Distribution through fair competition:
Utility and desert
• The right and duty to know: Civic education
4. Who should decide what should be taught?
• Principles of liberty and democracy
• The claims of pupils and personal autonomy
• The claims of parents and group rights
• The claims of teachers - truth and authority
• The claims of citizens and the democratic state
5. Conclusion
Review - the political philosophy of schooling.
Reference
Barrow, R., & Woods, R. (1988). An introduction to philosophy of
education (3 rd ed.). London: Routledge.
B. Psychology of Education
Rationale
This unit is intended to provide a framework for looking at
the learner, the learning process, and the learning situation. It
will present systematic information and concepts which will
assist the classroom teacher in developing and implementing
effective classroom strategies for bringing about desired
changes in learners as well as in developing action plans for
personal and professional growth. This 12-hour unit consists
of three modules, each of three hours duration. The remaining
three hours are to be used for tutorials and closure.
OBJECTIVES
Teachers will:
1. understand the processes of growth and development of
the children they teach;
2. understand the nature of the learning process, cognitive
and behavioural approaches to learning, and general
principles;
3. understand the nature of school learning and of the
development of concepts and complex thinking skills;
4. understand how social and affective factors influence
school learning;
5. develop insight into the dynamics of the class group and
its influence on behaviour;
6. understand the principles of classroom management and
develop their classroom management skills;
7. understand the implications of social-psychological
perspectives for school organization and climate.
CONTENT
1. The Learner and the Learning Process
• Cognitive and psycho-social development:Maturation
and readiness, individual differences
• Nature of learning: General learning principles,
behavioural and cognitive perspectives, information
processing
• Types of school learning: Concept attainment,
reception and discovery learning, problem-solving,
creative thinking
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