The Epistemological Aspect

The Epistemological Aspect

From a purely philosophical standpoint, there are many different ways of defining the act of acquiring knowledge. It is imperative to clearly identify the different epistemological currents regarding the study of pedagogy in order to better situate integrative, active and sustainable learning within the philosophical underpinnings of educational research. The various theories of knowledge assimilation and the critical study of the modes of knowledge acquisition are based on epistemological foundations which can relate to several varied aspects: the ways of producing knowledge, the fundamental aspects of what constitutes knowledge as well as the dynamics of knowledge production. Several questions arise from epistemology: how to define knowledge? How to produce knowledge? How to validate the acquisition of knowledge? What is the knowledge based on? How to organise the acquired knowledge and how to advance it in the mind so that it translates into intellectual progress?

The modern view of knowledge acquisition appears to articulate that the goal of learning must be for everyone to develop the ability to assimilate enough information in order to learn to think critically and understand things rationally. However, as we have seen before, in many cases the interpretation of what the act of learning constitutes is unfortunately limited to a superficial definition that limits itself to what individuals have the ability to memorise and repeat without necessarily having to seek an understanding of what the acquired knowledge really means. As epistemology deals with the theoretical aspect of the process of knowledge acquisition in general, it is important to seek to understand which methods of learning will have a lasting effect on the in-depth sustainable knowledge and the long-lasting skills that are gained by personal exertion and repetition. “What education really needs to be about is knowing information in a way that you can use it and apply it to make better decisions in your life. The ultimate value of education is about learning to make better decisions. And every member of the public needs to have that capability and make good decisions about, for example, what they’re going to do in their life to be healthier, or create less pollution, and dealing with all of these important societal problems that we face that have some technical underlying principles in them.”¹

As previously discussed, most examples of active learning provided suggest that group work can have a positive impact on the enduring aspect of sustainable learning and development. While working in pairs or in groups, students will often feel like they are able to think more efficiently than when they are alone, because they will have the opportunity to employ the “think, pair, share” method. The interactiveness of collaborative learning can provide peer-validation or opposition. For example, if the student needs to generate a hypothesis or make a diagnosis to solve a problem, most likely no single student will have all the knowledge necessary to resolve an issue on their own, but even if the individuals involved in a dialogue or conversation have widely varying levels of knowledge or divergent opinions, it will not necessarily be the individual with the most knowledge who will find the most efficient and creative way to solve problems or who will find solutions to break a deadlock. So, anyone can contribute to such a discussion, regardless of the skill or knowledge level of each individual. The act of learning becomes more symbiotic and interactive in this manner, so it will generate an immersive type of thinking and deepen the analytical aspect of any intellectual process at school as well as in later life at work.

Think Pair Share

When teachers encourage students to find answers and solutions together, they learn to find different sources, they use a wider variety of personal experiences, and they approach questions in different ways, while trying to find reasonable answers based on their own way of being. Collective reflections, where two or more people think together, are almost always better than when any person attempts to think alone. There is a constant assessment of knowledge, and in this way, students further develop their own social skills. Once they realise that teamwork generates more in-depth thinking and better results, they will understand that it is an effective way to achieve a deeper and more saturated quality of learning.

In most school contexts, in order for teachers to be able to set grades based on the quality of student work at the end of each term, teachers must have had the chance to develop the skill of quantifying quality, so that students' progress can be assessed constructively. Therefore, the assessment of the knowledge levels of each student must be critically examined. There are several effective ways to achieve enduring knowledge, but as we demonstrated earlier in this book, the most effective way is undoubtedly one where students can wholeheartedly contribute and participate. Being involved in active learning activities seem essential, but it is also important to involve students in self-assessment, in the act of correcting and in scoring. Moreover, when students participate and problematise in an innovative way, it is not only the acquisition of knowledge that benefits; it also has the ability to develop students' critical and creative minds.

William Kingdon Clifford

Teachers should be aware that it is not essential to assess the epistemological aspects discussed above with a standardised written test. The teacher needs to assess the acquired knowledge by using an approach that increases flexibility and expands creativity while asking questions in ways that elicit a deepening of understanding. In addition, teachers should not hesitate to jump the barriers of their respective subjects. For example, if a language teacher has to come to the aid of a pupil who is confronted with a mathematical problem, he/she should not hesitate to encourage this student to develop his/her skills in this subject which is not necessarily linked to languages. By juxtaposing this subject with the teaching of a second language, the teacher integrates unrelated bits of knowledge and enriches the act of learning. Teachers should always encourage students to think inquisitively, without creating obstacles, such as erecting rigid barriers between different school subjects. The transdisciplinary aspect of the act of learning is all the more intuitive, if the exploratory framework is broadened and inclusive. Thus, teachers promote different ways of acquiring knowledge, without claiming to be the sole source of wisdom. Sustainable, integrated, and active education offers each student the opportunity to become a source of knowledge essential to solving any problem to be solved as a team. And this is why this collaborative approach contributes to make the students aware of how they better acquire knowledge through diverse modes of learning, such as intuitive, logical, empirical, and even authoritarian.

1. Carl Wieman, “Education is about learning to make better decisions”, NobelPrize.org., Nobel Media AB 2020, 10 November 2020, https://www.nobelprize.org/carl-wieman-education-is-about-learning-to-make-better-decisions.