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The purpose of this thesis is to show that the philosophy of pragmatism is responsible for the techniques in modern educational theory.

Through an integration of philosophical analysis and qualitative fieldwork, this dissertation explores understandings of and approaches to character formation in the context of contemporary K-12 classical education. Although classical education is associated with a range of cultural, curricular, and pedagogical features, I argue that the heart of the approach is distinguished by the foundational philosophical and anthropological commitments of classical education. These commitments support a vision of character education centered on the formation of love and the creation of aspiration. Given this broad framework for character formation, I examine a pair of virtues that I suggest are very important within this perspective: humility and magnanimity. Drawing on philosophical texts and the richness of my fieldwork, I argue that classical educators can be understood as seeking to cultivate humility through engagement with tradition and magnanimity through a holistic elevation of school life. I conclude by addressing some challenges for classical education, ending with a call for classical educators to maintain the integrity of their work by pursuing humility and magnanimity themselves.

published_or_final_version / Chinese Language and Literature / Master / Master of Arts

The purpose of this study was to determine if college adolescents are an emerging risk group for acquiring HIV/AIDS. A somewhat diversified sample (70% white, 2% African American, 7% Asian American, 13% Hispanic, and 8% Other) of 172 college students age 18-24, completed questionnaires assessing: knowledge of HIV/AIDS, risk-taking behavior or attitudes, identity and sensation seeking. Despite high levels of knowledge (consistent with previous studies), many misconceptions (e.g. believing mosquitoes can pass the HIV virus) and high risk habits (not using a condom every time when engaging in sex) established this sample as putting themselves at risk for HIV/AIDS. A proposed relationship between either identity and risk-taking or risk-taking and sensation seeking showed no practical significance.

This thesis considers contemporary education from a philosophical angle via the work of Hannah Arendt in light of education's key place a the intersection of responsibility for the past, empowerment to effect change in the present, and hope for the future. Chapter 1 sets out an understanding of human community as a chaotic system in the technical sense via Arendt's concept of natality, applying this understanding to the project of education as a way of helping educators facilitate students' ability to contribute something new without controlling students' potentially unique contributions. Chapter 2 questions in more detail the applicability of some of Arendt's philosophical and political ideas to multicultural education, addressing also the need for setting goals for action without assuming a deterministic, mathematically linear process. Chapter 3 examines Arendt's firm distinction between education and politics in the context of globalization and the possibility of continual renewal and transformation of our world.

Orientador: Marcia Reami Pechula / Banca: Silvia Deutsch / Banca: Ruy Cezar do Espírito Santo / Resumo: A meditação tem alcançado, através de um discurso compassivo e ligado à paz, alguns espaços nas ciências, sobretudo, nas áreas médicas. No entanto, os apelos para uma ciência mais abrangente e menos reducionista, responsável e cuidadosa tem aberto outras possibilidades para o "caminho do meio". Neste trabalho procura-se pelos discursos e espaços que permitam uma aproximação da meditação com a educação. Verificando em que medida alguns autores da educação, como Paulo Freire e Moacir Gadotti, e da filosofia como Edgar Morin e Leonardo Boff, e ainda alguns documentos oficiais da organização das nações Unidas para a Educação, Ciência e Cultura - UNESCO, permitem alinhar ciência, educação e meditação na busca por um ETHOS de cuidado e responsabilidade para um mundo melhor / Abstract: Meditation has reached, through a compassionate and peaceful discourse, some space in science, especially in medical areas. However, appeals for a more comprehensive and less reducionist science, at the same time responsible and caring, has opened up other possibilities for a "middle way". This paper searches for discourses and spaces that allows an approximation between meditation and education. Verifying in what measure some authors in Education, as Paulo Freire and Moacir Gadotti, and Philosophy, as Edgar Morin and Leonardo Boff, and even some oficial documents of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), allow an alignment between science, education and meditation in the search for an ETHOS of care and responsability for a better world / Mestre

The overarching purpose of this study was invite classroom teachers to engage in dialogue about the moral dimensions of teaching, and to consider their responses in light of current moral theory on the topic. The research questions were: How do teachers talk about and understand the moral or relational aspects of what they do? How do teachers' perceived limitations or realistic constraints affect what they do? / The methods employed in this naturalistic study involved the collection of qualitative data through participant observation and in-depth ethnographic interviewing. A philosophical hermeneutic perspective was embodied in the collection and interpretation of data. / The study revealed that teachers can and will talk about what they do in terms of a moral purpose when given the opportunity and audience to do so. The essence of moral teaching, for teachers, is in the arena of human relationships. Teachers realize the impact they have on student learning and personal growth. Specifically, they note how consistency and respect in classroom management and acts of care impact their students. They also talk about a teacher's commitment to professional development and collaborative relationships when discussing what teachers ought to be and do. / The study also demonstrated that there are individualistic factors which affect teachers' moral talk, understanding, and actions. The stories of three teachers reveal the impact of teaching context (the school setting and culture in which one teaches), teaching experience (the number of years one has been a classroom teacher), and teaching temperament (the characteristic way one thinks and acts) on the teacher's ability to focus on the moral dimensions of teaching. / The results of this study are significant because they substantiate the rhetoric on morality and teaching. The results imply that ways to facilitate moral discourse in teachers' professional development settings should be explored. Furthermore, the study also implies a need for transformed teacher preparation programs that will embody the moral mission of the teaching profession. Finally, the study has implications for school reformers who seek educational change that is driven by a sense of moral vision. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-09, Section: A, page: 2713. / Major Professor: Kathryn Scott. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1994.