Relationships among education, oppression and class have been presented and explained in distinct and different ways by different social theories, namely, neo-classical and orthodox Marxist determinist, conflationist, and Marxian overdeterminist theories. Human practice, following these different social theories has had, and may continue to produce, different social structures, some of them disastrous, irrespective of whether the disasters are intended or not. Others carry in them seeds of freedom and justice. Determinist theories have contributed to disastrous human practice by being exclusionary in approach, picking either education or oppression as their entry points to which they assigned the privileged position of causality, independent of all other processes. The class process is one of those omitted processes because determinist theories had thought it would be wiped out following changes in education or oppression processes. Conflationist theory has formulated its logic differently, gliding education into oppression, presenting and explaining them to mean the class process. Result: changes have occurred in human practice which are nothing other than continual reformulations of the cultural process of education whose guiding threads are those determinist and conflationist theories. Politics, too, has been reformulated to mean competition for power--a process that tends toward oppression even if unintended. The class process itself has either been denied existence in contemporary society or inessentialized vis-a-vis education and oppression, leaving it untouched in the process of changes in education and oppression. This study rests on an alternative methodological standpoint with respect to how education, oppression and class are related, and how they might be removed. Using alternative Marxian theory, whose logic is overdetermination, I present and explain these three distinct and different processes and their relationships. The method of overdetermination understands the processes of education, oppression, and class to be mutually and contradictorily related. Its political implications, which this thesis tries to accentuate as having a promise in achieving freedom and justice, are that changes must simultaneously occur in education, oppression, and class processes. Following this viewpoint, overdetermination believes a different set of processes will constitute a free and just society. Those processes are politics, classlessness, and non-indoctrinational education.

The central premise of this enquiry is that the International Baccalaureate (IB) model of education fails to deliver the humanitarian values that its literature claims describe. Its curriculum lacks the moral authority of a coherent philosophical foundation, and this promotes 'emotivism,' which reinforces contradictory ‘neoliberal’ values. Accordingly, this undermines the basic aim of an IB education and leaves its teachers prone to the subjectivism of emotivist morality. The proposal is that a process of reflexive practice can create an Aristotelian alternative to emotivism that revitalises the IB’s values-based model. Furthermore, it will argue that technology can build this practice into a 'social ontology’ that challenges the ‘governmentality’ of contemporary international education. To test the premise, an isolated ‘classic’ type of international IB school is considered because it reveals how a teacher’s cultural displacement shows the ontological significance of difference. This is followed by an evaluation of the ontological impact of international education’s governmentality. Subsequently, Alasdair MacIntyre's virtue theory is combined with Michel Foucault's ‘care of the self,’ to build a framework for reflective teacher practice. Then, an argument is made to use technology to connect these individuals and form a reflexive social ontology. To conclude, the enquiry argues that technology represents an objective rationality that challenges emotivism by removing subjectivism from the moral issues of difference facing an IB teacher.

Orientador: Alonso Bezerra de Carvalho / Banca: Ivan Esperança Rocha / Banca: Carlos da Fonseca Brandão / Resumo: A presente pesquisa de Filosofia da Educação trata do educando como protagonista no seu processo educativo na obra De magistro de Tomás de Aquino, que o considera causa principal da educação, juntamente com o educador, causa instrumental. Na interação dos dois, em que ocorre o ensino-aprendizagem, valoriza-se o papel do educando nesse procedimento, mas inclui-se a figura do mestre, também como necessária nessa importante empresa. / Mestre

This study deals with the principles and practice of Christian Education in the Churches of England and Scotland from the viewpoints of theological understanding, educational theory, and practical experimentation. Because of the immense changes in educational theory in the period, as a result of dynamics affecting the whole European situation, the study begins with a broad overview of the theoretical revolution affecting the whole movement within the Churches. The study quickly gave convincing evidence that, although some of the major developments emerged within individual denominational frameworks, the impact of developing theory and practice was felt ecumenically, from the very beginning of the period. The major records and publications of the separate denominations were examined, and, deliberately, a general survey was decided on, because of the commonality of the developments, although special consideration was given in the second chapter to the National Churches, because of their special significance in the religious life of the country. The study preceded to isolate and consider in depth the most significant developments of the period, firstly, in order of their appearance, in the principles of grading and the practice of organisation, in chapters three and four. It was then necessary to deal very specifically with the most radical development of the period, educationally, by considering the centrality given to the child, as a result of continuing child study, and the attempt to recognise the child's development as central in the educational ministry of the Church, through Christian education suitably devised and designed. Chapter five deals with this development. Alongside the fresh understanding of the child was the conflict over the role of the Bible. From the perspective of contemporary theological insight, the Bible was considered, its educational value examined by reference to the main contributors to the development of Christian education, with special attention being paid to the relationship of the Bible to curricular developments. This completed the examination of the central issues affecting Christian education in the Churches, in chapter six. The following chapter had to consider the effects of all this development on the approach to teaching, and a careful study was made of the major methodologies in vogue during the period. The persistent decline in the numbers involved in Church-based Christian education, which was evident from the beginning, was tackled seriously in the development of Family Church, a concept the study took very seriously, and evaluated carefully. Another dynamic became increasingly important in the attempt to understand the total picture, namely, the place, and often the non-place, of adult education. This was examined, and is evaluated in chapter nine. A final factor of great importance to the period was the matter of the selection, training and use of the Christian teacher, and chapter ten evaluates some of the basic attitudes and approaches to these issues. The conclusion summarises the main factors at work in the period, and the effect of the entire study is to make a fresh contribution to the understanding of Christian education as it was understood and practised in the Churches of England and Scotland.

The focus of this research is the life story of Merve Wilkinson whose practice as ecoforester and educator sustains and promotes ecological knowledge and responsibility. Using the method of narrative inquiry I explore Wilkinson's meanings, self-understandings, influences, actions and values as he reflected on the development of his sustainability philosophy, his practice of sustainability education, and his vision of education for the future. This research documents his education philosophy that shows insight into the meanings, structures and essences of sustainability education. Four key areas of reform in education emerged: early childhood personal experience with nature to nurture the sense of wonder, caring for nature, and connection with the natural world; adults/teachers share with their students their knowledge, feelings, and actions that demonstrate responsible environmental behaviours; the wisdom of historical knowledge and practical skills is honoured; a long-range vision is developed that integrates environmental values with a tradition of democratic participation.

<p> The purpose of this research was to develop the components of a theory for retention of young people after their high school years by examining the factors that contribute to continued spiritual vitality in Assemblies of God (AG) post-high school young adults. Data was collected from a stratified sample of ninety-five young adults in the United States during their senior year of high school in 2011 and two years later in 2013. In line with research by the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI), continued spiritual vitality was operationalized by using the Religious Behavior Scale, the Religious Identity Scale, and the Risk Behavior Scale. The results identified nine elements from spiritual formation factors, social considerations, and high school youth group experiences that produced fourteen statistically significant correlations with higher levels of retention and spiritual vitality in the sample two years after leaving school. This research appears to suggest that it is the aggregated effect of intentional youth group experiences providing opportunity for the internalized guidance of the Holy Spirit, recognized as God's work, and not specific youth group programs or religious activities that have the potential to create a unique spiritual journey that would ensure spiritual vitality for the youth after they leave high school.</p>

This study is an investigation into the British Muslim communities in Bradford, to identify which types of problems might threaten their Islamic identity and suggest possible solutions to assist those people to maintain their identity. The main aim of this study was to identify whether the educational setting in the school, mosque, home and society can challenge the Islamic identity and whether those factors could play a vital role in preserving such identity. To achieve these aims, two phases of research have been conducted. First, documentary evidence has been collected to see the background to the problem. Second, an empirical study has been carried out to ascertain the views of 160 Muslim pupils and 149 Muslim parents in Bradford. The empirical study was in two parts. The main study was in Bradford. This main survey was preceded by two preliminary -field studies, one carried out in Mirpur, which is the place of origin of a large number of Muslim parents in Bradford, and the second in Bradford. Three types of interviews were carried out with different groups of people to obtain information that can help in investigating the factors which underlie the sense of threat to identity. The documentary study, the exploratory interviews and findings from a questionnaire survey led to identification of four lists of requirements covering the four fields: school, mosque, home and society. The main findings reflected that British Muslims face challenges to their Islamic identity in all the fields mentioned above. Problems stem from both groups, Muslim and non Muslim. They also reflect a cultural gap between Muslim youths and their parents and between Muslims and non Muslims. Education could play a very important role to fill this gap.

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