Who am I? Who are you and why are we here? Connecting Theory and Practice in the Humanities Classroom
Presentation by: Jennifer Mansour
Session C | 10:05 – 10:25 | Room 208
Abstract:
Central to humanities education are questions and themes which underscore all aspects of our existence as human beings and are well suited to asking students to consider questions through the lens of the self. Because of this, Humanities teachers are important figures in students’ deepening understanding of themselves as agents in a complex world. Part of my research as a graduate student in UBC’s Educational Studies department will be to further understand this unique aspect of Humanities education. Drawing on the work of philosopher Gert Biesta, educational aims consist of three “domains”, including skill acquisition, socialization, and self-realization. In the context of formal education, each play out in myriad ways and understanding these motivations is an essential component of a reflective practice. As a practitioner and an academic, I am interested in understanding how Humanities teachers conceptualize these domains, how these conceptualizations affect their daily classroom practice, and, perhaps most importantly, how these choices impact students’ understanding of who they are and the world they live in.
If accepted, my presentation will outline philosopher Gert Biesta’s theory of educational domains with a discussion of how these domains are, or could be, manifested in classroom settings. Special attention will be paid to the domain of “self-actualization” and the different ways that humanities teachers attend to this aim through their practice. This discussion will be of interest to Humanities teachers who are interested in deepening their reflective practice, or who wish to consider how educational theory and practice are connected.
