An ontological turn for higher education

Dall’Alba, Gloria; Barnacle, Robyn

doi:10.1080/03075070701685130

Cited by 276 publications

(147 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Building on the Archerian analysis developed in this article, it needs to be noted that the 'ontological turn' recently signalled in some higher education scholarship (Barnett, 2007;Dall'Alba & Barnacle, 2007), although congruent with the position in this article, does offers some dangerous potential misconceptions. Centring knowledge as the focus for higher education does not imply generic skills or a focus on transfer, or indeed some narrow intellectual quest.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Williams argues that Archer's approach links well into what has been considered an 'ontological turn' in student learning research, with a focus on students 'being' and 'becoming' rather than just on knowledge and skills (Barnett, 2009;Dall'Alba & Barnacle, 2007). Williams (2012) proposes that what is needed to underpin this work is an 'analytically and ontologically stronger basis for understanding the person who learns' (p. 320) and in this preliminary work he demonstrates that Archer's theory is well suited to this task.…”

Section: Researching Student Learning In Higher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A social realist perspective on student learning in higher education: the morphogenesis of agency

Case

2015

Higher Education Research & Development

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Researching Student Learning In Higher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A social realist perspective on student learning in higher education: the morphogenesis of agency

Case

2015

Higher Education Research & Development

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“…The relatively simplistic manner in which we have dealt with communities of practice should not suggest to the reader that the framework is a simple one. If Dall'Alba & Barnacle's (2007) argument that higher education in general requires a move away from epistemology to ontology is taken seriously, the reflection suggested above on the 'being' of the Classics discipline as a community of practice is of vital importance. Without a clear (and articulated) notion of what students are expected to become (as opposed to what they are supposed to know), the Classics discipline is likely to retain the challenge of students viewing the discipline in a purely instrumental way.…”

Section: Concluding Thoughtsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In order to achieve this, ongoing dialogue with established practitioners is required. Such dialogue can contribute to moving the discussion about teaching in the discipline from epistemology to ontology (Dall'Alba & Barnacle 2007). Finally the article seeks to encourage further development of the discipline by arguing that the introduction of educational research in the thinking about teaching in the discipline is necessary for meaningful engagement with the current challenges.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Foreigners to Citizens: Conceptualising Students’ Entry Into Disciplinary Communities of Practice

Young

Kotze

2012

AKR

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The discipline of Classics, like most other disciplines in Higher Education contexts, faces numerous challenges related to changed national and international expectations. This article argues that in order to meet these challenges the discipline needs to reflect on its activities and teaching practices in a structured and deliberate way. Such reflection can be facilitated by theoretical frameworks designed in education research. We present one such framework, the "Communities of practice" as designed by Wenger (1998) and show how the framework can be employed, at a theoretical level, to conceptualise the challenges facing the discipline as well as to enhance teaching practices in an undergraduate Greek class, through an institutionally supported project. By applying this framework educators can assist students both in preparing for their careers as well as in engaging with their studies. IntroductionThe status of Classics in higher education elicits a diverse array of opinions. These range from views that Classics are under threat as a discipline (Culham & Edmunds 1989) or that Classics are in need of radical change in order to survive as a "viable subject" (Demos 1995:321) to more positive expositions of the discipline's state of affairs. The latter are embodied in the arguments of Galinsky, who holds that there are "various roads to classical salvation" (1991:449). By responding to Culham and Edmunds (1989), Galinsky (1991) not only shows how the discipline is continuously discovering its own strengths to meet these challenges but also argues that Classics should be looking ahead in order to keep on meeting these challenges. Yet despite his optimistic assessment, Galinsky does not deny that there are Herculean challenges facing Classics as a discipline in Higher Education contexts (1991:442). These concerns, although related, can be separated into two broad categories, namely teaching and learning concerns and contextual concerns. The former refers to questions such as those posed by Kitchell et al (1996:393). They state that questions such as "Why do so few students take Greek today?" and "Why, once we get students, is the retention rate so low?" are common concerns. These teaching and learning concerns should not be considered a recent development. Consider the following claim:If we judge by the results obtained, we are not teaching the students to translate the New Testament, to say nothing about appreciating the Greek. We are not training future Greek scholars nor fitting men to use the Greek New Testament in their own studies.While this probably resonates with practitioners today it is in fact a claim Pottle (1937) made over 70 years ago. The second kind of concern relates more to what

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“…Durkheim (1956Durkheim ( , 2006 sees this as a mechanism where adults exercise their influence over the younger in order to maintain the status quo they desire. However, since education entails ontological as well as epistemological implications, primary focus should be given to learning in such a way that educative and social functions could be amalgamated, rather than solely focusing on the delivery of existing knowledge per se, which becomes a reiterated process and an unchallenged absolute truth (Freire, 1970;Heidegger, 1988;Dall' Alba and Barnacle, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking higher education and its relationship with social inequalities: past knowledge, present state and future potential

Kromydas

2017

Palgrave Commun

202

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The purposes and impact of higher education on the economy and the broader society have been transformed through time in various ways. Higher education institutional and policy dynamics differ across time, but also between countries and political regimes and therefore context cannot be neglected. This article reviews the purpose of higher education and its institutional characteristics juxtaposing two, allegedly rival, conceptual frameworks; the instrumental and the intrinsic one. Various pedagogical traditions are critically reviewed and used as examples, which can potentially inform today's policy making. Since, higher education cannot be seen as detached from all other lower levels of education appropriate conceptual links are offered throughout this article. Its significance lies on the organic synthesis of literature across social science, suggesting ways of going forward based on the traditions that already exist but seem underutilized so far because of overdependence in market-driven practices. This offers a new insight on how theories can inform policy making, through conceptual "bridging" and reconciliation. The debate on the purpose of higher education is placed under the context of the most recent developments of increasing social inequalities in the western world and its relation to the mass model of higher education and the relevant policy decisions for a continuous increase in participation. This article suggests that the current policy focus on labor market driven policies in higher education have led to an ever growing competition transforming this social institution to an ordinary market-place, where attainment and degrees are seen as a currency that can be converted to a labour market value. Education has become an instrument for economic progress moving away from its original role to provide context for human development. As a result, higher education becomes very expensive and even if policies are directed towards openness, in practice, just a few have the money to afford it. A shift toward a hybrid model, where the intrinsic purpose of higher education is equally acknowledged along with its instrumental purpose should be seen by policy makers as the way forward to create educational systems that are more inclusive and societies that are more knowledgeable and just.

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An ontological turn for higher education

Cited by 276 publications

References 24 publications

A social realist perspective on student learning in higher education: the morphogenesis of agency

A social realist perspective on student learning in higher education: the morphogenesis of agency

From Foreigners to Citizens: Conceptualising Students’ Entry Into Disciplinary Communities of Practice

Rethinking higher education and its relationship with social inequalities: past knowledge, present state and future potential

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