Presented at AERA 2010 as the Social Justice Award Lecture, this article calls attention to the purposes of education in the 21st century and the need for a robust, social justice vision of education. Here, it is argued that education is about the cultivation of a flourishing life and not only the narrow preparation for employment. To realize…

Suggests that the notion of ego development provides the educator with a conceptual framework for viewing the affective and cognitive domains as they exist in the wholeness of the real world. Compares theories of Loevinger, Piaget, and Kohlberg. Concludes that it is impossible to speak objectively about "truth." (Author/BRR)

Author suggested a modification in teacher education that might help to improve efforts at nurturing the individual potentials of students. (Author/RK)

Dewey's concept of education as growth can be useful in conceiving of student success. Dewey regarded immaturity as potential for continuous development of both children and adults. His concept of "plasticity" as the capacity to alter present actions because of previous experiences is crucial to the notion of growth. A continuous…

On the assumption that an educated person is one who possesses the capacity to develop his potential to the fullest, the author lists eight detailed outcomes and activities that he believes should comprise the fundamental objectives of the undergraduate program at the American university. (JT)

During summer 1986, the Department of Student Affairs at Florida Community College at Jacksonville adopted a model of student learning and development focused on the theoretical elements that contribute to a holistic view of the ways people grow, learn, and change as they mature. The outcomes-based model focuses on self-direction, including the…

Although the majority of our children acquire functional literacy in all the basic skills; become functional, law-abiding, and constructive adults; and become employable, a large number do not. Children are reared in environments that teach three life views--that the objective of life is to work hard, sacrifice the joys of the moment, and indulge…

An original purpose of higher education in the United States was personal development through acculturation to the classics and to moral principles. Other purposes, those of economics, political orientation, and service, have frequently overshadowed that original goal. It may be that higher education institutions have neglected personal…

The question of whether it is a teacher's job to promote autonomy in students is explored. The discussion includes a review of some pertinent literature, with focus on "Faces on the Campus" by Graham Little, whose notion is seen as providing a worthy ideal. (JMD)

The purpose of this paper is to consider the function and the use of lists of objectives prepared by someone other than the learner. (Author)

This speech examines the image of the university as a powerful center of knowledge in the contexts of both the traditional university and the modern research university. The institution's role in thinking and research, personal growth, and social change are discussed, especially as these areas interrelate and can create an exciting intellectual…

Four goals for a humanistic approach to athletics are: (1) elevating perception of students' physical abilities to improve self-esteem; (2) encouraging self-actualization; (3) contributing to self-understanding; and (4) improving interpersonal relationships. Implications of these objectives for team management, competition, and the attitudes of…

Examines the effects of the post-Sputnik knowledge explosion. Critizes universities for teaching facts and information without values and applications and faults apathetic students who narrowly focus on job openings, pay scales, and retirement plans. Urges colleges to develop intellectual autonomy and the powers of imagination, sensitivity, and…

Our higher education system does not nurture the inner lives of students or help them acquire the self-understanding that is the basis for a satisfying life, nor does it provide the safe and nurturing environment people need in order to grow. What is needed is a more holistic way of conceiving education, one that accepts the importance of…