KNOWLEDGE AND CURRICULUM

This PPT prepared by Teacher Educator From Thiagarajar College Of Preceptors -Madurai for B.Ed TRainees.

1. Knowledge and Curriculum Knowledge Introduction -Epistemology & Knowledge By Arthy R Assistant Professor Thiagarajar College of Preceptors Madurai

2. Epistemology Epistemology , the philosophical study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge. The term is derived from the Greek  epistēmē  (“knowledge”) and  logos  (“reason”) the field is sometimes referred to as the theory of knowledge.

3. Ways of Acquiring Knowledge Knowing and Knowledge: Epistemology is one of the branches of philosophy, concerned with the theory of knowledge. It refers to the origin, nature and limits of human knowledge. It deals with some important issues, as whether knowledge of any kind is possible, whether knowledge is innate or learnt, whether knowledge is a mental state, etc.

4. knowledge Epistemology, deals with two fundamental problems of knowledge - origin of knowledge focuses on the relative roles of knower and the known in the making of knowledge. It is required to focus on process of how we come to know. - validation of knowledge the generated wealth of knowledge on both ways and forms of knowing and knowledge.

5. Philosophers all human beings wish to comprehend the world they live in, many of them construct theories of various kinds to help them make sense of it. philosophers are captivated by the idea of understanding the world in the most general terms possible.

6. The Process of Inquiry the process of inquiry develops a philosophy about matters. Example: Stick in water/railroad Vision and Thinking vision is not sufficient to give knowledge of how things are. Vision needs to be “corrected” with information derived from the other senses.

7.  Knowledge   the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association.   acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique.   the fact or condition of being aware of something.   the range of one's information or understanding answered to the best of knowledge.

8. Knowledge  the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning. learned by a person of unusual  knowledge . understanding of or information about a subject that you get by experience or study, either known by one person or by people generally. the state of knowing about or being familiar with something. all the facts that someone knows about a particular subject.

9. The Concept of Knowledge Expressions such as  know them ,  know that ,  know how ,  know where ,  know why , and  know whether , Concept of Knowledge : Knowledge, the noun, is used in different contexts and situations to convey different meanings to different people.

10. The Concept of Knowledge Knowledge has different aspects, kinds and levels . in common sense understanding, signifies all the human meanings, beliefs about matters of facts (things, objects, events), about relationships between facts, and about principles, laws, theories that are at work in the nature and society.

11. The Concept of Knowledge Knowledge is understanding about the relationships ; the relationship of the knower with the known. In other words, it is the relationship of the subject with the object. Knowledge is the result of knower’s active engagement; with the object of knowledge. Knowledge and its intensity depend on the relationship between the knower and the known. 

12. Plato - Knowledge Plato defined knowledge as, ‘justified true belief’. According to Plato’s definition, human knowledge, in order to be given the ‘status’ of knowledge, should fulfill the condition of being a belief-true and justified.

13. John Locke - Knowledge John Locke , the founding father of empiricism, and who defined ‘mind as tabula rasa’, surprisingly defined knowledge as “the perception of the agreement or disagreement of two ideas”. For pragmatist Dewey (2010), knowledge denotes an ‘inference from evidence’.

14. John Locke- kinds of knowledge John Locke distinguished three kinds of knowledge, as: 1. Intuitive knowledge , of such things as the fact that red is not green and the fact of one’s own existence; 2. Demonstrative knowledge , which includes mathematics, morality, and the existence of God; 3. Sensitive knowledge , which is concerned with “the particular existence of finite beings without us.” Knowledge, in a practical way, can be classified into following categories on the basis of means used in the process of knowing by which a particular ‘class’ of knowledge is generated.

15. Experiential Knowledge Experiential Knowledge , a form of knowledge that can only be obtained through experience. For example, the knowledge of what it is like to see colours , which cannot be explained to a person born blind. Experimental Knowledge is based on or derived from experience, or empirical evidences. Reasoned or Logical Knowledge is knowledge of the truths and principles of deductive logic. Intuitive Knowledge is the knowledge that is acquired without inference and/or the use of reason. It comes from within by looking inside or contemplation.

16. Sources of Knowledge Perception Introspection Memory Reason Testimony

17. Knowledge Classification School Subject - Natural Science Phenomenon/ Object of Study - Nature-Physical and Biological ‘Concrete things’ Nature of the Knowledge - Causal; ‘Objective’ with little subjectivity Modes of Understanding - Observation, Experimentation Nature of Validation - Verification/ falsification

18. School Subject - Social Science Phenomenon/ Object of Study - Society in all its aspects Nature of the Knowledge - Dynamic; Normative; Interpretative Modes of Understanding - Interpretative Understanding; Critical evaluations; Dialogue Nature of Validation - Constantly reconstructed in the light of values and utilities; Judged in the light of Normative resolutions

19. School Subject - Mathematics Phenomenon/ Object of Study - Numbers, Symbols and Logic, ‘Abstract thought’ Nature of the Knowledge - Human construction and Highly structured Axiomatic; Abstract and Given Modes of Understanding –Logical Deductions Nature of Validation - Proof

20. School Subject - Language Phenomenon/ Object of Study - Words, Grammar; Culture; Nature of the Knowledge - Human construction but Highly dynamic; Inter-subjective; Creative Modes of Understanding -Narrations; Creative expressions Nature of Validation - Utilitarian

21. Origin of Knowledge

22. Epistemological Terms- Objectivism What is knowledge? knowledge is absolute and true, and is independent from and outside of the individual. Learning involves the transfer of what exists in reality to what is known by the learner. Source of knowledge? Reality exists external to the individual, so therefore knowledge simply exists and there is no need to construct knowledge. Knowledge is acquired by experience. Associated terminology? Objectivism is linked with  empiricism  - a process of gaining knowledge, in which sensory experience (what we can quantify with our own senses) is the only valid source of knowledge. Kuhn and Weinstock (2002) describe this way of knowledge acquisition as ' pre-procedural knowing' , or the first way to approach acquiring information.

23. Pragmatism What is knowledge? Pragmatism regards knowledge as a worthy but improbable goal. This approach emphasises theories of meaning (of what works) with the understanding that this may not reflect reality. Source of knowledge? Knowledge is interpreted and negotiated, through a process of experience and reason. Associated terminology? Pragmatism  also used when describing the acquisition of knowledge, and involves active processing where no single truth exists (Brownlee et.al.,2008). Kuhn & Weinstock (2002) describe this way of knowledge acquisition as '  procedural knowing  '

24. Interpretivism What is knowledge? In constructivism knowledge is not uniform and identical. Rather, it’s constructed at an individual level and exists in multiple formats. Source of knowledge? Knowledge is gained through reason, by considering the available information and assembling a personal interpretation. It’s not concerned with whether knowledge is true in the absolute sense, since truth depends on the knower’s frame of reference. Associated terminology? Interpretivism is linked with  constructivism . Knowledge is constructed individual or collectively, and varies from person to person. These ‘ constructed knowing ’ beliefs are more likely to be linked to constructivist beliefs in learning (Brownlee, 2003; Hammer, 2003), which are based on a view of knowledge as complex, tentative, and needing to be actively critiqued (Gill, Ashton, & Algina , 2004).

25. Type of Knowledge 1. Communicative knowledge. 2. Situated knowledge. 3. Embedded knowledge 4. Practitioner knowledge. 5. Priori Knowledge. 6. Posteriori Knowledge

26. Communicative knowledge Symbolic representations can be used to indicate meaning. thought as a dynamic process. the transfer of the symbolic representation - knowledge can be transferred. Other forms of communication include observation and imitation, verbal exchange, and audio and video recordings. Philosophers of language and semioticians construct and analyze theories of knowledge transfer or communication.

27. Situated knowledge Situated knowledge is knowledge specific to a particular situation. It is a term coined by Donna Haraway as an extension of the feminist approaches of "successor science" suggested by Sandra Harding. Arturo Escobar explains as, "neither fictions nor supposed facts." Situational knowledge is often embedded in language, culture, or traditions. The integration of situational knowledge is an allusion to the community, and its attempts at collecting subjective perspectives into an embodiment "of views from somewhere."

28. Embedded knowledge Embedded knowledge is a significant feature of the knowledge base in education. Tests and other assessment instruments, curriculum frameworks, the academic organization of schooling, are all based on prior investigation and other accumulated knowledge which the teacher is not involved in and may not advert to at the point of use.

29. Embedded knowledge Embedded knowledge makes a range of intellectual resources available to teachers which improve their understanding of individual students, strengthen their curriculum programming and enrich their pedagogy. Indicators - two dimensions, reflecting the amount of knowledge embedded and the extent of usage respectively.

30. Practitioner knowledge teachers’ certification is based on the measurement, through examinations and observation of teaching practice, of knowledge and competences or when serving teachers are rated in terms of a knowledge-related framework.

31. Practitioner knowledge there are a number of indicators or quasi-indicators based on either pre-service or in-service training, on the grounds that length and level of initial training and opportunities for continuous professional development are associated with expanding the teacher’s knowledge base.

32. Prior knowledge & Posteriori knowledge It is independent of experience, as with mathematics, tautologies, and deduction from pure reason. It is dependent on experience or empirical evidence, as with most aspects of science and personal knowledge.