Re-envisioning Student Centered Learning (SCL): A Dialogue Between John Dewey and Buddhist Philosophy

• In Event: Holistic Education: Pedagogies and Learning Outcomes

Proposal

This study discusses and responds to issues surrounding modern formations of student-centered learning (SCL) from the perspective of Buddhist philosophy of education. Specifically, the Buddhist threefold wisdom 三慧, a traditional educative framework that integrates study, reflection, and practice with mindfulness as a common thread, will be introduced as a model that can support SCL pedagogies. To avoid a one-dimensional discussion and criticism of SCL, I will also explore philosophy of education by John Dewey, often regarded as one of the original thinkers of SCL.

SCL pedagogies are increasingly gaining traction in education policies and curriculum. Most notably, according to the report by UNESCO on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), ESD uses “interactive [and] learner-centered” ways of teaching and learning, one that leads to “action-oriented and transformative learning” and enables learners to “think critically and systematically develop values and attitudes for a sustainable future” (2018, 7). Traditional unilateral teaching is viewed as insufficient, and thus incapable of preparing students for the “cooperative planetary future”. These views are often backed by the argument that teacher-centered practices do not adequately train analytical, critical, and reflective thinking. In contrast, for SCL classrooms, learning is not only about receiving information but is also about each student making sense of the information for themselves through active engagements and making decisions about their own learning; students in SCL are “not only involved in decisions regarding what to study but also how and why” (Hoidn and Reusser 2021, 21). Studies in cognitive sciences and neurosciences have shown that active engagements allow for a deeper knowledge (Doyle 2011).

However, in its educative path of self-transformation, some issues arise. In this study, we will discuss two of such issues: (1) the “erosion” of knowledge and instruction and (2) the pervasive “habits of mind” that can prevent clear self-reflection and unbiased critical thinking. The first issue, often addressed by scholars such as Young (2007) and Biesta (2012), is concerned with how the movement away from the “instruction paradigm” to the “learning paradigm” has marginalized the act of teaching and the teachers themselves. They have argued that acquisition of knowledge is the key purpose of education, and thus have called for a “rediscovery” of teaching. The second issue is concerned with the (lack of) discussions on the students’ ability to conduct clear critical thinking and self-reflection. As has been noted by scholars such as Peter (2012), critical thinking can be easily obscured by students’ preconceptions and close-mindedness. However, SCL pedagogies tends to assume that students are able to accurately conduct such reflections and thinking themselves without training. If the students were to relate newly acquired knowledge with contents from their previous experiences in SCL classrooms, they must then be able to discern between their preconceived assumptions and memorized fact. Clouded perception and cognition may also disrupt the process of memorization, thus endangering entire processes of education. Constructing their learning from such confused standpoint may disrupt the “educative experience” of the students.

In response to the first issue, I will argue that teachers and (knowledge gained from) instructions are central aspect of transformative learning, and thus should not be disregarded entirely. Dewey was explicitly against completely student-directed learning, learning will become “casual, sporadic and ultimately fatiguing” without presence of teachers that can set directions and guide the students ([1926] 1981, 58). Additionally, Buddhist traditions have long valued teachers and memorization. This is apparent from the threefold wisdom model, which has been traditionally used as the central framework for monastic education (Deroche 2021; Fiordalis 2018; Kapstein 2001; Kusumoto 2022). The three wisdoms consist of “wisdom born from study” (or literally, “listening”) 聞所成慧 (śrutamayī prajñā), “wisdom born from reflection” (or “thinking”, “reasoning”) 思所成慧 (cintāmayī prajñā), and “wisdom born from cultivation” (or “meditation”, “practice”) 修所成慧 (bhāvanāmayī prajñā). Recently, this model has been related to modern educational trichotomy of knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Klebanova 2022). Through mastery and integration of each wisdom, a Buddhist education will be complete. Teachers and knowledge memorized from instruction serve as a self-reflective mirror that brings past knowledge and experiences into a new perspective; thus, we can acknowledge that self-reflection and thinking cannot be possible (or becomes rather difficult) without memorized content and presence of teachers.

When we look to Dewey on the second issue, we find that he too believed that clear recollection of past knowledge, clear observation, and clear judgements were fundamental for an educative experience; and as Greenwalt and Nguyen (2019) has argued, I believe mindfulness is useful for cultivating such capacities. Mindfulness, originally a Buddhist concept, is a monitoring function of memory and attention, and at the deeper level is a presence of mind characterized with openness, clarity, and compassionate responses regarding moment-to-moment direct experiences. Such clarity opens to door to the awareness of how one responds to experiences. Mindfulness could improve students’ ability for self-knowledge about how her previous experience has shaped her perception and habits of thought. The understanding that each student comes with unique experiences are fundamental understanding to modern SCL and theories of education in Dewey. While SCL theories argue that learning environments (including the teacher) must be mindful of these differences, I argue that this pedagogy would be more complete if students themselves were aware of these unique tendencies of the mind. Studies in Buddhist studies have shown that mindfulness is the fundamental attitude that serves not just reflections and thinking, but all three wisdoms (Deroche 2021). Through mindfulness, students are able to memorize the contents accurately, reflect on the content with discernment and clarity, and put new ideas (based on study and reflection) into practice.

By introducing the Buddhist threefold model of wisdom development, we can envision a form of SCL that balances instruction, individual reflection, and practice, while at the same time deepening learning by unwinding habits of mind that clouds genuine awareness to interests, intentions, and learning experience itself.

Author

• Ryotaro Kusumoto, Kyoto University