East-West Perspectives on a Curriculum of Great Learning

• In Event: A Curriculum of Great Learning: An East-West Dialogue

Abstract

The fifth presenter will summarize East~West perspectives on the concept of great learning reflected in the five main themes in the works of Confucius, Makiguchi, Dewey, and Ikeda. The concept of great learning has experienced stability, chaos, changes, and revivals flourishing with cultures, languages, communications, economics, ecological systems, and ways of living in the East, in the West, and in-between. It is revitalized by and influences the resurgence of intellectual movements, the fluctuation of economic development, different stages of social and cultural growth and upheavals, and varied forms of political governance. The shared ethics and values illuminated in the concept of great learning in the works of Confucius, Makiguchi, Dewey, and Ikeda affirm “equality over freedom, sympathy over rationality, civility over law, duty over rights, and human-relatedness over individualism” (Tu, 2000, p. 215), which opposes the globalized “values of contract, market, choice, competition, efficiency, flexibility, productivity, and accountability” (Tu, 2000) translated into “the educational confusion” (Dewey, 1931).

The presenters call for a curriculum of great learning where all members of schools, communities, societies, and policymaking milieu have shared common interests (He et al, 2008, 2011). Families and communities connect their concerns about the education of their children with those of larger societies. Schools share their interests in educating creative and life long learners with families, communities, and societies. Individuals have equal opportunities to “take and receive from others” and to have “free interchange of varying modes of life experience” (Dewey, 1916, p. 84) from various civilizations, and are willing to adjust their interests to the interests of others. In such a curriculum of shared interests, teachers cultivate cultural and linguistic competence, full human potential, and world citizenship in learners to recognize themselves not only as members of local communities but also as members of global societies (Nussbaum, 1997). They develop pedagogical, cultural, and linguistic competence based upon the fusion of philosophies of Eastern, Western, and In-Between civilizations to enrich the education for all. Learners are encouraged to value their cultural and linguistic heritages inherent in their cultural norms and civilizations, to respect and accept differences, to critically examine their positions in societies, and to perceive themselves as agents of positive social and educational change (Ayers, 2004). Policy makers and administrators learn the nuances of learners’ experiences at home, in the community, and at school. They value the knowledge held by teachers, students, parents and other curriculum stakeholders, and incorporate this knowledge into culturally relevant policy making. Families, communities, and societies share responsibilities with schools and government organizations to create an inspiring learning environment that is equitable, safe, caring, and humane. This environment is an ideal milieu (Dewey, 1933) for developing a curriculum of great learning where the East, the West, and the In-Between thrives in diversity and diversifies in unity (Goulah, 2009a,b, 2010; He, 2010, 2011; Schubert, 2009a,b, 2010) that invigorates a high level of human potential (Garrison, 2009) for creative, harmonious, associated, joyful, and worthwhile living (Schubert, 2009b) for all in an increasingly diversified, complicated, and contested world.

Authors

• Ming Fang He, Georgia Southern University

• Jim Garrison, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• William H. Schubert, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Jason Goulah, DePaul University