Educational Theory in Complexity Paradigm: An Ontologic Perspective

Document Type : پژوهشی

Author

• reza mohammadi chaboki

Shahid Beheshti

10.22067/fe.v5i1.44386

Abstract

The main purpose of this research is the presentation of some prerequisites of educational theorizing with regard to ontologic components of complexity paradigm. For this purpose, by using the Philosophical methods, after making mention of how ontologic components of simplicity paradigm (Naive Realism, Linear Causation, Determinism) influence contemporary educational theories, ontologic components of complexity paradigm (complex critical realism, structural determinism, complex causation) were defined. Then, some prerequisites of educational theorizing based on these components were studied. In this regard, educational System is a complex supersystem, self-organized and multilayer that in every layer, there are subsystems with alements and correlated actors (humans and nonhumans) which act in complex mechanisms. This set of correlations makes a widespread network wich according to actor-network theory and whith emphasis on context of educational system make new qualifications for knowledge producing and new conceptulising of learning and learner. Regarding to nature of universe transitions, also the most important purpose of curriculums is to participate students in their universe or the creation of a new universe.

Keywords

• complexity paradigm
• Educational Theory
• Ontology

---

References

Alhadeff-Jones, M. (2010). Challenging the Limits of Critique in Education through Morin’s Paradigm of Complexity. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 29(5), 477-490.

Bhaskar, R. (2008). A Realist Theory of Science (with a new introduction). New York and London: Routledge.

Blake, N. & Masschelein, J. (2003). Critical Theory and Critical Pedagogy. In: The N. Blake, P. Smeyers, R. Smith & P. Standish (eds.) Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Education. Malden: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Butterfield, J. (1998). Determinism and Indeterminism. In E. Craig (ed.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, London: Routledge.

Byrne, D. (1998). Complexity Theory and the Social Sciences. London and New York: Routledge.

Byrne, D. (2011). Applying Social Science: The role of Social research in politics, policy and practice. Bristol: The Policy Press.

Capra, F. (1996). The web of life: A new scientific understanding of living systems. New York: Anchor Books.

Capra, F. (2002). The hidden connections: Integrating the hidden connections among the biological, cognitive, and social dimensions of life. New York: Doubleday.

Davis, B. & Sumara, D. (2006). Complexity and education: inquiries into learning, teaching, and research. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Doll, W. (1993). A post-modern perspective on curriculum. New York: Teachers’ College Press.

Doll, W. (2008). Complexity and the culture of curriculum. In M. Mason (Ed.), Complexity theory and the philosophy of education (pp. 181-203). UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Doll, W., Fleener, M. J., Trueit, D. & St. Julien, J. (Eds) (2005). Chaos, Complexity, Curriculum and Culture. New York: Lang.

Elder-Vass, D. (2006). Re-examining Bhaskar's three ontological domains: the lessons from emergence. In C. Lawson, J. Latsis & N. Martins (Eds.), Contributions to Social Ontology, (pp. 160-76). London: Routledge.

Gutek, J. (2012). Philosophical schools and educational thoughts. (Mohammad Jafar Pakseresht, Trans.), Tehran: Samt. (In Persion)

Hagis, T. (2008). Knowledge Must Be Contextual: Some possible implications of complexity and dynamic systems theories for educational research, In M. Mason (Ed.), Complexity theory and the philosophy of Education (pp. 150-168). UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hatt, K. (2009). Considering Complexity: Toward A Strategy for Non-linear Analysis, Canadian Journal of Sociology, 34(2), 313-347.

Hirst, R. J. (1967). Realism, in Edwards, P. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Philosophy, New York and London: Macmillan and Free Press. Available from http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2012/entries/realism/

Jörg, T. (2011). New thinking in complexity for the social sciences and humanities: a generative, transdisciplinary approach. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.

Karimi, A. (1997). Is Education a Science? Journal of Hawzah and University, 10, 4-12. (In Persion)

Kauffman, S.A. (1993). The Origins of Order: Self-Organization and Selection in Evolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Inc.

Keshavarz, N., Nutbeam, D., Rowling, L. & Khavarpour, F. (2010). Schools as social complex adaptive systems: a new way to understand the challenges of introducing the health promoting schools concept. Social Science & Medicine, (70), 1467-1474.

Knight, P. T. (2001). Complexity and Curriculum: a process approach to curriculum-making, teaching in Higher Education, 6(3), 369-381.

Kuhn, L. (2008). Complexity and Educational Research: A critical reflection, In Mark Mason (Ed.), Complexity Theory and the Philosophy of Education. UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Kuhn, T. (2010). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. (Saeid Zibakalam, Trans.), Tehran: Samt. (In Persion)

Latour, B. (2005). Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Oxford: Oxford UP.

Lemke, J.L. & Sabelli, N. H. (2008). Complex Systems and Educational Change: Towards a new research agenda. In M. Mason (Ed.), Complexity theory and the philosophy of Education (pp. 112-123). UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Loux, M. J. (2006). Metaphysics: A contemporary introduction. USA and Canada: Routledge.

Mason, M. (ed.) (2008). Complexity Theory and the Philosophy of Education. UK: Blackwell.

Miller, A. (2012). Realism, in E. Zalta (ed.), Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, online Edition:

Monchinski, T. (2008). Critical Pedagogy and the Everyday Classroom. New York: Springer.

Morin, E. (2009). Introduction to Complex Thought. (Afshin Jahandideh, Trans.). Tehran: Ney. (In persion)

Morrison, K. R. B. (2002). School Leadership and Complexity Theory. London: Routledge Falmer.

Newell, C. (2008). The class as a learning entity (complex adaptive system): An idea from complexity science and educational research. Educational Review, 2(1), 5-17.

Olssen, M. (2008). Foucault as Complexity Theorist: Overcoming the problems of classical philosophical analysis, In M. Mason (Ed.), Complexity theory and the philosophy of Education (pp. 91-111). UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ornstein, A. C., & Levine, D. U. (2010). Foundations of education (10th Ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Osberg, D, Biesta, G, Cilliers, P. (2008). From representation to emergence: Complexity’s challenge to the epistemology of Schooling. In M. Mason (Ed.), Complexity theory and the philosophy of education (pp. 204-217). UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prigogine, I. & Strengers, I. (1997). The end of certainty: time, chaos and the new laws of nature. New York: Free Press.

Reed, M. & Harvey, D. L. (1992). The new science and the old: complexity and realism in the social sciences, Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, (22), 356–79.

Reed, M. & Harvey, D. L. (1996). Social science as the study of complex systems, in Kiel, L. D. & Elliott, E. (eds.) Chaos Theory in the Social Sciences (pp. 295–324.). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Rescher, N. (1998). Complexity: A Philosophical Overview, New Brunswick: Transaction Books.

Rescher, N. (2010). Reality and its appearance. London: Continuum.

Semetsky, I. (2008). Re-reading Dewey through the Lens of Complexity Science, or: On the creative logic of education, In M. Mason (Ed.), Complexity theory and the philosophy of Education (pp. 79-90). UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Shabani Varaki, B., Baghgoli, H., Hosseingholizadeh, R., Aali, M. & Khaleghkhah, A. (2012). The Taxonomy of Scott and Educational Research in Iran, Foundations of Education, 1(1), 49-74. (In persion)

Shihui, J. & Shaodong, G. (2012). Curriculum Studies Based on Complexity Science, Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education, 9(1): 82-89.

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for a digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1), 1-13.

Walker, D. F., (1982). Curriculum theory is many things to many people. Theory in Practice, 21 (1), 62-65.