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The Progressive Education Fallacy in Developing Countries

In Favour of Formalism

  • Book
  • © 2011

Overview

Authors:
  1. Gerard Guthrie

    1. , A1404 Xiagong International Gardens, Guthrie Development Consultancy Pty, Zhuai, China, People's Republic

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  • Refutes conventional wisdom about reform of teaching in developing countries
  • Presents a strong case for formalism in developing country classrooms
  • Draws detailed evidence from Asia, Africa and the S. Pacific, especially Papua New Guinea and China
  • Presents a scholarly, highly readable and coherent work

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Table of contents (12 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxxiv
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  2. Old Conjectures

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-2
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  3. OLD CONJECTURES

    1. The Progressive Education Fallacy

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 3-20

    2. Formalism In Developing Countries

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 21-42

    3. Stages Of Educational Development?

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 43-60

    4. Teacher Resistance To Change

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 61-76

    5. Classroom Teaching And School Effectiveness

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 77-101

  4. Refutations

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 103-104
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  5. REFUTATIONS

    1. Formalistic Schooling System In Papua New Guinea

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 105-126

    2. Failure Of Progressive Reforms In PNG

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 127-152

    3. Cultural Continuities And Formalism In PNG

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 153-172

    4. Formalistic Traditions In China

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 173-193

  6. New Conjectures

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 195-196
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  7. NEW CONJECTURES

    1. Education In Cultural Contexts

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 197-215

    2. Grounded Educational Choices

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 217-235

    3. In Favour Of Formalism

      • Gerard Guthrie
      Pages 237-251

  8. Back Matter

    Pages 253-257
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Keywords

About this book

This book provides a provocative but carefully argued addition to the theory and practice of education in developing countries. The book provides an ethical and empirical justification for support of formalistic teaching in primary and secondary schools in developing countries. It also refutes the application of progressive education principles to curriculum and pre- and in-service teacher education in such contexts. The central focus of this book is the formalistic teaching prevalent in the classrooms of many developing countries. Formalistic (‘teacher-centred’, ‘traditional’, ‘didactic’, ‘pedagogic’) teaching is appropriate in the many countries with revelatory epistemologies, unpopular and old-fashioned though these methods may seem in some western, especially Anglophone, ones. Formalism has been the object of many failed progressive curriculum and teacher education reforms in developing countries for some 50 years.

Reviews

"Gerard Guthrie makes a significant , if challenging and controversial, contribution to the international literature on education and development"

Michael Crossley, University of Bristol, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  • , A1404 Xiagong International Gardens, Guthrie Development Consultancy Pty, Zhuai, China, People's Republic

    Gerard Guthrie

About the author

 Dr Gerard Guthrie is an educationalist with 40 years experience. His career has had two main parts. As an academic, he has been a staff member of four universities in Australia and Papua New Guinea, including as Foundation Professsor of Education at the University of Goroka. As an Australian governmental aid official, he held management positions involving training, corporate management, aid delivery in China and Africa, and rural development. He has also worked as a consultant for AusAID and the World Bank in Asia, Africa and the South Pacific. Dr Guthrie has a wide background in development and practice and in social science research, which he has applied primarily to education in developing countries, particularly teaching and teacher education.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Progressive Education Fallacy in Developing Countries

  • Book Subtitle: In Favour of Formalism

  • Authors: Gerard Guthrie

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1851-7

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Education (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2011

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-94-007-1850-0Published: 24 June 2011

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-94-007-9866-3Published: 16 October 2014

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-007-1851-7Published: 23 June 2011

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXXIV, 257

  • Topics: International and Comparative Education

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