The course considers the central problems of epistemology in the context of education broadly conceived, of schools, of classrooms, and of the contexts for each of these levels. Fundamental to the course are the processes of critical inquiry, critical dialogue, and critical reflection. The primary aim is to develop and understanding of and commitment to reflective practice. One of the central assumptions is in the importance and power of reflective practice. Effective and moral teaching requires deliberate, ongoing reflection and careful articulation of the moral and epistemological assumptions made by individuals, ourselves as well as the various researchers and theorists we read and discuss.
Reflective practice demands individual contemplation and collegial dialogue.
They reflect on their practice and make necessary adjustments to enhance student learning. They know how students learn and how to make ideas accessible to them. They consider school, family, and community contexts in connecting concepts to students' prior experience, and applying the ideas to real-world problems. Accomplished teachers draw on their knowledge of human development, subject matter and instruction, and their understanding of their students to make principled judgments about sound practice. Their decisions are not only grounded in the literature, but also in their experience.