Five Paradigms for Education Foundational Views and Key Issues

Ted Newell explores five paradigms of education—Traditional, Plato, Empiricistic, Rousseau, and Jesus—to show pre-service teachers how basic commitments drive different conceptions of the teacher, definitions of excellence, valued knowledge, student capabilities, and motivation. Newell emphasizes the connection between education theories and basic beliefs, shared by humanist, progressive educators who believe in non-instrumental approaches to education. Organized chronologically and incorporating history and case studies, Newell's work shines a light on the perennial connections between educational practices, educational paradigms, and, ultimately, concepts of humanity and human worth.

Ted Newell teaches Education Foundations and the Integration Seminar at Crandall University, Canada. He is the author of Education Has Nothing to Do with Theology (2006), on a religious education theorist who insisted on empirical verification. Newell's articles have appeared in Journal of General Education, Journal of Education and Christian Belief, and Religious Education.

1. Introduction: Why Learn about Paradigms of Education?
2. Traditional Paradigm of Education
3. Plato the Revolutionary
4. The Empirical Paradigm
5. Rousseau's Paradigm
6. Jesus' Paradigm
Summary: What is "Education"?