Augustinian Educational Theory

By Dr. Emad Francis

Augustinian thoughts have been widely revered for their great influence on the development of Western philosophy. While most of St. Augustines ideas were adopted in various fields of modern thought, his ideas on education have been rarely discussed. In reality, one should recognize that St. Augustine, being one of the greatest teachers of the church and a towering figure in all ages of Western philosophy, had implicitly detailed in his works and portrayed in his colorful life important ideas of teaching on education. Although this may be open for argument and debate, this book sets out to present Augustinian ideas on education.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514450758

Dr. Emad Francis

Dr. Emad Francis was born in Alex, Egypt, and migrated to America in 1996. He earned his doctorate in teaching and learning, his socialist degree in education leadership, MA in Sped Ed., MEd in Ed. leadership, and MA in global studies. He worked as instructor at Central Texas College, assistant professor at Defense Language Institute, and learning specialist at Richmond County Board of Education. Other books by the author ++++++++++++++++++++ 1- Teaching of the Lord Jesus and means of demonstrations (1996) 2- Know your enemy (1998) 3- Augustinian philosophy: between critical pedagogy and neo-Scholasticism (2011)

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Copyright © 2016 by Dr. Emad Francis, PhD.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2016900689

ISBN:     Hardcover     978-1-5144-5077-2

                Softcover      978-1-5144-5076-5

                eBook           978-1-5144-5075-8

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Rev. date: 01/29/2016

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Contents

Introduction

Transmission Education

Transformational Education

Augustine’s Knowledge of Philosophies and Theories

Philosophy of Existentialism

Philosophy of Idealism

Philosophy of Religion

Philosophy of Memory

Political Philosophy

Medieval Philosophy

Elements of Augustinian Educational Theory

The Concept of Truth

The Concept of Knowledge

Augustinian Education

Dialogical Teaching

Teachers as Facilitators

Autonomy of Students and Learner-Centered Education

Critical Consciousness

Transforming Society

AET Guiding Reasons

Application of AET in Lesson Plans

AET and Classroom Management

Teacher’s Role in Social Transformation

Application of AET in a Christian School

Application of AET in a Non-Christian School

Characteristics of an AET Teacher

Effective Communication and Leadership Skills

Being Passionate for Learning Truth

Possessing Wholehearted Love for Learning

Learning to Desire Unity

Application of AET in Teacher Training

Conclusion

References

Introduction

Aurelius Augustinus was a teacher of rhetoric and later became a bishop in the city of Hippo. He was a voluminous writer and mainly wrote on theological subjects. Some of his controversial writing was topical, and he lost interest as fast as it emerged; however, a reasonable number of his works have remained practically influential in modern times—both in Christianity and education. St. Augustine’s Confessions, The City of God, and Enchiridion are among the most influential works of Western thought (Russell, 2012, p. 329). His ideas have been published in several scholarly articles with varied philosophical and sociological aspects and frameworks. Most scholars agree that Augustinian philosophy is a rich resource of invaluable ideas which are of immense significance in the field of education (teaching and learning). Even though Augustinian philosophy is mostly focused on the facets of Christian life (contrary to some scholars’ belief that it is based on educational application), his teachings and beliefs have been successfully applied in the field of education (Francis, 2011), hence the emergence of Augustinian educational theory (AET). Most of St. Augustine’s ideas and beliefs regarding the transfer or acquisition of knowledge, either through teaching or learning, are similar to contemporary educational approaches, or at least such approaches have borrowed some of Augustine’s ideas. This paper seeks to analyze Augustinian educational theory and its relevance in the contemporary education systems and possibly recommend ways in which education practitioners can employ or improve its application in teaching and learning.

St. Augustine’s ideas on teaching and learning are integrated within his philosophical and theological teachings. At no point in time did he make a formal presentation on his beliefs and principles about education. However, there is a wealth of evidence of education themes in his works, which provides a clear understanding of his teaching philosophy. Accordingly, all his principles and teachings about education are based on Christian ethics and values. Despite St. Augustine’s teachings being characterized by several themes on education, his works do not contain any systematic pedagogy for teaching and learning. Generally, St. Augustine left behind a guide for practical education, which is based on the principle of morally acceptable and communal transformative journey towards understanding of the truth (Francis, 2011, p. 26). Augustine’s teaching on education emphasized reflective learning through transforming experiences. In essence, the change process forms part of the Augustinian philosophy, where the ultimate goal of education is perceived to be the change in the learner’s character and understanding. St. Augustine believed that personal experiences provide the primary source of information and knowledge that enables a learner to understand society or his/her environment (Francis, 2011, p. 37). St. Augustine also asserts the importance of the three steps theory—reason, knowledge, and truth. He notes that an analysis of past experiences is the mental process of reasoning and an ideal means of attaining knowledge which ultimately leads to the truth. AET differentiates believing from knowing while maintaining that both are necessary in the attainment of truthful knowledge from God (Francis, 2011, p. 200).

Augustinian educational theory employs a mix of transmission and transformational educational approaches. Transmission education under AET has been used to expose learners to specific moral values and beliefs, so as to account for individual characteristics within society. St. Augustine believed that all individuals in society should observe the teachings of God, and parents or teachers are charged with the duty of transferring God’s teachings to their children and learners, respectively. Education enhances an individual’s behavior by transmitting generally acceptable ideals within the context of society.