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Knowledge as problematic

Are students critiquing and second-guessing texts, ideas and knowledge?

Explanation
Continuum of practice
Example

Explanation

Presenting knowledge as problematic involves an understanding of knowledge not as a fixed body of information, but rather as being constructed, and hence subject to political, social and cultural influences and implications. Multiple, contrasting, and potentially conflicting forms of knowledge are represented.

Knowledge as given sees the subject content represented as facts, ie. a body of truth to be acquired by students. The transmission of the information may vary, but is based on the concept of knowledge as being static and able to be handled as property, perhaps in the form of tables, charts, handouts, texts, and comprehension activities.

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Continuum of practice

No knowledge as problematic. All knowledge is presented in an uncritical fashion.
Approximately half knowledge seen as problematic. Multiple interpretations recognised as variations on a stable theme.
All knowledge as problematic. Knowledge is seen as socially constructed, with conflicting implications and social functions producing resolution and/or conflict.

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Example

As an introductory lesson to a topic about the environment, a Year 8 Social Science teacher drew a long horizontal line across the blackboard and wrote 'very concerned' at one end and 'not concerned' at the other end. She asked students to place a mark on the line representing their degree of concern about the environment.

This required that the students make a 'low-key' public statement about their position and then justify it in writing by answering the question: 'Why I chose my position'. The teacher made a number of statements that could be interpreted as supporting multiple positions, thus reinforcing that there was no one correct position.

It was clear from the way that this class was managed that the teacher anticipated divergent and potentially conflicting views to surface during the activity. She skilfully and continually kept opening the discussion up by reinforcing the complexity of the issues and the need to consider multiple viewpoints and experiences.

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