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Epistemology using Systems Concepts
Posted by Richard Turnock on 10/2/2008
A New Epistemology and Pedagogy
Reviewing my short essay about mental models of teaching and learning, maybe I mixed two concepts together without clearly describing each and as a result hindered the discussion. So, in my second attempt, I will use the terms epistemology and pedagogy. Maybe this is too abstract but I’m trying to connect a vision with the actual teaching of systems concepts.
Epistemology primarily addresses the following questions: "What is knowledge?", "How is knowledge acquired?", "What do people know?", "How do we know what we know?" This term is used in philosophical discussions, however here I’m focusing on the mental model of epistemology that K12 educators implement in their pedagogy.
Attempts to change pedagogy don’t take into consideration educator’s mental model of pedagogy. Also, educator’s mental model of epistemology informs their pedagogy. The dilemma might be that we can’t change pedagogy until the epistemology changes for K12 educators. However, educators aren’t going to change their mental model of epistemology even in the face of a real crisis. So, how do we make a new epistemology relevant to K12 educators?
First, let’s define a new epistemology that represents knowing as a system of interaction using feedback instead of objectivism. The questions listed above, when implementing the new epistemology, are addressed using systems thinking and dynamic modeling. Second, let’s define a new K12 pedagogy as one that implements the new epistemology and uses dialogue tools that form a system of interaction using feedback.
Using the current pedagogy to teach teachers systems thinking and dynamic modeling, we tried using the infection model to change educator’s mental model of epistemology and that didn’t work. To change K12 pedagogy, we need to change educator’s mental model of epistemology. However, teaching educators the new epistemology, using the new pedagogy won’t work because it doesn’t align with their current mental model of pedagogy. So, they will reject this new vision and that’s my dilemma.
How can we make a new epistemology relevant to K12 educators so that they implement a new pedagogy based on the new epistemology?
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