MR. JOHN STEPHEN D.

DINGCONG
Your Reporter
POSTMODERNISM
IN
EDUCATION
OBJECTIVES:

• DIFINE POSTMODERNISM
• DIFFERENTIATE MODERNISM AND
POSTMODERNISM
• DISCUSS THE POSTMODERNISM CURRICULUM
• DISCUSS THE POSTMODERN METHODS
• PROPONENTS
 WHAT IS POSTMODERNISM?
• IT LITERALLY MEANS “AFTER” (POST) THE MODERNIST
PERIOD
• IS A PLURALISTIC WORLDVIEW THAT STATES THAT
THERE IS NO ONE TRUTH BUT RATHER MULTIPLE
SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATIONS AND ALL INDIVIDUAL
TRUTHS HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. TRUTH IN THIS
WORLDVIEW IS LOCATED IN OUR INDIVIDUAL
SENSATIONS, INTERPRETATIONS, AND THE CONTEXT.
• THERE IS NO ABSOLUTE TRUTH AND EVERYTHING IS
SUBJECTIVE.
• REJECTS THE VERY IDEA OF TRUTH. 4
 PRINCIPLES
• POSTMODERNISTS EDUCATORS BELIEVE THAT
THERE IS NO ABSOLUTE OR UNIVERSAL TRUTH,
ARGUING THAT TRUTH CHANGES WITH THE ADVENT
OF NEW EVENTS AND DISCOVERIES
• A POSTMODERNIST EDUCATORS EMBRACE AND
ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION, GOING
FURTHER TO ENCOURAGE CROSS CULTURAL
DIALOGUE.

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 POSTMODERN EDUCATIONAL
THEORY

• WHAT IS IT?
IT IS A CHANGE FROM THE CURRENT MODERN
PERSPECTIVE OF EDUCATION. THIS THEORY
EMPHASIZES THE UNIQUENESS OF EACH STUDENT
AND ALLOWS THEM TO CREATE THEIR OWN
ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH TO LEARN.
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MODERN METHODS
VS
POSTMODERN

MODERN METHODS
• EDUCATORS ARE ADMINISTERS FIGURES WHO SET
RULES AND REGULATIONS
• PEOPLE ARE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARD NO
MATTER WHAT CULTURE OR BACKGROUND
• THERE ARE LIMITATIONS TO LEARNING STYLES

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POSTMODERN METHODS

• TEACHERS WORK AS CO- “CONSTRUCTORS” OF

INSTRUCTION WITH STUDENT
• EMPHASIZED CREATIVITY AND DIVERSE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS
• ALLOWS FOR A DIFFERENT CULTURAL
BACKGROUNDS TO BE EXPRESSED
• MULTIPLE TRUTHS AND VALUES THAT CAN BE
EXPRESSED BY BOTH THE STUDENT AND THE
TEACHER.
 VIEWS ON
EDUCATION

USHER & THOMPSON (1997)

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 WHAT DOES POSTMODERN EDUCATION
VALUE?
• VALUES
• ALLOWING FOR DIVERSITY:
• EQUALITY:
• THE IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONS
• THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATIVITY:
• FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
• RISK TAKING IN THE CLASSROOM
• INTUITION:
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 BENEFITS OF POSTMODERNISM

• AIMS TOWARDS INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION INSTEAD

OF LARGE GROUP INSTRUCTION FOUND IN
REGULAR CLASSROOMS
• INSPIRES CHILDREN TO BE CREATIVE AND UNIQUE
INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING THE AVERAGE PATH
• KNOWLEDGE IS ALWAYS CHARGING AND THERE IS
ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN SOMETHING
NEW
• STUDENT’S INDIVIDUAL NEEDS ARE ADHERED TO

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PROPONENTS
FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE
(1844)

• FATHER OF POSTMODERNISM
• FOCUSED ON THE WORLD AROUND US RATHER
THAN THE AFTERLIFE.
MARTIN HEIDEGGER

• GERMAN PHILOSOPHER
• WE ARE NOT BORN INTO AN EXISTING REALITY
BUT CONSTRUCT OUR OWN REALITY BASED
ON OUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE WORLD AND ON
OUR INNATE INTUITIONS.
JEAN-FRANÇOIS LYOTARD
(1924-1998)

has proven to be an important influence on postmodern theorists and

artists, making his presence felt from Fredric Jameson's Postmodernism
to the Wachowski brothers' The Matrix
JEAN BAUDRILLARD

• Controversial French Philosopher

MICHEL FOUCAULT

• FRENCH PHILOSOPHER
• POWER IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE
POSSESSED BUT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE
IMPLEMENTED.
JACQUES DERRIDA (1930-2004)

O A French Philosopher
O Universal rationality was not found in
objective reality but in the text.
O Deconstruction is simply a method of
exploring the text to find additional shades of
meaning.
O Wrote 40 books
AIM IN EDUCATION

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 POSTMODERN CURRICULUM
• THE POSTMODERN CURRICULUM POSITION GOES BEYOND
NO ONE SHOULD BE DENIED
THE IDEA THAT
AN EDUCATION. IT STRIVES TO ELIMINATE THE
LANGUAGE THAT MAY BE ONLY UNDERSTOOD BY A
“WHITE MALE DOMINATED” SOCIETY. LET CHILDREN
LEARN IN THE LANGUAGE THEY ARE IMMERSED IN.
• CREATIVITY WOULD BE A NATURAL OUTCOME OF THIS
CURRICULUM BECAUSE NO IDEAS WOULD BE
DISCOURAGED. THE MANY DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS WOULD
DEMAND THIS. AFFIRMATION OF ALL STUDENTS
EMOTIONS WOULD HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP SELF
ESTEEM. INTUITION GAINS IN IMPORTANCE BECAUSE THE
METHODS OF TEACHING

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 ROLE OF TEACHER
•(LEHRER, 2009) THE POSTMODERN INSTRUCTOR ENGAGED WITH A
LEARNER FROM AN APPRECIATIVE PERSPECTIVE ENCOURAGES THIS
PERSON TO RELATE THE DIRECTIONS OF THE COURSE OR PROGRAM TO
THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, INSTEAD OF VIEWING THIS AS PAST
BAGGAGE THAT SHOULD BE LEFT OUTSIDE THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.
•TEACH INDUCTIVE AND DEDUCTIVE REASONING, THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
AND THE POWERS OF OBSERVATION AND PRACTICE.
•FACILITATOR
•GOOD CLASSROOM MANAGER
•RESULT AND PROCESS ORIENTED
•MUST FIRST EMPOWER THEMSELVES AS PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS.
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 ROLE OF STUDENTS
• THE LEARNER IS ENCOURAGED TO FIND PERSONAL
MEANING FROM THE LEARNING
• COMPREHENDING
• SEARCHING AND INVESTIGATING
• ADAPTING
• DECIDING

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GOAL OF POSTMODERNISM IN
EDUCATION

• THE EDUCATIONAL GOALS OF POSTMODERNISM ARE TO

ELEVATE THE STATUS OF THOSE LACKING POWER
(WOMEN, CULTURAL MINORITIES) AND TO EXAMINE
THE INSTITUTIONS TO SEE THE INFLUENCE
TRADITIONAL LITERATURE HAS HAD. 

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THANK YOU!!!