Social and Moral Responsibility

Ethos and Active Learning

Dewey (1909; 1938) strongly advocated active learning approaches to moral education arguing that participation and reflection were the keys to learning moral values. In this way, learning about morality becomes practicing moral behaviour in a variety of social situations. This view has implications for education in social and moral responsibility today, as according to Dewey, this simply cannot be achieved through classroom teaching, but must be achieved through collective participation in meaningful activities and institutions, which promote learning through experience, enquiry and reflection.

‘Even if the teacher introduced concepts like democracy, justice, respect for others, and human rights, if the classroom and school structure continued to model and enforce authoritarian social relations, no effective learning would take place.’ (Hersch et al, 1980:21)

McPhail (1982) suggests that Dewey’s ideas are relevant to pluralist societies in which moral values and bases may be contested and the rights of the individual and groups may at time conflict. Sandolow (1991) also suggests supporting student ‘character development’ through active learning that develops both student knowledge and their ability to think rationally, as a way forward from the apparent impasse in HEIs around moral development.

Farbo (2006) also supports the introduction of engagement pedagogies but warned that they must not be merely seen as instructional innovation. HEIs must create the conditions for learning about moral and social issues through their structures and functions in order for this to be a meaningful experience. In his review of Dewey’s work Smith (2001) suggests that educational institutions need to reflect the ideals that they are supporting in their own structures and functions, by democratising relationships between students and teachers. Smith also cites Winch and Gingell (1999) who state that 'if schools exist to promote democratic values it would appear that they need to remove authoritarian relationships.' (Smith, 2001). It is difficult to see how this does not also apply to HEIs. Democratic relationships are only one aspect of effective learning communities for citizenship; Hersch and Schneider (2005) suggest that there needs to be a significant and ‘pervasive’ cultural change to ensure that HEIs can educate for moral responsibility.

Nixon suggests that the way forward is a ‘new Aristotelianism’ (2004:115) informed by both the Socratic idea of negative wisdom and the moral imperative to take the ‘right action’. Negative wisdom involves the questioning of false assumptions and therefore involvement in rational debate, whereas the ‘right action’ implies involvement in social and community issues and living a ‘good’ life. Combining these two notions suggest that a ‘good’ life can be lived despite the lack of moral certainties. Within this notion, learning is associated with agency and social engagement. Students need to practise social and moral responsibility through engaging with others in learning about their world, rather than learn about citizenship issues in theory. Pedagogies that promote rational debate and reflection need to be promoted in the context of exploring social and

moral issues in ‘real life’ contexts. In this way learning becomes the medium for social engagement and participation.