How and Educational Theory Gains Acceptance essays

How and Educational Theory Gains Acceptance essays I think that we have already discussed the most basic of ways in which an educational theory gains acceptance in the academic community. They are through publication, through practice and through saturation, whether that is through the media or within the academic community itself. According to David Perkins, one of the founding members of Project Zero, people learn much of what they have a reasonable opportunity and motivation to learn. In other words, in order for an educational theory to be conceived, there needs to be a need for change or understanding. A consensus is then achieved through extensive exposure to the theory in which the theorists peers will probe from many angles in order to disprove any or all of the theory. At this point a theory will either gain acceptance or not. Although I find the process in which a theory gains acceptance to be a pretty straightforward concept, I am reminded that there is another way a theorist can have his thoughts or ideas gain acceptance as well. Gardner provides us with the prime example of Sigmund Freud. Freud did not like nor did he respect the working theories of others in his field. So instead of seeking the acceptance of his peers, he simply (or not quite so, as his theories took years to be considered mainstream) created a new domain of psychoanalysis. Its questionable as to whether something like this could ever happen in a public school system regarding an educational theory, but certainly there have been private schools that utilize unique methods of educating, that would be considered controversial by the general public. ...