以「德目教學」界定「品格教育」之適當性探討
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Date
2012-09-??
Authors
陳伊琳
Yi-Lin Chen
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
教育研究與評鑑中心
Center for Educational Research and Evaluation
Center for Educational Research and Evaluation
Abstract
品格教育研究者首先面臨的棘手問題便是「品格教育」概念本身,明確界定所探討的品格教育派別於是成為他/她責無旁貸的責任。筆者利用兩個現成的分類架構,挑選出最盛行、最富影響力的版本,即以「品格教育的根本義」做為批判性檢視的對象,一般是從「德目教學」的角度予以界定。相較於「品格」這個微妙、難以捉摸的倍大概念, ,-德目語詞」顯得較為具體、容易操作,因此論述焦點由品格轉向德目似乎是可以理解的,這同時說明了以「德目教學」界定品格教育的表面信度。然而,本文冒在論證為了品格教育更有成效地進展,這種(過度)簡單的界定所產生的一些疑慮與缺失,需要被納入充分考量與適度補救。首先,它容易給人「品格教育不過是「德日錦囊法』的翻版」的錯誤印象。其次,這種品格教育觀在強調培養各種殊德的同時,未能適當關照德日教學必然生成的後果一一(道德)品格的個殊化與道德人格的多樣性。最後,有鑑於品格的多義性及其倫理意涵的首要性,筆者認為「品格教育的根本義」是可以證成的,惟須特別強調的是,精確而言,當代品格教育關心的是「道德品格」而非「品格整體」。
A troublesome question that first confronts a researcher into character education is the concept itself. In other words, it is incumbent of one to specify theparticular version under consideration. The pu中ose of this study was to draw on two ready-made frameworks for classification, of which the most popular and influential version, i.e. character education in a non-expansive sense, which is generally characterised in terms of the inculcation of virtues, is chosen as the target of discussion. In contrast to the elusive large concept of character, terms related to virtue are more concrete and easier to operationalise, and it seems to make sense to shift the focus from character to virtues, and characterise character education in terms of the inculcation of virtues. However, the case is made that for charactereducation to precede more productively, some misgivings and shortcomings of this (over) simplified characterisation needs to be taken into full account and properly remedied. The most important issue is that character education runs the risk of giving the false impression that it is nothing more than a duplication of the “bag of virtues" approach. Secondly, the cultivation of the various virtues is emphasised at the cost of paying due consideration to the inevitable outcome, namely, individualisation of (moral) character and its sister thesis of the varieties of moral personality. Finally, considering the multiple senses of character and the primacy of the ethical sense of character, it is argued that non-expansive character education is defensible with the caveat that it is “moral character" rather than “character as a the whole" that is at issue.
A troublesome question that first confronts a researcher into character education is the concept itself. In other words, it is incumbent of one to specify theparticular version under consideration. The pu中ose of this study was to draw on two ready-made frameworks for classification, of which the most popular and influential version, i.e. character education in a non-expansive sense, which is generally characterised in terms of the inculcation of virtues, is chosen as the target of discussion. In contrast to the elusive large concept of character, terms related to virtue are more concrete and easier to operationalise, and it seems to make sense to shift the focus from character to virtues, and characterise character education in terms of the inculcation of virtues. However, the case is made that for charactereducation to precede more productively, some misgivings and shortcomings of this (over) simplified characterisation needs to be taken into full account and properly remedied. The most important issue is that character education runs the risk of giving the false impression that it is nothing more than a duplication of the “bag of virtues" approach. Secondly, the cultivation of the various virtues is emphasised at the cost of paying due consideration to the inevitable outcome, namely, individualisation of (moral) character and its sister thesis of the varieties of moral personality. Finally, considering the multiple senses of character and the primacy of the ethical sense of character, it is argued that non-expansive character education is defensible with the caveat that it is “moral character" rather than “character as a the whole" that is at issue.