Title: Comparing Modernist and Postmodern Educational Theory
Headings: Comparing Modernist and Postmodern Educational Theory
Comparing Modernist and Postmodern Educational Theory
Content: Minority students must be "empowered" to fight against Eurocentric enculturation. Values
Traditional modernists believe that educators are legitimate authorities on values, and therefore they should train students in universal values. More liberal modernists argue that education should be "values-neutral." Teachers help students with "values clarification"--deciding what values each individual student will hold. Values can, and should be separated from facts. The most important values are rationality and progress. Education should help students construct diverse and personally useful values in the context of their cultures. Values are considered useful for a given culture, not true or right in any universal sense. Since teachers cannot avoid teaching their own values, it's okay for teachers to openly promote their values and social agendas in the classroom. Important values to teach include striving for diversity, tolerance, freedom, creativity, emotions and intuition.