The nature of self and its challenges to educational orthodoxy and ‘discipline’

Sellman, Edward

Abstract

In this chapter, I will draw upon East-Asian wisdom traditions, quantum, transpersonal and integral theory to posit consciousness as fundamental. In doing so, the relationship between Self and reality will be articulated as nondual. I will argue that knowledge about the nature of Self is both an educational entitlement and learning process. Such understanding is generally thwarted by scientific rationalism and educational orthodoxy, dominated as it is by materialism and behaviourism, which instead promulgates a separate sense of self with destructive individual and collective consequences. Moving from philosophical theorisation to application to teacher education, I will argue that a massive programme of deconditioning and unlearning is necessary within education and show how a module I teach, ‘Responding Mindfully to Challenging Behaviour’, attempts to do some of this work via a focus on ‘discipline’. The focus of the module invites us to question the nature of Self when difficulties arise. As explored, this is often a conditioned self with automatic reactions that can shift towards a ‘witnessing consciousness’ when experiential learning and contemplative practices are integrated with theories of human flourishing.

Citation

Sellman, E. (2020). The nature of self and its challenges to educational orthodoxy and ‘discipline’. In Exploring Self toward expanding Teaching, Teacher Education and Practitioner Research (55-73). Emerald

• Online Publication Date: Oct 29, 2020
• Publication Date: Oct 29, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jul 8, 2020
• Publisher: Emerald
• Pages: 55-73
• Series Title: Advances in Research on Teaching
• Series Number: 34
• Book Title: Exploring Self toward expanding Teaching, Teacher Education and Practitioner Research
• Chapter Number: 3
• ISBN: 9781839822636
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4757032
• Related Public URLs: https://books.emeraldinsight.com/page/detail/Exploring-Self-toward-expanding-Teaching-Teacher-Education-and-Practitioner-Research/?k=9781839822636