Editing Education (section)

== Definitions ==
{{main|Definitions of education}}
The term "education" originates from the Latin words {{lang|la|educare}}, meaning "to bring up," and {{lang|la|educere}}, meaning "to bring forth."<ref>{{multiref|{{harvnb|Hoad|1993|p=142}}|{{harvnb|Vico|1999|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=FxiJufNjEmwC&pg=PT327 327]}}}}</ref> The definition of education has been explored by theorists from various fields.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Marshall|2006|pp=[https://www.jstor.org/stable/42589880 33–37]}} |2={{harvnb|Sewell|Newman|2013|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=B_9OAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3–4, 6–7, 9–10]}} |3={{harvnb|Matheson|2014|pp=[https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203105450-8/education-david-matheson 1–3]}} }}</ref> Many agree that education is a purposeful activity aimed at achieving goals like the transmission of [[knowledge]], skills, and character traits.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Chazan|2022|pp=[https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-83925-3_3 15–16]}} |2={{harvnb|Marshall|2006|pp=[https://www.jstor.org/stable/42589880 33–37]}} |3={{harvnb|UNESCO|2018}} }}</ref> However, extensive debate surrounds its precise nature beyond these general features. One approach views education as a process occurring during events such as schooling, teaching, and learning.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Peters|2009|p=1}} |2={{harvnb|HarperCollins staff|2023}} |3={{harvnb|Sewell|Newman|2013|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=B_9OAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA4 4]}} }}</ref> Another perspective perceives education not as a process but as the [[mental state]]s and dispositions of educated individuals resulting from this process.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Peters|2009|pp=4–6}} |2={{harvnb|HarperCollins staff|2023}} |3={{harvnb|Sewell|Newman|2013|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=B_9OAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA4 4]}} }}</ref> Furthermore, the term may also refer to the academic field that studies the methods, processes, and social institutions involved in teaching and learning.<ref>{{harvnb|HarperCollins staff|2023}}</ref> Having a clear understanding of the term is crucial when attempting to identify educational phenomena, measure educational success, and improve educational practices.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Wilson|2003|pp=[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-9752.3701007 101–108]}} |2={{harvnb|Watson|2016|p=[https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/phc3.12316 148]}} |3={{harvnb|Biesta|2015|pp=[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ejed.12109 75–78]}} }}</ref>

Some theorists provide precise definitions by identifying specific features exclusive to all forms of education. Education theorist [[R. S. Peters]], for instance, outlines three essential features of education, including imparting knowledge and understanding to the student, ensuring the process is beneficial, and conducting it in a morally appropriate manner.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Peters|2015|p=45}} |2={{harvnb|Beckett|2011|p=[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1741-5446.2011.00402.x 241]}} |3={{harvnb|Marshall|2006|pp=[https://www.jstor.org/stable/42589880 33–37]}} }}</ref> While such precise definitions often characterize the most typical forms of education effectively, they face criticism because less common types of education may occasionally fall outside their parameters.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Beckett|2011|pp=[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1741-5446.2011.00402.x 242–243]}} |2={{harvnb|Peters|Woods|Dray|1973|loc=[https://philpapers.org/rec/PETAOE Aims of Education: A Conceptual Inquiry]}} |3={{harvnb|Sewell|Newman|2013|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=B_9OAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3–5]}} }}</ref> Dealing with counterexamples not covered by precise definitions can be challenging, which is why some theorists prefer offering less exact definitions based on [[family resemblance]] instead. This approach suggests that all forms of education are similar to each other but need not share a [[Essence|set of essential features]] common to all.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Marshall|2006|pp=[https://www.jstor.org/stable/42589880 33–37]}} |2={{harvnb|Biletzki|Matar|2021}} |3={{harvnb|Sluga|2006|pp=[https://philpapers.org/rec/SLUFR 1–2]}} }}</ref> Some education theorists, such as Keira Sewell and Stephen Newman, argue that the term "education" is context-dependent.{{efn|This implies that its meaning varies depending on the situation in which it is used.}}<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Sewell|Newman|2013|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=B_9OAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA6 6–7]}} | {{harvnb|Webb-Mitchell|2003|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=JeNXdeqyZ-MC&pg=PA11 11]}} | {{harvnb|Traxler|Crompton|2020|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=JUsIEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT11 11]}} }}</ref>

[[Axiology|Evaluative]] or [[thick concept]]ions{{efn|A thick concept is a concept that includes both descriptive and evaluative content.<ref>{{harvnb|Kirchin|2013|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=3nxpAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 1–2]}}</ref>}} of education assert that it is inherent in the nature of education to lead to some form of improvement. They contrast with thin conceptions, which offer a value-neutral explanation.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Watson|2016|pp=[https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/phc3.12316 148–149]}} |2={{harvnb|Kotzee|2011|pp=[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1741-5446.2011.00420.x 549–550]}} }}</ref> Some theorists provide a descriptive conception of education by observing how the term is commonly used in [[Ordinary language philosophy|ordinary language]]. Prescriptive conceptions, on the other hand, define what constitutes good education or how education should be practiced.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Chazan|2022|pp=[https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-83925-3_3 13–14]}} |2={{harvnb|Smith|2020|pp=[https://cogentoa.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00071005.2020.1785788?journalCode=rbje20 781–783]}} }}</ref> Many thick and prescriptive conceptions view education as an endeavor that strives to achieve specific [[aims of education|objectives]],<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Siegel|2023}} |2={{harvnb|Siegel|Phillips|Callan|2018|loc=[https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/education-philosophy/#AnalPhilEducInfl 2. Analytic Philosophy of Education and Its Influence]}} |3={{harvnb|Siegel|2010|pp=[https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195312881.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780195312881-e-001 3–9]}} }}</ref> which may encompass acquiring knowledge, learning to think [[Rationality|rationally]], and cultivating character traits such as kindness and honesty.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Watson|2016|pp=[https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/phc3.12316 152–155]}} | {{harvnb|Ferary|2023|pp=[https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-99-0139-5_4 51–52]}} }}</ref>

Various scholars emphasize the importance of [[critical thinking]] in distinguishing education from [[indoctrination]].<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Siegel|Phillips|Callan|2018|loc=[https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/education-philosophy/#AnalPhilEducInfl 2. Analytic Philosophy of Education and Its Influence]}} |2={{harvnb|Siegel|2010|pp=[https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195312881.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780195312881-e-001 3–9]}} |3={{harvnb|Curren|1996|loc=[https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/education-philosophy-of/v-1/sections/philosophical-analysis-and-theory 1 Philosophical Analysis and Theory]}} }}</ref> They argue that indoctrination focuses solely on instilling beliefs in students, regardless of their rationality;<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Siegel|Phillips|Callan|2018|loc=[https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/education-philosophy/#AnalPhilEducInfl 2. Analytic Philosophy of Education and Its Influence]}} |2={{harvnb|Siegel|2023}} }}</ref> whereas education also encourages the rational ability to critically examine and question those beliefs.<ref>{{harvnb|Davies|Barnett|2015|pp=[https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137378057_1 1–2]}}</ref> However, it is not universally accepted that these two phenomena can be clearly distinguished, as some forms of indoctrination may be necessary in the early stages of education when the child's mind is not yet fully developed. This is particularly relevant in cases where young children must learn certain things without comprehending the underlying reasons, such as specific safety rules and hygiene practices.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Siegel|Phillips|Callan|2018|loc=[https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/education-philosophy/#AnalPhilEducInfl 2. Analytic Philosophy of Education and Its Influence, 3.3 Social Epistemology, Virtue Epistemology, and the Epistemology of Education]}} | {{harvnb|Kay|2004|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=1iy-MrZai4kC&pg=PP119 107]}} }}</ref>

Education can be characterized from both the teacher's and the student's perspectives. Teacher-centered definitions emphasize the perspective and role of the teacher in transmitting knowledge and skills in a [[morally]] appropriate manner.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Beckett|2018|pp=[https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00131857.2017.1365705 380–381]}} |2={{harvnb|Sewell|Newman|2013|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=B_9OAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3–4]}} |3={{harvnb|Peters|2015|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=UfRWCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA35 35–37, 45]}}}}</ref> On the other hand, student-centered definitions analyze education based on the student's involvement in the learning process, suggesting that this process transforms and enriches their subsequent experiences.<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Dewey|2004|loc=[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/852/852-h/852-h.htm#link2HCH0006 6. Education as Conservative and Progressive]}} |2={{harvnb|Beckett|2011|pp=[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1741-5446.2011.00402.x 250–251, 254–255]}}}}</ref> It is also possible to consider definitions that incorporate both perspectives. In this approach, education is seen as a process of shared experience, involving the discovery of a common world and the collaborative [[Problem solving|solving of problems]].<ref>{{multiref |1={{harvnb|Beckett|2011|p=[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1741-5446.2011.00402.x 245]}} |2={{harvnb|Beckett|2018|pp=[https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00131857.2017.1365705 383–384]}} |3={{harvnb|Freire|1970|p=[https://envs.ucsc.edu/internships/internship-readings/freire-pedagogy-of-the-oppressed.pdf 80]}}}}</ref>