Education: Vocational, Academic And Humanist Approaches

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Vocational

In this section I would like to discuss my vocational experience in recent years of becoming a flight attendant for Emirates Airlines. As stated in the Learning Guide 2 (p.1), the basic argument for vocational philosophy is that education is for preparing young people for adult roles. This is shown from my personal experience of becoming a flight attendant, this role included three months of training in all aspects of flight. From teacher-centred classroom learning to learner orientated practical simulations. I was taught from textbooks which included end of content examinations as well as being involved in hands-on group tasks in plane simulators that represent possible issues that occur whilst in flight.

One of the simulators I was involved in was a smoke-filled cabin where I was required to find and put on the smoke hood, locate the passengers in the plane and administer first aid where required. It also taught me the knowledge of different planes, locations and use of safety equipment as well as knowledge towards managing and diffusing difficult situations in flight. This training eventually credited me to become a licensed flight attendant which composes the idea of vocational educations. Throughout this period, there are many on the job skills that were learnt over several years that have related to other aspects of my life. In relations to this from reading John Dewey’s book on democracy and education, I agree with his view that vocations are not distributed in an exclusive way, only one to each person. He also describes how it is impossible to educate individuals with an eye to only one line of activity (Dewey, 1990). As specific skills were learnt for this role, those skills are still viable in many other aspects of my life today.

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Although there are arguments that vocational education limits the opportunities for knowledge and understanding as stated in Learning Guide 2 (p.20), I believe that this form of education involves tactic knowledge and is highly effective. A flight attendant career can be short-lived due to the health risks associated however it is important to ensure the knowledge is passed on. Flying has become such a common and significant part in today’s society that we rely on every day, which is why vocational education plays a vital part in ensuring the longevity of these roles in society.

Academic

The academic perspective of education realises that vocational educations simply leaves society surviving, however an academic education leads to freeing of learners and the ability to improve themselves to create an enlightened government of society (Learning Guide 3, p.4). My experience for this approach extends from my senior years of secondary school where I enrolled in the complex classes of mathematics. During this time, I was required to develop my thinking skills and focus on problem-solving of mathematical equations. I would have considered algebra and calculus to be unusable in future, however these have related to developing a set of cognitive tools at a young age. For instance, a calculator is used to solve simple sums enabling the focus on more complex equations which in turn creates higher-order thinking. A definition by Korres, is that cognitive tools are computational tools that can function as intellectual partners while engaged in learning activities (Korres, 2019, p.7).

The academic approach is vitally important as it allows for personal and intellectual growth. Without this approach, it limits the advance in technology or society itself. As seen in the Learning Guide 3 (p.5) the contemporary form of this approach encompasses STEM education, science, technology, engineering and maths. As our society evolves, the skills that are required for the future are ever-changing. With the understanding of how important academic education can be, the subjects such as mathematics enables high order thinking at a young age to comprehend the skills that may be required in future.

Humanist

The humanist approach as seen in the Learning Guide 4, can be described as learner centred where the learner naturally explores and learns. The freedom which allows yourself to follow your own interest (p.2). The experience I would like to discuss incorporates the humanist approach from my senior years at school. I was given the choice to choose different non-academic subjects such as film and television. The ability to be able to choose a subject I found interesting would be considered a humanist approach. With this subject there was a great deal of freedom when completing the course, in one of the assignments we were required to take a sequence of photos that demonstrates a story. The task overview was vast which allowed us to explore and choose any topic to represent the photos. After basic instructions on how to use the camera, I was told to explore and discover on my own what I would like to choose for the story.

After being able to explore my surroundings, I decided to take a sequence of photos showing the growth of nature. The first photograph was of a small tree stalk, the second showed a large tree and the last photograph was of a dead tree. This exercise was learner-centred as I had to focus the lens and decide on the best angle to capture the frame without assistance. Learning from my own mistakes and engaging in problem-solving to overcome them. From this stage we then had to develop the film. This whole process was done individually in a dark room placing our photos from one liquid base to the next and hanging our photos up to dry.

Kinder garden and primary school can be seen to take on a more humanist approach with the amount of freedom and play associated, however in secondary education this approach fades into the background and is believed to be less valuable than vocational and academic. This approach to education should be incorporated in every stage of education as it stimulates interest and generates a willingness to learn.

References

  1. Dewey, J. (1990). Democracy and education. NetLibrary, Inc., 0585014426
  2. Koors, K. (2018). Multivariable Analysis Methods On Identifying factors and Groups of Students in the Environment of the Discovery Learning/Constructivistic Approach using Cognitive Tools. European Journal of Engineering Research and Science, Special Issue, 7.

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