New dissertation challenges the common idea of education
In a new dissertation at Stockholm University Rama Alshoufani challenges the common idea that education is mainly a tool for achieving specific, predetermined goals. It highlights how this instrumental view can limit the meaning of education, reducing it to a set of outcomes rather than exploring its deeper significance in human life. In the dissertation she explores the reasons and consequences of such instrumental view from a philosophical perspective and suggests a different approach to thinking about and considering education.
What is your research about?
My research criticises an unbalanced instrumental approach to education and argues that it is caused by two problems in the theoretical grounding of education. Then, it suggests a non-instrumental approach to overcome these problems based on the work of the philosopher Stanley Cavell.
What is the most important conclusion you have reached?
The conclusion of the research is that before we discuss solutions to the problems of education today, we need to change the way we approach and consider the concept of education and pay attention to its theoretical grounding. Also, it is important to include personal aspects of our experience in education, which are as important as the impersonal aspects.
What do you hope your research might lead to or be used for?
I hope that my research would evoke educators and students to not only think about what education is good for but also what it is and what is its place in our lives and how to approach it as a personal experience.
How did you become interested in researching this particular topic?
I was always interested in the idea of 'education as a personal experience' and found that most education systems overlook this experience. As someone who is passionate about philosophy, the PhD thesis was the perfect opportunity to do a philosophical study about this issue.
What’s next for you? Will you continue with new research?
In my PhD, I looked a lot into the idea of our place in the world and the concept of humans' relationship with other humans. Next, I would like to expand into the human relationship with the non-human other: our relationship with animals, eco systems, materiality around us and so on.
Rama Alfoushani defended her thesis att the Department of Education, Stockholm University, May 16, 2025.
This dissertation challenges the common idea that education is mainly a tool for achieving specific, predetermined goals. It highlights how this instrumental view can limit the meaning of education, reducing it to a set of outcomes rather than exploring its deeper significance in human life.
The research group Philosophical and Critical Studies in Education generates knowledge about transformative process that effect institutions and people through engaging with critical studies of theoretical and philosophical perspectives on education and learning.
