Instruction and critical thinking

The problem posed at the beginning of chapter 5 in The Ethics of Teaching is, like most of the scenarios in the book, difficult to resolve. Personally, it is hard for me to look at this situation objectively. The authors even seem to admit that the subject might be a bit too complex to fully resolve in the book, stating that they “aren’t going to be able to do more than scratch the surface about [religious diversity and multiculturalism]” (75). I do appreciate, though, that the book illustrates a specific challenge at the heart of this problem. Strike and Soltis suggest that Mr. Huxley may need to “carefully distinguish between asking his students to know what evolution is as a framework in biology, and asking them to believe it” (82). While this is merely a component to the overall problem being faced by Mr. Huxley, it is a critical statement in defining the overall role of an educator.

An inherent part of being an educator is remaining unbiased. Certainly, being able to engage in independent thought is a hallmark of educated people, while merely following or swearing blind allegiance is something that is generally attributed to less educated members of society. Arriving at the cognitive point at which we can make decisions for ourselves is helped along by the teachers we have throughout our childhood and adolescence. An educator should be a person who provides information and the means to understand it. This information should, largely, not be subjective or reliant on a particular (i.e. - the teacher’s) point of view. For an educator to inject too much of his or her own beliefs into instruction is to make moot the teacher’s role in enabling students to engage their own critical thinking skills.