Against Spoon-Feeding. For Learning. Reflections on Students’ Claims to Knowledge

Education philosopher Wilfred Carr points to the importance of engagement in the debates on the central issues in education, but not about education, rather for education. In this essay, we extend this position into the realm of management education by critiquing the disappointing outcomes of traditional approaches to teaching and learning, that is, spoon-feeding. We build on the imperative of enhancing student development through scholarly teaching that focuses on what we ask students to do. Our reflections derive from the disappointing results of an assignment asking students to articulate their learning by making claims to knowledge. Our interpretation argues for the need for reflexive practice by faculty as well as a systemic focus on developing students as more sophisticated “knowers,” especially in the management classroom.

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