A Study Of The Substantive Non-rational Phenomena In Modern Education

Modern education is a domain that pursues rationality, not only in educational content, but also in educational processes. This rationality trend is consistent in most domains of society and is characterized by its formality. Modern education's aim is to cultivate human development by giving special attention to both integral efficiency as well as the efficiency of programs and processes. The unavoidable result of formal rationality is the suppression of human diversity and creativity; however, we find a most interesting phenomena accompanying formal rationality-the phenomena of non-rational occurrences, which actually gives formal rationality a non-rational characterization. Because of the injection of non-rational characteristics, the rational plan begins to deviate from its intended results. This phenomenon is now identified as substantive non-rationality of formal rationality.The purpose of this current research is to identify some of the substantive non-rationality characteristics now found in the formal rationality constructs of modern education. This researcher has identified these non-rational phenomena from within the broad field of social systems and has specifically identified some of those that impact modern educational thought, content, and practices.This study includes three parts:The first part of the study includes the Introduction and Chapter One, which is a summary of the study. The summary points out that rationality has a subjective outcome that finds restrictions in conditions that are customized and dependent upon a variety of standpoints. Further, the phenomena are characterized by the fact that the rational includes the irrational and the irrational includes the rational. In today's modern society, the formal rationality action emphasizes the efficiency of the "means" or process in order to achieve the goal. This action is consistent with the thinking of most individuals. This is often referred to as "the end justifies the means". Thisprocess is very difficult, if not impossible, to measure but is still dominant in rational decision-making and assessment. The formal identification of form and process (means) provides the basis for not only an age of rationality but also an even more quite formal rationality, which becomes overly prescriptive and controlling. Current formal rationality has actually caused some activities to be modified and even simplified, which has caused some irrational and unpredictable results. This phenomenon leads us to the conclusion that despite the fact that formal rationality exists in this age so does substantive non-rationality.The second part of the study, Chapters Two, Three, and Four, identifies some of the non-rational phenomena in modern educational practice and theory. The substantive non-rational phenomena in modern educational practice exist mostly in education's content and form. In the content of education, there is a particular emphasis on intellectual education (the acquisition of knowledge) and moral education (character development and conduct). Substantive non-rational phenomena often prevail even when the world's logic and findings are applied. In the form or structure of education and educational expectations, emphasis is often place on institutional validity and value. Further, the functions of the teaching/learning process and measurable results of the overall educational experience and process are assessed within the rational constructs and the non-rational phenomena. Substantive non-rational phenomena is beginning to be reviewed as an identifiable aspect in logical, rational review and perspective of modern education.This societal trend of rationality is being greatly influenced by the world of natural science and the scientific method, which employs rational and logical elements of evaluation and response; however, even in the pursuit of the universal laws of nature, the phenomena of the substantive non-rational materializes and causes researchers to realize that additional unpredicted factors of a non-rational nature also exist. These phenom...