The Criticism Of Apple's Education Theory

Michael W. Apple is John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction andEducational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is an important representative of the critical pedagogy in America. He has written extensively on the relationship between education and power during his long-term of educational research and practice. Apple's educational theories are realistic and critical. His theories provided us with keys to open the door of the critical pedagogy and with the necessary bridge to examine all kinds of educational schools of thought and the relationships between them.Criticism is the innate character of Apple's educational theory, which can be seen in his research realm: (1) Apple announced the school's three greatest functions by analyzing the relationship between education and power; (2) He pointed out the apparent forms of the school knowledge and the hidden curriculum according to the school function;(3) He deeply explored teacher's existing and mental state and brought forward many attitudes known by few people ;(4) He continuously criticizes the current education reform policy, which makes us discern the real purpose concealed in the education reform discourse.This kind of criticism is particularly materialized in the methodology he insisted and developed. He established a special critical methodology on educational theory centered in class and economy analysis and combined with the soul of the hermeneutics and many other schools. This critical methodology consists of not only the possibility and necessity of subjective cognition but also the critical approaches and basic methods. Also it offers us a certain critical mode and contributes to the development of the social science.The criticism of Apple's educational theory originates from his complex individual experience, restlessness of the academic source and turbulence of the social background.The criticism of Apple's educational theory has three obvious characteristics: pertinence of animadversion, brilliance of position and expansibility of theories.However, it doesn't mean that there isn't any shortcoming in the criticism of Apple's educational theory. It is just the shortcomings that we should face. Only if we face and consistently criticize it, can Apple's educational theory own the long-last vitality and criticism.