Teaching to the epistemic self: ascending and descending the ladder of knowledge

Abstract

This article builds up a sketch of the vertical movements within knowledge to argue for the importance of abstract systematised knowledge within horizontal knowledge domains such as geography. Unfolding as a narrative, the first section draws on realist theories of knowledge to discuss the basis for two contrasting directions of epistemic movement and the value of the notion of epistemic Self. The second stage turns to critical realist thought to give more insight into the nature of geographical knowledge as a horizontal knowledge structure. Third, the importance of curriculum knowledge reaching to the level of underlying abstract generative structures is explained through consideration of critical realist depth ontology. Finally, the iterative relationship between the two movements is explained in the context of pedagogy. In this way the article argues for the importance of attending to the vertical movement within a horizontal knowledge domain.

Keywords:

• Hierarchical abstraction
• depth ontology
• geography
• recontextualising
• systematised knowledge

Acknowledgements

Thank you reviewers for your helpful feedback on earlier versions of this article.

Disclosure statement

There are no potential conflicts of interest.

Notes

1 In the same way that, when drawn from the everyday, the allusions, metaphors, exemplars, non-exemplars, explanations, illustrations and analogies a teacher may mobilise in the classroom are themselves neither the underlying generative concept nor the telos, rather, the scaffolding. As such, they may come at the start, middle or end of the learning episode.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Esther Vernon

Esther Vernon is a geography teacher at Saffron Walden County High School, acomprehensive secondary school for ages 11-18 in Essex.