"Education after PISA" as Bildung

On the Possibility of the Critique of the Educational Philosophy in Germany Today

Abstract

This paper concentrates on arguments put forth by Heinz-Elmar Tenorth, a German scholar who offers a scheme for the systematizing the confusion of pedagogical semantics in contemporary Germany, an impact wrought by the spread of the large-scale assessmets like PISA. First, the paper outlines the basic character of the German concept of “Bildung” in relation to the situation of the “education after PISA” and the associated changes it has brought on the educational science scene (section 1). Then, the origin and characteristic features of the scheme of “Bildungstheorie (philosophy of Bildung)” vs “Bildungsforschung (empirical research on human development)” are clarified, which has been popularized as a dichotomy for the systematization of the discourse around the “education after PISA”. In parallel, the importance of the peculiar standpoint of Tenorth within this “Bildung”-debate is emphasized (section 2). Specifically, we consider the form of argument through which Tenorth is able to criticize the critic of “Bildungstheorie” against “Bildungsforschung” and interpret PISA as a kind of “Bildungstheorie” (section 3). Finally, Tenorth’s argumentation is critically reviewed, with the result that the present “Bildung”-debate in Germany points to the relevance of philosophy of “Bildung” in the context of the present discussion about the “education after PISA” in Japan too. According to the research reported here, it can be confirmed that Tenorth has prepared the stage of the “Bildung”-debate by offering the schema of “Bildungstheorie” vs “Bildungsforschung”, and has also participated in the debate himself and observed critically the whole situation of such debate at the same time. Despite his critical standpoint against the argumentatations of philosophical researchers against empirical researchers, Tenorth continually acknowledges the importance of the concept of “Bildung” as a categorial idea. To this extent, the argumentation of Tenorth for PISA can be also interpreted as a cogent strategy aimed at the rebirth of philosophical “Bildungstheorie”.