PDU3701
Assignment 3
DUE July 2025
, PDU3701
Assignment 3
DUE July 2025
ESSAY
Phenomenology in Education: Philosophical Foundations, Key Characteristics,
and Critical Implications for Teaching and Learning
Abstract
This response explores the philosophical foundations and educational implications of
phenomenology, a discipline that examines human experience by setting aside
preconceived notions to understand reality as it appears to consciousness. It outlines
the contributions of two seminal philosophers, Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger,
highlighting Husserl’s development of epoché and Heidegger’s concept of Dasein, and
critically assesses their influence on education. Five key characteristics of
phenomenology are described, including its concern with the human condition, rejection
of abstract theories, sense of wonder, bracketing of assumptions, and categorisation
into phenomenology of the self, social phenomenology, and cosmic phenomenology.
The response further analyses three educators—Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Max van
Manen, and Shaun Gallagher—who apply phenomenology to educational practice by
focusing on embodiment, pedagogical tact, and the integration of neuroscience,
respectively. It critiques phenomenology’s opposition to formal, prescriptive education
systems, advocating for personalised, experience-based learning while recognising
practical tensions such as balancing individual needs with curriculum goals. The
abstract concludes by summarising phenomenology’s potential to deepen
understanding of subjective experiences, promote authenticity, foster empathy and
inclusivity, and support holistic development in education.
Assignment 3
DUE July 2025
, PDU3701
Assignment 3
DUE July 2025
ESSAY
Phenomenology in Education: Philosophical Foundations, Key Characteristics,
and Critical Implications for Teaching and Learning
Abstract
This response explores the philosophical foundations and educational implications of
phenomenology, a discipline that examines human experience by setting aside
preconceived notions to understand reality as it appears to consciousness. It outlines
the contributions of two seminal philosophers, Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger,
highlighting Husserl’s development of epoché and Heidegger’s concept of Dasein, and
critically assesses their influence on education. Five key characteristics of
phenomenology are described, including its concern with the human condition, rejection
of abstract theories, sense of wonder, bracketing of assumptions, and categorisation
into phenomenology of the self, social phenomenology, and cosmic phenomenology.
The response further analyses three educators—Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Max van
Manen, and Shaun Gallagher—who apply phenomenology to educational practice by
focusing on embodiment, pedagogical tact, and the integration of neuroscience,
respectively. It critiques phenomenology’s opposition to formal, prescriptive education
systems, advocating for personalised, experience-based learning while recognising
practical tensions such as balancing individual needs with curriculum goals. The
abstract concludes by summarising phenomenology’s potential to deepen
understanding of subjective experiences, promote authenticity, foster empathy and
inclusivity, and support holistic development in education.
