“Philosophy of didactics” as critical and reflective evaluation of teaching

Abstract

Lately in the research field of didactics, it has been observed that researchers focused preliminary on the limiting “predefined methodology of teaching”. This resulted in the degradation of the qualitative-philosophical and reflective dynamics of teaching. This realization created the need to redefine the didactic role of the educator, especially in regards to the term, to be introduced in this paper as a new epistemological paradigm for the first time in the literature of the pedagogical science, the “philosophy of didactics” (PhDi). The aim of this research is to investigate primary and secondary educators’ views and attitudes toward PhDi, examining how it contributes to redefining the educator’s didactic role and fostering reflective thinking, particularly when considering “who” and “what” in their teaching practices. The research employed a quantitative methodology using a 17-item questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale, examining teachers’ philosophical orientations, instructional planning approaches. Participants were 610 educators. SPSS analysis included descriptive statistics, reliability (Cronbach’s alpha), and inferential techniques. Findings show positive responses (mean 3.80-4.12, “very”), indicating that through PhDi educators can reflect on, analyze, and question teaching’s structural elements, while systematically and critically justifying them to make informed, well-structured decisions in lesson planning.