• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.689-697
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• 2005

Science education has been in a state of crisis for some time. To understand the science teacher's role, it is helpful to reconsider an aspect as fundamental as the nature of science. Since teaching cannot be separated from learning and knowledge, their very close dynamic processes need to prescribe the role of the teacher and student simultaneously. However, traditional views are limited because they tend to emphasize some particular selected aspect of learning and teaching. This paper investigates the epistemology of Michael Polanyi (1891 1976), which is often considered to transcend the confrontation between objectivity and subjectivity of knowledge. Polanyi reconceptualized science knowledge as 'personal knowledge' based on his own experience as a scientist and a thinker. In this study, I discuss 1) the nature of science in light of Polanyi's epistemology, 2) what this says about the meaning of science learning and teaching, 3) the potential of these ideas for the role of the science teacher.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.137-156
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• 2008

This article discusses the purpose of mathematics education based on the epistemology of Michael Polanyi. According to Polanyi, studying is seeking after the truth and pursuing the reality. He opposes to separate humanity and knowledge on account that no knowledge possibly exists without its owners. He assumes tacit knowledge hidden under explicit knowledge. Tacit knowing is explained with the relation between focal awareness and subsidiary awareness. In the epistemology of Polanyi, teaching and learning of mathematics should aim for change of students' minds in whole pursuing the intellectual beauty, which can be brought about by the operation of their minds in whole. In other words, mathematics education should intend the cultivation of mind. This can be accomplished when students learn mathematical knowledge as his personal knowledge and obtain tacit mathematical knowledge.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.100-116
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• 2003

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the objectivity of scientific knowledge, focusing on Michael Polanyi's epistemology. The objectivity of scientific knowledge could be examined in epistemological and ontological view. The former relates to the rationality, but the latter to the reality. Since the middle of 20th century science philosophers have debated about the objectivity of scientific knowledge. Their opinions are divided three parts by the criteria of objectivity in relation to the rationality. Exactly Objectivism approves the rationality of scientific knowledge, and Falsificationism accepts the panial rationality, but Relativism denies any rationality. In this paper, we will study the objectivity of knowledge in relation to the subjectivity, especially throughout the theory of Kant, Kierkegaard and Wang Yang-ming. Experienced good scientist Polanyi(1946; 1958) have ever suggested the new epistemology as the name of 'personal knowledge'. He argues that scientific knowledge is personal by faith, trust, passions, tacit understanding, method rules embodied in practice. Some implications were discussed for science education from the view of Polanyi. The first holds that science class needs human voice throughout the personal commitment. The second holds that intellectual passions should he recovered. The third holds that the teacher should act like real scientist. Finally, the theory of science education should be established for ourselves.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.63-81
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• 2014

Korean students have shown high achievements on the cognitive domain of mathematics in a range of international assessment tests. On the affective domain, however, significantly low achievements have been reported. Among the factors in the affective domain, this article discusses on the value of mathematics in the perspective of Michael Polanyi's philosophy, which centers personal knowledge and tacit knowing. Polanyi emphasizes abstractness and generalization in mathematics accompanied by intellectual beauty and passion. In his perspective, therefore, utilitarian aspects and usefulness of mathematics imparted through linguistic representations have limits in motivating students to learn mathematics. Students must be motivated from recognition of the value of mathematics formed through participating authentic mathematical problem solving activity with immersion, tension, confusion, passion, joy and the like.

• 기호학연구
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• no.54
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• pp.7-36
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• 2018

Michael Polanyi's idea of tacit knowledge came from the realization that scientific objectivity and critical philosophy had become too restrictive for philosophy, especially in the realm of meaning, which is beyond positivistic proof and contains more non-critical elements than critical ones. In social life, people still share certain kinds of knowledge and beliefs which they obtain without making or learning those explicitly. Contemplating the role and significance of tacit knowledge, he called for a post-critical philosophy that integrates the realm of meaning and thereby appreciates the intertwined nature of tacit and explicit knowledge. Polanyi's position towards skepticism and doubt shows similarities with Charles S. Peirce's thinking about the relationship between belief and doubt. Although Peirce's semeiotics stands firmly in the tradition of critical philosophy, he affirms that doubt cannot be a constant state of mind and only belief can form a basis for a specific way of life. Polanyi's approach differs from Peirce's by focusing on the impossibility of scientific knowledge based solely on principles and precision, and his emphasis on the crucial role of the community of scientists. Nevertheless, the deeper implications of Peirce's contemplations on belief and doubt have myriad ramifications on the philosophy of science as well as the sociology of science.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to uncover weaknesses in the constructivism in mathematics education and to search for ways to complement these deficiencies. We contemplate the relationship between the capability of construction and the performance of it, with the view of the 'Twofold-Structure of Mind.' From this, it is claimed that the construction of mathematical knowledge should be to experience and reveal the upper layer of Mind, the Reality. Based on the examination on the conflict and relation between the structuralism and the constructivism, with reference to the 'theory of principle' and the 'theory of material force' in Neo-Confucianist theory, it is asserted that the construction of mathematical knowledge must be the construction of the structure of mathematical knowledge. To comprehend the processes involved in the construction of the structure of mathematical knowledge, the epistemology of Michael Polanyi is studied. And also, the theory of mathematization, the historico-genetic principle, and the theory on the levels of mathematical thinking are reinterpreted. Finally, on the basis of the theory of twofold-structure, the roles and attitudes of teachers and students are discussed.