Introduction
As an individual from a formerly colonized nation in Sub-Saharan Africa, where education was used as a tool of oppression by the colonizer, my teaching philosophy reflects and aims to mitigate this historically unique situation. From primary schools to university, Western intellectual categories of thought were imposed on African thought systems, where classroom learning was a form of cognitive oppression, silencing, and lack of innovation. In my philosophy classes, I was encouraged to study Western philosophies and traditions, with little attention devoted to the study of non-Western indigenous philosophies and cognitive traditions. Throughout my university education, I realized that this style of education promotes conformity, cognitive oppression, and alienation of the learner from their environment. Therefore, my approach to addressing this form of education is centered on the overriding principles that I strive for in the classroom: learning as a practice of freedom, learning as a form of sensitivity and creativity, and learning as an act of relationality. These ideals constitute the foundation of my teaching philosophy.
Learning as a practice of freedom
In my philosophy classes at the university, I was taught things that were prejudicial against other racial groups such as Africans, Asians, and other non-Western peoples. Education was used as a tool of cognitive oppression, where learners were treated as passive receptacles of knowledge instead of being considered as epistemically active agents capable of independent thinking. Over the years, I have observed that this form of education is self-alienating and tends to indoctrinate rather than educate the learner. My teaching philosophy, as a remedy to this issue, is to consider education as a process of liberation from ignorance, prejudices, and all forms of oppression, particularly cognitive ones. In all my classes, I try to dissolve the boundary between the teacher and the learner. I treat all my students as active learners with strong cognitive abilities who are capable of critical thinking. I make it a point to put myself in my students' shoes to understand their perspectives. By doing this, I help them to do the same for others, which eliminates many arguments in learning, research, and life that may breed conformity and cognitive dissonance. I regard teaching as a process of learning from students and vice versa. I have learned that insights can come from people regardless of their rank, age, race, cultural and sexual orientation, abilities or disabilities, and occupations. To some extent, one can learn from learners indirectly what they have learned from their parents, cultural, and linguistic communities. When a learner's personal and cultural uniqueness is recognized and valued, it motivates them to explore within a culturally responsive environment and become an embodiment of what they have learned. In my philosophy classes, I focus more on how learners should learn rather than what they should learn. I make the learner understand that, as a teacher, I am only a facilitator or a guide and not the epitome of knowledge or an epistemic authority beyond reproach. I foster the idea that a class is a community where learners are responsible not only for themselves but also for others. Many learners I have taught over the years are happy to be in a class where they feel part of a family, where everyone is respected and listened to equally. By doing this, I promote inclusion, respect for diversity, and create a conducive atmosphere where each learner is valued for their uniqueness and distinct cultural background.
Learning as a practice of relationality
Mainstream epistemology and traditional learning strategies construe the epistemic subject as an isolated knower separated from the known. This means that learning is seen as an individual activity, performed in isolation from the social context. In my traditional epistemology class, I was taught to view learning as a context-insensitive activity, where the learner is separate from what is learned. However, as time passed, I realized that this form of learning and conception of knowledge promotes unhealthy competition among learners and breeds antagonism and self-alienation from one's environment. To address this issue, I drew inspiration from my PhD dissertation, where I argued for a socially contextualized model of epistemic justification. I used this approach in my classroom to foster learning as a social activity. In the classroom, I emphasize the value of collaboration over competition. I also give equal attention to assessment models that test learners' capacity for aptitude and fortitude, and I teach the importance of intellectual humility, empathy, open-mindedness, and fair-mindedness in knowledge creation. To ensure that learners learn effectively about others while maintaining their unique personal voices, I often put them in different groups with an assigned task that each group has proposed within the remit of the course. These tasks are then presented in class in the form of a debate, where opinions are shared, and disagreements and differences are effectively valued.
Teaching philosophy and assessment method
My teaching philosophy applies to assessment methods as well as teaching and learning. To ensure my teaching strategy is emancipatory, sensitive, and relational, I do not assess students solely on memory content, but also on the skills and values transmitted, as well as their ability to think critically and interact with others while retaining their authorial voices. As such, my assessments target a variety of cognitive and practical activities, including memory, creativity, innovative thinking, problem-solving, and group activities. In my philosophy courses, I often ask learners during exams to reflect on philosophical concepts they have encountered through their own vernaculars and share their impressions. This approach ensures that learners study philosophy in a culturally responsive way.
Conclusion
My cultural and historical circumstances have shaped what I consider the ultimate goals of education: liberation, sensitivity, creativity, and relationality. These are the ideals that underpin my teaching philosophy.
