Philosophical Training Research Articles

The Role of European Equestrian Institutions in Training Professionals: Outcomes from a Workshop on Horse Welfare in Equestrian Education

This paper highlights and summarizes the experiences and perceptions of European equestrian educational experts from a workshop held at the French National Riding School in Saumur. The workshop, which brought together fifty leading experts, aimed to address challenges in equestrian education, identify common ground, and share best practices. Using ‘The World Café’ method, the participants were divided into groups to discuss four key topics: the relationship between horses and humans, diversity of perspectives versus common ground, training philosophy, and social acceptability. A follow-up online focus group was conducted six months later, and the discussions were transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results revealed the need for a universal cultural shift towards an evidence-based approach to riding and training horses, with equine welfare at its core. Key challenges, such as anthropomorphism, varying standards across disciplines and countries, and the evolving horse–human relationship, pose risks to the social license to operate. The findings suggest that educational institutions, with their shared values, are well-positioned to lead this change, although further research is needed to address pedagogical challenges. The study also emphasizes the importance of communicating ’good news stories’ to promote evidence-based practices in training and competition.

English language as a cognitive tool for learning philosophy: A comparative analysis from Moroccan higher education

This study explores the intricate relationship between language and cognition, concentrating on how linguistic competence affects philosophical knowledge acquisition. The study, which was carried out at Cadi Ayyad University, examines the learning results of two different groups of college students who are all fluent in English as a second language: final-year English Studies students and Philosophy Studies students. Determining if a linguistic foundation facilitates a quicker and more profound comprehension of philosophical notions in comparison to a philosophical background devoid of advanced language instruction is the main goal. The results show that students who had a strong background in English Studies were more accurate and efficient at understanding abstract philosophical concepts than their Philosophy Studies counterparts. This result emphasizes how important language is as a tool for communication as well as a possible container of thinking that shapes and facilitates cognitive processes. The work also tackles the age-old philosophical query of whether knowledge can be conceptualized and comprehended apart from language structures. These observations have important ramifications for multidisciplinary education, especially in higher education in Morocco. The research promotes creative instructional approaches that cross disciplines, foster critical thinking, and aid in students' holistic development by highlighting the advantages of combining language and philosophical training.

Transforming training: Evaluating the impact of training of trainers’ programs through the lens of transformational learning theory

This study assesses training of trainers (TOT) programs using the framework of transformational learning theory. It explores participants’ perspectives, training quality, trainer effectiveness, training philosophies, and suggestions for program improvement. A qualitative content analysis of the participant portfolios of 16 senior teachers underscores the importance of experiential learning components such as simulations and role-plays in promoting practical skills and enhancing theoretical understanding. Based on the results, we emphasize the importance of trainers possessing qualities such as empathy and respect as well as adopting a trainee-centered approach to create a transformative learning environment. We also recommend increasing program durations to facilitate deeper exploration and reflection. These insights enhance the continuing discussion on adult education and trainer development, providing recommendations for TOT programs.

Machine-Based Resistance Training Improves Functional Capacity in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background/Objectives: Resistance training (RT) can improve the functional performance of older adults, maintaining independence and quality of life. It has been proposed that training interventions should implement exercises associated with the movements needed in everyday life. However, this strength training philosophy presents challenges, specifically to older adults, and the use of resistance machines might present an efficacious alternative. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to explore the impact of machine-based RT on strength and functional capacity in older adults. Methods: The inclusion criteria were for strength training interventions to be a minimum of 6 weeks, using only resistance machines, with pre- and post-intervention measurements of functional capacity of either a timed up-and-go and/or a sit-to-stand test, and including healthy older adults (>60 years). Results: Following the screening, 17 articles met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, 15 of which were included in the meta-analysis for functional outcomes (n = 614 participants), and 11 of which were included in the meta-analysis for strength outcomes (n = 511 participants). Analyses revealed significant standardized mean change in favor of machine-based RT for functional outcomes (0.72, 95% CIs 0.39 to 1.07) and strength outcomes (0.71, 95% CIs 0.34 to 1.08) compared to control conditions (functional = 0.09, 95% CIs - 0.1 to 0.28, strength = 0.1, 95% CIs - 0.05 to 0.24). Substantial heterogeneity was noted in the manipulation of RT variables and the magnitude of effects between studies. Conclusions: The data presented support the idea that significant strength and functional performance outcomes are attainable using uncomplicated, machine-based RT.

A framework for player movement analysis in team sports.

Player movement is a fundamental component of evaluating performance in most team sports. Movement can be evaluated across multiple scales, referring to the function of anatomical structures through various planes of motion or an individual regulating their field position based on the movement of opposition players. Developments in commercially available tracking systems have afforded end users the ability to investigate the spatiotemporal features of movement in fine detail. These advancements, in conjunction with overlaid contextual information, have provided insights into the strategies adopted by players in relation to their movement. Understanding movement beyond its semantic value allows practitioners to make informed decisions surrounding performance evaluation and training design. This investigation proposes a framework to guide the analysis of player movement within team sports environments. The framework describes how operational standards for assessing movement can be designed in reference to theory and a set training philosophy. Such practice allows for the spatial and temporal complexities within team sports to be described and could potentially lead to better-applied outcomes through greater interdisciplinary collaboration and an improved holistic understanding of movement. To inform its development, this study evaluates the current research and identifies several open questions to guide future investigations.

How Histories and Pedagogies Intertwine: An Educator’s Purpose

In this autoethnographic description of her training and teaching philosophy, Chandra Moss-Thorne offers connections between dance history and pedagogy. Explicitly, the article traces Moss-Thorne's experiences as a ballet student and how her instructors inform her own teaching, thereby offering paths and ideas to teachers and students about how to approach ballet classes in ways that foster intelligence, creativity, and collaboration. Implicitly, this research challenges approaches to dance education that focus on teachers’ priorities without accounting for either their own histories or students’ perspectives and feedback. Moss-Thorne's teaching is distinguished by her awareness, and her acknowledgement of students as human beings with differing needs and expectations.

UAS Visual Navigation in Large and Unseen Environments via a Meta Agent

Abstract. The aim of this work is to develop an approach that enables Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to efficiently learn to navigate in large-scale urban environments and transfer their acquired expertise to novel environments. To achieve this, we propose a metacurriculum training scheme. First, meta-training allows the agent to learn a master policy to generalize across tasks. The resulting model is then fine-tuned on the downstream tasks. We organize the training curriculum in a hierarchical manner such that the agent is guided from coarse to fine towards the target task. In addition, we introduce Incremental Self-Adaptive Reinforcement learning (ISAR), an algorithm that combines the ideas of incremental learning and meta-reinforcement learning (MRL). In contrast to traditional reinforcement learning (RL), which focuses on acquiring a policy for a specific task, MRL aims to learn a policy with fast transfer ability to novel tasks. However, the MRL training process is time consuming, whereas our proposed ISAR algorithm achieves faster convergence than the conventional MRL algorithm. We evaluate the proposed methodologies in simulated environments and demonstrate that using this training philosophy in conjunction with the ISAR algorithm significantly improves the convergence speed for navigation in large-scale cities and the adaptation proficiency in novel environments. The project page is publicly available at https://superhan2611.github.io/isar_nav/.

Resolving Hermotimus’ Paradox: Reading Lucian’s Hermotimus in Light of Plato’s Republic

Lucian’s Hermotimus, despite its first appearances of being a merely skeptical, even sophistical discrediting of philosophy, is better read as a powerful protreptic defense of the endeavor, whose key ancient intertext is Plato's Republic. To make this case, the paper involves three parts. In part i, we examine the metaphilosophical framing of the Hermotimus’s exchange between the eponymous hero, aged about 60 (§48) and Lucian’s favored interlocutor, Lycinus. We show that Lucian accepts that philosophy is intended to be an elevated way of life cultivating wisdom and virtue, at the same time as he is concerned at how readily this pursuit can devolve into a hybristic, sectarian endeavor, in which pupils identify uncritically with instructors who do not match their words with their deeds. In part ii., we address the central elenchus and the action of the Hermotimus, the patient work by Lycinus to undermine Hermotimus’ dogmatic self-conceit, by refuting the different solutions he offers to the paradox involved in his having chosen a particular philosophical orientation, Stoicism, as a novice without philosophical training. Part iii. excavates the positive vision of philosophy that the action of the dialogue shows, highlighting the five key places in Hermotimus wherein Lycinus offers us entirely unironic visions of what philosophy at it best could be, in contrast to what it has become in Hermotimus or his teachers: or, as Lycinus heralds it, a kind of Ariadne’s thread out of the maze of Hermotimus’ paradox (§68).

Does Studying Philosophy Make People Better Thinkers?

AbstractPhilosophers often claim that doing philosophy makes people better thinkers. But what evidence is there for this empirical claim? This paper reviews extant evidence and presents some novel findings. We discuss standardized testing scores, review research on Philosophy for Children and critical thinking skills among college students, and present new empirical findings. On average, philosophers are better at logical reasoning, more reflective, and more open-minded than non-philosophers. However, there is an absence of evidence for the claim that studying philosophy led to these differences. We present some preliminary and suggestive evidence that although some of these differences may be attributable to philosophical training, others appear to be selection effects. The key takeaway is that more data are needed. We conclude by urging philosophers and interdisciplinary collaborators to gather more data to test the claim that studying philosophy makes people better thinkers.

Systems thinking: fostering collaboration and connections to strengthen the field. A conversation with Umberta Telfener

AbstractUmberta Telfener is a highly respected figure known for her diverse contributions to various facets of family and systemic therapy. Her leadership style has earned her a reputation as somewhat of a ‘cultural anthropologist,’ reflecting her aptitude for creating connections, establishing relationships, and developing partnerships. Her unique ‘Umberta style’ is known for boundless energy, active leadership, and fierce commitment to challenging the status quo. Despite being in office for just a year at the European Family Therapy Association (EFTA), Umberta has conceived and developed numerous projects, establishing networks with practitioners, and systemic thinkers across the world. Rooted in classical philosophical training, her pursuit aligns with the systematic study of fundamental questions about existence, reason, knowledge, value, mind, and language. Umberta's role reminds one of a ‘Chasqui,’ a Quechua term for a ‘messenger,’ which aptly describes her agile networking skills. She actively communicates and shares vital messages, supporting the international community of systemic practitioners. This paper is based on an in‐person conversation held in July 2023 at Umberta's country home in Tuscany. Our discussion delves into her extensive professional experience, from training at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, being mentored by Boscolo and Cecchin in Milan, to her leadership role as the current EFTA president. Umberta reflects on early pioneers who influenced her thinking and her impactful work with systems.

The Expertise Defense and Experimental Philosophy of Free Will

This paper aims to vindicate the expertise defense in light of the experimental philosophy of free will. My central argument is that the analogy strategy between philosophy and other domains is defensible, at least in the free will debate, because philosophical training contributes to the formation of philosophical intuition by enabling expert philosophers to understand philosophical issues correctly and to have philosophical intuitions about them. This paper will begin by deriving two requirements on the expertise defense from major criticisms of it. First, precisely how philosophical training contributes to the formation of philosophical intuitions requires explanation (Contribution); second, it must be explained how philosophical training immunizes philosophical intuitions from distorting factors (Immunity). I shall argue that the Contribution requirement is crucial for the expertise defense and that this requirement can be satisfied at least in the domain of free will: recent research shows that most novices are unable to understand determinism correctly, suggesting that having intuitions about determinism requires philosophical expertise. I then discuss how this proposal can be applied to other philosophical disciplines.

Philosophy of Al-Farabi In Developing A Digital Music Notation Training Model for High School Art and Culture Teachers Based on CSCL

This article explores the philosophical aspects of Al-Farabi in the development of a music art training model, aimed at assisting high school Art and Culture teachers in understanding and teaching digital music notation. Al-Farabi, a great philosopher from the Classical Islamic period, offers valuable insights into education and learning, which are applicable in the context of music art teaching. The article elucidates how Al-Farabi's views, particularly on ethics, morality, and happiness, can be integrated into a training model based on Computer Support Collaborative Learning (CSCL) to enrich the art teachers' learning experience. Furthermore, it provides an overview of how digital music notation can be implemented in high school cultural arts education and why this approach is relevant in the rapidly evolving context of music education. This article is expected to serve as a guide for developing a holistic and philosophical training model in music art education, focusing on understanding digital music notation and applying Al-Farabi's philosophical principles in the learning process. Additionally, this research highlights the importance of integrating technology in art education, demonstrating how digital approaches can broaden the horizons of music art learning. Moreover, the article seeks to prove how teaching methods inspired by Al-Farabi's thoughts can enhance students' creativity and conceptual understanding in music art.

“educating children for wisdom”: reflecting on the philosophy for children community of inquiry approach through plato’s allegory of the cave

There is a widespread belief in Philosophy for Children that Plato, the famed Greek thinker who introduced philosophizing to the world as a form of dialogue, was averse to teaching philosophy to young children. Decades of the implementation of P4C program’s inquiry pedagogy have shown conclusively that children are not, in fact, incapable of receiving philosophical training and education. But was Plato wrong? Or has he been largely misunderstood? Does his theory of education show the value of cultivating virtues in the young? This paper attempts to answer these questions by reading the Republic, specifically Plato’s theory of education and the allegory of the cave, as an education manual that can strengthen one’s understanding of the pedagogical approach of P4C and the importance of educating children in wisdom and other intellectual virtues. It demonstrates that the Platonic conception of education is consistent with P4C’s theoretical position of education being transformative, facilitative, and virtue-based. By unpacking the symbolisms and meanings of the cave metaphor, it also discusses effective facilitation, teacher capacity building, and sharing of responsibility in education. Ultimately, drawing from Plato’s theory of education can recalibrate and improve the way one sees the role of education in building caring communities that empower learners and educators for democracy, higher learning, and achievement.

Technical and Vocational Education Master's Course Curriculum: Presentation of suggested course titles for teacher training universities of technical and vocational education in Iran

This article was carried out to present the subjects and titles of the technical and vocational education master's courses in Iran with a qualitative approach and using a descriptive-analytical method. The studied population included 10 curriculum titles of the Master's course in the education field of Farhangian University and 25 curriculum titles available in the Master's course of the technical and vocational education of other countries' universities. The results of the analysis and comparison of the differences and similarities of the courses showed that although there are differences and diversity in the number, type, and subject titles of this field in the universities, the titles of the courses in different universities share the following general titles. Based on the findings of the research, Compensatory lessons "Philosophy of Islamic education and training in the Islamic Republic; Teacher ethics from the perspective of Islam", compulsory courses "management, principles of teaching, technology, evaluation, research, philosophy and curriculum" and elective courses "psychology and counseling; Adult Education; Issues and challenges in technical and vocational education; Internship and seminar" and thesis are suggested for the master's course in the field of technical and vocational education of Iranian universities.

Advances in Pediatric Surgery Simulation-Based Training.

Pediatric surgery is the diagnostic, operative, and postoperative surgical care of children with congenital and acquired anomalies and diseases. The early history of the specialty followed the classic "see one, do one, teach one" philosophy of training but has since evolved to modern methods including simulation-based training (SBT). Current trainees in pediatric surgery face numerous challenges, such as the decreasing incidence of congenital disease and reduced work hours. SBT consists of several modalities that together assist in the acquisition of technical skills and improve performance in the operating room. SBT has evolved to incorporate simulator models and video gaming technology, in parallel with the development of simulation in other surgical and non-surgical pediatric fields. SBT has advanced to a level of sophistication that means that it can improve the skills of not only pediatric surgery trainees but also practicing attending surgeons. In this review, we will discuss the history of pediatric surgery, simulation in pediatric surgery training, and the potential direction of pediatric surgical simulation training in the future.

John Wyclif’s Principium Biblicum Revisited

Abstract John Wyclif’s principium biblicum, that is to say, his inception speech as a Master of Theology at Oxford, dating from 1372/1373, has received scant scholarly attention. Discovered and edited in the 1960s by Beryl Smalley, it has long been considered a typical representative of its genre. A closer look at Wyclif’s text in the light of current principia-scholarship, and in particular of Robert Grosseteste’s recently identified inception speech, shows, however, that Wyclif’s principium biblicum is all but traditional. Its far-reaching claims concerning the importance of a thorough philosophical training as a prerequisite for the study of the Bible, as well as for that of theology, make this principium stand out amongst medieval inception speeches.

Immersive simulations to teach infodemic management: WHO global infodemic manager trainings

Abstract Background When teaching infodemic management (IM) to health professionals and emergency response staff, teaching only technical skills is not sufficient because infodemics affect health workers both professionally and personally. Infodemic response also requires lateral thinking to problem-solve and thus requires experiential learning to teach IM competencies. WHO has developed, delivered and continuously improved a simulation-based training approach to teach IM to health workers and public health practitioners. Objectives To deliver an effective immersive IM simulation the following components must be considered: Designing the simulation world; Designing the tasks in the simulation world; Introducing humor and causing infodemic experience; Teaching cultural humility and ensuring psychological safety; Providing support to trainees; Considerations for virtual vs in-person delivery; Preparing and assembling the delivery team; Delivering the performance and simulation experience. Results WHO has designed delivered and evaluated teaching immersive simulations in in-person, online and hybrid formats, in English and French, with over 1400 trainees in 4 online and 4 offline trainings. Building and delivering an immersive world requires a team of people with different skills but a common vision and training philosophy. The facilitator team must build rapport between trainees quickly and offer multiple ways how trainees can ask for help, and encourage experience sharing and encourage further diffusion of materials, concepts and training approaches within the trainee community. Conclusions WHO immersive teaching simulations for infodemic management competence building have used human-centered design and flipped classroom approaches in design and delivery of the learning and teaching programmes. Simulations have been adapted to other languages, topics, and adapted to regional cultural contexts. Key messages • Simulation teaches trainees how information overload and infodemics impact both health workers and communities they serve. • Immersive teaching simulations providing a wrap-around experience that is fun and safe for experimenting and learning by participants.

EASIER: A new model for online learning of minimally invasive surgery skills

IntroductionTechnology Enhanced Learning (TEL) can provide the tools to safely master minimally invasive surgery (MIS) skills in patient-free environments and receive immediate objective feedback without the constant presence of an instructor. However, TEL-based systems tend to work isolated from one another, focus on different skills, and fail to provide contents without a sound pedagogical background. ObjectiveThe objective of this descriptive study is to present in detail EASIER, an innovative TEL platform for surgical and interventional training, as well as the results of its validation. MethodsEASIER provides a Learning Management System (LMS) for institutions and content creators that can connect and integrate TEL “external assets” (virtual reality simulators, augmented box trainers, augmented videos, etc.) addressing different skills. The platform integrates all skills under an Assessment Module that measures skills’ progress in different courses. Finally, it provides content creators with a pedagogical model to scaffold contents while retaining flexibility to approach course design with different training philosophies in mind. Three courses were developed and hosted in the platform to validate it with end-users in terms of usability, performance, learning results in the courses and student self-perception on learning. ResultsIn total 111 volunteers completed the validation. The study was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited access to external assets (virtual reality simulators). Nevertheless, usability was rated with 73.1 in the System Usability Scale. Most positive aspects on performance were easiness to access the platform, easiness to change the configuration and not requiring additional plug-ins to use the platform. The platform was rated above average in the six scales of the User Experience Questionnaire. Overall, student results improved significantly across the three courses (p < 0.05). ConclusionsThis study provides, within its limitations, evidence on the usefulness of the EASIER platform for distance learning of MIS skills. Results show the potential impact of the platform and are an encouraging boost for the future, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The influence of philosophical training on the evaluation of philosophical cases: a controlled longitudinal study

According to the expertise defense, practitioners of the method of cases need not worry about findings that ordinary people’s philosophical intuitions depend on epistemically irrelevant factors. This is because, honed by years of training, the intuitions of professional philosophers likely surpass those of the folk. To investigate this, we conducted a controlled longitudinal study of a broad range of intuitions in undergraduate students of philosophy (n = 226), whose case judgments we sampled after each semester throughout their studies. Under the assumption, made by proponents of the expertise defense, that formal training in philosophy gives rise to the kind of expertise that accounts for changes in the students’ responses to philosophically puzzling cases, our data suggest that the acquired cognitive skills only affect single case judgments at a time. There does not seem to exist either a general expertise that informs case judgments in all areas of philosophy, or an expertise specific to particular subfields. In fact, we argue that available evidence, including the results of cross-sectional research, is best explained in terms of differences in adopted beliefs about specific cases, rather than acquired cognitive skills. We also investigated whether individuals who choose to study philosophy have atypical intuitions compared to the general population and whether students whose intuitions are at odds with textbook consensus are more likely than others to drop out of the philosophy program.

LANGUAGE STRATEGIES IN TEACHER EDUCATION: A PHILOSOPHICAL EXPLORATION OF POLICY, PEDAGOGY, AND ETHICS IN SHAPING FUTURE EDUCATORS

The philosophy of foreign language training in teacher education is a complex and multifaceted domain that intersects with a variety of educational, ethical, and sociopolitical issues. This article conducts a theoretical analysis a imedatdissecting various dimensions of language education as they pertain to the preparation of future teachers. Specifically, the paper delvesin to the role and importance of language education in teacher training, modern standards of foreign language competency, the time allocation for language training, and theethical considerations in herentin these programs. Through a critical review of the existing iterature and theoretical frame works, the article reveals the implicit and explicit philosophical underpinnings that shape current practices, evaluations, andpolicies. Among the key findings are the need for a more holistic approach to language training that extends beyond linguistic proficiency to encompass cultural competency and ethical awareness. The article concludes by highlightingth eimplications of these findings for educational policy and suggesting avenues for future research. The hopeis to contribute to a more integrated, philosophically informed understanding of language education, settingthes tage for more effective and equitable teacher preparation programs.Keywords: philosophy of education, foreign language training, teacher education, educational policy, ethical considerations.