What is Noddings theory?

American philosopher Nel Noddings provided one of the first comprehensive theories of care and argued that caring is the foundation of morality. She saw relationships as ontologically basic to humanity, where identity is defined by the set of relationships individuals have with other humans.

What is Noddings thinking of care in education?

Nel Noddings sees education (in its widest sense) as being central to the cultivation of caring in society. She defines education as ‘a constellation of encounters, both planned and unplanned, that promote growth through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, understanding and appreciation’ (Noddings 2002: 283).

What educational theory is Nel Noddings most connected?

Nel Noddings does not look at the mental processes that define learning; therefore, her views of learning are more contextual than scientific. She does, however, comment on constructivism as her preferred theory on learning.

What is the significance of an ethics of care to education?

The caring ethic suggests that teachers approach student needs from the subjective perspective of “I must do something” rather than the more objective “something must be done” approach. Teachers are motivated by this philosophy to perform conscious acts of “being with” and “doing for” for the sake of their students.

What did Nel Noddings do for a living?

(All from O’Toole 1998). Nel Noddings is closely identified with the promotion of the ethics of care, – the argument that caring should be a foundation for ethical decision-making. Her first major work Caring (1984) explored what she described as a ‘feminine approach to ethics and moral education’.

How does Nel Noddings differ from Carol Gilligan?

Like Carol Gilligan, Noddings accepts that justice based approaches, which are supposed to be more masculine, are genuine alternatives to ethics of care. However, unlike Gilligan, Noddings’ believes that caring, ‘rooted in receptivity, relatedness, and responsiveness’ is a more basic and preferable approach to ethics ( Caring 1984, 2).

How many children and grandchildren does Nel Noddings have?

Nel Noddings has 10 children, 39 grandchildren, and over 20 great- grandchildren, many of whom are highly educated and educators themselves. In 2012 she lost her husband of over 60 years to cancer. She has described her early educational experiences and her close relationships as key in her development of her philosophical position.

What does Nel Noddings mean by ethical caring?

On this basis Nel Noddings explores the notion of ethical caring – ‘a state of being in relation, characterized by receptivity, relatedness and engrossment’ ( op. cit. ). What caring actually means and entails is not that easy to establish.