Habermas' Cognitive Interests: Teacher and Student Interests and theirRelationship in an Adult Education Setting

摘要

The cognitive interest theory of German philosopher Jurgen Habermas provided thetheoretical foundation for this research. Habermas believes that all knowledge is constituted through one of three cognitive interests. Each of these three interests, the technical, practical, and emancipatory, implies specific ways of learning. A better understanding of these cognitive interests and how they affect learning could lead to more informed decisions concerning curriculum and instruction. Three questions were addressed. Did students with the same cognitive interest as their teacher perform better than students with a different cognitive interest than their teacher. Were any of the three cognitive interests more effective for learners. Were any of the three cognitive interests more effective for teachers. To determine the cognitive interest of each respondent in this study, the Cognitive Interest Inventory was developed by the researcher. Validity of the inventory was verified three ways. Content validity was verified by a jury of experts and a field test.