The meaning of liberal education

• Published in: On the horizon Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 23 - 34
• Main Author: Scott, Robert A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Group Publishing Limited 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Altruism; Careers; Citizenship; College campuses; College students; Colleges & universities; Distance learning; Education; Educational Objectives; Educational technology; Empathy; General Education; Global & comparative education; Higher Education; Imagination; Internship Programs; Internships; Job Applicants; Liberal Arts; Nursing; Online instruction; Philosophy; Political Attitudes; Resistance (Psychology); Social Responsibility; Society; STEM Education; Teaching Methods; Undergraduate Students; Undergraduate Study; World Views; Experiential learning; Liberal education; Liberal arts; Undergraduate education; General education; Global education
• ISSN: 1074-8121; 2054-1708
• DOI: 10.1108/OTH-09-2013-0036

Purpose – The purpose of this essay is to comment on the philosophy of liberal education and its structure; the goal of general education and how it fulfills the goals of liberal education; and the four key elements of liberal education, including the “liberating” aspects of general education, the need for an emphasis on questions more than on answers, the meaning of a global perspective, and the connections of each of the above to extracurricular experiences and engaged citizenship. Design/methodology/approach – This essay is a review of the topics of liberal and general education, their components, and their importance. Findings – Using the design and methodology mentioned above as a way to explore the purpose, the essay reveals selected universal truths about a liberal or “liberating” undergraduate education. Research limitations/implications – The approach that is detailed can be assessed in comparison to other formulations of liberal and general education. Practical implications – The framework described above suggests possibilities for redesigning liberal and general education programs so as to have a greater impact on undergraduate student learning and to foster experiential and interdisciplinary learning. Originality/value – While this is a personal perspective based on many decades of senior positions in higher education, it is based not only on the author's own analysis and thinking, but also on a broad understanding of the literature about these topics.