Ikeoluwapo Baruwa

The practice of corporal punishment (CP) in many countries and schools today, has been described to be prevalent as a result of the belief that the practice of CP is effective in changing the behavior, or in building the character of the concerned human subjects. Apparently, this is done without considering the ramifications of its engagement, or neglecting other measures that could be taken to address the situation on the ground. Unarguably, the subject of corporal punishment is one which, though often discussed, is usually discussed without a reached consensus, for its real outflow lies too deep for the purposes of controversy. While the issue of corporal punishment can be best described as that of virtue and vice in our contemporary pedagogy, this paper seeks to take a philosophical and a sociological stance by examining the positioning power, practical prospects of corporal punishment and relevance of various moral theories in the contemporary pedagogy.

This paper dwells on the concept of Buber's 'Ich and Du', popularly known as 'I and Thou', as it concerns knowledge production and acquisition. From Buberian parlance, 'I and Thou' can be seen in twofold, 'IIt' and 'IThou'. While the former emphasizes separation, the latter accentuates relation. In its original position, this paper raises questions as, what knowledge is, what lie is, what constitutes truth, how knowledge becomes different from belief, who is/are to be educated, amongst others. The paper further clarifies terms as, 'to know' and 'to learn', and critically examines the philosophical anthropology of man, essence of man and relevance of knowledge acquisition. With the realization of human advancement, this paper submits that an individual to/with individual must strive to realize one another’s potentialities and intend each another as a particular person specifically reaching out in a bipolar situation not seeing one another as mere objects but rather as oneself.

This article is devoted to the philosophical study of the conditions under which knowledge can become a component or tool of education. The presentation of the contribution of epistemology to human development and education is based on addressing issues such as the nature of knowledge, sources of knowledge, theories, and criteria of truth. We proceed from the idea that knowledge is a condition of education. Particular attention is paid to the issue of distinguishing between such types of knowledge as 'knowing how’ and ‘knowing that'. Educational practices open a common foundation that unites the life world of people, types of sociality, and hermeneutical practices. The epistemological approach to the question of the essence of knowledge assumes that knowledge meets three requirements, namely, knowledge must be objective, subjective, and evidentiary. Epistemology includes subjectivity as the basis of human existence in the natural world and the world with others. Intersubjectivity is considered a criterion for the reliability of knowledge about the world, which allows asserting the relationship of the objective with the subjective.

There is a growing international interest in ethical issues in research and the process by which it can be enhanced. Unlike in the past when research studies were conducted abruptly, almost all organisations and research institutes now have various mechanisms to ensure compliance with ethical standards and procedures. Adult and community education research in Nigeria continues to gain the attention of governments and Non-governmental organisations due to the need to improve the literacy rate among adult learners and out-of-school youths in the country. However, in many workshops and training involving academics and development workers, much of the discussions on ethical issues in data collection and research reportage are not given the necessary attention that it requires. This review paper explores the ethical issues in adult and community education research with a view to re-awakening the consciousness of adult education scholars and practitioners, both in Nigeria and on the continent of Africa, to rethink how research data and processes are managed, such that it conforms with best practices globally.