Not just falling off a horse: Conversion and insight in pedagogy and classroom practice

Abstract

This paper seeks to make use of the theological concept of conversion as a means of understanding and explicating the process of insight and understanding as it is experienced by students, and, in so doing, make proposals that can aid in both in pedagogy and classroom processes. Philosopher and theologian Bernard Lonergan described a cognitive structure that begins with insight that leads to judgements and reasoned action. Flowing from this, he describes intellectual conversion as a reflective self-appropriation of the cognitive structures that lead one to transcend naïve intellectual approaches in favour of more critical ones. This conversion is not a singular event but can be seen to be cumulative iterations of insight, judgement and action. An intellectually converted person is one who is aware of cognitive processes and structures and thus acts to develop intellectually and morally. This would in turn lead to the ability to reflect critically about both knowledge as well as the processes that lead to it. This critical awareness of learning myths as well as intellectual horizons would place learners in good stead to act positively to learn well in the dynamic modern context. The connection between conversion and teaching will be explored by looking first at the conditions for the possibility of conversion in the classroom in both students and educators, and later at how the latter can be better prepared to catalyse this process in the students. Particular contexts that emphasise problem solving and the development of higher-order learning skills will ground the conception of conversion in current educational environments.