Analyzing and Criticizing Foundations of Educational Liberalism and Educational Neoliberalism: A New Conceptualization

The purpose of study was to analyze and critique the principles of educational liberalism and educational neoliberalism in order to present a new concept (synthesis). The research method was comparatively qualitative and methods of data collection and analysis were documentary and conceptual analysis respectively. The first findings focus on critique of educational liberalism and include issues such as mere attention to elitism, lack of attention to the needs and interests of learners, training entrepreneurs, and developing skills for learners. Other finding of study is the critique of educational neoliberalism due to monopolistic individualism, preference for capitalist ethics, and commercialization of education. Re-conceptualizing (Synthesis) of educational foundations of these two philosophical schools led to the presentation of combined principles, such as internal-external freedom, human-economic wisdom, excellence-centered & welfare – axis life, theoretical- practical sciences, knowledge-oriented /professional-oriented education, value-driven & life - centered training and public-elite education. The important point is that reconceptualization can be considered hierarchically and this uneven interaction can be arranged like Maslow’s pyramid. In this pyramid, the foundations of educational neoliberalism are at the base of the pyramid (low level needs) and the foundations of educational liberalism (high level needs) are at the top of the pyramid.