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Despite the recent interest in phronesis ('practical wisdom') and the creation of a four-componential model to unpack its nature, various puzzles (philosophical, psychological, and educational) remain about those components, not least the proposed one of «emotion regulation». This paper introduces four remaining puzzles about this component and provides a brief overview of possible responses based on Aristotle's texts. However, given his own naturalistic method, in which ethical theorising must be constantly updated in light of empirical findings, the paper suggests that Aristotle's texts only take us thus far and that we need to draw on contemporary psychological sources for further enlightenment. Therefore, it invokes research from the last quarter of a century about so-called «meta-emotions», of great relevance given the meta-status of phronesis as an integrative virtue. Some of the possible implications of this research for an understanding of the emotional component of phronesis are elicited, as well as how it can be cultivated as part of character education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent attention to character formation as the key to moral education has also regarded personal and fictional role models as appropriate means to this end. Moreover, while one may have grave reservations about the influence of personal role-models (perhaps upon the young by those they happen to admire), serious fiction has often been considered an inspirational source of moral example. Still, while this paper ultimately mounts a defence of the moral educational potential of literature, it is also concerned to press two significant reservations about any and all attention to fictional character as a means to such education. First, since the ultimate meaning of any fictional character and conduct is largely, if not exclusively, confined to their narrative contexts, we should not suppose them to have any direct role-modelling application to the affairs of human life beyond such contexts. Second, and more significantly, since morality is also ultimately more than and/or not entirely reducible to the contingencies of human character, attention to either fictional or real-life character must anyway fall somewhat short of full moral education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competency-based curriculum approach is an international focus that embodies a trait which is widely shared around the world in today's educational scenario. It is deemed a response to the challenges faced by societies today, in the era of modern globalisation and the fourth industrial revolution. In Spain, the recently passed Organic Law 3/2020, of 29 December, which amends Organic Law 2/2006, of 3 May, on Education (hereinafter, LOMLOE) has developed legislation that is now reaching the curriculum. Therefore, it is appropriate to analyse such legislation. This is the purpose of this paper, which describes some of the institutional history behind this curriculum reform movement; the humanistic component of the movement, which remains connected to so-called "liberal education" while broadening its perspectives, is specified; certain elements of the ideological controversy around this new curricular approach and its rendering in the new law are described; a critical analysis of the conceptual foundations of the new structure is made and its limitations are indicated; attention is drawn to the central role of evaluation of learning outcomes and the paper ends with a succinct conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many countries and international organizations have devoted significant efforts to designing a school curriculum that responds to the educational needs of the 21st century. In Spain, the LOMLOE (Organic Law 3/2020, of 29 December, which amends Organic Law 2/2006, of 3 May, on Education) has also proposed the renewal of the curriculum as a key element for the modernization of the education system. The aim of this paper is to analyze the Spanish curriculum reform from a comparative perspective, in order to assess whether it is in line with the current trends of change on the international scene and to detect the conditions that must be met to successfully achieve its purpose, in the light of what has been learned in other countries. To this end, a comparative analysis framework has been developed based on UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and EU (European Union) publications on this subject and on various comparative studies on recent curriculum reforms around the world. The results show that, in terms of the approach and architecture of the curricular model of the compulsory education, the Spanish reform follows the recommendations of international organizations and shares to a large extent the characteristics of the reforms undertaken in many countries around us. However, it is also possible to detect some relevant differences in terms of the strategy adopted for the change and the agents involved in it, which should be considered, as they could become obstacles to the achievement of the pursued objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides some reasons that explain, in the view of the author, why the present eagerness of the Spanish Educational Authorities to reform all levels of education, from primary school to the universities, will not improve the quality of the Spanish educational system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The LOMLOE (Organic Law 3/2020, of 29 December, which amends Organic Law 2/2006, of 3 May, on Education), like any other law concerning education in an advanced democratic society, puts in place a new system to achieve the aims of education. However, as with any other education law, its wording and implementation raise contentious issues. Some are political in nature while others are more specific to the pedagogical field. In any case, they all relate to the purposes of education. This paper presents some of these controversial issues, perhaps the ones that are causing the most debate at a social level, especially in the field of education. These issues are: the idea of educational and social inclusion and how it is managed with regard to state-funded private centres, in particular ones that follow a single-gender education model and ones that cater for special educational needs; the competence-based curriculum and all that this entails; the objective of educational success and the role of evaluation in achieving it; and finally, the question of religion. This article does not set out to criticise the new education law. Instead, it seeks to consider how these controversial issues relate to the purposes of education. It concludes that the LOMLOE has some good points but that at the same time a political approach to the pedagogical predominates, which instead of integrating and opening itself to freedom and plurality, eliminates options without considering pedagogical arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]