Abstract
This essay examines whether Kieran Egan’s framework of Imaginative Education (IE) as an alternative way of understanding and organizing teaching and learning in relation to traditional, objective-driven curriculum models grounded in standardized content delivery. By positing imagination, narrative structure, and cognitive tools as the nucleus of educational ideas, Egan challenges mechanistic approaches to lesson planning. Employing critical analysis, this paper explores the theoretical foundations of Imaginative Education, tracing its connections to Dewey, Vygotsky, and Greene, and contracting perspective such as Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, and examines its practicability across Egan’s five developmental stages of understanding. Special attention is given to an illustration of Imaginative Education in non-traditional contexts in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, specifically mathematics pedagogy. Critical discussion of Imaginative Education (IE) centers on the relationship between imaginative structures and curriculum structure arguing that Imaginative Education should not be understood as a universal teaching formula or as a replacement for curriculum structure and disciplinary knowledge. its effectiveness depends on teachers’ professional judgment, sensitivity to learners ‘developmental and cultural contexts. Finally, the paper addresses implementation barriers, including standardized testing structures and teacher training limitations, and proposes pedagogical strategies to foster critical inquiry, emotional engagement, and holistic learning environments.
Keywords: Imagination, Teaching, Learning, Kieran Egan, Curriculum Development, Storytelling.
Author(s):
Bassey, Ediana-Abasi Louis
Department of Philosophy, University of Uyo
edianaabasilouisbassey@gmail.com