Fall 2026 – Foundations of Education

Course Information

This is a 3-credit course that carries the academic commitment, workload, and tuition associated with university-level study. Please review the course details and tuition information carefully before registering. If completed with a passing grade, the credits may be eligible towards a future degree or certificate program.

Course Description

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the philosophical, psychological, sociological, and historical foundations of education through both Western and Islamic lenses. Students will explore how ideas about knowledge, learning, and human development have shaped educational systems across time and cultures. Integrating insights from neuroscience and cognitive psychology, the course examines how the brain learns, remembers, and forms meaning—linking classical theories of the mind with contemporary understandings of neural plasticity, motivation, and emotional regulation.

Through readings, discussion, and reflective analysis, students will engage with questions such as: What is the purpose of education? How do beliefs about the human person influence how we teach? How have educational structures historically advanced or constrained justice, equity, and human flourishing? Special attention is given to the educator’s role as moral guide, intellectual cultivator, and agent of transformation within society.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Articulate core concepts in the foundations of education from Western and Islamic viewpoints.

• Compare and contrast historical trajectories of schooling and their underlying philosophies.

• Analyze how social structures such as class, gender, culture, language, and religion shape educational opportunity and experience.

• Apply cognitive psychology and neuroscience principles (spacing, retrieval practice, cognitive load, emotion regulation) to design effective, ethical learning experiences.

• Evaluate claims about learning and identify neuromyths using empirical evidence.

• Interpret Islamic educational concepts in conversation with Western theories.

• Conduct a field-based observation that links classroom practices to the philosophical and sociological foundation of education.

•  Compose a personal philosophy of education synthesizing Western and Islamic perspectives.

Course Prerequisites

Course Materials

Students are responsible for purchasing all required textbooks before the start of class.
Ribāṭ textbooks are available at the Rabata Bookshop

Registration Information

Questions?
Contact registration@rabata.org

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all scheduled class sessions and participate actively in their learning. Consistent attendance supports academic success and helps maintain a collaborative classroom environment. If an absence is unavoidable, students are responsible for communicating with their instructor, reviewing missed material, and completing any assigned work.

Technology Requirements

To ensure a successful online learning experience, all students must have regular access to a personal computer and reliable high-speed internet. Courses at Ribāṭ University are delivered through Canvas and may include video lectures, interactive discussions, digital readings, and multimedia assignments.
Students are responsible for maintaining the technology needed to participate fully.

Minimum Technical Requirements

Technology Skills

Additional Notes and Technical Support

• Students are expected to check course announcements and email regularly.
• Technical support is available for login issues, course access, and basic troubleshooting.