ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the theory of knowledge, and begins by explaining the ontological and epistemic ‘realist' basis of the theory and then introduce and discuss some first principles. Critical thinking is primarily enabled via encounters with disciplinary knowledge. The realist standpoint contrasts with social constructivist ideas which are dominant in the education field. Constructivism proposes that ‘reality is itself a social construction, and has no existence outside of this construction'. A key tenet of realism is recognition of the significance of disciplinary concepts, both in research of the world and in learning about it. Disciplinary concepts and their interrelationships give disciplines and their recontextualisation as a school subject their structure, and therefore disciplinary concepts are central to teaching and learning and to the design of curricula.
