Philosophical Foundation of Education

UNIVERSITY OF ST. LASALLE

r.ureta (2018) 1
 What is Philosophy?
• The investigation of causes and laws
underlying reality
• Inquiry into the nature of things based on
logical reasoning rather than empirical
methods
• A system of values by which one lives

r.ureta (2018) 2
 Five Branches of Philosophy
Study of
Metaphysics What's out there?
Existence
Study of How do I know
Epistemology
Knowledge about it?
Ethics Study of Action What should I do?
What actions are
Politics Study of Force
permissible?
What can life be
Aesthetics Study of Art
r.ureta (2018) like? 3
 Educational Philosophy
• A philosophy about education requires
systematic, critical thinking about
educational practice.
• A teacher’s educational philosophy
helps the educator interpret, find
meaning, and direct the daily work of
the classroom

r.ureta (2018) 4
 Philosophy and Teacher
Professionalism
• All professions have philosophical
underpinnings.
• Educational philosophy is one
important aspect of teacher’s
professional knowledge.

r.ureta (2018) 5
 Your Educational Philosophy
• 1. There is no substitute for concrete
experience in learning.
• 2. The focus of education should be the
ideas that are as relevant today as when
they were first conceived.
• 3. Teachers must not force their
students to learn the subject matter if it
does not interest them.
r.ureta (2018) 6
 Your Educational Philosophy
• 4. Schools’ must develop students’
capacity to reason by stressing on the
humanities.
• 5. In the classroom, students must be
encouraged to interact with one another
to develop social virtues such as
cooperation and respect.

r.ureta (2018) 7
 Your Educational Philosophy
• 6. Students should read and analyze the
Great Books, the creative works of
history’s finest thinkers and writers.
• 7. Help students expand their
knowledge by helping them apply their
previous experiences in solving new
problems.

r.ureta (2018) 8
 Your Educational Philosophy
• 8. Our course of study should be
general, not specialized; liberal, not
vocational; humanistic, not technical.
• 9. There is no universal inborn human
nature. We are born and exist and then
we ourselves freely determine our
essence.

r.ureta (2018) 9
 Your Educational Philosophy
• 10. Human beings are shaped by their
environment.
• 11. Schools should stress on the
teaching of the basic skills.
• 12. Change of environment can change
a person.

r.ureta (2018) 10
 Your Educational Philosophy
• 13. Curriculum should emphasize on the
traditional disciplines such as math,
science, history, grammar, literature.
• 14. Something beautiful for one may not be
beautiful for you.
• 15. Schools should help individuals accept
themselves as unique and accept
responsibility for their thoughts, feelings
and actions. r.ureta (2018) 11
 Your Educational Philosophy
• 16. A scientifically developed code is
preferred over one that is derived from
the history and culture of particular
groups.
• 17. For the learner to acquire the basic
skills, s/he must go through the rigor
and discipline of serious study.

r.ureta (2018) 12
 Your Educational Philosophy
• 18. The teacher and the school head
must prescribe what is most important
for the students to learn.
• 19. An individual is what s/he chooses
to become not dictated by his/her
environment.
• 20. A learner must be allowed to learn
at his/her own pace.
r.ureta (2018) 13
 Your Educational Philosophy
• 1, 3, 5, 7--- progressivist
• 2, 4, 6, 8--- perennialist
• 9, 15, 19, 20— existentialist
• 10, 12, 14, 16— behaviorist
• 11, 13, 17, 18–- essentialist

r.ureta (2018) 14
 Traditional Schools of Philosophy
Educational Philosophies have roots in these schools

• Idealism
• Asserts that because the physical world is always changing, ideas
are the only reliable form of reality

• Realism
• The features of the universe exist whether or not a human being is
there to perceive them.

• Pragmatism
• Rejects the idea of absolute, unchanging truth, instead asserting
that truth is “what works”

• Existentialism
• humanity isn’t part of an orderly universe; rather individuals
create their own realities.
r.ureta (2018) 15
 Basic Philosophies of Education
• Perennialism
• Essentialism
• Behaviorism
• Progressivism
• Existentialism
• Postmodernism (Critical Theory)
r.ureta (2018) 16
 One should teach things that
Perennialism one deems to be of everlasting
importance to all people
everywhere

• An educational philosophy suggesting

that nature, including human nature, is
constant.
• Roots in both Idealism and Realism
• Rigorous intellectual curriculum for all
students, classic works

r.ureta (2018) 17
 Perennialism
• Why teach- Schools should develop the
students’ rational and moral powers.
• What to teach- heavy on humanities
and general education; less on technical
and vocational education.
• How to teach- teachers do not allow
students’ interests or experiences to
dictate what they teach; students
engaged in Socratic dialogues.
r.ureta (2018) 18
 Children should learn the
traditional basic subjects and
Essentialism these should be learned
thoroughly and rigorously.

• An educational philosophy suggesting

that a critical core of knowledge and
skills exists that all people should
possess
• Roots in Idealism and Realism
• Back to basics movements
• Standards, testing, cultural literacy
• What is essential can change
r.ureta (2018) 19
 Essentialism
• Why teach- to acquire basic knowledge,
skills and values; to transmit the
traditional moral values and knowledge.
• What to teach- to learn the fundamental
r’s; little emphasis is placed on students’
interest.
• How to teach- emphasize the mastery of
the subject matter; longer school day and
academic calendar.
r.ureta (2018) 20
 Behaviorism
• Behaviorism is a theory of animal and
human learning that only focuses on
objectively observable behaviors and
discounts mental activities. Behavior
theorists define learning as nothing more
than the acquisition of new behavior.
• Used by teachers when they reward
(reinforce) or punish behaviors

r.ureta (2018) 21
http://www.funderstanding.com/content/behaviorism
 Behaviorism
• Why teach- concerned with modification
and shaping of students’ behavior;
provides a favorable environment.
• What to teach- teach students to respond
favorably to various stimuli
• How to teach- provide appropriate
incentives to reinforce positive responses.

r.ureta (2018) 22
 Progressivism
• An educational philosophy emphasizing
curricula that focus on real-world problem
solving and individual development.
• Roots in Pragmatism
• Constructivism
• John Dewey
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opXKmwg8VQM

r.ureta (2018) 23
 Progressivism
• Why teach- to develop learners to become
an enlightened and intelligent citizens.
• What to teach- need base curriculum;
responds to students needs and relates to
students personal lives and experiences.
• How to teach- employ experiential
methods; they believe in learning by
doing.
r.ureta (2018) 24
 Existentialism
• A educational philosophy built on a viewpoint in
which school curriculum and instruction should
encourage deep personal reflection on one’s
identity, commitments, and choices.
• Focuses on the existence of the individual and
individual responsibility
• People are responsible for defining themselves
through their choices
• Education’s most important goal is to awaken
human consciousness
• Education should focus on both cognitive and
affective dimensions r.ureta (2018) 25
 Existentialist
• Why teach- to help students understand
and appreciate themselves; existence
precedes essence
• What to teach- the curriculum gives
students a wide variety of options;
provide vicarious experiences
• How to teach- learning is self-paced
and self-directed.
r.ureta (2018) 26
 Essentialism
• Do essentialist aim to teach students to
reconstruct society?
• Is the model citizen of the essentialist the
citizen who contributes to the re-building
of society?
• Do the essentialist teachers give up
teaching the basics if the students are not
interested?
• Do the essentialist teachers frown on long
academic calendar and
r.ureta (2018) core requirements?
27
 Progressivism
• Do the progressivist teachers look t
education as a preparation for adult life?
• Are the students’ interests and needs
considered in a progressivist curriculum?
• Does the progressivist curriculum focus
mainly on facts and concepts?
• Do the progressivist teachers strive to
simulate in the classroom life in the
outside world?
r.ureta (2018) 28
 Perennialism
• Are the perennialist teachers concerned with
the students’ mastery of the fundamental
skills?
• Do the perennialist teachers see the wisdom
of ancient, medieval and modern times?
• Is the perennialist curriculum geared towards
specialization?
• Do the perennialist teachers sacrifice subject
matter for the sake of students’ interest?
r.ureta (2018) 29
 Existentialism
• Is the existentialist teacher after students’
becoming specialists in order to contribute to
society?
• Is the existentialist concerned with the
education of the whole person?
• Is the course of study imposed on students
in the existentialist classroom?
• Does the existentialist teacher make heavy
use of the individualized approach?
r.ureta (2018) 30
 Behaviorism
• Are the behaviorists concerned with the
modification of students’ behavior?
• Do behaviorist teachers spend their time
teaching their students on how to respond
favorably to various environmental stimuli?
• Do behaviorist teachers believe they have
control over some variables that affect
learning?
• Do behaviorist teachers believe that students
are a product of their environment?
r.ureta (2018) 31
 Postmodernism (Critical Theory)
• An educational philosophy contending that
many of the institutions in our society,
including schools, are used by those in power to
marginalize those who lack power.
• Roots in Existentialism
• History / Classics examined for power issues,
struggles of marginalized groups
• Criticized for using schools for political
purposes
r.ureta (2018) 32
 Developing Your Philosophy
of Education
• Philosophy can guide practice and help you
explain and defend your educational goals.
• The process of developing a philosophy
begins with examining your own beliefs
about teaching, learning, and students.
• An analysis of educational philosophies can
assist teachers in forming their own personal,
and probably eclectic, personal philosophy.

r.ureta (2018) 33
 Reflection Paper: Your own
philosophy of education
• Develop your own philosophy of education based
on your own educational experiences, a critical
examination of your personal perceptions related to
teaching, and information learned in class about
educational philosophies
• Be sure to include
• Your perceptions of how education should be conducted
• How that relates to the educational philosophies learned in
class
• Personal examples to illustrate each philosophical element
r.ureta (2018) 34