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Various Philosophies of Education
Various Philosophies of Education
Introduction
This module will help you recognize the views of the major educational
philosophies in the three philosophical compelling questions in the field of education,
particularly in the teaching-learning process: why teach, what to teach and how to
Learning Objectives
Learning Contents
Educational Philosophies
Topic 1: Essentialism
Why teach
The focus of teaching or education for the essentialists is to: acquire basic
knowledge, skills and values and to transmit the traditional moral values and
intellectual knowledge that students need to become model citizens.
What to teach
Essentialism tries to instill all students with the most basic knowledge, skills,
and character development. Essentialists believe that teachers should teach
traditional moral values and virtues.
Basic or essential knowledge to be taught to students include reading,
writing, math, science, history, foreign language, music, and technology. The study
material of the students of the elementary schools must concentrate upon the basic
skills, and as for the secondary school, the curriculum shall concentrate upon that
particular discipline that student is going for.
How to teach
Topic 2: Perennialism
Why teach
The overall aim should be students’ exposure to history’s finest thinkers as
models for discovery. The goal of a perennialist education is to teach students to
think rationally and develop minds that can think critically. A perennialist classroom
aims to be a closely organized and well-disciplined environment, which develops in
students a lifelong quest for the truth.
What to teach
As with the essentialists, perennialists are educationally conservative in the
requirement of a curriculum focused upon fundamental subject areas: English,
languages (grammar, rhetoric), geography, history, mathematics, natural science,
philosophy, and fine arts. The three R’s, which always signified the formal disciplines,
are the essence of liberal or general education. The loftiest accomplishments of
humankind are emphasized– the great works of literature and art, the laws or
principles of science.
How to teach
Minimally-directed discussions through the Socratic method in order to
develop a historically oriented understanding of concepts. Perennialists disapprove of
teachers requiring students to absorb massive amounts of disconnected information.
A skilled teacher would keep discussions on topic and correct errors in reasoning, but
it would be the class, not the teacher, who would reach the conclusions. While not
directing or leading the class to a conclusion, the teacher may work to accurately
formulate problems within the scope of the texts being studied, Perennialism,
typically considered to be teacher-centered.
Topic 3: Progressivism
Progressivists believe that education should focus on the whole child, rather than on
the content or the teacher. John Dewey, the foremost proponent of progressivism
believed that the school should improve the way of life of our citizens through
experiencing freedom and democracy in schools. Shared decision making, planning
of teachers with students, student-selected topics are all aspects. Books are tools,
rather than authority. It advocates that Learning is rooted in the questions of
learners that arise through experiencing the world. It is active, not passive.
Why teach:
To develop learners into becoming enlightened and intelligent citizens of a
democratic society
To teach learners so they may live life fully NOW.
What to teach
Curriculum content is derived from student interests and questions; need-based and
relevant curriculum - curriculum that respond to students’ need and relates to
students’ lives and experiences.
Topic 4: Constructivism
Why teach
Honebein (1996) summarizes the seven pedagogical goals of constructivist learning
environments:
What to teach
Teach students how to learn
How to teach
Constructivism modifies the role of the teachers, so that they help students to
construct knowledge rather than to reproduce a series of facts. The constructivist
Topic 5: Existentialism
One of the themes of this educational philosophy is the famous phrase of Jean Paul
Sartre’s Existence precedes Essence. Essence: who we are, our identities;
Existence: the fact that we are alive, right now. Existentialists believe we have to
choose for ourselves who or what we will become. Existentialist would advise: “Stop
searching for the purpose of life!”; “You must create purpose for yourself.”
Why teach
The aims of teaching under existentialism are: to help students understand
and appreciate themselves as unique individual who accept complete responsibility
for their thoughts, feelings and action; to help students define their own essence by
exposing them to various paths -education of the whole person.
What to teach
The subject matter of existentialist classrooms should be a matter of personal
choice. Students are given a wide variety of options from which they to choose -
tremendous emphasis is given to Humanities to provide students with vicarious
experiences that will help unleash their own creativity and self-expression -
vocational education is regarded more -encourage creativity and imagination
How to teach
Methods of teaching under existentialism are focus on individual - learning is self-
paced, self-directed. Great deal of individual contact with the teacher. Employ values
clarification strategy.
Topic 6: Behaviorism
Why teach
Behaviorism as philosophy of education and theory of learning believes that the aim
of teaching is to shape desirable behaviors and conducts of the learners.
What to teach
How to teach
Saying nice things to your students will work fine for a while, but they might
stop believing you unless you can show them exactly why their behavior warrants
praise in the first place. Whenever possible, show them the proof: point out the
specific act and explain why it was so important. Another way to provide concrete
examples of good behavior is to have them keep their work in portfolios for you to
review regularly. The routine of reviewing keeps you from appearing as though
you've gone out of your way to issue some praise, and having their work right in
front of you gives you the opportunity to cite specific, concrete examples of their
accomplishments.
Why teach
The main focus of teaching language should be to develop the
communication skills of the learners. The expected end product of every instruction
are the learners who possess communicative competence.
What to teach
The communication skills and the practical uses of language are core
contents of language instruction. Students must learn the macro skills: listening,
speaking, reading, writing and watching. They must learn the communicative
competence. Communicative competence represents the ability to use language
correctly to communicate appropriately and effectively in a variety of social
situations. Currently, the communicative competence model is constructed of four
competence areas: linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic . Two of them
focus on the functional aspect of communication, and the other two reflect the use
of the linguistic system.
We know how to build sentences, how to use them, and how to connect
them in a communication setting. Strategic competence suggests that we can also
overcome language gaps and modify messages with regard to audience and
purpose; it shows we are fluent and effective. We know how to repair and sustain
communication in case of communication breakdowns and how to keep the
communication channel open. We can paraphrase, use gestures, or explain
unfamiliar words; we can ask for clarification, repetition, and slower speech.
Three Ways how communication takes place that students have to learn
Students must learn the three ways wherein the communication takes place.
a. Verbal way of communication -the content of our message, the choice and
arrangement of words are convey through oral or written.
b. Nonverbal – the message send through body language.
c. Paraverbal – this refer to how we say what we say which include the tone,
pacing and volume of our voices.
How to teach
For the students to learn how to use language in communicating with others,
teach them through experiential way. The teachers have to provide a balance of
grammar-structure and communicative task-based learning activities so that learners
could learn to communicate clearly with correct and coherent use of language.
Interaction and dialogue among learners must be extensively promoted and be
facilitated in the classroom so that better understanding and exchange of words or
ideas takes place.
Sample 1
This passage is an example of a strong statement of teaching philosophy
because it puts students where they belong in education: at the front and center of a
teacher's focus. An author who writes such as a statement is likely to continuously
examine and verify this philosophy by always ensuring that student needs are the
primary focus of all lessons and schoolwork.
"My philosophy of education is that all children are unique and must have a
stimulating educational environment where they can grow physically, mentally,
emotionally, and socially. It is my desire to create this type of atmosphere where
students can meet their full potential. I will provide a safe environment where
students are invited to share their ideas and take risks.
"I believe that there are five essential elements that are conducive to
learning. (1) The teacher's role is to act as a guide. (2) Students must have access to
hands-on activities. (3) Students should be able to have choices and let their
curiosity direct their learning. (4) Students need the opportunity to practice skills in a
safe environment. (5) Technology must be incorporated into the school day."
Sample 2
The following statement is a good example of a teaching philosophy because
the author emphasizes that all classrooms, and indeed all students, are unique and
"I believe that all children are unique and have something special that they
can bring to their own education. I will assist my students to express themselves and
accept themselves for who they are, as well embrace the differences of others.
"Every classroom has its own unique community; my role as the teacher will
be to assist each child in developing their own potential and learning styles. I will
present a curriculum that will incorporate each different learning style, as well as
make the content relevant to the students' lives. I will incorporate hands-on learning,
cooperative learning, projects, themes, and individual work that engage and activate
students learning."
Sample 3
This statement provides a solid example because the author emphasizes the
moral objective of teaching: that she will hold each student to the highest
expectations and ensure that each one is diligent in her studies. Implied in this
statement is that the teacher will not give up on even a single recalcitrant student.
"I believe that a teacher is morally obligated to enter the classroom with only
the highest of expectations for each and every one of her students. Thus, the
teacher maximizes the positive benefits that naturally come along with any self-
fulfilling prophecy. With dedication, perseverance, and hard work, her students will
rise to the occasion."
"I aim to bring an open mind, a positive attitude, and high expectations to
the classroom each day. I believe that I owe it to my students, as well as the
community, to bring consistency, diligence, and warmth to my job in the hope that I
can ultimately inspire and encourage such traits in the children as well."
Sample 4
The following statement takes a slightly different tack: Classrooms should be
warm and caring communities. Unlike the previous statements, this one minimizes
the individuality of students and emphasizes that, essentially, it take a village to
foster truly community-based learning. All teaching strategies then, such as morning
meetings and community problem solving, follow this philosophy.
Introduction: This should be your thesis statement where you discuss your
general belief about education (such as: "I believe all students have a right to learn")
as well as your ideals in relation to teaching.
Body: In this part of the statement, discuss what you see as the ideal
classroom environment and how it makes you a better teacher, addresses student
needs, and facilitates parent/child interactions. Discuss how you would facilitate age-
appropriate learning, and how you involve students in the assessment process.
Explain how you would put your educational ideals into practice.
Layout specifically what you hope your teaching will help students to
accomplish. Be specific by detailing description of an innovative or interesting
teaching strategy you have used. Doing so, helps your reader understand how your
teaching philosophy would play out in the classroom.
Conclusion: In this section, talk about your goals as a teacher, how you have
been able to meet them in the past, and how you can build on these to meet future
challenges. Focus on your personal approach to pedagogy and classroom
management, as well as what makes you unique as an educator, and how you wish
to advance your career to further support education.
Statement Format
There are, however, some general rules to follow when writing a teaching
philosophy statement:
Keep it brief. The statement should be no more than one to two pages.
Use present tense, and write the statement in the first person, as the
previous examples illustrate.
Additionally, make sure you talk about "your experiences and your beliefs"
and ensure your statement is original and truly describes the methods and
philosophy you would employ in teaching,
As future teachers, though you are not yet in the actual field of teaching, can
already begin to communicate your beliefs on teaching-learning by formulating your
own personal teaching philosophy. You have to remember, however that your
formulated teaching philosophy should be continuously examined and verified as you
grow in the teaching profession.
Now, that teaching philosophy statement had been introduced and explained
to you, oriented with its components and the general rules of writing it, and you
were also given samples, it’s your turn to formulate your own.
Learning Activities
Activity 1:
List one (1) major contribution of each educational philosophy to the
educational/classroom policies and practices in the country.
Activity 2:
Determine which of the discussed educational philosophies are learner-centered or
subject centered.
Activity 3:
Formulate your philosophy of teaching. Be guided by including your beliefs/views
about the following:
• The learner and the educated person
• The true and good and therefore must be taught
• How a learner must be taught in order to come close to the truth
Assessment Task
Fill out the following matrix to summarize the educational philosophies discussed in
this module.
Answer key:
Activity 1
Activity 3
SUMMARY
Educational Philosophies: Essentialism, in its most stripped down meaning refers to
the belief that people and/or phenomenon have an underlying and unchanging
'essence'. As an educational philosophy it advocates the teaching basic competencies
(knowledge, skills and attitudes). Perennialism in education is the idea that school
curricula should focus on what is everlasting. You can remember the word
'perennialism' by remembering that perennial means lasting for many years.
Progressivists believe that education should focus on the whole child, rather than on
the content or the teacher. Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on the
premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding
of the world we live in. Existentialism in education is a teaching and learning
philosophy that focuses on the student’s freedom and agency to choose their future.
Behaviorism believes that people learn behaviors through rewards (reinforcements)
and punishments. Linguistics is the scientific study of language – the structure,
meaning, development, how humans process and interpret language. Philosophy of
education is the strength of any efficient educator. It is the totality of the essential
principles, the ways of thinking and the beliefs that provide the foundation and the
framework on which teachers define, delineate, and justify their teaching agendas,
their curriculum preferences, their pedagogical styles, their classroom organizational
structures.
References
Behaviorism: Overview & Practical Teaching Examples. (2014, August 15). Retrieved
from https://study.com/academy/lesson/behaviorism-overview-practical-teaching-
examples.html.
Communicative Competence: Definition & Model. (2019, January 14). Retrieved from
https://study.com/academy/lesson/communicative-competence-definition-
model.html.
https://www.theedadvocate.org/edupedia/content/what-is-essentialism/
https://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP4.html
https://education.seattlepi.com/apply-behaviorist-philosophy-classroom-3322.html
http://richardtwine.com/ecofem/essentialism.html
https://www.theedadvocate.org/edupedia/content/what-is-perennialism/
https://www.funderstanding.com/theory/constructivism/
https://helpfulprofessor.com/existentialism-in-education/