Analytical Essay:

Implications of Philosophical Perspectives to Educational Practice

By
Christian Errol P. Alarba
Master of Education in Biology
Implications of Philosophical Perspectives to Educational Practice

Philosophy is defined as the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and
existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline (Webster). To put it
simply, philosophy dwells with questioning our thoughts, metacognitive processes of
how we think, and why we learn. To study philosophy as part of education is to study
how people best learn, the foundations of thought in our society and the principles
behind our predetermined outcomes.

Educational philosophy is part and parcel of the learning systems we use. The study of
how students best learn, how they think and how we can tap into their best is a
hallmark of education system. Without philosophy there is no education. The
educational philosophies are rooted from the ideas of great thinkers and classicists who
have delved upon in search for knowledge and truth. Going back to the roots of these
set of principles and ideas in which we ponder and reflect upon, are the classical and
traditional philosophies which serves as the foundation of other existing ideologies.

On the context of education, idealists believe that teachers should impart values and
right conduct which were rooted from the ultimate source of goodness who is God. On
the other hand, oriental philosophies such as Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism
inculcate and highlight upright character formation. The Philippine education adheres to
these principles in such a way that the educational system includes curriculum subjects
which indoctrinates righteousness and character building. It is sad, however, that these
moral values are merely modeled and presented but not fully embodied intrinsically. We
tend to appreciate more the idea of being academically inclined which is influenced by
the grading and ranking systems, consequently bringing pressure and competition
among the learners.

On the contrary, realists consider that knowledge comes via senses which consist of
real interaction between the mind and the real world outside. Realists believe that
enhancement of intellect comes from teaching for mastery of information and content.
In a typical Philippine classroom setting, the main source of information of the students
are from the books which are discussed and elaborated by the teacher. Learning relies
on these learning materials which hands in direct information. Unfortunately, some
information on the government-produced textbooks are erroneous and oftentimes
outdated. It deviates from the idea of a realist which is to provide a sensible content-
based and subject-centered instruction. The problem here is not on how and what to
teach, rather, the criticality of the content of what the teachers are going to impart
despite whichever philosophy to adhere to.

Pragmatists on the other hand highlights the essence of learning by doing. It tells us
that we learn best through applying our experiences and thought to problems. This
includes experimentation and hands-on learning which could be a good platform in
learning and discovery such that in science. For example, in teaching science, I can
either give students the exact reason why such phenomena happen, or I can guide
them to discover the reason for themselves. The former is much faster, but students
forget what they have been told and remember what they have discovered for
themselves. And the process of discovering things for themselves trains them to be
ready for new challenges. Existentialists, however, believe on a student-centered
education that would foster individual growth. Teacher’s role is a guide by the students’
side and not just a sage on the stage. Sadly, not all teachers have the chance to decide
which method of teaching they would choose based on the ideals of the respective
philosophies of education. Though I want my students to do the discovery themselves
through experimentation and use the aid of technology to further enhance their
knowledge, this is impossible in a barangay classroom situated atop the mountain 48
kilometers away from the city. Laboratory apparatuses and chemicals in our school is
either unavailable or nonfunctional, and so is the internet connection. How many more
schools are like this all over the Philippines? Well, I do not have the exact count but one
thing’s for sure- we are gradually losing our identity as whom we want to become as an
educator because we are restricted and placed in a setting that is programed to kill our
ingenuity.

It is essential to study these equally significant classical philosophies in order to reflect

and give light to the Philippine educational practices. Behind every teacher is a set of
related beliefs that influences what and how students are taught. Philosophy of
education represents answers to questions about the purpose of schooling, a teacher's
role, and what should be taught and by what methods. In order to know how best to
do something, we need to be very clear about what it is that we are trying to
accomplish. Incongruously, Philippine educators unconsciously tend to undergo “identity
crisis” because of the educational system itself which hinders us to become a creative
and independent-thinking individual. We are obliged to do the tasks which the
curriculum thinks it is the best and lone right way to achieve its purpose. We tend to
comply the restricted demands the curriculum asks, compromising our identity as who
we think we want to become as an educator. Moreover, Philippine society hold
conflicting ideologies, divergence in opinions and lack of resolution and integration of
conflicting views among scholars which create disagreement on the philosophy of
education. The dissention contributes to the inability of Filipinos to crystallize a
philosophy of education consequently leading to the failure of a curriculum design that
can satisfy the expectations of certain sectors of society. The Philippine educational
system need more enhancements because our basic curriculum is limited only the
official framework of the government.

The Philippine educational leaders need philosophy to enable them to identify better,
define and evaluate educational outcomes. They should determine in a realistic way the
desirable constants and change components of education. Analyze carefully the existing
realities and the root causes for its occurrence. Amidst these predicaments, we need to
critically realize and be immersed on the process of thinking through our principles,
values, and purposes with all of our intellect, feeling, and ingenious capacity to work
toward construction of our own respective positions as educators.