ESSENTIALISM

One of the positive effect of Essentialism is the stability of Education.

Even though it is a teacher centered philosophy in education at least the
learners are able to think deeper and was able to instill the discipline and
values. Focuses on the basics that the students need to know to be a
productive members of society. What I love with this philosophy is that, a
learner is someone to be taught in a stricter way for them to be knowledgeable
enough and with good manners. However, because essentialism is largely
teacher -centered, the role of a student is questionable. Learning requires
students should be taught hard work, respect for authority effort and
discipline. The good thing is that the students are gradually moves towards
into more complex skills and detailed knowledge activities. It is also a theory
that the natural kind of knowledge can be an innate structured of individual
person. Moreover, it is a belief that there is a common core of knowledge that
needs to be transmitted to students in a systematic and disciplined way.

Essentialism tries to instill all students with the most essential or basic
academic knowledge and skills and character development. The teachers
should try to embed traditional moral values and virtues such as respect for
authority, perseverance, fidelity to duty, consideration for others and
practicality and intellectual knowledge that students need to become model
citizens. The students now require to master a set of body of information and
basic technique for their grade level before they are promoted to the next higher
grade. The teacher serves as an intellectual and moral role model for the
students. The teacher focuses on achievement test scores as a means of
evaluating students’ progress. Yes, it is teacher centered in process but
actually it is centered on students being taught about the people, events, ideas
and institutions that have shaped society. A teacher hopes that when his/her
students leave the school, they will not only possess the basic knowledge and
skills, but they will also have disciplined, practical minds, capable of applying
lessons learned in school in the real word.

An example of essentialism in Teaching Learning Process is the lecture

based instruction. Students sit and take notes and at the same time they are
comprehending on what they are writing. Hence, the students are forced to
think in the mindset of the larger culture and individual creativity is often
squelched.
 PROGRESSIVISM

The fact that the universe is real and is constant change, it helps
develop students who can adjust to a changing world to a changing world and
live with harmony. In order to achieve the goal in teaching, we must relate to
the universe and interact with others intelligently, scientifically and
experientially. The curriculum stresses on science and experience learning
such as “hands on- minds on” learning. Moreover, Values differ from place to
place, from time to time, from person to person; what is good for one may not
be good for another.

On teaching –learning process the lesson should suitable for everyone.

And also activities are experiential that they can apply on their daily lives. The
essence is ‘Learning through living’. In living, we are constantly confronted with
changes in things. As a matter of fact, change seems to be the only constant.
Progressives want to teach youth how to manage change. In the experience of
day to day living, we all confront many problematic situations. Some of these
are societal problems, and some are personal problems. In progressive
education, the learner finds meaningful solutions to these problems by
applying well-defined process. When he has found the solution, he might
express it in a school setting through a project or activity.

The students show that he is “ready” to learn. Progressives place a heavy

emphasis on students working together in the context of a group. This
experience should serve one well as an adult, when we must frequently work
with others.

Progressives are very much aware that circumstances in the world

constantly changing and that knowledge is constantly expanding. Therefore, it
is futile to try to teach a given body of knowledge in the hope that it will serve
the students well in his life for 10 or 20 years.

Finally, a very important fact of progressivism is that the teacher is a

fellow-learner along with student. It views the teacher is proper role as that of a
stimulator of interests, a helper and a resource person. Unlike classical
educators who dispense knowledge they consider crucial, progressives assist
students in inquiring. In a sense, a progressive are a kind of research project
director. Progressive teachers are less directive in dealing with students than
classical educators.
REFLECTIONS
on PHILOSOPHY IN EDUCATION

Submitted By:
NEMFA G. TUMACDER