ANSWER KEY to Assignment No.

2
KEY TO CORRECTION.
Assignment 1: Review the items below and be ready for a quiz on Sept. 19
TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHILOSOPHIES
Essentialism Question and Answer
1. Do essentialists aim to teach students to reconstruct society? No. They aim to transmit the
traditional moral values and intellectual knowledge that students need to become model
citizens.
2. Is the model citizen of the essentialist the citizen who contributes to the re-building of
society? No. The model student is the one who show mastery of the basic skills and that one
who lives by traditional moral values.
3. Do the essentialist teachers give up teaching the basics if the students are not interested?
No. They teach subject matter even if the students are not interested. They are more subject
matter-oriented than student-centered.
4. Do the essentialist teachers frown on long academic calendar and core requirements? No.
They need long academic calendar and core requirements for mastery of basic skills.
Progressivism
1. Do the progressivist teachers look at education as a preparation for adult life? No. They
look at education as life.
2. Are the students’ interests and needs considered in a progressivist curriculum? Yes.
3. Does the progressivist curriculum focus mainly on facts and concepts? No. They focus
more on problem-solving skills.
4. Do the progressivist teachers strive to stimulate in the classroom life in the outside world?
Yes.
Perennialism
1. Do the perennialist teachers concerned with the students’ mastery of the fundamental
skills? No. They are more concerned with the study of the Great Books.
2. Do the perennialist teachers see the wisdom of ancient, medieval and modern times? Yes.
3. Is the perennialist curriculum geared towards specialization? No. It is geared towards
general or liberal education.
4. Do the perennialist teachers sacrifice subject matter for the sake of students’ interests? No.
Like the essentialist, subject matter is foremost to the perennialist.
Existentialism
1. Is the existentialist teacher after students becoming specialists in order to contribute to
society? No. They are more concerned in helping students appreciate themselves as unique
individuals who accept responsibility over the thoughts, actions and life.
2. Is the existentialist concerned with the education of the whole person? Yes.
3. Is the course of study imposed on students in the existentialist curriculum? No. Students
are given a choice.
4. Does the existentialist teacher make heavy use of the individualized approach? Yes, to
allow each student to learn at his own pace.
Behaviorism
1. Are behaviourists concerned with the modifications of students’ behavior? Yes.
2. Do the behaviourist teachers spend their time teaching their students on how to respond
favourably to various environmental stimuli? Yes.
3. Do behaviourist teachers believe they have control over some variables that affect
learning? Yes.
4. Do behaviourist teachers believe that students are a product of their environment? Yes.
Linguistic Philosophy
1. Do linguistic philosophers promote the study of language? Yes.
2. Is the communication that linguistic philosophers encourage limited to verbal language
only? No.
3. Do linguistic philosophers prefer the teacher who dominates discussion to save time to a
teacher who encourages dialogue? No.
4. Is the curriculum of the linguistic philosopher open to the learning of as many languages,
like other Tongue, as possible ? Yes.
Constructivism
1. Does the constructivist agree to a teaching methodology of “telling”? No
2. Do constructivists believe that students can construct knowledge? Yes.
3. Do constructivists approve of teaching learners the skill to learn? Yes.
4. Do constructivists believe that meaning can be imposed ? No