Philosophy of Education

Foundations of Education

Fall 2018

Emma Ahart

Introduction

Education is something that countless societies have been trying to perfect for thousands

of years, yet still the “right” way has never been determined. The simple conclusion is that there

is no right way. Considering every single person, educator and student alike, is a completely

different and unique person, that makes sense. So, if there is no right way, then what should we

do? John Dewey has said, “the self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous

formation through choice of action”. That self is the most important part of each of us, that

allows us to develop our strengths and weaknesses, and build constantly into something more.

We want to teach our students incredible storehouses of knowledge, but the best way to do this is

to focus on each student so they can grow and translate that knowledge into their selves and into

their futures. This educational goal is best attainable through a focus on the combination of the

philosophy of Existentialism, and the theory of Progressivism. The following will be how this

new philosophy applies to education, and specifically the discipline of Art Education.

Role of Education

The role of Education is to first and foremost to educate our children about the world they

are living in and help them to grow individually to become the best of themselves. Each and

every child is a future member of our society, and it is our duty to provide them with the tools to

eventually give back and enhance our communities into something better than before. Education
is the most important piece, because an educated person can make educated decisions. What do

we mean by education though? Is it simply things that we can pass down through books and

equations? That is only half of the coin. The other half is something that we can’t exactly teach,

but we can guide. That other half is creativity, passion, and determination. The drive to learn not

because we as educators say they have to, but because they as students want to. The philosophy

of Existentialism best reflects this as it focuses on nurturing students as they grow as individuals

and encourages self-expression. The theory of Progressivism compliments this, by focusing on

the “whole child” through direct learning experience.

Role of curriculum in Art Education

Art as itself is one of the most abstract and debated over concepts in our society, yet it is

rooted deeper in humanity than any other discipline. Art has existed in prehistoric societies

around the world long before written language first appeared and has persisted ever since. It is

this creativity, the ability to make and think abstractly, that is so incredibly unique to us as

humans. Art should not just be taught as a subject matter, but a subject meaning. Those who first

created it did so because they thought it was important, because it had meaning. It has been

created because people were happy, because people were sad, people wanted to inspire and

influence. If we teach art just so that students know how to draw and how to paint them why is it

important? It needs to be meaningful. When we teach art projects, yes technique is very

important, but we should build our projects off of ideas that students can assign meaning to. For

example, we should not just assign a simple still life, we should assign a still life composed of

objects that have meaning to our students. We should ask them to think past the simplicity of

assignment criteria and think creatively about how the assignment could mean more. This idea

follows Progressivism pretty heavily, because in linking personal experiences, ideas, and feelings
to the teaching of art, is very student centered and involves them completely into their tasks. It

focuses on the whole of their physical, intellectual, social, and emotional experiences, that can be

channeled into their art and inspire growth.

Role of Instruction in Art Education

Instruction of another is the simplest way to describe what educators do. As art teachers

that is both easy and difficult. Teaching a student how to draw or to paint is straightforward, with

perhaps a few bumps if a student has difficulty, but the end goal is always the same; for the

student to eventually master the technique being taught. But techniques are only part of the

framework for art. How can we teach creativity? Can it even be taught? There are ways to

exercise creativity, but it cannot simply be taught. Every student must discover it in one way or

another. As an art educator, we must guide this process. We must choose projects that can be

meaningful, examples that can be inspiring, and we ourselves must fuel the flames with

encouragement and critical thinking. Existentialism focuses on the growth of individuals, and the

very nature of the individual. Art Education should be taught to the emotions and the

circumstances of students, so that they may have constructive outlets for whatever they have

preexisting in their lives, from the good to the bad. This will get an authentic response and will

lead to self-discovery, which will them lead to personal growth that will carry over to all aspects

of the student’s lives.

Conclusion

Existentialism and Progressivism meet the direct needs of students in a creative school

environment and nurtures their individuality and self-expression. Existentialism focuses on the

nature of individuals and the nurturing of self-expression and self-development. Progressivism

puts this into further practice, focusing on the whole child and their growth through personal
learning experiences. Together these form a well-rounded guide for education of students,

because once they become well developed and self-expressed, they can further benefit

themselves and the rest of society in the future.