Graduate School Extension – DR.

STA ANA GROUP

Descriptive Title: PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF

Subject code: EDUC 205
EDUCATION
Section: Dr. Sta Ana – MAE-EM A Photo
Instructor: Dr. Viernalyn M. Nama
Name of Student:

REACTION PAPER

Title of the Research Paper: Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical

Features from an Instructional Design Perspective

Screenshot of the Abstract:

References/Websites/Source:

Ertmer, P.A. and Newby, T.J. (1993), Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing
Critical Features from an Instructional Design Perspective. Performance Improvement
Quarterly, 6: 50-72. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1937-8327.1993.tb00605.x

Introduction:

Educational Philosophy is an important aspect of a teacher’s professional knowledge. It

is in his/her philosophy which helps a teacher direct the efforts and find meaning in the daily

work in the classroom. Thus, educational philosophies are the foundation to which the teaching
and learning process revolves. It answers the question on what the goal of a certain school is,

the role of a teacher in the classroom, the subject matter, the content of the lesson, and the

methods of the teaching and learning process. It is important to have a solid foundation on the

educational philosophies to ensure that the vision and mission of the school and the learners

are in accordance with one another. The philosophies of Behaviorism, Cognitivism and

Constructivism are the learning theories which influence the environment and activities of a

learners. These philosophies give us the idea on how the teaching-learning process occurs and

the factors involved in the paradigm. These learning theories are one of the foundations of

education and influence the climate and activity within classrooms. They explain how learning

occurs and factors that influence learning. They also afford us variety in pedagogies. These

learning theories help to enhance student development and understanding.

Behaviorism is a teacher-centered theory that is concerned on observable behaviors

rather than a person’s mental states. Behaviorism views the students as the subject that is

passive, not the active one. Based on Ivan Pavlov’s work, he emphasized that an individual’s

behavior is influenced by his/her environment and is learned through conditioning and

reinforcement. Once a change in behavior is made, it indicates learning. On the other hand,

Constructivism is referred to as an actively making of construct of a learner or making of their

own knowledge, and that reality is determined by his experiences as a learner. Constructivism

supports the notion that students must be able to construct their own understanding and

building on their prior knowledge. They must be able to connection between their new

information and old information. Lastly, Cognitivism is the way on how a student acquire

information, process and organized their cognitive structures (schema). It talks about how

information is processed through the sensory registers and goes into the short-term and then

long-term memory. Assimilation is also emphasized on this philosophical foundation as it shows

how teachers must organize information in such a way that the students can acquire and

assimilate new information from the old one.

In the study conducted Ertmer & Newby (1993), they argued that even though these

learning theories provide instructional designers with the proper strategies and techniques in

facilitating the teaching-learning process, instructional designers are still operating in the

constraints of a limited theoretical background. The paper aimed to discussed behaviorism,

cognitivism, and constructivism’s positions on learning. They discussed each of the

philosophical theories one by one in terms of its specific interpretation of the teaching-learning

process. They also discussed the differences of these three philosophical theories and its effect

in the practical lives during instructional situations.

Reaction:

Based on the study, the three approaches of learning are used in the teaching-learning

process to know the “best approach” to used by the instructional designers. In my opinion, there

is no such thing as “best approach” in terms of the teaching-learning process. Since learning is

a complex process that is seemingly affected by prior knowledge as well as many factors such

as the environment, socioeconomic factors etc. The learning process itself is changing

constantly as one progresses. The most effective method for a low-performer learner may not

be effective and efficient to a fast learner. The success of the instructional process, strategies,

and methods of each one of these approaches is dependent on the level of the learners’

intellectual capacity.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, an instructional designer can match a learner, the content, and the

strategies through certain factors. First, a student’s knowledge changes as they become more

familiar with the content. As an individual learns, they progress from the low to a high
knowledge continuum. The second consideration is the required tasks to be learned. The level

of cognitive processing that is required of a task may need the different theoretical perspectives.

An example of this is when a task requires a low degree of processing such as rote

memorization, it seems to be facilitated by strategies that are associated with behaviorism. On

the other hand, tasks that are requiring higher degree of processing such as classification, it

seems to require cognitivism concepts such as schematic organization. Therefore, it is safe to

say that there is no best approach in the teaching-learning process. It depends upon the level of

child’s intellectual capacity and prior knowledge as well as the task required of them.
Title of the Research Paper: Philosophical Foundations of Education

Screenshot of the Abstract:

References/Websites/Source:

Bhatt, S. R. (2018). Philosophical Foundations of Education. Philosophical Foundations of

Education, 17–23. doi:10.1007/978-981-13-0442-2_2 

Introduction:

A solid basis of Reality, Knowledge and Values must be embodied by every system of

education. The three philosophical foundations of education are ontological, epistemic and

logical, and axiological. Among this three, the epistemic is the fundamental and most important.

Knowledge is the way of Reality. Though Reality has existential priority, it is the fact that

Knowledge has intellectual priority. Further, as pertaining to values, it serves as the end of the

existence and knowledge which tells us that values comes at the end of the three.

In exploring the noetic facets of Knowledge as a basis in education, it plays a

fundamental role in the teaching-learning process. The function of education is to impart and

acquire knowledge. Knowledge enables us to evaluate thoughts and ideas and use them for our

own progress. Moreover, education also develops our personality. Our own personality is

determined by our beliefs, aspirations, and aims which are based on our knowledge. Therefore,

education is completed by the varied forms of knowledge such as structure, range and contents.
 In relation to this, the problem of acquiring of knowledge has been a debate in the field

of epistemology. Different positions of schools regarding the effective epistemic approach in the

education. For an instance, if knowing is defined by doing, a pragmatic teacher would like

his/her learners to show their knowledge thru activity methods like experiments, problem solving

and the like. Another instance, for a realist, knowing is representing something outside, this

means that education for a learner would be true if only a learner’s impression is the same as

what is happening in the outside reality. In relation to this, the sources of knowledge is also a

debate in the field. Different individuals who are having different assumptions and beliefs have

reported that knowledge comes from different sources like reason, intuition, sense perception

and the like. For example, an empiricist who only believes in the posteriori knowledge and

discards all priori knowledge would only believe on sciences and debunks rationalistic

philosophy. On the other hand, a rationalist who only believes in the priori knowledge would

debunk all empirical knowledge. Having said, it is emphasized in the journal that the source of

knowledge and the way we experience and learn knowledge is varying from one person to

another. There are many philosophical approaches and sources of knowledge which is best fit

dependent on the way how an individual is shaped and molded of his knowledge.

Reaction:

Based on the study, Knowledge is the fundamental solid basis of education. The

passage of reality and values is knowledge. It is through knowledge that we can progress as

human beings. It is the knowledge that enables us to develop the different approaches to the

teaching-learning process. The acquisition of knowledge, may it be through pragmatism, realism

etc., the way we experience knowledge is not an item to be debated on. Every approach to

learning is effective on its own way. Every philosophical approach to learning has its own

position, strengths and weaknesses. The important thing to be tackled on is the effectiveness of

this approach on the learners. A teacher must know how to deliver his/her lessons depending
on the need of the situation. In addition, we have various sources of knowledge. It cannot be

boxed on one source only. Knowledge is the combined idea which came from different sources

such as sense and intuition. It is best to give rooms for the different sources of knowledge which

came from these philosophical foundations of education.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Knowledge stands for the end and the Teaching–Learning process is the

way on how to acquire it. It is the nature of knowledge which would tell or follow the shape of the

strategy to be used in the teaching-learning process. No strategy would be successful unless it

conforms to knowledge. To find a suitable teaching-learning strategy for students, it is important

that we have a clear understanding on the nature of knowledge we need to discuss and the

curriculum which we must consider. In the end, the philosophical basis of education is very

important in the foregoing considerations of these problems. Philosophical foundations of

education act a basis to attain complete clearness with regards situations like this.