EDUCATION STUDIES

CA1: ACADEMIC ESSAY

MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPY OF EDUCATION AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE

TECHNICAL CLASSROOM

Niall Shiels G00373163

Lecturers: Dr Pauline Logue
Plagiarism Disclaimer

Student ID/Name: G00373163

Programme: BSc in Education (Hons.) (Design, Graphics and Construction)
Year: 3
Module: Education studies
Assignment Title: CA1 essay draft
Due Date: 25 / 10 / 2021

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assignment is entirely my own work based on my personal study and/or
research. I further declare that I have not engaged the services of another to
either assist in, or complete, this assignment.

Signed:

Date: 25/10/2021
INTRODUCTION

In this essay I will be discussing my personal philosophy of education and its application to the
practical classroom. My philosophy of education is to create a learning environment that the
students will have the ability to comfortably learn in, have the ability to express an opinion
confidently and have the ability to make a mistake openly speak of it. While discussing this I will be
looking at insights from psychology & philosophy while talking about professional teaching values
and looking at two key theorists in the field in John Dewey and Maria Montessori. Having completed
my introduction I will now move on to talk about “professional teaching values”.

1. Professional teaching values

Professional teaching values are the standards that a teacher will need to withhold while in the
classroom and working with their students. I believe that the professional teaching that I will follow
throughout my life as an educator is to promote equality in the classroom, to promote emotional
and cognitive development and to be committed to the best interests of my students.

2. Student centred learning

In this part of my essay, I will talk on student centred learning and what it is “Student-centered
learning moves students from passive receivers of information to active participants in their own
discovery process. What students learn, how they learn it and how their learning is assessed are all
driven by each individual student’s needs and abilities. At the system level, this requires
implementing curriculum planning practices, pedagogy and assessment methods that support a
student-centric approach. In the classroom, teachers craft instruction and apply technology in a way
that best serves each student’s learning journey.” (student centered learning , n.d.)

Student centred learning will benefit the student in both its time in school and its time outside of
school, it promotes the student to do their own research on their given topic which is a skill that
they will carry out into the real world with them. Student centred learning is something that I would
like to carry forward with my in my time in education as I believe it will make for a better learning
environment for the student. I believe that this is an extremely important factor of my philosophy of
education as I want to create a learning environment that is active , productive and enjoyable for my
students which will make teaching enjoyable for myself and learning more enjoyable for my
students. Having completed my section on student centred learning I will now move on to talk about
“Application to my classroom”

3. Application to my classroom
As I stated in my introduction that “My philosophy of education is to create a learning environment
that the students will have the ability to comfortably learn in, have the ability to express an opinion
confidently and have the ability to make a mistake openly speak of it”. Ways in which I would like to
see this work in my classroom is to have the classroom as not only a place of learning but a place
that will progress the students for life outside the classroom. To create a space that a student is able
to openly talk about the mistakes they have made will come by teaching the students that it will
improve them as students by making mistakes, this will create a comfortable space also for the
students. This relates to Vanlehn’s “Repair theory is a attempt to explain how people learn
procedural skills with particular attention to how and why they make mistakes” (Repair Theory ,
n.d.). Having completed my section on application to my classroom I will now move on to talk about
“John Dewey”

4. John Dewey

John Dewey was an American philosopher and educator who founded the theory pragmatism.
Dispute is an issue that everyone in our life will encounter at some stage and without set rules it can
be hard justify a fitting result with letting bias thoughts flourish “Pragmatism is an attempt to
overcome this problem. As a philosophical approach, it means more than a willingness to
compromise. It calls for a distinctive way of understanding truth that begins with examining what
practical difference ideas or beliefs make.” (Humphreys, 2017). Dewey believed that learning by
doing was very important to the upbringing to a child. I personally feel that this approach to learning
overlaps with the practical classroom in the wood technology works completely on the process of
learning by doing with students progressing their hand skills by working and improving their hand
skills with every attempt. I believe that John Dewey has been reformational to the education system
all over our country and all over the word “His ideas and approaches to schooling were revolutionary
ideas during his lifetime and remain fundamentally important to modern schooling today” (Jordan,
2021). With active learning and pupil centred learning being a key factor in the classroom now
Dewey’s work has been put into practice in nearly every classroom in the modern-day education
system. I believe that Dewey’s work is something that I find inspirational for my life in education as it
promotes many of my beliefs in how the classroom works and in what way a student can learn
“Education should also equip students to take a full and active part in shaping their future society.
Traditional education, he believed, saw children as empty, passive receptacles to be filled with ideas.
This helped to support the existing order. Progressive education, for which he – rightly or wrongly –
became known, saw school as an opportunity for children to develop as individuals and citizens.
They may even be able to find their real vocation.” (mike, n.d.). Having completed my section on
John Dewey I will now move on to talk about “Maria Montessori”

5. Maria Montessori

“Maria Montessori was an Italian educator, and innovator, acclaimed for her educational method
that builds on the way children learn naturally. “ (american montessori society, n.d.). Montessori has
designed her own method of teaching which focuses on classroom learning that prioritises on
independence and choice. “This theory of teaching understands that children have an innate interest
to learn and will be able to do so in a suitable environment. It strives to create a classroom that is
filled with order, cleanliness, beauty, and harmony.” (Ruhl, 2021). Montessori’s method of education
is something that you can carry into the technical classroom and suits my philosophy in teaching
with my aims to create a classroom that students have the ability to comfortably learn in as I will be
aiming to give a student independence in there learning to suit their own personal needs but still be
available for guidance when I am needed.

“ Physical changes become a lot more intense during this stage. Psychologically, the teenager is
unstable; he or she becomes very sensitive to criticism. Children develop “social consciousness”
during this stage, where the teenager becomes more concerned about their societal role in life.
Interestingly enough, Montessori remarked that teenagers actually regress during this stage and are
less likely to do what is expected of them. This phase is also marked by a teen’s desire for
independence.” (ALL ABOUT MONTESSORI'S 4 STAGES OF GROWTH, 2018 )
Montessori’s overall aim is to promote a child’s growth from the beginning of their childhood to the
end. “The Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is a child-centered
educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood.”
(Montessori Philosophy, n.d.). I will now move on to complete my essay with a conclusion.

6. CONCLUSION

Overall, I hope that I have shared the most important values to my “My personal philosophy of
education and its application in the technical classroom” and that I have give you a clear
understanding on what they are. From my research I have realised that the theories of learning will
be forever seen in the classroom and that they are vital to grasp a knowledge on how you would like
to teach. “An understanding of learning theories helps teachers connect to all different kinds of
students. Teachers can focus on different learning styles to reach different students, creating
teaching that focuses directly on student needs and aptitudes. “ (western governers university ,
2020).

1 References

(n.d.). Retrieved from American montessori society: https://amshq.org/About-Montessori/History-

of-Montessori/Who-Was-Maria-Montessori

(2020, 05 30). Retrieved from Western governers university : https://www.wgu.edu/blog/five-

educational-learning-theories2005.html#close

ALL ABOUT MONTESSORI'S 4 STAGES OF GROWTH. (2018 , 01 03). Retrieved from think a ma jigs:
Physical changes become a lot more intense during this stage. Psychologically, the teenager
is unstable; he or she becomes very sensitive to criticism. Children develop “social
consciousness” during this stage, where the teenager becomes more concerned ab

Humphreys, J. (2017, 10 24). Retrieved from The Irish Times :

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/pragmatism-a-philosophy-that-s-as-sensible-as-it-is-
unpopular-1.3260684

Jordan, A. (2021, 9 29). Retrieved from Study.com: https://study.com/academy/lesson/john-dewey-

on-education-impact-theory.html

Mike Pegg. (2021, 8 30). Retrieved from The Positive Encourager :

https://www.thepositiveencourager.global/john-deweys-approach-to-doing-positive-work/
Montessori Philosophy. (n.d.). Retrieved from Montossori School 31:
https://www.yonkerspublicschools.org/domain/2908

https://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/repair-theory/

Ruhl, C. (2021, 6 29). Montessori Method of Education. Retrieved from simply physology :
https://www.simplypsychology.org/montessori-method-of-education.html

student centered learning . (n.d.). Retrieved from ISTE: https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-

conditions/student-centered-learning