LEARNING

MODULE
THE TEACHING PROFESSION BSED / BEED
YOU, the TEACHER, as a
PERSON in SOCIETY
 LEON GUINTO MEMORIAL COLLEGE, Inc
443 Mabini Street, Zone II, Atimonan, Quezon
(Recognized by the Government)
TCC 4
No. 010 s. 1986

…teaching minds …changing lives …moving forward

Name: Learning Area:
Grade and Section: Date Deployed:
Date Returned:

YOU, the TEACHER. as a PERSON in SOCIETY

I. LEARNING COMPETENCIES

The learner…
 Summarize at least seven philosophies of education and draw their implications to
teaching-learning

OVERVIEW (Optional)
“Teachers are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts
affect the fate of the earth.”- Helen Caldicott

We don’t live in a vacuum. We live in a society. We are part of the society. Our society influences us to
the extent that we allow ourselves to be influenced by it. Our thoughts, values and actions are somehow
shaped by events and by people with whom we come in contact. We, in turn, help shape society- its
events, its people and its destiny.
John Donne said it in his song “No man is an island”. No man stands alone. We need one another. In the
context of your life as a teacher, we would say: No teacher is an island. No teacher stands alone. Think of
the many people who are helping you now become a teacher in the near future. In fact, soon you will be
called “teacher” in relation to a student, in the same manner that your student will be called “student” in
relation to you as teacher.
In this chapter, you will be made to realize the significant role that you will play in society. This is
perhaps one reason why many a time the teacher is blamed for the many ills in society. You will also
come to realize the demands it will exact from you for much is expected of you, the teacher. It is,
therefore, no joke to become one.
While teaching has many demands it also has its share of rewards. Great teachers recite a litany of these
rewards most of which are invisible to the eyes but are the most essential. Your influence on your
students and on other people with whom you work and live depends on a great deal on your philosophy as
a person and as a teacher. Your philosophy of life and your philosophy of education serve as your
“window “ to the world and your “compass” in the sea of life. Embedded in your personal philosophy are
your principles and values that will determine how you regard people, how you look at life as a whole.
They govern and direct your lifestyle, your thoughts, decisions, actions and your relationships with people
and things.

DISCUSSION
EXPLORE

Lesson I - Your Philosophical Heritage

“To philosophize is so essentially human-and in a sense to philosophize means living a truly
human life.” J.Pieper
The Existential Question
We are heirs to a rich philosophical heritage. Passed on to us are a number of philosophies of various
thinkers who lived before us. These thinkers reflected on life in this planet. They occupied themselves
searching for answers to questions about human existence. These essential questions come in different
versions. “What is life? “Who am I? “Why am I here? “or “What am I living for? “What is reality? “Is the
universe real? “What is good to do? “How should I live life meaningfully?” and the like. In the school
context, these essential questions are: “Why do I teach? “How should I teach? What is the nature of the
learners? “How do we learn?”

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 FIRM UP
Discuss each of the following Philosophies of Education according to the questions: Why teach? What
to teach? How to teach?
1. Essentialism- asserts that common and essential ideas and skills belonging to a certain
culture should be taught to all citizens at the same level at especially primary school level.
To do this, the teacher's authority in the classroom is emphasised and the subject matter is the
centre of the curriculum.
2. Progressivism- believe that education should focus on the whole child, rather than on the
content or the teacher. This educational philosophy stresses that students should test ideas by
active experimentation. Learning is rooted in the questions of learners that arise through
experiencing the world.
3. Perennialism- believe that the focus of education should be the ideas that have lasted over
centuries. They believe the ideas are as relevant and meaningful today as when they were
written. They recommend that students learn from reading and analyzing the works by history's
finest thinkers and writers.
4. Existentialism- believe that every individual is unique and education must cater to the
individual differences. Therefore, the objective of education is to enable every individual to
develop his unique qualities, to harness his potentialities and cultivate his individualities.
5. Behaviorism-  focuses on the idea that all behaviors are learned through interaction with the
environment. This learning theory states that behaviors are learned from the environment, and
says that innate or inherited factors have very little influence on behavior.
6. Linguistic Philosophy-  is the view that many or all philosophical problems can be solved (or
dissolved) by paying closer attention to language, either by reforming language or by
understanding the everyday language that we presently use better.
7. Constructivism- is the theory that says learners construct knowledge rather than just
passively take in information. As people experience the world and reflect upon those
experiences, they build their own representations and incorporate new information into their pre-
existing knowledge (schemas).

ACTIVITY
DEEPENING
I. Answer each with a YES or NO. If your answer is NO, explain your answer in one sentence.
Essentialism
YES _1. Do essentialists aim to teach students to reconstruct society?
YES _2. Is the model citizen of the essentialist the citizen who contributes to the re-building of society?
YES _3. Do the essentialist teachers give up teaching the basics if the students are not interested?
YES _4. Do the essentialist teachers frown on long academic calendar and core requirements?
Progressivism
YES _1. Do the progressivist teachers look at education as a preparation for adult life?
YES _2. Are the students’ interests and needs considered in a progressivist curriculum?
YES _ 3. Does the progressivist curriculum focus mainly on facts and concepts?
YES _4. Do the progressivist teachers strive to simulate in the classroom life in the outside world?
Perennialism
YES _1. Are the perennialist teachers concerned with the students’ mastery of the fundamental skills?
YES _2. Do the perennialist teachers see the wisdom of ancient, medieval and modern times?
YES _3. Is the perennialist curriculum geared towards specialization?
YES _4. Do the perennialist teachers sacrifice subject matter for the students’ interests?
Existentialism
YES _1. Is the existentialist teacher after students becoming specialist in order to contribute to society?
YES _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 classroom?
YES _4. Does the existentialist teacher make heavy use of the individualized approach?
Behaviorism
YES _1. Are behaviorists concerned with the modification of students’ behavior?
YES _2. Do behaviorist teachers spend their time teaching their students on how to
respond favorably to various environmental stimuli?
YES _3. Do behaviorist teachers believe that they have control over some variables that affect learning?
YES _4. Do behaviorist teachers believe that students are a product of their environment?
Linguistic Philosophy
YES _1. Do linguistic philosophers promote the study of language?
YES _2. Is the communication that linguistic philosophers encourage limited to verbal language only?
YES _3. Do linguistic philosophers prefer the teacher who dominates discussion to save time to a teacher
who encourages dialogue?
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YES _4. Is the curriculum of the linguistic philosopher open to learning of as many languages like Mother
Tongue as possible?

Constructivism
YES _1. Does the constructivist agree to a teaching methodology of “telling”?
YES _2. Do constructivists believe that students can construct knowledge?
YES _3. Do constructivists approve of teaching learners’ skill to learn?
YES _4. Do constructivists believe that meaning can be imposed?
Test II. A. Directions : Test your mastery. You may need to research further in order to gain mastery. The
first exercise in this lesson may help. (an exercise to determine your philosophy in life)
To which PHILOSOPHY does each theory of man belong?
A person :
Bevaviorism1. Is a product of his environment.
Essentialism2. Has no universal nature.
Essentialism3. Has rational and moral powers.
Bevaviorism4. Has no choice; he is determined by his environment.
Existentialism5. Can choose what he can become.
Bevaviorism 6. Is a complex combination of matter that responds to physical stimuli.
Bevaviorism 7. Has no free will.
Perennialism 8. Has the same essential nature with others.
Essentialism 9. Is a rational animal.
Existentialism10. First exists then defines himself.
Constructivism11. Is a social animal who learns well through an active interplay with others.
Linguistic Philosophy12. Is a communicating being.
Constructivism 13. Is a maker of meaning.
Constructivism 14. Is a constructor of knowledge.

ASSESSMENT
TRANSFER

Synapse Strengtheners
We are interested on what is true. Our teaching methodologies are based on our quest for truth.
Likewise, our teaching-learning goals are based on what we value or what we cherish as good. Identify
what each philosophy considers as good, valuable and true. Complete the table given below. The first
one is done for you.
Theory of What
Methodology to Goal of Teaching-
Philosophy Theory of Truth is Valuable and
Arrive at the Truth Learning
Good
Progressivism The universe is real We must relate to the Values differe To develop students
and is in constant universe and interact from place to who can adjust to a
change. with others place, from time changing world and
intelligently, to time, from live with others in
scientifically and person to harmony.
experientially. person; what is
The curriculum considered good
stresses on science for one may not
and experiential be good for
learning such as another.
hands-on minds, on
hearts, on learning.
Linguistic Communication is Make them Teachers teach To developed the
Philosophy the ability to experience sending students to communication
articulate, to voice and receiving speak as many skills of the learners.
out the meaning of messages through as they can Through the ability
things that one’s verbal, non-verbal to articulate, to voice
obtains. The more and Para verbal out the meaning and
language one speaks values of
Constructivism
Essentialism The teacher focus Teacher emphasize The teachers Teachers teach to
on academic content mastery of subject decide what is transmit the
for students to learn matter. most important traditional moral
the basic skills for the students values and
to learn and intellectual
place little knowledge that
emphasis on students need to
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 student’s become model
interest. citizens
Existentialism Existence precedes Teachers teach Learning is self- To helps students
essence. student to define paced, self- understand and
their own essence by directed. It appreciate
creating an includes a great themselves as unique
environment in deal of individual who
which they take in individual accept complete
life and by creating contact with the responsibility for
an environment in teacher who their thoughts,
which they freely relates to each feelings and actions.
choose their own students openly
preferred way. and honestly.
Perennialism Perennialist The teachers do not The teachers Students engaged in
curriculum is a allow the students apply whatever Socratic dialogues,
universal one on the interest or creative or mutual inquiry
view that all human experiences to technique and sessions to develop
beings possess the substantially dictate other tried and an understanding of
same essential what they teach. true methods history’s most
nature which are timeless concepts.
believed to be
most conclusive.
Behaviorism

Directions: With which philosophy do you associate the following quotations?

1. Education is life not a preparation for life – Dewey------- Essentialism
2. Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself. – Sartre ----- Existentialism
3. Gripping and enduring interests frequently grow out of initial learning efforts that are not appealing or
attractive. ----- Essentialism
4. Give me a dozen healthy infants well informed and my own specified world to bring them up in and I
will guarantee to take anyone at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select-
doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant, chief, and yes even beggar –man and thief regardless of his talents,
penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations and race of his ancestors. – Watson----- Behaviorism
5. Existence precedes essence. – Sartre ------- Existentialism
6. Life is what you make it. – William Thackeray ---- Existentialism
7. Listening in dialogue is listening more to meaning than to words. In true listening, we reach behind the
words, see through them, to find the person who is being revealed. Listening is a search to find the
treasure of the true person as revealed verbally and nonverbally. – John Powell ---- Linguistic
Philosophy
8. When a relationship is working, the act of communicating seems to flow relatively effortlessly - Chip
Rose ---- Linguistic Philosophy

Directions: Upon which philosophy is each program / practice anchored?

1. Back to the basic movement ----- Essentialism
2. Conduct of National Achievement Test to test acquisition of elementary/ secondary learning
competencies ---- Perennialism
3. Use of Great Books ---- Perennialism
4. Use of rewards and incentives ---- Behaviorism
5. Use of simulation and problem-solving method ---- Progressivism
6. Learners learning at their own pace ---- Existentialism
7. Mastery of the 3r’s –reading, writing and arithmetic ---- Essentialism
8. The traditional approach to education ---- Progressivism
9. Subject matter – centered teaching ---- Perennialism
10. Student centered teaching ---- Contructivism
11. Authoritarian approach to teaching ---- Essentialism
12. Non authoritarian approach to teaching ---- Progressivism
13. Making meaning of what is taught ---- Constructivism
14. Understanding message through verbal, nonverbal and paraverbal means ---- Linguistic Philosophy
15. Asking learners to draw meaning from hat they are taught ---- Constructivism

5 VILLASIN, TCC 4