Philosophical and

Curricular Foundations
 What is Foundation?
1. The basis or ground work of any
thing.
2. The natural or prepared ground on
which some structure rests.
3. The lowest and supporting layer of
a structure.
 What is Philosophy?
• Al Kindi: Philosophy helps the Muslim
to understand the truth using different
techniques from those directly provided
through Islam.
• Karl Marx: The philosophers have only
interpreted the world, in various ways;
the point, however, is to change it.
 What is Education?
Plato: Education the initial acquisition of
virtue by the child, when the feelings of
pleasure and affection, pain and hatred, that
well up in his soul are channeled in the right
courses before he can understand the reason
why…education, then is a matter of correctly
disciplined feelings of pleasure and pain.
 The Purpose of Education
• To give knowledge
• To transmit culture
• To help people adapt to society
• To give religious education
• To provide practical/hands-on experience/training
• To provide learner/human-centered education (self-
realization)
• Why do some parents choose or reject certain
schools?
• Your views……..
 Philosophical Foundations of
Education
•Idealism
•Realism
•Pragmatism
•Existentialism
•Progressivism
 Idealism
History
•Idealism is a Greece word.
•Plato is the Father of Idealism.
•Having the meanings of A visible form,
The look, appearance of something.
•It is oldest systematic philosophy in
western culture.
 Idealism
Definition
• Platonic Idealism Eternal truths exist in the
realm of Ideas ("Idealism" = "Ideas") rather
than in what we would call the natural,
physical world. Every person you see and
spend time with will some day die, but the
concept or idea of “person” is unchanging
or (relatively) eternal.
 Idealism
Definition
• Kant ( Kant's idealism, pg:5) idealism may
be defined as the view that reality or “the
world” is a product of the mind.
• George Berkeley ( Internet Encyclopedia of
Philosophy) The claim that everything that
exists either is a mind or depends on a
mind for its existence.
 Idealism
Goals of Education
•Educators are interested in the search
for truth through ideas.
•They encourage students to search for
truth as individuals.
•Education is transformation: ideas can
change lives.
 Idealism
Role of the Teacher
•Dealing with abstract notions
through dialectic method.
•Establishing an environment to
ensure the desired outcomes.
•A role model.
 Idealism
Methods of Instruction
• Lecturing but particularly using dialectic
approach.
• Through questioning encouraged students
to discuss, analyze, synthesize, and apply
what they have read.
• Encouraged students to work in groups/
individually on research projects, both oral
and written.
 Idealism
Curriculum
• Examining the roots of the contemporary
problems in the past (great
literature/classics etc.)
• Education at any level should teach students
to think subject-matter curriculum.
• Back-to-basics approach in education
 Realism
History
• Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) the pupil of Plato is
the founder of realism.
• He said, ideas may be important in
themselves, a proper study of matter could
lead us to better and more distinct ideas.
• Idea of God or the idea of a tree can exist
without matter, but there can be no matter
without form.
 Realism
Definition
• Reality is separate from the realm of mind.
• There is a true reality, and things exist
whether humans perceived them or not.
• The doctrine of realism asserts that there is
a real world of things behind and
corresponding to the objects of our
perception. (J.S. Ross)
 Realism
Goals of Education
•Develop intellectual abilities.
•To equip students with information
to understand current event.
 Realism
Role of the Teacher
•Having a solid grounding in science,
math's, and the humanities.
•Competency testing of students with
various methods
•Ready to adopt new technology
•To teach disciplined knowledge
 Realism
Role of the Teacher
•Teacher should be competent in subject
matter
•Teacher presenting ideas in a clear &
consistent manner
•There are definite ways to judge works
of art, music, poetry and literature
 Realism
Methods of Instruction
•Lecture, question &answer (formal
ways of teaching).
•Inductive & scientific reasoning.
•Competency-based assessments as a
way ensuring that students learnt what
they are being taught.
 Realism
Methods of Instruction
•Emphasis on critical reason aided by
observation (our experiences) &
experimentation.
•Stressing precision and accuracy in
math, science, social studies and
writing.
 Realism
Curriculum
• Curriculum consists of the basics – math’s,
science, reading etc.
• Attention is given to didactic & object studies in
education (use of pictures, TV, videos in
educational process)
• Use of objects in education (Montessori)
• Emphasis is on subject matter (highly organized
& systematic in approach)
 Pragmatism
History
•it is a Greek word
•Its meaning is “work”
•It is viewed as a twentieth century
philosophy developed by Americans
•This philosophy is linked with “Scientific
revolution”
 Pragmatism
Definition
•Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914)
True knowledge of any thing depends
upon verification of our ideas in actual
experience.
•William James (1842-1910) Truth is that
which gives benefits to man.
 Pragmatism
Definition
• John Dewy(1859-1952)
• Learning by doing (Proponent)
• He did not believe in Supreme Power.
• He related philosophy with the problems
of daily life and their solutions ( benefits)
 Pragmatism
Goals of Education
•Primary goal of education is growth.
•Education is for life.
•Education should not be locked upon
merely as schooling and the acquisition
of academic subject matter but as a
part of life itself.
 Pragmatism
Goals of Education
• Schools should balance the needs of the
society and students
• Helping people direct, control and guide
personal and social experience (self-
actualization)
• Education should promote our individualism
(self-directed learning)
 Pragmatism
Role of the Teacher
•Applies democratic methods
•Classroom is a community of learners
•Teacher facilitator not authoritarian
 Pragmatism
Role of the Teacher
•Teacher encourages, offers suggestions,
questions and helps plan and
implements courses of study
•Teacher writes curriculum and must
have a command of several disciplines
to create and implement curriculum.
 Pragmatism
Methods of Instruction
•Problem solving, experiential learning,
inquiry methods, field trips, projects
•Learning in groups and individuality.
•Formal instruction is abandoned
(flexible methods are used) moveable
chairs, freedom in class etc.
 Pragmatism
Methods of Instruction
•Lockstep, rote memorization of
traditional schools are replaced
with individualized studies.
•Action-oriented education (activity-
oriented approach to curriculum)
 Pragmatism
Curriculum
•Learner-centered curriculum.
•Pragmatist curriculum is composed of
both process (experience) and content
(knowledge).
•All academic and vocational disciplines
in an integrated and connected way.
 Existentialism
History
•Recent application to educational
theory and the problems of
education.
•Its roots may be traced as far back
as the Sophists.
 Existentialism
Philosophers
•Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
•Martin Buber (1878-1965)
•Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)
•Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)
 Existentialism
Goals of Education
•Education should focus on the needs of
individuals, both cognitively and
affectively.
•Education should stress individuality.
(Education should include discussion of
the nonrational and rational world)
 Existentialism
Goals of Education
•Education is an activity liberating
the individual.
•Good education would encourage
individuals to ask such questions:
“Who am I?”
 Existentialism
Role of the Teacher
•Emphasizes individual choices
(there is no common way of viewing
world).
•Both Teacher and students learn
from each other & their relation is
more friend to friend.
 Existentialism
Role of the Teacher
• Thus the role of teacher is an intensely
personal one that carries with it a
tremendous responsibility.
• Due to the greater experience & knowledge,
it is the teacher’s responsibility to develop
an educational environment that promotes
awareness of the past and present, and of
the future possibilities.
 Existentialism
Methods of Instruction
•Stressing individual freedom
•Empowering students to make
choices about what and how
they will learn
 Existentialism
Methods of Instruction
•Educational methods which help
Teacher in the opening of a whole new
world of possibilities for students.
•Students become more articulate and
capable of comprehension and self-
expression with the help of teacher’s
existentialist approach.
 Existentialism
Curriculum
•Stressing arts an literature, little
emphasis is given on math and science
•Through humanities, the existentialists
try to awaken modern individuals to
the dangers of being swallowed up by
the technology (wide awaken)
 Progressivism
Definition
•Progressivism is a theory of
education that is concerned with
“learning by doing “that children
learn best when pursuing their own
interests and satisfying their own
needs.
 Progressivism
Definition
•Progressivists believe that people learn
best from what they consider most
relevant to their lives. Progressivists
center curriculum on their needs,
experience, interest and abilities of
student. Provoke curiosity in students.
 Progressivism
Role of the Teacher
• The human elements, human beings are
given more importance. The teacher has to
meet the needs of pupil as good human
being.
• As a facilitator or guide.
• Determine student interest.
• Involve students in curriculum
development.
 Progressivism
Role of the Teacher
• Stimulate direct learning process.
• The teacher, who is vital in education
process and having richer, superior
experience and can analyze the present
situation. Teacher will act as a stage setter,
guide and coordinator but he is not total
authority, just he guides the situation.
 Progressivism
Methods of Instruction
• Project method- active participation of the
pupils in learning.
• Socialized method- to bring all the
individual into a group system of
interaction.
• Conferences.
• Demonstration
• Group work
 Progressivism
Methods of Instruction
•Role play
•Debates
•Inquiry
•Discussion
•Planning and participation in the
activities.
 Progressivism
Curriculum
•It should be based on the actual
giving environment to the child. It
must reflect his daily life.
•The curriculum is interdisciplinary in
nature.
 Progressivism
Curriculum
•Books and subject matter were part
of the learning process rather than
sources of ultimate knowledge.
•Curriculum is based on students'
interests, involves the application of
human problems and affairs.
 Progressivism
Curriculum
•It uses the life experience approach
to fit the student for future social
action.
•Curriculum is based on a specific
group of students.
 What
Philosophical
Thought/s are
you using inside
the classroom?
Explain.
 What Philosophical
Thought/s would you
like to use if you are
to teach inside the
classroom? Why?
To evolve the system of education for man,
one has to understand man. The most
important basis of understanding man is
through Philosophy. There is need to have a
proper philosophical framework within
which the school system in general and
educational system in particular, function and
achieve the goals and aims of life and
education.