THE SEVEN PHILOSOPHIES OF EDUCATION

PHILOSOPHY  WHY TEACH  WHAT TO TEACH  HOW TO TEACH

1. Essentialism • This philosophy • The emphasis is on • Essentialist

contends that  the   teachers emphasize 
teachers teach for academic the mastery of the
learners to  acquire content for subject  
basic knowledge, students  to matter. 
skills  and values. learn the basic • They are expected to
skills and   b e  intellectual
fundamental r’s – and moral models 
reading,   of their students. 
‘riting, ‘rithmetic and • They are seen as
right   “fountain of 
conduct.  knowledge” and as
• The teachers and “paragon of  virtue”.
administrators 
decide what is most
important  for the
students to learn.

2. • Progressivist • The progressivists • Progressivist

Progressivism  teachers teach to  are   teachers employ 
develop learners into identified with experiential
becoming  need-based and  methods. 
enlightened and relevant
intelligent   curriculum. 
citizens of a • The curriculum
democratic   should respond  to
society. students’ needs and
that  
relates to students’
personal  
lives and
experiences.

3. • To develop the • The perennialist • The perennialist

Perennialism  students’  curriculum is a  classrooms are 
rational and universal one on that “centered around
moral powers. all human  beings teachers”.  
possess the same   • The students do
essential nature.  not allow the 
• It is not a students’ interests
specialist and  
curriculum  but experiences to
 rather a general one. substantially  
dictate what they
teach.

4.Existentialis • To help students • In an existentialist • Existentialist methods

m  understand  and curriculum,  focus on  the
appreciate students are given a individual. 
themselves as  wide   • They help students
unique individuals variety way of options know  themselves
who accept  from   and their place in 
complete which to choose.  society.
responsibility for   • Provide students
their thoughts, feelings with vicarious 
and   experiences that will
actions.  help  
• To help students to unleash their own
define their  own creativity  
essence by exposing and self-
them  to various expression.
paths they take in 
life.

5. Behaviorism  • Behaviorist schools • Behaviorist teachers • Behaviorist

are   teach  students to teachers ought to 
concerened with respond favorably  arrange
the  environmental 

modification to various stimuli conditions so that students can  make the

and shaping in the   responses to stimuli. • Teachers ought to
of  students’ environment. make the  stimuli clear and interesting to 
behavior by capture and hold the learners’  attention. 
providing  for • They ought to provide  
a favorable appropriate incentives to  
environment. reinforce positive responses  
and weaken eliminate the  
negative ones.