MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY-ILIGAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
AY 2022 – 2023

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
(SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING ACTIVITY 3)

Introduction

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 existential questions come in
different versions. “What is life?”, “Who am I?” “Why I am 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 existential questions are “Why do I teach?”
“What should I teach? “How should I teach?” “What is the nature of the learner?”
“How do we learn?” etc. These questions are philosophical questions. They are
tackled in the subject, philosophies of education.
It is often said that a great need of the present times is that people should
have a philosophy of life. Philosophy ought not be simply prerogative of a few
professionals. It is needed as a guide for the ordinary man in his everyday life.
If we are to educate sensibly, we must above all things do it with sense of
direction and proportion. In order to have this is to have philosophy. Philosophy
is a love of wisdom. The philosopher is the lover of wisdom and it is wisdom that
we need.

Intended Learning Outcomes

▪ Identify philosophies during the various educational periods;

▪ Describe the implications of traditional and contemporary philosophies of
education to educational aim, curriculum, teaching-learning process and to
teachers’ characteristics; and
▪ Apply philosophical thoughts in particular teaching situations.

Key Ideas and Concepts

• Philosophy provides educators, teachers and curriculum makers with

frameworks for planning, implementing and evaluating curriculum in schools.
• It helps in answering what schools are for, what subjects are important, how
students should learn and what materials and methods should be used.
• In decision making, philosophy provides the starting point and will be used for
the succeeding decision making.
• The philosophy of a curriculum planner, implementor or evaluator reflects his
or her life experiences, common beliefs, social and economic background in
education.

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 Excite: Let’s Read These and Comprehend

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533

AN ACT ENHANCING THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM BY STRENGTHENING ITS
CURRICULUM AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF YEARS FOR BASIC EDUCATION, APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State shall establish, maintain and support a complete,
adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people, the
country and society-at-large.
Likewise, it is hereby declared the policy of the State that every graduate of basic education
shall be an empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on sound
educational principles and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning throughout
life, the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in fruitful
harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in autonomous, creative,
and critical thinking, and the capacity and willingness to transform others and one’s self.

For this purpose, the State shall create a functional basic education system that will develop
productive and responsible citizens equipped with the essential competencies, skills and values
for both life-long learning and employment. In order to achieve this, the State shall:
a. Give every student an opportunity to receive quality education that is globally
competitive based on a pedagogically sound curriculum that is at par with international
standards;
b. Broaden the goals of high school education for college preparation, vocational and
technical career opportunities as well as creative arts, sports and entrepreneurial
employment in a rapidly changing and increasingly globalized environment; and
c. Make education learner-oriented and responsive to the needs, cognitive and cultural
capacity, the circumstances and diversity of learners, schools and communities through
the appropriate languages of teaching and learning, including mother tongue as a
learning resource.

SEC. 3. Basic Education. — Basic education is intended to meet basic learning needs which
provides the foundation on which subsequent learning can be based. It encompasses
kindergarten, elementary and secondary education as well as alternative learning systems for
out-of-school learners and those with special needs.

SEC. 4. Enhanced Basic Education Program. — The enhanced basic education program
encompasses at least one (1) year of kindergarten education, six (6) years of elementary
education, and six (6) years of secondary education, in that sequence. Secondary education
includes four (4) years of junior high school and two (2) years of senior high school education.

Kindergarten education shall mean one (1) year of preparatory education for children at least
five (5) years old as a prerequisite for Grade I.

Elementary education refers to the second stage of compulsory basic education which is
composed of six (6) years. The entrant age to this level is typically six (6) years old.

Secondary education refers to the third stage of compulsory basic education. It consists of four
(4) years of junior high school education and two (2) years of senior high school education. The

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 entrant age to the junior and senior high school levels are typically twelve (12) and sixteen (16)
years old, respectively.

Basic education shall be delivered in languages understood by the learners as the language
plays a strategic role in shaping the formative years of learners.

For kindergarten and the first three (3) years of elementary education, instruction, teaching
materials and assessment shall be in the regional or native language of the learners. The
Department of Education (DepED) shall formulate a mother language transition program from
Grade 4 to Grade 6 so that Filipino and English shall be gradually introduced as languages of
instruction until such time when these two (2) languages can become the primary languages
of instruction at the secondary level.

For purposes of this Act, mother language or first Language (LI) refers to language or languages
first learned by a child, which he/she identifies with, is identified as a native language user of by
others, which he/she knows best, or uses most. This includes Filipino sign language used by
individuals with pertinent disabilities. The regional or native language refers to the traditional
speech variety or variety of Filipino sign language existing in a region, area or place.

SEC. 5. Curriculum Development. — The DepED shall formulate the design and details of the
enhanced basic education curriculum. It shall work with the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED) to craft harmonized basic and tertiary curricula for the global competitiveness of Filipino
graduates. To ensure college readiness and to avoid remedial and duplication of basic
education subjects, the DepED shall coordinate with the CHED and the Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

To achieve an effective enhanced basic education curriculum, the DepED shall undertake
consultations with other national government agencies and other stakeholders including, but
not limited to, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Professional Regulation
Commission (PRC), the private and public schools associations, the national student
organizations, the national teacher organizations, the parents-teachers associations and the
chambers of commerce on matters affecting the concerned stakeholders.

The DepED shall adhere to the following standards and principles in developing the enhanced
basic education curriculum:
a. The curriculum shall be learner-centered, inclusive and developmentally appropriate;
b. The curriculum shall be relevant, responsive and research-based
c. The curriculum shall be culture-sensitive;
d. The curriculum shall be contextualized and global;
e. The curriculum shall use pedagogical approaches that are constructivist, inquiry-based,
reflective, collaborative and integrative;
f. The curriculum shall adhere to the principles and framework of Mother Tongue-Based
Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) which starts from where the learners are and from what
they already knew proceeding from the known to the unknown; instructional materials
and capable teachers to implement the MTB-MLE curriculum shall be available;
g. The curriculum shall use the spiral progression approach to ensure mastery of knowledge
and skills after each level; and
h. The curriculum shall be flexible enough to enable and allow schools to localize, indigenize
and enhance the same based on their respective educational and social contexts. The
production and development of locally produced teaching materials shall be
encouraged and approval of these materials shall devolve to the regional and division
education units.

SEC. 6. Curriculum Consultative Committee. — There shall be created a curriculum consultative

committee chaired by the DepED Secretary or his/her duly authorized representative and with
members composed of, but not limited to, a representative each from the CHED, the TESDA,

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 the DOLE, the PRC, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and a representative
from the business chambers such as the Information Technology – Business Process Outsourcing
(IT-BPO) industry association. The consultative committee shall oversee the review and
evaluation on the implementation of the basic education curriculum and may recommend to
the DepED the formulation of necessary refinements in the curriculum.

SEC. 7. Teacher Education and Training. — To ensure that the enhanced basic education
program meets the demand for quality teachers and school leaders, the DepED and the CHED,
in collaboration with relevant partners in government, academe, industry, and
nongovernmental organizations, shall conduct teacher education and training programs, as
specified:
a. In-service Training on Content and Pedagogy — Current DepED teachers shall be
retrained to meet the content and performance standards of the new K to 12 curriculum.
The DepED shall ensure that private education institutions shall be given the opportunity
to avail of such training.
b. Training of New Teachers. — New graduates of the current Teacher Education curriculum
shall undergo additional training, upon hiring, to upgrade their skills to the content
standards of the new curriculum. Furthermore, the CHED, in coordination with the DepED
and relevant stakeholders, shall ensure that the Teacher Education curriculum offered in
these Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs) will meet necessary quality standards for new
teachers. Duly recognized organizations acting as TEIs, in coordination with the DepED,
the CHED, and other relevant stakeholders, shall ensure that the curriculum of these
organizations meet the necessary quality standards for trained teachers.
c. Training of School Leadership. — Superintendents, principals, subject area coordinators
and other instructional school leaders shall likewise undergo workshops and training to
enhance their skills on their role as academic, administrative and community leaders.

Henceforth, such professional development programs as those stated above shall be initiated
and conducted regularly throughout the school year to ensure constant upgrading of teacher
skills.

Let’s check your comprehension…

1. What philosophies of education is the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum anchored?

Explain each philosophy.
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Explore: Let’s Add to What You Know

A. NATURE AND SCOPE OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

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 Philosophy of education is a system of rationally supported assumptions and beliefs about
education. It uses traditional philosophical concepts and methods to show how children’s
experiences, if organized in accordance with certain assumptions, will result in the
achievement of what may be considered the good life.

The assumption can be made and related to four basic questions:

1. What is there to know?

This involves the nature of reality and asks about the universe.
2. How do we know?
This concerns the processes and characteristics of knowledge – how men acquire
knowledge and distinguish truth from falsehood and error. This is studied in logic and
epistemology.
3. Who or what is most worth of?
This raises issues about man’s preferences, and his reasons for choosing one thing
rather than another. This study of values or axiology is intrinsic to question in ethics,
aesthetic, and religion.
4. What is the nature of man and culture?
This concerns the characteristics of human behavior and its setting, and they are
studied in psychology, sociology, anthropology, and the like.

B. OUTSTANDING EXPONENT OF THE DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES

B.1 REALISM

Realism believes in the world as it is. It is based on the view that reality is what we observe.
It is believe that truth is what we sense and observe and that goodness is found in the order
of the laws of nature. As a result, schools exist to reveal the order of the world and universe.
Students are taught factual information.

The Nature of Realism

• Advocates that values are dependent upon the attitudes of the sentiment beings
experiencing them.
• Believe that investigating and reasoning are important in any effective adjustment to the
real world in the control of experiences.

Assumption

• The primary qualities of experience exist in the physical world.

• Mind is like a mirror receiving images from the physical world.
• The mind of a child at birth is similar to blank sheet of paper upon which the world
proceeds to write its impression.
• Nature is a primary self-evident reality, a starting point in philosophizing.
• Consciousness is not a substance, it is an awareness of experience and experience is a
medium in which objects and organism are related.

Educational Aim
• Gives direction and form to individual’s basic potentialities.
• Determines the direction of the individual’s inherited tendencies.
• Provide an education that could produce a good individual and a good society by
meeting four principal needs of an individual.
• Aptitude needs
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 • Self-determination needs
• Self-realization needs
• Self-integration needs

Curricular Emphasis
Combination of subject matter and problem-centered concepts or real problems
towards acquisition of desirable habits:

1. Study habits
2. Research skills
3. Library skills
4. Evaluation
5. Observation
6. Experimentation
7. Analytical and critical thinking
8. Application of principles
9. Effective use of words
10. Habit of enjoyment

Subject Areas: 1. Natural Science 4. Poetry

2. Social Science 5. Literature
3. Arts 6. Biography

Teaching Methods

Scientific Method: 1. Defining problems

2. Observing factors related to problem
3. Hypothesizing
4. Testing the hypothesis

Character Development: Training in rules of conduct

Role of Teachers

• Help students realize irresistible necessity of earth’s physical forces.

• Help develop initiative and ability to control their experiences.
• Help realize that they can enter into the meaning of their experiences.
• The students would be taught factual information for mastery.

Role of School
• Further develop discipline
• Utilize pupil activity through instruction
• Speak with authority
• Regard pupil as more superior than objects
• Change in the school would be perceived as a natural evolution toward perfection of
order.

B.2 IDEALISM
Idealism is a system of thought that emphasizes the importance of mind, soul or spirit.
Truth is to be found in consistency of ideas. Goodness is an ideal state, something to be
strived for.
Idealism believes in refined wisdom. It is based on the view that reality is a world within a
person’s mind. It believes that truth is in the consistency of ideas and that goodness is an
ideal state to strive to attain.

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 As a result, schools exist to sharpen the mind and the intellectual processes. Students are
taught the wisdom of past heroes.

The Nature of Idealism

• One of the oldest schools of thoughts with its origin traced back to Plato’s ideas.
• Stresses the mental, moral and spiritual nature of an individual and his universe.
• Advocates that education is both a basic need and a basic right of man.

Assumption
• God is the absolute ideal and all positive values are fully realized and enjoyed through
Him.
• Every individual is born good, and is capable to sense, perceive, and think.
• The self is the ultimate reality of individual experiences.
• The individual self has all the freedom for self-determination.
• One’s perception of the world is rooted in his existence.
• Values depend on how individual persons pass and enjoy them in their experiences.
• Social values are realized when an individual recognizes that he is a part of the total
society.

Educational Aim
• To develop the individual spirituality, mentally and morally.

Teaching Methods
• Lecture-Discussion method
• Excursion
• Question method
• Project method

Character Development: Imitating examples of heroes

Role of Teachers
• Chief source of inspiration
• Creator of educational environment
Role of School
• An agency of the society
• Thinking institution

B.3 PRAGMATISM/EXPERIMENTALISM
Pragmatism is primarily an American philosophy, although its roots go back to Greek
thinking. Pragmatist is primarily conceived with the knowledge process, the relationship of ideas
to action. Basically, this concerns with the method of reflective thinking.
Experimentalism believes that things are constantly changing. It is based on the view that
reality is what you experience. It believes that truth is what works right now and that goodness
comes from group decisions.
As a result, schools exist to discover and expand the society we live in. Students study
social experiences and solve problems.

The Nature of Pragmatism/Experimentalism

• Encourage people to find processes that work in order to attain desired goals.
• The doctrine that practical consequences are the criteria of knowledge, meaning and
value.
Assumption
• The world is uncertain and incomplete. It allows a room for improvement.
• Past is a potential instrumentality for dealing with the future.

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 • Experience is not primarily an affair in knowing but is incidental in the process of acting,
doing and living.
• Sensation is not merely a gateway but the avenue of active relation with the world.
Educational Aim
• For social efficiency
• Train the students to continuously and actively quest for information and production of
new ideas needed to adjust to an ever-changing society.
Curricular Emphasis
• Creation of new social order
• Integrated and based on the problem of the society
• Subjects are interdisciplinary
• Academic and vocational disciplines
1. Mathematics
2. Science
3. History
4. Reading
5. Music
6. Arts or metal works

Teaching Methods
• Experimental Method
Steps:
1. Statement of the problem
2. Hypothesizing
3. Investigating or data gathering
4. Testing hypothesis
5. Forming conclusions
• Other methods:
1. Creative and constructive projects
2. Field trips
3. Laboratory works
4. Library work
• Activity-centered
• Student-centered
• Opportunity to practice democratic ideals
Character Development: Making group decisions in light of consequences
Role of Teachers
• Keeps order in the class
• Facilitates group work
• Encourages and offers suggestions, questions and help in planning
• Curriculum planner
Role of School
• A miniature society
• Gives the child balance and genuine experience in preparation for life democratic living.
• Place where ideas are tested, implemented and restructured.

B.4 PERENNIALISM

Perennialism is the most conservative, traditional, or flexible philosophy. The distinguishing

characteristic of humans is the ability to reason. Education should focus on developing
rationality. Education is preparation for life, and the students should be taught the world’s
permanencies through structured studies.

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 It is largely a product of Aristotle’s rationalism and its subsequent treatment by Thomas
Aquinas. It assumes that man’s basic or essential characteristic is his ability to reason. Only
through reason can man understand existence and how he required to live.
Perennialists believe that one should teach the things that they believe are of everlasting
importance to all people everywhere.

The Nature of Perennialism

• Views truth as constant and universal
• Education is good if it enables the student to acquire knowledge of unchanging
principles.
• Great ideas have the potential to solve problem in any area.

Assumption
• Education should promote continuing search for truth since truth is universal and
timeless.
• Education should cultivate human’s rational mind.
• Education should stimulate humans to think critically and thoughtfully.

Educational Aim
• To develop power of thought, internalize truths that are universal and constant.

Curricular Emphasis
• Great ideas or universal principles
• Focused on arts and sciences and areas such as History, Language, Mathematics,
Science, Logic, Literature and Humanities

Teaching Methods
• Subject centered
• Methods of disciplining the mind through reading and discussion

Character Development: Develop intellect of all learners and prepare them for life.

Role of Teachers
• A known master of discipline

Role of School
• Produce intellectually elite individuals to become intellectual.

B.5 PROGRESSIVISM

It assumes that the world changes, which in the universe that is not particularly conceived
with him, man, can rely only upon his ability to think straight. In education, this means that the
child must be taught to be independent, self-reliant thinker, learn to discipline himself, be
responsible for the consequences of his behavior.
Progressivism emphasizes the concept of progress which asserts that human beings are
capable of improving and perfecting their environment.

The Nature of Progressivism

• Exactly opposite of perennialism
• Stresses the child’s needs and therefore child-centered.

Assumption
• The curriculum should be derived from the needs and interests of the students.
• Effective methods of teaching must consider interests and needs of the students.

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 • Effective teachers provide experiences that will make students active than passive.
• Effective education is one that provides the learners with a future better than the past.

Educational Aim

• To provide the pupil the necessary skills to be able to interact with his ever changing
environment.

Curricular Emphasis

• Activity and experienced centered on life functions.

Teaching Methods

• Cooperative learning strategies

• Reflective strategies
• Problem Solving strategies

Character Development: Improvement and reform in the human condition

Role of Teachers

• Act as a resource person

• Guide or facilitate
• Teaches students how to learn and become active problem solvers.

Role of School

• Develop and personal and social values

Set up a classroom environment along the lines of democracy

B.5 ESSENTIALISM

Essentialism is often called traditionalism or conservatism. It assumes that the values of

men are embedded in the universe, waiting to be discovered and understood. In education,
there are some things the child must learn which tend the curriculum relatively static. There is a
core of essential and traditional subjects; certainly literary classic, language, religion,
mathematics, science and history, and other materials.

The Nature of Essentialism

• Emphasis is on race experience or the social heritage.

Assumption
• The study of knowledge and skills for the individual are imperative for him to become a
productive member of the society.

Educational Aim
• Education provides sound training of the fundamental skills.
• Education develops individuals to perform justly, skillfully, and magnanimously.
Curricular Emphasis
• Emphasis on the essential skills (3R’s) and essential subjects such as English, Math,
and Foreign Language.
• Hard sciences and vocation course
Teaching Methods
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 • Deductive method
• Drill method
• Recitation
• Giving assignments or homework
• Testing and evaluating
• Systematic analysis and synthesis
Character Development: Values of discipline, hard work, and respect for authority.
Role of Teachers
• Provide stimulating activities for learning
• Prepare well-organized lesson to prove he is an authority of instruction
Role of School
• Ensure master of essential skills
• Prepare students for real life situations
• Teach students to communicate clearly and logically

B.6 EXISTENTIALISM

Man has no fixed nature and he shapes his being as he lives. The existentialist sees the
world as personal subjectivity, where goodness, truth and reality are individually defined. Reality
is a world of things, truth subjectivity chosen, and goodness, a matter of freedom.

The Nature of Existentialism

• Focuses on the experiences of the individuals.
• Offers individuals a way of thinking about the meaning of life.
Assumption
• Existence precedes essence
Educational Aim
• To train individual for significant and meaningful existence.
Curricular Emphasis
• Subject-centered
• Literature
• History
• Arts for Aesthetic expression
• Humanities for ethical values
Teaching Methods
• Inquiry approach
• Question-Answer method
Character Development: Individual responsibility for decisions and preferences.
Role of Teachers
• Good provider of experience
• Effective questioner
• Mental disciplinarian
Role of School
• Create an atmosphere for active interaction
• Plan better solutions to their everyday problems
• Discuss the different situations based by an individual

B.7 RECONSTRUCTIONISM
The belief that man to a significant degree plan and control his society, that in a
democratic society this should be done in the public interest, and that the school have a
significant part to play in the process.
The philosophy of reconstructionism contains two major premises:
1. Society is in need of constant reconstruction or change.
2. Such social change involves a reconstruction of education and the use of education
in reconstructing society.

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 The Nature of Reconstructionism
• Social change
• Schools should have initiative in reconstructing the present social order.
• Believes that educational philosophies are based on one’s culture.

Assumption
• We live in a period of great crisis, as is most evident in the fact that humans now have
the capability of destroying civilization overnight.
• Mankind has the intellectual technological and moral potential to create a world
civilization of abundance, health and human capacity.

Educational Aim
• Education enlivens the students’ awareness of different societal problems.
• Education based on the quest for a better society.

Curricular Emphasis
• Stresses learning that enables the individual to live in a global milieu
• Controversial national and international issues.
• Emphasis on social sciences and social research methods; examination of social
economics and political problems; focus on present and future trends.

Teaching Methods
• Community-based projects
• Problem-oriented method

Character Development: Provide vision for better world

Role of Teachers
• Lead the young in designing programs for social, educational, practical and economic
change.

Role of School
• Primary agent of social change
• Critical examination of cultural heritage
• Center of controversy where students discuss controversial issues, political and
educational.

B.8 BEHAVIORISM
• Why teach – behaviorist schools are concerned with the modification and shaping of
students’ behavior by providing for a favorable environment, since they believe that they
are a product of their environment. They are after students who exhibit desirable
behavior in society.
• What to teach - Because behaviorists look at “people and other animals... as complex
combination of matter that act only in response to internally or externally generated
physical stimuli”, behaviorist teachers teach students to respond favorably to various
stimuli in the environment.

• How to teach – Behaviorist teachers “ought to arrange environmental condition so that

students can make the responses to stimuli. Physical variables like light, temperature,
arrangement of furniture, size and quantity of visual aids have to be controlled to get the
desired response from the learners. ...Teachers ought to make the stimuli clear and
interesting to capture and hold the learners’ attention. They ought to provide
appropriate incentives to reinforce positive responses and weaken or eliminate negative
ones.” (Trespeces, 1995)

IMPORTANCE OF PHILOSOPHIES OF EDUCATION

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 Philosophies of education are important because they perform certain functions that
make the educational system effective and efficient. Among their important functions are the
following:
1. It provides guidelines in the formulation of educational policies and programs and in the
construction of curricula.
For example, DECS Order no. 91, series of 1998 – changes in the Technology and
Home Economics (THE) program of the New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC). It
contributes to students holistic development (addressing their perceived cognitive needs
in the THE through improvement update. The rationale: One of the thrusts of the DECS is
quality secondary education through continuing improvement and updating of the
curricular offerings. To make the THE program more relevant and responsive to the needs
of the secondary school students, changes and improvements are being studied.
(PROGRESSIVISM)
2. It provides direction toward which all educational efforts should be exerted.
For example, DECS Order no. 54, series 1995 – War on Waste. The rationale: To
contribute to the national efforts for conservation of all resources, both natural and
physical. It helps human beings improve and perfect their environment by applying
methods in solving environmental concern. A brigade was organized in all identified
elementary and high schools. Each school submitted a program of activities to
implement the WOW crusade. (SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTIONISM)
3. It provides theories and hypothesis in education that may be tested for their effectiveness
and efficiency.
For example, DECS order no. 1, series 1993 – Increasing the number of elementary
school days and time allotment in the New Elementary Education Curriculum (NESC). The
rationale: To make classroom instruction more effective. To ensure the improvement of
pupil achievement in particular areas. It provides the essential skills needed to cultivate
basic literacy (through the increase number of school days and time allotment)
(ESSENTIALISM)
4. It provides norms or standards for evaluation purposes.
For example, DECS Order no. 65 series 1998 – Revised guidelines on the selection
of honor students. The rationale: To give due and proper recognition to graduating
students who have shown exemplary performance in their high school work.
(EXISTENTIALISM)

SOURCES OF PHILIPPINE PHILOSOPHIES OF EDUCATION

1. The great philosophies of education that have stood the test of time such idealism
naturalism, pragmatism, humanism, essentialism, progressivism and the like.
2. Great educational thinkers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle etc.
3. The philosophies of great Filipino such as Rizal, Mabini, Palma etc.
4. The Philippine Constitution especially Article XIV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
5. Some important laws such as Presidential Decree 6-A or Educational Act of 1972 and
Batas Pambansa otherwise known as the Educational Act of 1982.
6. The prevailing social, economic, political and cultural patterns of great magnitude that
have a great impact upon society.

Experience: Let’s Apply What You Learned

DIRECTION: Find out to which philosophy you adhere. To what extend does each statement
apply to you? Rate yourself 4 if you agree with the statement always, 3 if you agree
but not always, 2 if you agree sometimes, and 1 if you don’t agree at all.

STATEMENT 4 3 2 1
1. There is no substitute for concrete experience in learning.

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 2. The focus of education should be the ideas that are as relevant today as
when they were first conceived.
3. Teachers must not force their students to learn the subject matter if it does
not interest them.
4. Schools must develop students’ capacity to reason by stressing on the
humanities.
5. In the classroom, students must be encouraged to interact with one
another to develop social virtues such as cooperation and respect.
6. Students should read and analyze the Great Books, the creative works of
history’s finest thinkers and writers.
7. Help students expand their knowledge by helping them apply their
previous experiences in solving new problems.
8. Our course of study should be general, not specialized; liberal, not
vocational; humanistic, not technical.
9. There is no universal, inborn human nature. We are born and exist and then
we ourselves freely determine our essence.
10. Human beings are shaped by their environment.
11. School should stress on the teaching of basic skills.
12. Change of environment can change a person.
13. Curriculum should emphasize on the traditional disciplines such as Math,
Natural Science, History, Grammar, and Literature.
14. Something beautiful for one, may not be beautiful for you.
15. Schools should help individuals accept themselves as unique individuals
and accept responsibility for their thoughts, feelings and actions.
16. A scientifically developed code is preferred over one that is derived from
the history and culture of particular groups.
17. For the learner to acquire the basic skills, she/he must go through the rigor
and discipline of serious study.
18. The teacher and the school head must prescribe what is most important
for the students to learn.
19. An individual is what she/he chooses to become not dictated by his/her
environment.
20. A learner must be allowed to learn at his/her own pace.
INTERPRETING SCORES:
If you have 2 answers of 4 in numbers: 1,3,5,7 - you are more of progressivist
2,4,6,8 - you are more of a perennialist
9,15,19,20 - you are more of an existentialist
10,12,14,16 - you are more of a behaviorist
11,13,17,18 - you are more of an essentialist
If you have 2 scores of 4 in several of the 5 clusters, you have an eclectic philosophy which means you
put the 5 philosophies together. If your scores are less than 4, this means that you are not very definite in
your philosophy. Or if your scores are less than 3 in most of the items, this means your philosophy is
quite vague.

Exchange: Let’s formulate our Philosophy of Education

Introduction

You have been acquainted with various philosophies. With which do you identify
yourself? What is your personal philosophy of education? You are expected to formulate it in
this lesson.
Your philosophy of education is your “window” to the world and “compass” in life. Hence,
it may be good to put that philosophy of education in writing. You surely have one just as
CPE101 – THE TEACHING PROFESSION 14
 everybody has only that sometimes it is not well articulated. Your philosophy of education is
reflected in your dealings with students, colleagues, parents and administrators. Your attitude
towards problems and life as a whole has an underlying philosophy. In this lesson, you will
articulate your thoughts on how you perceive the learner, on what are the right values, on what
and how you must therefore teach. If you articulate your philosophy of education, you may find
yourself more consistent in your dealings with other people, in your actions and decisions.

What does a philosophy of education contain or include?

It includes your concept about:
• the human person, the learner in particular and the educated person
• what is true and good and therefore must be taught
• how a learner must be taught in order to come closer to the truth

SAMPLE PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

My Philosophy of Education as a Grade School Teacher:
I believe that every child
• has a natural interest in learning and is capable of learning.
• is an embodied spirit.
• can be influenced but not totally by his/her environment.
• is unique and so comparing a child to other children has no basis

I believe that there are unchanging values in changing times and these must be passed on to
every child by my modeling, value inculcation and value integration in my lessons.

I believe that my task as a teacher is to facilitate the development of every child to the optimum
and to the maximum by:
• reaching out to all children without bias and prejudice towards the “least” of the
children.
• making every child feel good and confident about him/herself through his/her
experiences of success in the classroom.
• helping every child master the basic skills of reading, communicating in oral and written
form, arithmetic and computer skills.
• teaching my subject matter with mastery so that every child will use his/her basic skills to
continue acquiring knowledge, skills and values for him/her to go beyond basic literacy
and basic numeracy.
• inculcating or integrating the unchanging values of respect, honesty, love and care for
others regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, appearance and economic status in my
lessons.
• consistently practicing these values to serve as model for every child.
• strengthening the value formation of every child through “hands-on-minds-on”
experiences inside and outside the classroom.
• providing every child activities meant to develop the body, the mind and the spirit.

ANALYZING PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Analyze the given example and answer the following questions:

1. Which of the philosophies being studied are reflected in the given philosophy?
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CPE101 – THE TEACHING PROFESSION 15

 ____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. What are the teacher’s concepts of the learner?
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3. Who, according to the Grade school teacher’s philosophy is the good and educated
person?
____________________________________________________________________________________
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4. What is the teacher’s concept on values?
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5. What does the teacher believe to be her primary task?
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6. Do her concept of the learner and the educated person match with how she will go
about her task of facilitating every child’s full development?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

CPE101 – THE TEACHING PROFESSION 16

 7. You notice that the teacher’s thought on the learner, values and method of teaching
begin with the phrase “I believe”. Will it make a difference if the Grade school teacher
wrote her philosophy of education in paragraph form using the third person pronoun?
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8. Why is one’s philosophy of education said to be one’s “window” to the world or
“compass” in life?
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WRITING PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Formulate your personal philosophy of education.

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REFLECTION OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

A. Reflect on your own philosophy using the following questions as guide:

1. With that educational philosophy you have formulated:

• How will you treat your student?
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CPE101 – THE TEACHING PROFESSION 17
 • What will you teach?
______________________________________________________________________________
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• How will you teach?
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______________________________________________________________________________
2. From which philosophies that you have studied and researched did you draw inspiration
as you formulated your own philosophy of education?
____________________________________________________________________________________
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3. Does this education philosophy of yours make a difference in your life? Explain.
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What if you do not have a formulated philosophy of education at all?
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4. Is your educational philosophy more of an abstract theory than a blueprint to daily living?
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5. Do you think your philosophy will change as you grow in knowledge? Explain
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Expand: Let’s Find Out a Research Connection

Direction: Read a research related to the Philosophy of Education and fill out
the
matrix given below.

CPE101 – THE TEACHING PROFESSION 18

 PROBLEM RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

SOURCE/REFERENCES

CONCLUSIONS AND
FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
RECOMMENDATIONS

Examine: Let’s Check Your Understanding

I – Answer each with a YES or NO. If your answer is NO, explain your answer in a sentence.

▪ Essentialism

________ 1. Do essentialists aim to teach students to reconstruct society?

CPE101 – THE TEACHING PROFESSION 19
 ________ 2. Is the model citizen of the essentialist the citizen who contributes to the re-
building of society?
________ 3. Do the essentialist teachers give up teaching the basics if the students are not
interested?
________ 4. Do the essentialist teachers frown on long academic calendar and core
requirements?

• Progressivism

________ 1. Do the progressivist teachers look at education as a preparation for adult life?
________ 2. Are the students’ interests and needs considered in a progressivist curriculum?
________ 3. Does the progressivist curriculum focus mainly on facts and concepts?
________ 4. Do the progressivist teachers strive to simulate in the classroom life in the
outside world?

• Perennialism

________ 1. Are the perennialist teachers concerned with the students’ mastery of the
fundamental skills?
________ 2. Do the perennialist teachers see the wisdom of ancient, medieval and
modern times?
________ 3. Is the perennialist curriculum geared towards specialization?
________ 4. Do the perennialist teachers sacrifice subject matter for the sake of students’
interests?

• Existentialism

________ 1. Is the existentialist teacher after students becoming specialists in order to

contribute to society?
________ 2. Is the existentialist concerned with the education of the whole person?
________ 3. Is the course of study imposed on students in the existentialist classroom?
________ 4. Does the existentialist teacher make heavy use of the individualized
approach?

• Behaviorism

________ 1. Are behaviorists concerned with the modification of students’ behavior?

________ 2. Do behaviorist teachers spend their time teaching their students on how to
respond favorably to various environmental stimuli?
________ 3. Do behaviorist teachers believe they have control over some variables that
affect learning?
________ 4. Do behaviorist teachers believe that students are a product of their
environment?

II – To which philosophy does each theory of man belong?

A person:
___________________ 1. is a product of his environment.
___________________ 2. has no universal nature.
___________________ 3. has rational and moral powers.
___________________ 4. has no choice; he is determined by his environment.
___________________ 5. can choose what he can become.
___________________ 6. is a complex combination of matter that responds to physical
stimuli.

CPE101 – THE TEACHING PROFESSION 20

 ___________________ 7. has no free will.
___________________ 8. has the same essential nature with others.
___________________ 9. is a rational animal.
___________________ 10. first exists then defines him/herself.
___________________ 11. is a social animal who learns well through an active interplay with
others.

III – With which philosophy do you associate the following quotations?

_________________1. “Education is life not a preparation for life.” – Dewey

_________________2. “Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself….” Sartre
_________________3. “Gripping and enduring interests frequently grow out of initial learning
efforts that are not appealing or attractive.”
_________________4. “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well informed, and my own specified
world to bring them up in and I’ll 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
_________________5. “Existence precedes essence.” Sartre

IV – Upon which philosophy is each program/practice anchored?

1. Back-to-the basics movement __________________________
2. Conduct of National Achievement Test to test acquisition __________________________
of elementary/secondary learning competencies.
3. Use of the great books __________________________
4. Use of rewards and incentives __________________________
5. Use of simulation and problem-solving method __________________________
6. Learners learning at their own pace __________________________
7. Mastery of the 3 r’s – reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic __________________________
8. The traditional approach to education __________________________
9. Subject matter-centered teaching __________________________
10. Student-centered teaching __________________________
11. Authoritarian approach to teaching __________________________
12. Non-authoritarian approach to teaching __________________________

V – Identify and Explain how you will react to the given situation. What advice will you give?

_____________________ 1. Students are not interested in the lesson.

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_____________________ 2. Students want to become skilled in certain fields of specialization.

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CPE101 – THE TEACHING PROFESSION 21
 _____________________ 3. Parents question students’ community immersion for it poses
certain risk.
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_____________________ 4. Teacher tells students from the slum areas this: “If there’s a will,
there’s a way. Poverty is not a hindrance to success.”
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_____________________ 5. A colleague asks you to decide for her fear that she may make
the wrong decisions.
_________________________________________________________________
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SUBMITTED BY: __________________________________________

Name of CPE101 Student & Signature
__________________________________________
Date of Submission

CPE101 – THE TEACHING PROFESSION 22