THE INSTITUTE OF ADULT EDUCATION

(IAE)

PROGRAMME: ORDINARY DIPLOMA IN ADULT AND CONTUNING

EDUCATION

MODULE NAME: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

MODULE CODE: FAT 05101

NTA LEVEL: FIVE

YEAR: 2021/2022

SEMESTER: ONE

FACILITATORS NAME: K. MUGANDA

NAME OF STUDENT: NEEMA SIMON

REGISTRATION NUMBER:NS0208/0167/2000

NATURE OF WORK: INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

Task.

Philosophy has made tremendous contributions to the field of adult education; mainly in training
process and program designing. Being an Adult Education Expert, justify this argument.
 The word philosophy is derived from the Greek words philia (love) and sophia (wisdom)
and means “the love of wisdom.” It is also a set of beliefs, norms and values that can guide,
instruct and judge the way of doing things. It is possible to define philosophy from a variety of
angles. Philosophy is a way of life, the capacity to observe the world and respond to it rationally.
The goal of philosophy is to better and improve the current situation, not to change it.

Adult education means all education or instruction, including academic, vocational

education or training, basic skills and literacy training, and "occupational education" provided by
public educational institutions, including common school districts for persons who are eighteen
years of age and over or who hold a high school diploma or certificate.

Philosophy of Education

The application of general philosophical positions to educational problems is called philosophy

of education.

One model of this field focuses on three issues: (i) basic objectives and specific goals of
education; (ii) methods of teaching and learning; and (iii) curricula. To establish a college
requires a philosophy of education, and the answers to a number of basic questions: What are the
basic objectives and specific goals of the school? What methods of teaching and learning are
consistent with these basic objectives? What will constitute the curriculum? Various founders of
colleges and universities have different answers to these questions. Throughout the world,
institutions of higher education have different purposes, teaching and learning methods, and
curricula. Philosophy has contributed to the field of adult education mainly in training processes
and program designing as follows;-

Philosophy is at the heart of curriculum development. It helps educators in formulating

beliefs, arguments, and assumptions and in making value judgments (axiology). A
comprehensive perspective is developed through philosophy, and it also aids in addressing
questions such as why schools exist, which subjects are crucial, how students should be taught,
and the best resources and teaching techniques. The foundation for decision-making about
education as a whole is provided by philosophy (Ogwara, et. al, 2013).
 Pragmatism is an educational philosophy that says that education should be about life and
growth. That is, teachers should be teaching students things that are practical for life and
encourage them to grow into better people. Many famous educators, including John Dewey, were
pragmatists Price (2000). Pragmatists (in programatism) propose a curriculum based on problems
that arise out of daily living. School is therefore an extension of home and community. For
pragmatists, all subjects are vital. However, sciences are favored because the child is able to
explore new knowledge

Philosophy proposes methods of Study; dialogue or Socratic method of studying

developed by the Greek philosopher, Socrates, the Socratic Method is a dialogue between
teacher and students, instigated by the continual probing questions of the teacher, in a concerted
effort to explore the underlying beliefs that shape the students views and opinions. The Socratic
method leads to critical thinking skills by showing students how to identify the weak points in an
argument. Once they can identify what makes an argument weak, they can then strategize the
argument at a higher level. Methods should include problem-solving, activity, projects, and
group involvement. Teachers should be a resource and guide; thus a motivator. Teaching must be
child-centered.
For example, if an educator is trying to decide whether a certain topic should be taught to
adult learners by a traditional method or a more interactive method, the educator with a
preference for Humanism could go through the following process: (a) consider several
alternative methods, such as lecture, demonstration, discussion, hands-on exercises, question-
and-answer, and role-playing; (b) evaluate the alternatives in terms of such criteria as the content
being covered, the learning styles of the students, and past experience with the alternatives; (c)
select the discussion method based on the particular content, the interactive quality of the
method, and the Humanistic belief that adult students learn better when they are actively engaged
in the learning process; and (d) believe that the selection is the best choice for the particular
situation.

Existentialism; according to Akinpelu (1981), existentialism is defined as the philosophy

of existence. Sartre (1957) also states that man is nothing else but what he makes of himself. A
person is therefore free to choose the type of life to live and is in control of his/her destiny. An
individual is thus free to make choices and be responsible for them. According to existentialists,
a good education emphasizes individuality. The first step in any education then is to understand
ourselves. Making existential methods in the classroom requires a balance in which both teachers
and learners as human beings preserve its identity.

Philosophy used to fostering unique qualities and cultivating individualities;

existentialists 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. Making better
choices; as choice determines perfectibility and happiness, education should train man to make
better choices. As such, aim of education is to enable man to hammer out better choices in one’s
life. The main implications of existentialism on Education and Curriculum are an emphasis on
knowledge and abilities for personal choice. Hence, the need to acquire knowledge and
principles of the human condition and acts of choice-making.

Curriculum should have a broad range of subject matter from which learners can choose,
that is electives, and an inclusion of subjects that involve human emotions, aesthetics, and also,
philosophical subjects. Most important is that philosophy can free learners to expand their
learning and what they believe. Thus, there should be no standard guides for teachers to follow,
given that learners are unique.

Perennialism as branch of philosophy draws both idealism and realism. The perennialists
believe that the “cement of education, is the common nature of man (Button, 2021). With that
focus, education should be the same for everyone. Education must therefore pursue perennial
truths. These truths are absolute and universal. The philosophy presupposes that there are
permanent studies and knowledge that is available, particularly from the great books, which
should be taught to all students.

The stress is on significance of reason and intellectual development. Important disciplines

should be taught in their traditional discrete forms in the curriculum, such as history, geography,
and civics, rather than being combined and given the name "Social Studies," for example. Due to
their capacity to hone the mind, other courses that are stressed include literature, philosophy, and
religion.

Essentialism; it focuses on traditional subjects, reading, writing, and mathematics. This

philosophy aims to instill students with the essentials of academic knowledge and character
development. As with perennialism, essentialism is also on the major traditional philosophies of
idealism and realism. Essentialist’s educational aims are to develop intellectual powers, as well
as educate competent persons. Adult education should therefore not be side-tracked into catering
to the personal problems and social needs of students. Cultural heritage needs should be
considered for curriculum making. Essential skills especially reading, writing, and arithmetic
(the three Rs) and academic subjects such as English, science, and mathematics are given priority
in the education process with an emphasis on mastery of concepts and principles of subject-
matter.

Progressivism; progressivism is one of the educational philosophies originating from

pragmatism. Besides Dewey’s contribution, other scholars in this area include Montessori,
Cornelius, and Rousseau. Their studies and research geared towards identifying the most
appropriate type and nature of curriculum for learners. The goal of progressivist education is to
encourage social interaction and democratic education. A curriculum that is child- or learner-
centered is the other main focus. Therefore, among other things, the curriculum is focused on the
learners' interests, requirements, skills, and aspirations. A progressive education curriculum
focused on five approaches to the teaching and learning process, including learner-centered
teaching and learning methods, adaptable curricula, and personalised instruction. Selection of
study material should be in line with the expressed interests and concerns of the adult learner.
Also, Non-formal curriculum activities and physical training in areas like games, related hobbies,
and other co-curricular areas should be included. The aim of this form of education is to provide
a learning atmosphere that allows children maximum self-direction and to reduce teacher
domination in the teaching/learning process. Progressive education curriculum emphasized five
approaches to the teaching/learning process, namely: Concerning progressivism, the emphasis is
on a child-centered curriculum, which necessitates a flexible and broad curriculum and emphasis
on practical skills.

In general, it is possible to identify elements of past education in the present-day

curricula in many education systems within the adult education in Tanzania and in the rest of the
world, depending on the past history.

Reconstructionism; it hold on to an anthropological-sociological philosophy that put

schools at the fore-front of re-making society. Reconstructionism evolved from a critical
perspective of the work of the progressivists who put much emphasis on the needs of the learner,
sometimes at the expense of societal needs. Reconstructionists’ educational aims are to improve
and reconstruct society as need be, as well as education for change and social reform. Thus, the
study of contemporary social problems becomes the focus of curriculum content. The critical
social problems might be national or global including such issues as oppression, poverty, hunger,
racial or ethnic strife, war, and health issues such as HIV/Aids. The reconstructionists believe
that resources are available to solve these problems and the education profession could be the
catalyst to prepare and organize future generations to make this possible. They, however, try to
avoid indoctrinating learners; rather, they seek to lead them in rational discussion and critical
analysis of issues.

Logical Reasoning; if the aim of a particular core requirement is to develop habits of

careful, critical thought in adult education, then philosophy is especially well-suited to the
realization of this aim. The study of philosophy helps adult learners to develop both their
capacity and their inclination to do critical thinking. Other disciplines also help in fulfilling this
function, but philosophy contributes distinctively, intensively, and extensively to a learner’s
ability to think critically. Many philosophy departments regularly offer a course devoted
exclusively to the topic of critical thinking. Philosophy courses can also contribute admirably to
curricula that stress more formal modes of logical reasoning, emphasizing the goals of
quantitative literacy and symbolic reasoning. Successful courses in the disciplines of
mathematics, statistics, and computer science that aim at such a goal succeed by inculcating the
skills of reasoning rigorously and logically in students. Philosophy courses in formal logic focus
on those skills that are common to all these disciplines.

Philosophy is indeed at the heart of training processes and program designing or

curriculum development. It guides educators in formulating beliefs, arguments and assumptions,
and in making value judgments. It also helps provide a broad outlook in answering what schools
and what subjects are important, how students should learn, and what materials and methods
should be used. This is, however, just a starting point. Since there is a strong political element
involved in curriculum, it is important for us as educators to recognize what philosophy underlies
the curriculum and to decide how curriculum in educating students who will become members
and leaders in society.
 REFERENCES

Akinpelu, J. A. (1981). An Introduction to Philosophy of Education. Macmillan General Books.

Button, L. (2021). Philosophical Foundations of Curriculum. Curriculum Essentials: A Journey.

Elias & Merriam (1980). Identifying Your Educational Philosophy: Development of the

Philosophies Held by Instructors of Lifelong-Learners (PHIL).

https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/adult-education

Jumani, N. B., Malik, S., Warner, S. C., & Malik, M. A. (2021). Philosophy in Education.

Malik, m.a (2020). Philosophy in Education An Islamic and Western Approach for 21 st Century
Learners (1st Edition). – Unique Publishers. Multan, Pakistan.

Ogwara, et Al (2013). Philosophical Foundations of Curriculum

Price, D. W. (2000). Philosophy and the adult educator. Adult Learning, 11(2), 3-5.