MODULE 2

Philosophical Bases of Education

1. Discuss the philosophical bases of education.

2. Identify objectives, activities or content of the K 12 Curriculum which represent
these philosophies.
3. Differentiate the philosophies of curriculum development

Five Philosophical Bases:

1. Perennialism
Perennialism maintain the basic principles f education as changeless
and perennial.
For the perennialists, the aim of education is to ensure that the students
acquire understandings about the great ideas of Western civilization. These
ideas have the potential f solving problems in any era. The focus is to teach
ideas that are everlasting to seek enduring o on truths which were constant, not
changing, as the natural and human worlds at their most essential level, do not
change. Teaching these unchanging principles is critical. Humans are rational
beings, and their minds need to be developed. Thus, cultivation of the intellectis
the highest priority in a worthwhile education. The demanding curriculum
focuses on attaining cultural literacy, stressing students’ growth in enduring
disciplines. The loftiest accomplishments of humankind are emphasized- the
great works of literature and art, the laws or principles of science. Advocates of
this educational philosophy are Robert Maynard Hutchins who developed a
Great Books program in 1963 and Mortimer Adler, who further developed this
curriculum based on western civilization.
From the above discussion, the following are principles of perennialism:
a. Since the nature of education is constant, so is the nature of education.
b. Since man’s distinguishing characteristic is his reason, education should
concentrate on developing rationalism.
c. It is the only adjustment to truth which is universal and unchanging.
d. Education is not a replica of life but a preparation for it. Education is not an
imitation of life but a preparation for life.
e. Children should be taught certain basic subjects that will acquaint them
with the world’s permanencies, both spiritual and physical.
f. The permanencies are best studied in what the perennialists call as Grate
Books.
g. Men everywhere are basically the same, hence, education should be the
same for everyone.
h. Men vary from society to society, but the function of man as a man should
be the same is the same in every age and every society.
i. If man is a rational animal there must be constant features of a sound
educational program, regardless of culture.
j. Education is a task to adjust to the truth which is eternal rather than to the
contemporary world.

2. Essentialism
Essentialists believe that there is a common core of knowledge that needs to
be transmitted to students in a systematic and disciplined way. The emphasis in
this conservative perspective is on the intellectual and moral standards that
schools should teach. The core of the curriculum is essential knowledge and
skills and academic rigor. Although this educational philosophy is similar in some
ways to perennialism, essentialists accept the idea that the core curriculum may
change. Schooling should be practical, preparing students to become valuable
members of society. It should focus on facts- the objective reality out there, and
the “the basics,” training students to read, write and compute clearly and
logically. Schools should not try to set or influence policies. Students should be
taught hard work, respect for authority and discipline. Teachers are to help
 students keep their non-productive instincts in check, such as aggression and
mindfulness.
Therefore, the following are the important principles of essentialism
a. Learning involves hard work and application. The learners should be
taught to learn the skills by themselves diligently and perform exercises
on their own. Parents should not be the ones to accomplish the reading,
writing and mathematics lessons because their children will never learn
the skills.
b. The initiative in education lies on the teacher rather than with the
learners. That is why teachers spend a lot time for planning, preparing
visual aids and evaluating the results of teaching.
c. The core of education is the absorption of prescribed subject and
subject matter. Mastery is emphasized so that the succeeding lessons
will be easier, problems can be solved easily by the students.
d. The school should retain the traditional methods of mental discipline.
Do you remember when you first learn how to read? Your teacher
required you to memorize the alphabet and their sounds before you can
read properly. In multiplication, you were required to memorize the
multiplication table.

As a whole, the essentialists devote their efforts to examine curricular

matters, distinguishing the essential and non-essential programs, re-
establishing the authority of the teacher in the classroom. It failed to cultivate
the initiative of the child by requiring him to absorb the subject matter that he
has neither chosen or arranged.

3. Progressivism

Progressivists believe that education should focus on the whole child,

rather than on the content of the teacher. This philosophy stresses that
students should test ideas by active experimentation. Learning is rooted in the
questions of learners that arise through experiencing the world. It is active not
passive. The learner is a problem solver and thinker who makes meaning
through his or her individual experience in the physical and cultural context.
Effective teachers provide experiences so the students can learn by doing.
Curriculum content is derived from the student interests and questions. The
scientific method is used by progressivist educators so that students can study
matter and events systematically and first hand. The emphasis is on-process-
how one comes to know. John Dewey was the foremost proponent. One of his
tenets was the school should improve the way of life of our citizens through
experiencing freedom and democracy in schools. Shared decision making,
planning of teachers and students, selected topics are all aspects. Books are
tools rather than authority.

Dewey expressed his educational philosophy in terms of the following:

a. Education is life. Education is life not a preparation for life. This is

based on the idea that education is not learned alone but it is living. In
other words, education must be viewed as an affair of the on-going life
of society.
b. Education is growth. According to Dewey, it means growth in
knowledge, habits, skills, abilities and attitudes. Education grows with
the growth of society. As long as growth continues, education is taking
place. Education grows with the growth of humanity. Education is a
continuous process because its source is life, thus education is growth
and development.
c. Education is a social process. The concept means that education is a
social function or social process. The construction of the aim of
education is the study f the child in connection with the conditions and
institutions of society. Dewey believes that education should be
integrated from the social standpoint because society insures its
 continuance through the education of its young. By sharing its
experience through the process of communication, society transmit its
way to the young and thus perpetuates itself.

The following principles are derived:

a. The child is the center of the educational process. This means that the
abilities, interests and needs of the child must be considered in the
selection and organization of programs and activities.
b. Promoting total growth of the child is the main aim of education. This
means growth in knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes.
c. Teaching and learning must utilize the theory of self-activity. This is
based on Dewey’s belief that we learn by experiencing and reacting.
The teacher must bear in mind that he/she cannot learn for his/her
pupils. Similarly, parents cannot learn for their children.
d. Evaluation is an integral part of teaching and learning. Evaluation
completes the teaching process or pattern. Through evaluation the
teacher can identify the area of the lesson that is not learned by the
students and it guides him/her in deciding whether to re-teach,
reinforce or continue the lesson.
e. Thinking and reasoning are stressed in classroom activities. Truth can
be achieved through reasoning.

The Child-Centered Philosophy of Education

The child-centered-education finds the chief value of education

in the child. The curriculum is selected and organized according to the
physiological principles of learning that stresses the child’s interests, motivation
and activities. The learning situation is based on the experiences f the child. The
teacher must direct and guide the child. Rousseau was the first to insist that
education shall be based on the nature of the child.

Thorndike likewise recognizes the nature of the child as the first

principle of education. The child’s nature or what the child inherits from his
ancestors is his capital with which education must work. His intelligence,
attitudes, interests and desires underlie the educative process.

In spite of the difference traits and tendencies, the child must be

considered as a whole. The child grows and develops as a whole organism,
therefore, he must be the center of the educative process.

4. Reconstructionism

It aims to reconstruct society, thus education is for change.

Education acts as an agent of change and reforms. It focuses on present
and educational landscape. The trends are curricular global education,
collaboration and convergence, standards and competencies.

5. Existentialism

This school of philosophy is the most recent to appear upon the intellectual
sense. The only significance is the meaning that each individual gives to his/her life.
Each person is free to make whatever choices he wishes. These decisions and
commitments result in the kind of persons one becomes. This is his/her essence which
is continually becoming, When man is aware of his identity as an individual alone, he
realizes the true reason for his real existence. However, it is imperative that every
human being chooses and finds some significance and meaning for himself in the act of
existing.
Some existentialists assert that God exists. They however admit the
impossibility of proving this by reason. They choose to believe it in the absence of any
evidence. They believe the existence of God through faith, on the basis of this faith
yields a significant life which may or may not be rewarded at its termination. ”Existence
is the basic value for man and the values which are significant for each individual are
relative to the individual circumstance of one’s existence.”
To the existentialists, the purpose of education is to serve the individual human
being by guiding him an awareness of his condition and promoting his successful
commitment to a significant existence. Complete individual freedom of the child in the
classroom is recommended by this philosophy and that he must choose for himself
those activities which he believes are significant, and the teacher serves as guide and a
resource person.

Activity:

1. After reading these 5 philosophies, identify subjects in the grade level

that you are teaching where each philosophy is applied. Explain why.