WERABE UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

MA IN CURRICULUM STUDIES

Course Name: The Foundations of Education

Course Code: CuS 511

Title: Home takes exams

NAME: - SADIK SIRGAGA

ID NO. TECSR/0008/14

Submitted to Yelfa Shewa (ASS .pro.)

Werabe University
Feb/2022
Q7 List at least three definitions of philosophy given by scholars. In
your own words, define the term philosophy.

 Socrates define Philosophy it believe that philosophy should attain practical

results for the greater happiness of society. He attempted to establish an ethical
structure based on human reason rather than theological policy. Socrates
pointed out that human choice was motivated by the desire for happiness.
 Plato define Philosophy in metaphysics envisioned a systematic, rational treatment
of the forms and their interrelations, starting with the most important among them
in ethics and moral psychology he established the view that the good life requires not
just a certain kind of knowledge (as Socrates had suggested).
 Aristotle's define philosophy stresses biology, instead of mathematics like Plato. He
thought the world was made up of individuals (substances) happening in fixed natural
kinds (species). Each individual has built-in patterns of development, which help it
grow toward becoming a completely developed individual of its kind. Which means I
think as student from the above philosophy individual seen in the world in their own
view?

Q14. Discuss broadly about realism/ naturalism as school of philosophy

 Realism is a manner and method of composition by which the author describes

normal, average life, in an accurate, truthful way,” while “Naturalism is a manner
and method of composition by which the author portrays 'life as it is' in accordance
with the philosophic theory of determinism.
 realism, in philosophy, the viewpoint which accords to things which are known
or perceived an existence or nature which is independent of whether anyone is
thinking about or perceiving them.
 The basic concepts of naturalism Naturalism is the belief that nothing exists
beyond the natural world. Instead of using supernatural or spiritual explanations,
naturalism focuses on explanations that come from the laws of nature
 naturalism, in philosophy, a theory that relates scientific method to philosophy
by affirming that all beings and events in the universe (whatever their inherent
character may be) are natural. Consequently, all knowledge of the universe falls
within the pale of scientific investigation.
  Similarities and differences of Realism and Naturalism
 Similarities

1) They are both "basic" views of life and humanity, stripping away the layers of romanticism
to present a “natural" or "real" outlook of the work. They refuse to idealize or flatter the
subject. They avoid artificial, fantasy, or supernatural elements.

2) Both of these pessimistic views emerged in the 19th century, a period known for its trials
and turmoil.

3) God is absent from most of the writing in either category, with writers opting for a focus
on the real world.

 Differences

1) Realism sought to be a faithful representation of life, while naturalism was more like a
"chronicle of despair." In a way, naturalism proceeded from realism, and can be seen as an
exaggerated form of realism; it shows humans as being determined by environment, heredity,
and social conditions beyond their control, and thus rather helpless to escape their
circumstances.

2) While in realism the main focus was on the middle class and its problems, naturalism often
focused on poorly educated or lower-class characters, and on themes involving violence and
taboo activities.

3) While in realism, faithful representation of reality including the details of nature is

important, in Naturalism, nature itself is a force, generally a powerful, indifferent mechanism.

 The main characteristics of naturalism’s

 Nature alone is the entire reality. ...

 Naturalism has no belief in spiritual values. ...
 They believe scientific knowledge to be of highest worth.
 Here society is only an artificial structure. ...
 It does not have faith in the existence of the soul, God, and the spiritual world
 The main characteristics of realism

 Detail. Detail is that special something, that je ne sais quoi that sets Realism apart from other
literary schools. ...
 Transparent Language. ...
 Omniscient Narrator. ...
 Verisimilitude. ...
 The Novel. ...
 The Quotidian. ...
 Character. ...
 Social Critique
 The important of naturalism in education

Naturalism in education stands for the doctrine of “follow nature” in education. It wants all
education to be in strict conformity with the nature of the child. It stands for complete
freedom to be given to the child in learning. He is to be left alone, absolutely free

 The important of realism in education

Realism has probably had the greatest impact on educational philosophy, because it is the
foundation of scientific reasoning. Realist educators encourage students to draw their
observations and conclusions from the world around them, rather than confining themselves
to an analysis of their own ideas

 Aims of naturalism

Naturalism emphasises free and spontaneous self-expression of the child. Its watchword is
“Back to Nature” as expounded by Rousseau and Gandhiji. Thus, the whole of the child's
learning will come from his own experiences and their natural consequences

 Aims of realism
The aim of education according to realism is to give to the pupil a complete knowledge and
understanding of human society human nature, motives and institutions. Education must
explain to the pupil how he is related to the world of man and to the world of nature

 The role of naturalism in philosophy and education

In naturalism, maximum freedom and central position is given to the child. This philosophy
believes that education should be according to the nature of child. It advocates creation of
natural conditions in which natural development of child can take place. ... Education from
nature is to prepare a natural man.
  The role of realism in philosophy and education

Realism has probably had the greatest impact on educational philosophy, because it is the
foundation of scientific reasoning. Realist educators encourage students to draw their
observations and conclusions from the world around them, rather than confining themselves
to an analysis of their own ideas.

 Advantages and disadvantages of realism/ naturalism as school of philosophy

 Advantages of realism

Some of the advantages that are comprised in the realism model include flexibility of the
model. Flexibility in this case is demonstrated by the fact the models are comprised of many
theories that has enabled theorists to further develop other research study via using realism as
its basis

 Disadvantages of realism

 Emphasis on the immediate reality of the physical: World critics are of the opinion that
realism ignores the ultimate reality of the spiritual world on account of its zeal for immediate
reality of material world. ...
 Realism ignores the importance of emotions, imaginations etc.

 Advantages of naturalism

An advantage of naturalistic observation is that it allows the investigators to directly

observe the subject in a natural setting. 1 The method gives scientists a first-hand look at
social behaviour and can help them notice things that they might never have encountered in a
lab setting.
  Disadvantages of naturalism

 It doesn't allow for cultural differences.

 It's too simplistic.
 Right or wrong is subjective not objective.
 Do ethical/moral situations have evidence?

 Types of naturalism

There are a variety of naturalisms, including: ontological naturalism, which holds that
reality contains no supernatural entities; methodological naturalism, which holds that
philosophical inquiry should be consistent with scientific method; and moral naturalism,
which typically holds that there are moral facts

 Types of realism

Thus, the two basic forms of idealism are metaphysical idealism, which asserts the ideality
of reality, and epistemological idealism, which holds that in the knowledge process the mind
can grasp only the psychic or that its objects are conditioned by their perceptibility.

Q21. What is the purpose of studying history to the field of education?

History of education helps one to draw comparisons of the origins and development of
several different ideas, practices and theories of education in different societies. In that
way it can help one to formulate better ideas, patterns and principles and provide a larger
perspective.

through history, we can learn how past societies, systems, ideologies, governments,
cultures and technologies were built, how they operated, and how they have changed. ...
All this knowledge makes them more rounded people who are better prepared to learn in all
their academic subjects.

History of Education is studied for the following reasons:

 Improving the quality of education

 The study of the past educational experience has many lessons that can be used to improve
present educational theory and practice. The problems and challenges we face in our
education today are not unique; others have faced the same problems and attempted
solutions with varying degrees of success or failure. We can adopt their successes and avoid
their mistakes in attempting to improve our education. History of education is rich in both
failures and breakthroughs for us to run away from or copy, respectively.

 Strengthening the professional competence of the teacher

A proper study of the history of education affects the way in which teachers or student
teachers conduct their personal and professional activities. The subject contributes to
strengthening both by encouraging the teacher to examine, evaluate, accept or modify the
cultural heritage; and to become an educational critic and agent for intelligent cultural
transmission and change, rather than blindly accept the educational status quo, ideas,
practices and unchallenged claims. In other words, an examination of educational theories
and practices in their historical context encourages teachers to adopt a critical attitude
towards present theories and practices.

 Understanding our own educational systems

The past illuminates the present. History not only teaches what education is, but also where it
came from, why it came to be, and what it is bound to become in the future. History of
education is a narrative of the origins, growth and development of educational institutions,
methods, concepts, aims, curricular, theory and practice without which they would appear
new, unexplored, and untried to us in the present world. History of education thus helps us
to appreciate the road travelled by education to reach where it is today.

 Making comparisons within a historical perspective

History of education helps one to draw comparisons of the origins and development of
several different ideas, practices and theories of education in different societies. In that way it
can help one to formulate better ideas, patterns and principles and provide a larger
perspective. It may also enable one to draw from and act imaginatively using a broader range
of humanity than that represented by a single cultural experience. Apart from drawing a
comparison in the evolution of educational ideas, one is also able to show the development of
 a particular theory and practice in historical context, and demonstrate the particular
conditions out of which such a theory or practice arose and the specific purpose it was
intended to serve.

Making comparisons within a historical perspective enables one to use the power of
contextual study to introduce innovation by formulating new and better questions, generating
fruitful hypotheses and initiating unexplored lines of inquiry.

 Satisfying intellectual curiosity

History of education is like other areas of knowledge, with its own body of knowledge and
conventional methods of acquiring this knowledge. Human beings, and no less teachers and
teachers-to-be are possessed with the inherent desire or curiosity to explore and know what
education is, where it came from, and where it is going. Studying history of education
satisfies this inmate desire. One need not go beyond this reason to justify the study of history
of education.

 Developing powers

The fruitful study of history of education compels us to train and exercise all our aspects of
intellectual activity, excites curiosity and the spirit of inquiry, disciplines the faculty of
reason, and cultivates the arts of self-expression and communication. Historical study is also
basic to cultivating the attitudes of the mind that characterize the educated person, the habits
of scepticism and criticism; of thinking with broad perspective and objectivity; of
distinguishing between the good and the bad in human experience. The historical study of
education gives one the discerning eye to give shape, form, organization, sequence and
interrelationship and relative importance of ideas.

 Exposing one to knowledge in other

Historians of education must always go beyond the confines of their discipline to fully
understand the nature of the phenomena they study. They particularly need to be acquainted
with the social sciences such as sociology, psychology, philosophy and comparative
education, which can be used in a mutually enriching way to analyse important educational
ideas. Though scholars in each discipline may operate from their own particular perspective,
they must of necessity all draw from the well of history, which contains the raw record of
human experience, and sets the context of events in a time continuum within which other
disciplines must operate. The study of history of education thus exposes one to
knowledge in other social sciences and humanities, which are engaged in the study of human
affairs.
 Q28. Briefly discuss the Greek and Roman contributions to the world education

Different scholars’ showed that Greek and Roman was the great contributions to the world
education or mainly the starting point of knowledge in the world.

Greek education contributed the idea of a balance between mental and physical
education, which was why much took place in the gymnasium. It also contributed the idea of
higher education conducted by a mentor interacting with a small number of students in
dialogue.

The Greeks made important contributions to rationalism philosophy were followed

mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. And they believe mainly theoretically reason out
(dialogue).

Literature and theatre was an important aspect of Greek culture and influenced modern
drama. The Greeks were known for their sophisticated sculpture and architecture.
There for fore the current status of modern education Greek and Roman established strong
base for world education.
The Romans education was based on the classical Greek tradition but infused with
Roman politics, cosmology, and religious beliefs. The only children to receive a formal
education were the children of the rich. The very rich families employed a private tutor to
teach their children.

Roman contributions to the world education

 Roman Numerals.
 An Early form of Newspaper.
 Modern Plumbing and Sanitary Management.
 Using Arches to Build Structures.
 The Hypocaust System.
 Aqueducts.
 The First Surgical Tools.
 Developing Concrete to Strengthen Roman Building

Q35. Write a short note about social stratification and social mobility.

 Definition of Social Stratification

Social stratification is a system by which society categorizes people, and ranks them in a
hierarchy. This ranking is done based on several factors like race, education, income,
occupation, social status and power. Those in higher ranks are more likely to have access to
various resources and enjoy more privileges when compared to those in lower ranks.
Moreover, all societies have a system of stratification. Most western countries have social
stratification based on wealth and income. There are three classes in such societies: upper
class, middle class and lower class.
Furthermore, there are four main principles of social stratification:

1. Social stratification persists over generations.

2. It is universal (exists in every society), but variable (the system of stratification varies
across time and place)
3. It is a trait of society, not just a reflection of individual differences.
4. Stratification involves inequality as well as beliefs and attitudes.
 Types of Social Stratification

There are two main types of social stratification systems as closed system and open system.
 A closed system tends to be extremely rigid, and does not allow changes in social
positions. In such systems, social position is based on ascribed status, or social
position you inherit at birth. For example, the Indian caste system where people are
categorized into four main castes: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra.
Members of the castes are not allowed to associated or marry into other castes, and it
is not possible to move from one caste to another.

 Open system, on the other hand, allows more change and freedom. The class system
we see in many modern societies is an open system. In open society, there is a
possibility to move from one class to another based on one’s achievements.
 Definition of Social Mobility

Social mobility is the changes in position within the social hierarchy. In the section above, we
talked about how it’s possible to move from one class to another in an open social
stratification system. Social mobility is actually the ability to move within social ranks in
society. As discussed above, closed social systems allow little social mobility, whereas open
social systems allow more social mobility.
In social stratification, social mobility can occur in three directions:

o lower to higher
o higher to lower
o between two positions at the same level
Accordingly, there are two types of social mobility as vertical mobility and horizontal
mobility.
 Vertical mobility is the movement from one status to another. This brings changes in
class, occupation, and power. There are two types of vertical mobility as upward
mobility (e.g., from middle class to upper class) and downward mobility (e.g.: from
middle class to lower class).
 Horizontal mobility, on the other hand, is the movement from one social group to
another group on the same level. This indicates a change in position, but not a change
in status.

 Difference between Social Stratification and Social Mobility

 Based on the Definition

Social stratification is the way people are ranked and ordered in society, while social mobility
is the movement of individuals through a system of social stratification.

 Based on Universality

Moreover, social stratification is universal, but social mobility is not possible in every system
of social stratification. In fact, there is very little room for social mobility in closed social
systems.

 Based on Types

There are two basic types of social stratification systems as open system and closed system,
whereas there are two types of social mobility as horizontal mobility and vertical mobility.
Generally The main difference between social stratification and social mobility is that social
stratification is the way people are ranked and ordered in society, while social mobility is the
movement of individuals through a system of social stratification.