Philosophies and

theories of
education
EDU 201
 Chapter’s contents
 main philosophies and theories of education
 How these influence what happens in schools

- what type of students are accepted

- whether students with special needs are
accepted
- whether students with special needs are
given special attention in class
- what grades and passing scores are used
Important philosophical questions
Who should attend school ?
What should we teach them?
How should teaching be carried
on?
Philosophies & theories of education
*We study philosophies because they
 Help us decide on our philo
 answer questions of who to teach, what, how

* Philosophies of education explain basic terms:

 Metaphysics
 Epistemology
 Axiology
 logic
Philosophies & theories of education
 Metaphysics

- refers to the nature of reality (creation..)

- philo have different definitions of reality
- e.g idealists (spiritual) vs pragmatists
(experiences define our reality)
 Epistemology

- refers to which knowledge & teaching

methods are favored (Socratic Method vs
problem solving)
Philosophies & theories of education
 Axiology

- refers to ethics and aesthetics

 Logic

- deductive (idealists & realists): from

general statements to specific
applications
- or inductive (pragmatism): all ideas are
tentative & open for more proof
 1. Philosophy of idealism
 Metaphysics
 Only the mental or spiritual is real
 Our individual spiritual essence or soul is permanent
 The universe is created by superior intelligence/will
 Uses concepts of microcosm and macrocosm to explain
reality
 Macrocosm: universal mind always thinking & valuing
 Microcosm: lesser self of same spiritual essence as
macrocosm
 Philosophy of idealism
Epistemology
 Latent ideas already present in mind upon birth (a priori)
 Through introspection we examine our mind & find
copy of macrocosm mind
Axiology
 Values reflect the inner goodness of the universe (giving,
forgiving, beauty…)
 So values are eternal universal

Logic: deductive
 Philosophy of idealism
 Basic questions (application in schools)
 Purpose of education intellectual development +
bringing ideas to one’s consciousness
 School a social agency where students discover truths
about beauty, good life…
 Teachers should provide best education to brightest
students (because not all have same intellectual ability)
 Use Socratic Method & insist on high academic
standards
 2. philosophy of realism
*Metaphysics & epistemology
- Reality is found in a world of objects and how these are
perceived
Knowing begins with sensory experience followed by abstract
knowledge
*Axiology
 Certain rules govern intellectual behavior
 We should follow natural, social, physical laws of universe
 Values eternal universal & so are values based on them

* Logic: both
 philosophy of realism
 Basic questions (application to schooling)
 School has academic purposes of transmitting basic
ideas/concepts in each course in teachable learnable
ways
 Teachers are competent in their fields, provide &
expect high academic standards
 Realist teachers focus on teaching basic skills &
mastery of content &
 refuse activities that interfere with academics
 philosophy of pragmatism
 Philo developed in USA
 Stresses testing ideas / applying & judge their
consequences
 Some founders: Dewey, Pierce
 Use scientific method to validate ideas in
education, religion, psychology…
 Since living depends on problem solving,
education should train students in this process
 philosophy of pragmatism
 Metaphysics & epistemology
 Reality results from our interaction with
environment
 we and our environment constantly change so
reality is constantly changing
 So we cannot teach fixed ideas but focus on
problem solving (research methods) because helps
us keep up with change
 philosophy of pragmatism
* Axiology & logic
 Values highly relative to time place circumstances
 What’s valuable is what contributes to human &
social growth
* Logic
- This experimentalist philosophy uses inductive
logic based on scientific method
 philosophy of pragmatism
 Basic questions (application to schooling)
 School is a lab where students
 examine new ideas to see if they are
practical
 Create, question and explore
 Teachers are facilitators and guides to
learning
 philosophy of pragmatism
 Basic questions (application to schooling)
 good education is offered to all students because
all have the right to good schooling
 Best knowledge comes from experience and
interaction with the environment i.e. problems and
issues students face in daily life are examined in
class
 philosophy of pragmatism
 So field trips, experiments, cooperative learning,
and problem solving are among the best methods
for teaching and learning
 Schools should encourage learning through
research and should improve students’ whole
beings
philosophy of existentialism
 Metaphysics

-we are born then we create our essence

-We create our reality through choices we make
-We are born with freedom of choice and will to
determine our self definition
But we are responsible for the consequences
philosophy of existentialism
 Epistemology
 we choose the knowledge we want to acquire and
how we will learn
 Axiology
 We choose our values through our behaviors
 Logic: we choose the logic we prefer
philosophy of existentialism
 The basic questions
 The most important knowledge that schools can
provide is that of the human condition and the
choices that each one has to make
 Aim of education is to develop our awareness
about the freedom to choose
philosophy of existentialism
 Teachers encourage students to philosophize about
the meaning of life, love, death
 There is philosophical dialogue in class between
students and teacher
 Important subjects: drama, literature, art,
biographies that show individuals involved in act
of making choices
 Method of instruction is form of self awareness
 Theories of education
1. Theory of perennialism
-Educational theory depends heavily on principles of
realism
-perennialist schools follow Aristotle in combining
senses and mind as source of knowledge
Schools are purely academic: no elective courses and
no time to deal with emotional adjustment and
vocational training
 Perennialism

 Literature, math, sciences, history are important

school subjects (Liberal arts education )
 Such schools are accused of preferring elite
students and not democratic because intellectually
able students are pro=vided quality education. The
rest go to vocational schools
 Good conduct is stressed in school
 Theory of essentialism
 Rooted in idealism and realism
 Stresses order, discipline, hard work
 Teachers should be skilled in their subjects and in
teaching methods
 School time is sent on mastering content and basic
skills, no electives at sec. sch
 Schools should cultivate the mind, transmit cultural
heritage to students, and civilize human beings
 Theory of progressivism
 Rooted in philo of pragmatism
 Against traditional schooling methods and
authoritarian class management
 School should be permissive flexile environment
 All learning is based on students’ needs and
interests (staying healthy and fit, improvement of
intellect, not self conscious, staying sincere and
responsible…)
 Theory of progressivism
 Principles:
 Children allowed to develop naturally
 Cooperation bet home and school
 Focus on activities, projects, experiments,
experience, problem solving method
 Teachers guide student learning but no
transmission of knowledge