Philosophical

Foundation of
Education

LET Review
Paolo N. Menozo
Lecturer
PART I: KNOWLEDGE
UPDATE
BASIC CONCEPTS
 Concepts from General
Philosophy
 Philosophy (from the Greek words,
"Philia" and "Sophia," meaning "love of
wisdom") - is defined technically as the
science of beings in their ultimate
reasons, causes and principles,
acquired by human reason alone.
 In brief, it is the field of reason.
 Branches of Philosophy
I. Metaphysics. It is the theories of
reality. It covers such sub-
branches as
A. Cosmology (origin and
development of the cosmos)
 Views in Cosmology
 Evolutionism – universe evolved
of itself
 Creationism – universe came to be
as the result of the working of a
Creative Personality or God
 Metaphysics
B. Nature of Man as an important aspect
of reality
 Nature of the Self
a. The self is a soul, a spiritual being. (idealism)
b. The self is essentially the same as the body.
(realism and naturalism)
c. The self is a social-vocal phenomenon.
(experimentalism)
d. The self is a sheer fact where it is. It is
thrown into some place or situation which is
locus of its being (existentialist)
 Metaphysics
C. Problem of freedom
determinism (cosmos is governed by
forces or laws beyond the control of man);
man is not free
free will (man has the power of choice and
is capable of genuine initiative)
Man is neither free or determined. Man
can and does delay some of his responses
long enough to reconstruct a total
response, not completely automatic but
not free, which give a new direction to
subsequent activity
 Metaphysics
D. Conceptions about God
 Atheism – there is no ultimate reality or God
 Theism – ultimate reality is a Personal God who is
more than the cosmos but within whom and
through whom the cosmos exists
 Monotheism – belief in one God
 Polytheism – spiritual reality is plural. There is
more than one God.
 Pantheism – all is God and God is all. The
cosmos and God are identical
 Deism – God exists quite apart from, and
disinterested in, the physical universe and human
beings. But he created all natural and moral laws.
 Metaphysics
D. Teleology (meaning or purpose of
life)
 Philosophies holding that the world is
what it is because of chance, accident, or
blind mechanism are non-teleological
 Philosophies holding that there has been
purpose in the universe from its
beginning, and purpose can be discerned
in history are teleological
 Metaphysics
E. Constancy or Lack of Constancy
 absolutism (constancy) –
fundamental reality is constant,
unchanging, fixed, permanent,
dependable, universal
 relativism (lack of constancy) –
reality is changing, subjective,
contingent
 Metaphysics
F. Problems of Quantity ( number of realities)
 monism – reality is unified. It is mind or
matter or energy or will ---but only of these
 dualism – reality is two. Usually these
realities are antithetical like spirit and matter,
good and evil. One is more important than
the other.
 pluralism (many realities) – minds, things,
materials, energies, laws, processes etc. All
maybe considered as equally important and
to some degree they are independent with
each other
 Metaphysics
G. Ontology (the meaning of existence as such. To
exist, to have being is what)
 Space-time or nature as identical with
existence. To exist means to occupy time and
space, to be matter of physical energy (realism
and naturalism)
 Spirit or God as identical with existence. To
exist means to be Mind or Spirit, or to be
dependent upon Mind or Spirit (idealism)
 For pragmatists, they insist that everything is in
flux or change and there is nothing which fits
into the category of existence in any ultimate
sense.
 Branches of Philosophy
II. Epistemology. It is the theory of
knowledge. Its major concerns are the
nature of knowledge itself and the
grounds for its validity.
 The possibility of knowledge
a. Agnosticism - coined a/by Thomas
Huxley which means "not being able to
know" or belief in the impossibility of
knowledge.
b. Skepticism is the doubting or
questioning attitude towards
knowledge (also known as the
scientific attitude).
c. Affirmation of knowledge. It is the
possibility of knowledge.
 Two kinds of knowledge
a. A priori - knowledge not requiring
observation; literally means "before" or
"prior to“. Knowledge is self-evident.
Principles which, when once understood, are
recognized to be true and don’t require proof
of observation
b. A posteriori - knowledge based on
observation; literally means "after" or
"posterior to”.
c. Experimental – knowledge that is something
to be put to work in experience as a function
which carries experience forward
satisfactorily
Types of knowledge according to
means / instruments
a. Empirical - knowledge acquired
through sense perception (equivalent
to scientific knowledge). The school of
thought is known as empiricism.
b. Rational - knowledge acquired
primarily through reason and belief is
called rationalism.
c. Intuitive - knowledge acquired
primarily through intuition (sudden
flash of insight) and the belief is known
as intuitionism.
Types of knowledge according to
means / instruments

d. Authoritative - knowledge acquired

through an authority (expertise) and the
belief is known as authoritarianism
e. Revealed. Knowledge acquired
through revelation (what God discloses
to man). And the belief is revelation
ism. It is also called religious
knowledge.
 Branches of Philosophy
III. Logic. Is the science and art of
correct thinking/reasoning. The types
of logic are also known as modes or
methods of thinking.
 Types of Logic
a. Inductive.It is reasoning from
particular/specific to general/universal.
Popular in the sciences because it leads to
the discovery of principles, laws, etc.
b. Deductive. It is reasoning from the
general/universal to the particulars/specifics.
It main justification is to show proofs of the
known principle. It is often used in
Mathematics,
Syllogism is the verbal form of deductive
reasoning.
 Example of Syllogism

All men are mortal.

Pedro is a man.
Therefore, Pedro is mortal.
 Types of Logic
c. Dialectic. It is reasoning in which the
conflict or contrast of ideas is used a
means of detecting the truth. In Hegel's
dialectic, there are three stages: thesis
(affirmation of the idea); antithesis
(negation of the idea); and synthesis
(reaffirmation of the idea or truth
itself).
d. Experimental or problem solving. It is
the testing of hypothesis and makes
use of both induction an deduction.
 Branches of Philosophy
IV. Axiology. It is the theory of values
(from the root word/'axios" meaning "of
like value" or "worth as much as")
- the nature of values, the different kinds
of value, specific values worthy of
possesion
 Theories on nature of values
a. interest theory - believes that values depend
upon the interest of the person who enjoys
them. What is desired has value.
b. existence theory. Believes that values have
an existence on their own right, which is
independent of the valuer/person and his
interest. Values are not qualities or essences
without foundation in existence; they are
essence plus existence.
 Theories on nature of values
c. Experimentalist theory. Believes that
what is of value yields a greater sense
of happiness in the present and most
likely in the future. There is growth
d. Part-whole theory. Believes that the
key to realizing and enjoying value is
the effective relating of parts to whole.
 Realms of Values
1. Ethics. - Theory of morality (good and evil).
The problems of conduct and ultimate
objectives
a. Worth of living:
 Optimism – existence is good. Life is worth living.
There is hope
 Pessimism – existence is evil. Life is not worth
struggling. We should escape it with some means
 Meliorism – conclusions as to the goodness or evil of
existence cannot be made final. Human effort may
improve the human situation. The final end cannot be
assured but we must face life, not escape it, applying
all the effort and resource in command.
 Ethics
b. The highest good or summum bonum
 Hedonism - the highest good is
pleasure
 Perfectionism - the highest good is
the perfection of the self or self-
realization.
 Ethics
c. Criteria of conduct
 Kant’s Maxim: act only on those principles which
you are willing should become the universal moral
laws.
 Spencer’s Principle: action to be right must be
conducive to self-preservation
 Dewey’s principle: discover the probable
consequences of what you consider doing, by
going through an imaginative rehearsal of the
possibilities
 The religious principle: obey the will of God;
commit yourself completely to God’s purpose and
will
 Ethics
d. Motivation of conduct
 Egoism - the interest of the self
should be served by an individual’s
actions
 Altruism – the interest of the others
or of the social group should be
served by individual’s actions. One
can only find happiness in the service
of his/her fellows
 Realms of Ethics
2. Aesthetics. - Realm of art and beauty. The
nature of values which are found in the
feeling aspects of experience.
3. Religions Values. – the kind, nature, and
worth of values to be possessed or realized
through worship, religious experience and
religious service
4. Educational. – the kind, nature and worth of
values inherent in the educative process.
 Realms of Ethics

5. Social Values. – the kind, nature and worth

of values only realized in the community
through the individual's relation to society.
6. Utilitarian Values. – the kind, nature and
worth of values to be realized in harmonious
adjustment to or efficient control of the
forces of the physical environment
 Issues about values in general:
Values are either:

a. absolute (constant; unchanging) or

relative (changing)
b. objective or subjective
c. hierarchical or non-hierarchical
 Philosophy of Education
 It is an attempt to comprehend
education in its entirely, interpreting it
by mean of general concepts that will
guide the choice of educational ends
and practices. (Kneller). It is the
application of philosophical ideas to
educational problems (Ozmon &
Craver). It is the study of educational
problems of aims, curriculum, and
methods from philosophical
perspective (Botor & Ortinero).
 Education in Various Contexts
(Kneller)
2.1 Broad sense. Education is any act or
experience that has a formative effect on the
mind, character, and physical development
of the individual
2.2 Technical Sense. Education is the process
of transmitting the cultural heritage from
one generation to another through the
educational agencies or society.
2.3 As a process: Education as in educative
process pertains to instruction or the
teaching learning process.
 Education in Various Contexts
(Kneller)
2.4 As a product. Education here is equivalent to
learning outcomes such as knowledge, skills,
attitudes, appreciations, and values.
2.5 According to experts. Education is viewed
differently by experts according to their
philosophical orientation. For instance, John Dewey
(a pragmatist) views education as life itself and a
continuous reconstruction of experiences for social
efficiency. Herbert Spencer (naturalist) believes that
education is complete living, a preparation for life.
John Amos Comenius (realist) views education as
the formation of man as man.
Eastern/Oriental Philosophies
 Distinct Character of
Eastern/Asian Philosophy
1.1 It thinks of time in a cyclical manner.
Nothing really ends; nothing really begins
absolutely. Once in existence, always in
existence.
1.2 There is no dichotomy between a way of life
and a way of thinking. As one thinks, so one
lives. Religion and philosophy are one.
1.3 It has propensity to mysticism, at its use of
super-consciousness, existence of the third
eyes, or a sixth sense.
 Influences upon the Filipino
2.1 G. Zaide. Contact with India, China,
Japan and Arabia before 1521 enriched
the ancient Filipino civilization.
2.2 O.D. Corpuz. Asian influences persist
in modern times, having become part of
Filipino dialects, myths and art forms.
 Influences upon the Filipino
2.3 L. Estioko. The Filipino is
enterprising, maintains close family
ties and community structures, loves
learning, cared for the soil and
surrounding, and is deeply religious.
These are traits embedded in the
Filipino souls before the first contact
with the West.
 Chinese Philosophy
Confucianism
 It is body of beliefs based on the
Analects, the teachings of Confucius
 Confucius was born at Kung-Fu-tzu in
551 B.C. and died in 479 B.C.
 Confucianism
 He taught the importance of li which
means propriety and orderliness ad the
ideal of a gentleman. He also taught
filial piety, devotion to the family,
loyalty to elders, love for learning,
brotherhood, honesty and efficiency in
government service (civil service), and
universal love and justice.
 For almost 2500 years it has been the
religion of the great masses in China.
Taoism
 The word "tao" means the path, the
way, of the great. It is the source of all
being, the First Cause, the Ultimate
Reality.
 The original teachings of Taoism are
found in Tao Te Ching, attributed to
Lao Tzu, born in 604 B.C.
 To follow the Tao is to follow the way of
nature. Thus, its main tenet is harmony
with nature. It regards nature as sacred
and even as an extension of human
selves.
 General Character of Chinese
Philosophy

 The highest achievement of man is to

be a sage or wise man.
 The Chinese are a this-world people.
Life is desirable.
 They believe in the cycle of ups-and-
downs in this life.
 They believe in the coordination of
thought and action.
 Indian Philosophy
Hinduism
 It is the major religion of India, accounting for
85% of the population. It has known as
"Trimurti" which consists of BRAHMA, the
supreme spirit, VISHNU, the preserver, and
SHIVA, the destroyer and creator. Since the
ancient times, people are already destined into
social classes known as the caste system.
Brahmins / Brahmans - the priests
Kshatriyas - the nobles and the warriors
Vaisyas - the traders, cultivators, peasants
Sudras - the servants (Outside the caste
system are the untouchables or outcasts)
 Hinduism
 The Hindu's life is governed by the law of "karma"
which is a process or series of birth and rebirth until
one attains perfection and finally reaches "nirvana" -
the place or eternal happiness and bliss. Under this
belief, the sum of the person's actions carried from
one life to the next results in either an improved or
worsened fate.
 The "Veda" is the most sacred of all Hindu
scriptures composed of four main collections:
-Rig Veda - hymns and praises
-Yajur Veda-prayer and sacrificial formulas
-Sama Veda - tunes and chants
-Athan/a Veda- magical formulas
 Buddhism
 The Noble Eight-fold Path consists of
 1) Right View;
 2) Tight Resolve;
 3) Right Speech;
 4) Right Action;
 5) Right Livelihood;
 6) Right Effort;
 7) Right Concentration; and
 8) Right Contemplation.
 Buddhism
 It is one of the major religions of the world; founded by
Siddharta Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in Northern
India. Today, Buddhism has two major divisions:
1. Theravada or "Way of the Elders" (the more
conservative type), popular in Sri Lanka, Burma, and
Thailand
2. Mahayana or "Great Vehicle" (liberal type), dominant
in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Tibet
 Buddha advocated four noble truths:
1. Life is suffering (duhka);
2. The cause of suffering is desire;
3. the end of suffering is to stop desire; and
4. to stop desire is to follow the Noble Eight-fold Path
(to break the chain of karma and to reach Nirvana)
 Japanese Philosophy
Shintoism
 It was popular during the Imperial
regime but lost its popularity when
Japan lost during the Second World
War. Shinto was not a Japanese word.
It was derived from the Chinese "shon"
(Gods) and "tao" (the way). The
intention was to distinguish this
religion from Buddhism when it first
entered Japan.
 Shintoism

 Shintoism is the belief in the "kami no

michi" or the "way of the kami". Kami
are Japanese deities or goods of nature
like the sun goddess, Kmaterasu,
whom the Japanese believed that the
Imperial family came from. During the
Imperial reign, Japan is said to be a
theocratic state.
 Arabian Philosophy (Islam)
 Islam is a major world religion (one of
the three monotheistic religions),
comes from the Arabic word "al-islam"
which literally means complete
submission to God (Allah).
 Islam traces its origin to the prophet
Muhammad who was born in Mecca,
Arabia about AD 571. in middle life,
Muhammad showed mystical traits and
developed the habit of withdrawing to
the bills for contemplation.
 Arabian Philosophy (Islam)
 Later, at the age of forty, he received a
revelation calling him to denounce the
paganism and polytheism of Mecca and
preach the existence of one God -
Allah. In AD 622, he left Mecca for
Medina. This came to be known as
hijra, the event from which the Muslim
calendar begins. Is AD 632, Muhammad
died without naming a successor. He
was succeeded by a series of Caliphs,
the first being Abu Bakr and Umar.
 The Islamic faith is centered on
these five Pillars of Islam:

1. Shahada (confession of faith):

faith There is
no other God but Allah and Muhammad
is his prophet.
2. Salat (prayer).
prayer Muslims pray five times
daily facing Mecca - at daybreak, noon,
mid afternoon, after sunset and early in
the night. They also go to the Mosques
during Fridays.
 The Islamic faith is centered on
these five Pillars of Islam:

3. Zakat (almsgiving). Muslims give a percent

of their income and other properties to
charity.
4. Ramadan (fasting) During this period,
Muslims do not eat, drink, smoke, or engage
in sex between dawn and sunset.
5. Haji (Pilgrimage). A Muslim is required to go
to Mecca at least once in his lifetime.
 Other important concepts in
Islam are:
 Qur'an/Koran (recitation) - collection of the
revelations received by Muhammad from
Allah.
 Hedith (tradition) - is the record of the life
and activities of Muhammad and early
Muslim communities.
 Sunna (example) - set of standards of
Muhammad which all Muslims should follow.
 Shiari'a (law) - formed by the combined
Qur'an and Sunna to serve as an
extraordinary comprehensive guide to life
and conduct.
Western Philosophies
Naturalism. It is probably the oldest
philosophic thought in the west.

 Nature is the be-all and end-all of

reality. Its antithesis is
supernaturalism. Nature is the
aggregate of things around us.
 its educational theme is harmony with
nature as exemplified in Rousseau's
Emile and the hedonistic principle of
pleasure in the educative process.
 Naturalism
 Its chief educational spokesman is
Herbert Spencer who believes that the
goal of education is complete living.
 The child (pupil) is viewed as a child of
nature and so is inherently good.
Idealism. One of the oldest schools of thought
in the West.
 It rebelled against the philosophy of
naturalism.

 Its origin is traced to Plato who advocated a

doctrine of ideas (also the doctrine of the
universals).
 Since an idea is nonmaterial, idealism
stresses moral and spiritual reality.
 Idealism

 Its educational philosophy is ideal-

centered. God is the absolute/ perfect
ideal. Sometimes, it is regarded as
perfectionalism.
 Plato's Republic is believed to be the
first educational classic/treatise ever
written. It envisioned a society ruled by
a philosopher-king.
 Idealism

 Emphasizes the importance of the

mind, soul and spirit
 Goodness is an ideal state
 Particular Philosophies of
Education
 Idealism, the first systematic philosophy in Western
thought…Socrates and Plato, the Socratic method
was dialogue
 Generic notions: Philosophers often pose abstract
questions that are not easily answered but are
concerned with the search for truth
 World of matter in constant state of flux, senses are
not to be trusted, continually deceive us
 Truth is perfect and eternal, but not found in the
world of matter, only through the mind
 Idealism
 The only constant for Plato was
mathematics, unchangeable and eternal
 Plato’s method of dialogue engaged in
systematic, logical examination of all
points of view…ultimately leading to
agreement and a synthesis of ideas…this
approach known as the dialectic.
 Idealism
 Plato believed education helped move
individuals collectively toward achieving the
good.
 The State should be involved in education,
moving brighter students toward abstract ideas
and the less able toward collecting data…a
gender free tracking system
 Those who were brighter should rule, others
should assume roles to maintain the state
 Idealism
 The philosopher-king would lead the State
to the ultimate good
 Idealism
 Evil comes through ignorance, education will
lead to the obliteration of evil
 More modern idealists: St. Augustine,
Descartes, Kant, Hegel
 Goal of Education: interested in the search for
truth through ideas…with truth comes
responsibility to enlighten others, “education is
transformation: Ideas can change lives.”
 Idealism
 Role of the Teacher: to analyze and
discuss ideas with students so that
students can move to new levels of
awareness so that they can ultimately be
transformed, abstractions dealt with
through the dialectic, but should aim to
connect analysis with action
 Role of the teacher is to bring out what is
already in student’s mind: reminiscence
 Methods of Instruction
 Lecture from time to time, but primary
method of teaching is the dialectic…
discuss, analyze, synthesize, and apply
what they have read to contemporary
society
 Curriculum…importance of the study of
the classics…many support a back to the
basics approach to education
Realism. It is attributed
to Aristotle, a pupil of Plato.

 Realism believes that things exist

independent of the mind. Its origin is traced
to Aristotle's doctrine of particulars.
 It has greatly influenced the socialistic
(communistic) educational philosophy.
 John Amos Comenius, a great realist,
believes that education is formation
and that the school is the true
forging place of man.
 Realism
 It believes in determinism (man is not
free because he is governed by laws or
forces of nature beyond his
 control). One of the primary goals of
education is habit formation.
 The teacher is the key figure, a master
teacher; one who transmit knowledge
to his pupils (an authority).
 Realism
 Stresses that the world is made up of
real, substantial and material entities
 Natural laws regulate and determine
everything
 Knowledge is derived from sense
experience
 Standards of value are determined by
reason
 Realism
 Aristotle was the leading proponent of
realism, started the Lyceum, the first
philosopher to develop a systematic theory
of logic
 Generic Notions…only through studying
the material world is it possible to clarify or
develop ideas…matter is real independent
of ideas
 Philosopher’s Concerns
 What is the good life?
 What is the importance of reason?
 Moderation in all things…balance in
leading one’s life: reason is the instrument
to help individuals achieve balance and
moderation
 Realists
 Neo-Thomism…Aquinas affected a
synthesis of pagan ideas and Christian
beliefs…reason is the means of
ascertaining or understanding truth, God
could be understood through reasoning
based on the material world…no conflict
between science and religion
 The world of faith with the world of reason,
contemporary Catholic schools
 Modern Realism
 From the Renaissance, Francis Bacon
developed induction, the scientific method…
based on Aristotle, developed a method starting
with observations, culminating in generalization,
tested in specific instances for the purpose of
verification
 John Locke and tabula rasa, things known from
experience… ordered sense data and
then reflected on them
 Contemporary Realists
 Tend to focus on philosophy and
science…Alfred North Whitehead,
concerned with the search for “universal
patterns”
 Bertrand Russell with Whitehead, Principia
Mathematica…universal patterns could be
verified and classified through
mathematics
 Goal of Education for Realists
 Notions of the good life, truth, beauty could
be answered through the study of ideas,
using the dialectical method…for
contemporary realists, the goal of
education is to help individuals understand
and apply the principles of science to help
solve the problems plaguing the modern
world
 Teachers should be steeped in the basic
academic disciplines
Pragmatism. It is the most recent among the
four classical philosophies.

 Pragmatism is the belief that the

meaning of an idea is determined by
the consequences when it is put into
test or practice in the world of reality.
 Although Greek in origin, it later
became an American philosophy.
 The foremost American philosophers
are William James (practicalism),
Charles Peirce (experimentalism), and
John Dewey (instrumentalism)
 Pragmatism

 It believes that change is the essence

of reality. "Everything flows; nothing
remains the same."
 Its chief method is the experimental
method that yields experimental
knowledge.
 It believes that education is life; a
continuous process of reconstruction.
Education never complete.
 Pragmatism
 Ideas are true if they work
 Reality is what is actually experienced
 People are instruments of change
capable of experimenting and testing
their beliefs
 Pragmatists openly accept change and
continually seek to discover new ways
to expand and improve society
 Pragmatism
 An American philosophy from the 19th
century…Peirce, James, Dewey
 “By their fruits, ye shall know them.”
Pragmatism encourages people to
find processes that work in order to
achieve their desired ends…action
oriented, experientially grounded
 John Dewey

 Intellectual heir to Charles Darwin, constant

interaction between organism and environment,
dynamic and developing world…child centered
progressivism and social reconstructionism
 Instrumentalism and experimentalism,
pragmatic relationship between school and
society and applying ideas of education on an
experimental basis
 John Dewey’s Philosophy
 Education starts with the needs and interests of
the child, allows the child to participate in
planning her course of study, employ project
method or group learning, depend heavily or
experiential learning
 Children are active, organic beings…needing
both freedom and responsibility
 Ideas are not separate from social conditions,
philosophy has a responsibility to society
 Dewey’s Role for the Teacher
 Not the authoritarian but the facilitator…
encourages, offers suggestions, questions
and helps plan and implement courses of
study…has command of several
disciplines
 Inquiry method, problem solving,
integrated curriculum
 Existentialism. It is principally a
contemporary or modern philosophy
 It grew out from the works of European
philosophers particularly Soren
Kierkegaard (Danish)
 Its chief principle is "existence
precedes essence."
 It was two types: atheistic and theistic.
The chief atheistic philosopher is Jean
Paul Sarte (French)
 Jean Paul Sartre

 Soren Kierkegaard
 Existentialism
 It clamors for individuality and
freedom in education.
 It stresses individual decision-
making; the teacher offers
knowledge and the pupil can either
accept or reject it.
 Existentialism
 Man has no fixed nature and he
shapes his own being as he
lives
 The world is a personal
subjectivity where goodness,
truth and reality are individually
defined
 Existentialism
 Knowledge is subjective to the
person’s decision: knowledge varies
from one person to another
 While an existentialist is completely
free to choose his values, he holds
himself responsible for the
consequences of his choice.
 Existentialism
 Aim: to train the student for significant
and meaningful existence
 Curriculum: Subjects are to recognize
individual differences and complete
freedom to work
 Teachers giving assistance to students
in their personal learning journeys
 Schools create an atmosphere for
active interaction
 Existentialists and
Phenomenologists
 Based on the earth alone, must make
sense of the chaos one encounters
 “Existence precedes essence.” People
must create themselves and create their
own meaning…done through the choices
people make in their lives, in a state of
constant becoming…an individual can
make a difference in a seemingly absurd
world
 Existentialists
 Education should focus on the needs of
individuals, include the nonrational as well
as rational, the notion of possibility
 Teachers should understand their own
“lived world” and help students to
understand their world
 The need to be “wide awake”…the role of
the teacher is intensely personal
 Neo-Marxism
 Radical critique of capitalism
 The role of education should be to give
students the insight to demystify
capitalism and become agents of radical
change
 Marx believed the history of civilization
was defined by class struggle
 General conflict theory…the teacher is a
“transformative intellectual”
 CONTEMPORARY
EDUCATIONAL THEORIES
 A Theory is a set of assumptions
initially verified or tested but not yet
universally accepted.
 An educational theory is one that is
directed to education. The
contemporary educational theories
have their roots in formal philosophies.
 Perennialism.
Perennialism It is a theory founded on
the belief that the body of knowledge
that has endured through time and
space should form the basis for one's
education.
 Rooted in classical realism and
idealism, the chief exponent is Robert
N. Hutchins. He believes that the basic
principles of education are both
timeless and recurring.
 Perennialism.
 “Liberal education should contribute to
the understanding of the great works of
civilization” – Hutchins
 Perennialism
 Purpose:
Purpose To help students uncover and
internalize truths that are universal and
constant.
 Curriculum and Method:
Method Its curriculum is
subject-centered relying heavily on the
disciplines of literature, mathematics,
languages, history, philosophy, and-religion
(liberal education). Reading and discussion
of the "Great Books" would be the principal
method of study.
 Perennialism
 Teacher: The teacher is viewed as an
authority, a master teacher, whose
expertise is not to be questioned.
 School: The school's role is to train an
intellectual elite and to prepare the
young for life,
 Teacher Centered Educational
Theories
 Perennialism: an educational theory that
focuses on enduring principles of
knowledge; nature, human nature, and the
underlying principles of existence are
considered constant, undergoing little
change
 Perennialism
 Focus of learning: activities designed to
discipline the mind
 Learners are rational and spiritual people
 Perennialist curriculum: the three Rs,
character training, educating the
intellectual elite, trade and skill training for
others
 Progressivism.
Progressivism It grew out from
pragmatic philosophy and puts
emphasis on democratic experience
and skills on how to think.
 Its chief exponent is Francis Parker.
 Improvement and reform in human
condition are both possible and
desirable
 Education is always a process of
development
 Progressivism
 Purpose. To give the necessary skills-and-
tools with which to interact with the-
environment within a constant process of
change.
 Curriculum and Method. Its curriculum is
built around the personal and social
experiences of the learners. It draws most
often from the social sciences. Scientific
methods of inquiry and problem solving are
its favored methods.
 Progressivism
 Teacher: Since the students are
capable of thinking and exploring their
own environment, the teacher's role is
that of a guide, group leader,
consultant, and facilitator in the
student's activities.
 School. It is viewed as a microcosm of
society, a living learning laboratory,
and a working model of democracy.
 Student Centered Educational
Theories
 Progressivism…an educational theory that
emphasizes that ideas should be tested by
experimentation and that learning is rooted in
questions developed by the learner
 Opposes authoritarianism and favors human
experience as a basis for knowledge, favors the
scientific method and also student involvement
 Learning how to think rather than what to think
 ESSENTIALISM. It is rooted in
classical idealism and realism
with William C. Bagley as
principal advocate. It clamored
for curricular reforms with
emphasis on the basics or
essential.
 There are certain essentials
that all men ought to know
 ESSENTIALISM
 Individuals should be able to
distinguish between the essentials
and non-essentials in one’s life
 “Essential subjects represent the
most precious elements of the
human heritage” –Bagley
 ESSENTIALISM.
 Purpose. To transmit the cultural and
historical heritage to each new generation of
learners.
 Curriculum and Method. It puts emphasis on
the 3r's in the elementary and a concentrated
study of mathematics, sciences, humanities,
languages and literature in the secondary.
Mastery of the basic facts and concepts of
essentials is imperative.
 ESSENTIALISM
 Teacher, The teacher is a master of
his/her discipline and a model
worth emulating.
 It becomes one of conserving and
transmitting to the present
generation to the rich cultural
heritage of man.
 Essentialism
 An educational theory that holds that there
is a common core of information and skills
that an educated person must have;
schools should be organized to transmit
this core of essential material
 Essentialism
 Common core of information and skills that an
educated person in a given culture must have
 Three basic principles: a core of information,
hard work and mental discipline, teacher-
centered instruction
 Back to basics movement is essentialist
 Draws equally from Idealism and Realism…
important difference in emphasis from the
notions of everlasting truth that perennialists
espouse
 Essentialism
 Focus of learning: transmit the cultural
heritage and develop good citizens.
Schools are places where children come
to learn what they need to know and the
teacher is the person who can best
instruct students in essential matters
 Behaviorism
 A psychological theory that asserts that
behaviors represent the essence of a person
and that all behaviors can be explained as
responses to stimuli
 Closely linked to Realism…the environment,
particularly the interpersonal environment,
shapes human behavior
 Reinforcement: positive…things students like
and negative…things students wish to avoid
 Positivism
 A social theory that limits truth and knowledge to
what is observable and measurable
 Auguste Comte (1798-1857)…three historical
periods…theological era, things explained in
reference to spirits and gods…metaphysical era,
things explained in terms of causes, essences,
inner principles…positive period, thinkers did not
attempt to go beyond observable, measurable
fact
 Reconstructionism.
Reconstructionism Also
known as social
reconstructionism it is rooted
in pragmatism and
progressivism. It is Utopian
because it clamors for a new
world social order, its principal
exponents are George Counts,
Theodore Brameld and Edwin
Reischauer."
 Reconstructionism.
 Man plans and controls is society, that
in a democratic society this should be
done in the public interest
 Society is in need of contact
reconstruction
 Reconstructionism
 “Curriculumshould include
broad areas of social and
technological knowledge.” –
George Counts
 Reconstructionism
 Purpose.
Purpose To raise the consciousness of
students regarding social, economic,
and political problems facing mankind.
 Curriculum and Method.
Method Its subject is
the multitude of social, political and
economic problem of man and uses
pragmatic methods of scientific inquiry.
 Reconstructionism
 Teacher. The teacher is a social
catalyst, a change agent, a social
engineer, and the other roles of the
progressivist teacher.
 School. It becomes the primary agency
for societal change.
 Reconstructionism
 An educational theory that calls on schools to
teach people to control institutions and to be
organized according to basic democratic ideals
 Progressivism too focused on the needs of the
child and fails to develop long range goals for
society
 Need to analyze world events, explore
controversial issues, develop a vision for a new
and better world
 Thank You…

Good Luck to All of You..