TOPICS AND ISSUES ABOUT

PHILOSOPHY IN EDUCATION
“Philosophy can be defined as a systematic
study of life and the universe as a whole in
order to frame a logical and necessary
system of general idea so that every
element of human experience may be
interpreted.  Philosophy uses the following
steps of investigations to establish the
validity of certain theory or
concept:  Reason, Observation, Faith,
Intuition, Authority and Controlled
Experience. “
 TWO MAJOR BRANCHES
OF PHILOSOPHY
1. METAPHYSICS – CONCERNED WITH ULTIMATE
REALITY AND DEALS ABOUT BEINGNESS BEYOND
THE PHYSICAL IDENTITY.
2. EPISTEMOLOGY – DEALS WITH NATURE, SOURCES,
LIMITATIONS AND VALIDITY OF KNOWLEDGE
(SOCCIO,2007)
 How do I know that I Do I really exist?
Approach exist? If I do exist what is the
nature of my existence?
What can I know about
How can I categorize
my own existence?
myself as an existing
being?
ACCORDING TO GREGORIO, THE PROBLEMS OF HOW CHILDREN
OUGHT TO LEARN AND INQUIRE INTO THE MEANING OF REALITY
ARE FUNDAMENTAL EDUCATION.

• THE TEACHER PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN DELIVERING THE QUALITY

EDUCATION TO THE STUDENTS BY HAVING GOOD MOTIVATIONS IN EVERY
DISCUSSION.
• THE TEACHER SERVES AS THE FACILITATOR THAT WILL ENABLE THE
STUDENTS TO THINK WELL, ORGANIZE THEIR THOUGHTS AND MAKE A
PRODUCT OUT OF THESE IDEAS.
PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF
EDUCATION
A. Existentialism – is a matter of individual existence that
each human being exist in a world.

• “Existence precedes essence.” – Jean Paul Sartre & Soren

Keirgeraad
• Humans have freedom, but with that freedom comes the
responsibility we have to make choices. Each choice can
lead to a success or a failure.
The concerns of the existentialists:
To help students understand and appreciate themselves.
To be taught how who accept complete responsibility for
their thoughts, feelings and actions.

The existentialist teacher’s role:

To help find their own essence
- by exposing them to various paths they take in life.
- create a environment in which they freely choose their
own preferred way.
Since feeling is not divorced from reason in decision
making, the existentialist demands the education of the
whole person, “not just the mind.”

What to teach?
Students are given a wide variety of options from which
to choose from.
The humanities, however, are given tremendous emphasis
to “provide students with vicarious experiences that will
help unleash their own creativity and self – expression.
 Teacher – helps students define their essence.
Holistic development – make good decisions
Learner – centered
- student’s interests and needs
- students emphasis not the curriculum
Learning is self-paced, self-directed.
Teachers are merely facilitators.
B. ESSENTIALISM BY WILLIAM BAGLEY AND JAMES KOERNER
“Essence precedes existence” FATE, DESTINY
Because there is already a life prepared for everyone, the role of the teachers is to teach Traditional approach or
Back to basic approach that emphasizes the basic skills or the fundamental
4 R’S (reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmethic, right conduct.)
Learn the basic knowledge, skills and values.
Essentialist programs are academically rigorous, curriculum centered.
Math, natural science, history, foreign language, and literature.
The teachers and administrators decide what is most important for the students to learn without
considering students’ interest, background and learning styles.

Teacher-centered – everything comes from the teacher.

Teachers – fountains of knowledge, paragon of virtues.
Emphasis – mastery of subject matter.
How to teach?

Rely heavily on the use of prescribed textbooks.

Method: the drill method, the lecture method,
memorization and discipline.
C. BEHAVIORISM
John Watson, B.F. Skinner

 Human beings – shaped by the environment

 Man – neither good/bad – product of the society.

Why teach?
 Behaviorist schools are concerned with the
modification and shaping of students.
What to teach?
• Change in behavior.

How to teach?
• Teachers create classroom atmosphere or classroom
climate that is conducive to learning:
- Physical climate: light, temperature, arrangement of
furniture, size and quantity of visual aids.
- Psychological Climate: feeling of students in the
presence of the teachers and their classmate: respected,
welcomed, supported.
D. PROGRESSIVISM – is all about learning as a process.

JOHN DEWEY
 Contrasted – essentialism.
 Change in growth.
 Learners – enlightened and intelligent to fully live
NOW.

Why teach?
• Progressivist teachers teach to develop learners into
becoming enlightened and intelligent citizens of a
democratic society.
• This group of teachers teach learners so they may live
life fully NOW not to prepare them for adult life.
What to teach?
• The progressivists are identified with the need-based and
relevant curriculum
• This is curriculum that “responds to students’ needs and
they relate to students’ personal lives and experiences.
• Progressivists accept the impermanence of life and the
inevitability of change.
• Change is the only thing that does not change. Hence,
progressivist teachers are more concerned with teaching
the learners the skills to cope with change.
How to teach?

Progressivist teachers employ experiential method –

“one learns by doing”
One experiential teaching method at progressivist
teachers heavily rely on the problem-solving method.
Methods: “hands-on-minds-on-hearts-on” teaching
methodology such as field trips thought provoking
games, and puzzles.