Notes
Chapter 8: Philosophy of Education
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Philosophy:
o Philo: love
o Sophos: wisdom
What is the most real-the physical world or the realm of mind and spirit?
What is the basis of human knowledge?
What is the nature of the just society?
Finding Your Philosophy of Education
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What is an education philosophy? Does it matter?
Your philosophy is still taking shape (and probably will continue to do so throughout
your teaching career)
Inventory of Philosophies of Education
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Complete Questionnaire
Complete Interpreting Your Response
Five Philosophies of Education
Philosophies in the Classroom
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Five main philosophies:
o Essentialism, perennialism, progressivism, social reconstructionism and
existentialism
o Not all of the philosophies
o Present a strong framework for you to refine your own philosophy
o From teacher-centered to student-centered
Teacher Centered Philosophies
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Teacher-centered philosophies emphasize the importance of transferring knowledge,
information and skills from the older (“wiser”) generation to the younger one
The teacher’s role is to instill respect for authority, perseverance, duty, consideration and
practicality
Essentialism
o Strives to reach students the accumulated knowledge of our civilization through
core courses in the traditional academic disciplines
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o Aim to instill students with the “essentials” of academic knowledge, patriotism,
and character development
o Assumes there is a core body of knowledge that must be mastered in order for a
person to be considered “educated”
 Information is key to a good education
o Essentialist Theories
 Urge that an essential core curriculum of academic skills and knowledge
be taught to all students
 Math, Science, History, Foreign Language, Literature
 Frown upon vocational and elective teaching
 Required to master information and basic techniques
 Move from less complex to more-so
 Mastery of material promotes grade level movement
 Academically rigorous for all learners
 Oriented around the teacher
 Teachers and administrators decide what students learn
 Taught to be culturally literate
Perennialism
o Perennialists organize their schools around books, ideas and concepts
 Criticize essentialists for the vast amount of factual information they
require students to absorb in their push for “cultural literacy”
o “Idea” oriented; considers education to consist of becoming acquainted with the
great writing and thinking throughout history
 Understanding is key to a good education
 Great Books: works by history’s finest thinkers and writers, books as
meaningful today as when they were first written
o Perennialism Theories
 Believe in rigorous intellectual curriculum
 “Perennial” means everlasting
 Focuses on enduring themes and questions that span the ages
 Accepts little flexibility
 Factual knowledge is more important than conceptual understanding
 Conduct seminars where students and teachers engage in mutual
inquiry
Student-Centered Philosophies
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Progressivism
o Organizes schools around the concerns, curiosity and real-world experiences of
students
o Seeks to make education practical and applicable to the needs of students and
society
 Making knowledge and skills meaningful
 Progressivism Theories
o Believe education should be a perpetually enriching process of ongoing
growth
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o Not only preparation for adulthood
o Center education on experiences, interests and abilities of the student
 Teachers:
 Plan lessons that encourage curiosity and guide students’ great
levels of learning
 Use games and hands-on-experiences
 Facilitate learning by helping students formulate meaningful
questions and devise strategies to answer those questions
o Answers are not found on lists or in “great books;” they
are found through discovery and real world experiences
o Children work together to solve problems, generate ideas, and crate new
knowledge
o John Dewey: people learn best through social interaction in the real world; there
is no substitute for doing things
 The mind should be trained to analyze experience thoughtfully and draw
conclusions objectively
o The Laboratory School: set the stage for the progressive education movement
 Founded 1896
 Included a science lab, art room, woodworking shop and kitchen
 Learn by doing
 Learn through social interaction: encourage group efforts
 Children were not promoted from one grade to another
 Children were grouped according to their individual interests and abilities
Social Reconstructionism
o Social Reconstructionism: Encourages schools, teachers and students to focus
their studies and energies on alleviating pervasive social inequities
o Reconstruct society into a new and more just social order
 Social challenges provide a natural (and moral) direction for curricular and
instructional activities
o Social Reconstructionist Classroom:
 Teachers lessons intellectually inform and emotionally “stir” students
about surrounding inequities
 Teacher as facilitator: assisting students in focusing their questions,
developing a strategy, helping to organize visits and ensuring that the data
collected and analyzed meet standards of objectivity
 The class is engaged in a genuine effort to improve society
o Praxis: doctrine that when actions are based on sound theory and values, they can
make a real difference in the world
Existentialism
o Existentialism: asserts that the purpose of education is to help children find the
meaning and direction in their lives and if rejects the notion that adults should or
could direction meaningful learning for children
o Stresses “authenticity”-the commitment to finding true being
 Discovering one’s own meaning in life
 Must look within ourselves to discover our own truth or our own purpose
in life
o Existentialist Theories
 Provide some curricular structure but affords great latitude in their choice
of subject matter
 Gives a wide variety of options
 Vocational education: more about teaching students about themselves and
their potential than earning a livelihood
 Focus on the individual; self-paced and self-directed
 Teaching students what adults believe they should learn is neither efficient
nor effective
 Most of such learning will be forgotten
Can Teachers Blend These Five Philosophies?
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Can we mix and match philosophies to blend them and make a philosophy best for us?
o Depends who you ask
o Many will say yes!
Purist Model: advocates will agree blending is a good compromise, but will argue that
much is lost when blending occurs