PHILOSOPHICAL
FOUNDATIONS &
THEORIES OF EDUCATION
Philosophy ?  set of ideas
about
• The nature of reality
• The meaning of life
• Describe your current personal
philosophy of education
THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION
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What do you think the purpose of education is?
To give knowledge
To transmit culture
To help people adapt to society
To give religious education
To provide practical/hands-on experience/training
To provide learner/human-centered education (selfrealization)
• etc (your view) …
• Why do some parents choose or reject certain
schools?
– Philosophy influences daily educational life in many ways
(curriculum, teacher role, assessment, teaching methods..)
FOUR PRIMARY EDUCATIONAL
PHILOSOPHIES
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IDEALISM ( Plato) GENERIC NOTIONS:
Reality is an unchanging world of perfect ideas
and universal truths (metaphysics)
Reality is made up of absolute truths. (religious
education programs)
To Plato, truth is perfect and eternal and not found
in the world matter.
Meaning is in the ideals of life itself.
We can’t rely on our senses as they deceive us.
(Criticism) a “truth” sometimes is only in the eye
of the beholder.
• Knowledge is obtained when ideas are
brought into consciousness through selfexamination and discourse (epistemology)
• Searching for truth through Socratic
questioning/ dialectic – questioning
individual’s point of view (using inductive
reasoning, authority lecturing)
• Wisdom of goodness; discipline, order, selfcontrol; preservation of cultural heritage of
the past (Axiology)
Goal of Education
• Educators are interested in the search for truth
through ideas rather than through the examination of
the false shadowy world of matter.
• They encourage students to search for truth as
individuals.
• Education is transformation: ideas can change lives.
Role of Teacher
• Dealing with abstract notions through
dialectic method & connecting analysis
with action
• Active, posing questions, selecting
materials and establishing an
environment to ensure the desired
outcomes.
• A role model to be imitated by ss
Methods of Instruction
• T  active in ss’ learning
• Lecturing but particularly using dialectic
approach
• Through questioning, ss  encouraged to
discuss, analyze, synthesize, and apply what
whey have read
• Ss  encouraged to work in groups/
individually on research projects, both oral
and written
Curriculum
• Examining the roots of the
contemporary problems in the past
(great literature/classics etc)
• Education at any level should teach ss
to think
• Subject-matter curriculum
• Back-to-basics approach in education
REALISM (Chisholm, Whitehead)
Generic Notions:
• Meaning comes through empirically proven
facts.
• Reality is made up of natural laws, facts.
• The idea that reality is what it is and
possesses an independent identity,
regardless of the beliefs of the observer.
• We perceive the actually existing physical
world.
Goal of Education
• Develop intellectual abilities
• To equip ss with information to understand current
event (Tabula Rasa)
Role of the Teacher
• having a solid grounding in science, maths, and the
humanities.
• relying on test scores to place students
(competency testing of students with various
methods)
• readily adopting new technology
• teacher’s responsibility to teach skill+disciplined
knowledge
• T should be competent in a specific
subject matter
• T presenting ideas in a clear &
consistent manner & demonstrating
that there are definite ways to judge
works of art, music, poetry and
literature
• Enabling ss to learn objective methods
of evaluating the works above
Methods of Instruction
• lecture, question &answer (formal ways of teaching
• inductive & scientific reasoning
• competency-based assessments as a way ensuring that
ss learnt what they are being taught
• emphasis on critical reason aided by observation (our
experiences) & experimentation
• emphasizing realistic novels such as Oliver Twist, Great
Expectations, For Whom the Bell Tolls etc. to give live’s
laws and principles and such novels are the keys for ss
to reach the ideal world through material world
• stressing precision and accuracy in math, science, social
studies and writing
Curriculum
• curriculum consists of the basics – maths,
science, reading etc.
• attention is given to didactic & object studies in
education (use of pictures, TV, videos in
educational process)
• use of objects in education (Montessori)
• emphasis is on subject matter (highly organized &
systematic in approach)
CRITICISM: Empirical facts always subject to change.
EXISTENTIALISM (Kierkegaard,
Jean-Paul Sartre, Nietzche)
Generic Notions
• Existentialists believe that individuals are placed on this
earth alone & must make sense out of the chaos they
encounter.
• Sartre  believed “existence precedes essence” – that is
people must create themselves, and they must create their
own meaning.
• Thus, individuals are in a state of constantly becoming,
creating chaos and order, creating good and evil. The choice
is up to the individual.
• In short, existentialism teaches that each person must
simply live his/her life & by doing so creates his/her own
values, almost as an afterthought.
• Reality for individuals is eternal. Each individual’s point of
view is significant. Aim is not to provide standard people.
Goal of Education
• Existentialists
– believe that education should focus on the
needs of individuals, both cognitively and
affectively.
– also believe that education should stress
individuality. (Education should include
discussion of the nonrational and rational
world)
• Education is an activity liberating the individual
from a chaotic, absurd world.
• Individuals are responsible of consequences.
Individuals should be given credit for the
creation of concepts like peace, truth, and
justice. So, focus is on humans and their ideas.
• Good education would encourage individuals
to ask such questions: “Who am I?”, “Where
am I going?”, “Why am I here?”
• So, good education is one that
– emphasizes individuality through intellectual
journeys so that we can see and understand
ourselves.
– helps individuals to examine the
abnormal/corrupted side of life, the irrational as
well as the good side. (life/death, wars, peace …)
• AIM: to make the world better
Role of the Teacher
• emphasizes individual choices (there is no
common way of viewing world)
• T should understand his/her own ‘lived
world’ to help ss achieve their best ‘lived
worlds’.
• Both T and ss learn from each other & their
relation is more friend to friend
• Ts must take risks; expose themselves to
resistant ss; & work constantly to enable
their students to become ‘wide awake’.
• Introspection is useful in order to enable ss
to become in touch with their worlds and to
empower them to choose and act on their
choices.
• Thus the role of teacher is an intensely
personal one that carries with it a
tremendous responsibility.
• Due to the greater experience & knowledge,
it is the T’s responsibility to develop an
educational environment that promotes
awareness of the past and present, and of
the future possibilities.
• T helps ss become sensitive to human
possibility and understand that they
themselves are both necessarily and fully
determined by the past (every present is
conditioned by the past, but every present is
pregnant with future possibilities for change
and new direction – individuals can change
future.
• Therefore, T should understand that the chief
requirement is too help ss explore the world
and open up new possibilities of the world
for ss
Methods of Instruction
• stressing individual freedom
• empowering ss to make choices about what and how
they will learn
• Buber “I-thou approach” – S&T learn cooperatively
from each other in an nontraditional, nonthreatening
friendship. (posing questions, generating activities,
and working together)
• Educational methods which help T in rediscovering
the excitement of learning and opening up a whole
new world of possibilities for ss.
• Ss become more articulate and capable of
comprehension and self-expression with the help of
teacher’s existentialist approach.
Curriculum
• stressing arts an literature, little emphasis is given
on maths an science
• the humanities are considered in an existentialist
curriculum because they deal with the essential
aspects of human existence, such as the relations
between people, the tragic side of human life as well
as the happy, the absurdities as well as the meaning
• Through humanities, the existentialists try to awaken
modern individuals to the dangers of being
swallowed up by the megalopolis and runaway
technology (wide awaken)
• Existentialists do not have definite
rules about what the curriculum should
comprise. They believe that the S-insituation making a choice should be
the deciding factor. (Curriculum from
the standpoint of the learner rather
than as a collection of discrete
subjects)
PRAGMATISM (Dewey and
James)
• Generic Notions
• Pragmatism is the philosophy that encourages
people to find processes that work in order to
achieve their desired ends.
• Reality is that everything changes. (Theme: the
world is constantly changing and we have to adapt)
• They study the past but they are generally more
interested in contemporary issues and in
discovering solutions to problems in present-day
terms
• They are action-oriented, experientially grounded,
and will generally pose questions such as
• “ What will work to achieve my desired
ends?”
• problem speculative thought
action results
•  then Question: “Do the results
achieved solve the
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problem?”  Then solution is valid.
Goal of Education
• Primary goal of education is growth.
• Education is for life.
• Teaching ss how to live (standing on their
feet)
• Education should not be locked upon merely
as schooling and the acquisition of academic
subject matter but as a part of life itself.
• Schools should balance the needs of the
society and community on the one hand and
the needs of the ss on the other.
• To integrate children into not just any
type of society, but a democratic one
where cooperation and community are
desired ends.
• Helping people direct, control and
guide personal and social experience
(self-actualization)
• Schools should foster habits of thought,
invention and initiative that will assist people
in growing right direction toward democratic
society
• Education should promote our true
individualism (self-directed learning)
• Education has a moral influence and should
pay a vital part in helping us become the kind
of moral persons who are interested not only
in promoting our own growth but also in
promoting the growth of others.
Role of the Teacher
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applies democratic methods
classroom is a community of learners
T  facilitator not authoritarian
T encourages, offers suggestions,
questions and helps plan and
implements courses of study
• T  writes curriculum and must have a
command of several disciplines to
create and implement curriculum
Methods of Instruction
• Problem solving, experiential learning, inquiry
methods, field trips, projects (not all ss can learn in
the same way – vary strategies)
• Learning in groups and individuality
• Formal instruction is abandoned (flexible methods
are used) moveable chairs, freedom n class etc.
• Lockstep, rote memorization of traditional schools
are replaced with individualized studies.
• Action-oriented education (activity-oriented
approach to curriculum)
Curriculum
• Learner-centered curriculum
• Pragmatist curriculum is composed of
both process (experience) and content
(knowledge)
• All academic and vocational disciplines
in an integrated and connected way
• Problem-centered learning/project
method: such approaches to
curriculum start with a central
question, core/problem. Ss attack the
problem in diverse ways according to
interest and need. They work
independently or in groups. They
evaluate their growth and development.
• Child interest to be considered in
curriculum. Varied needs, interests
different curricula
ECLECTICISM
• There is a way of dealing with all various
models
• Eclecticism is not a philosophical system or
model, but rather is the synthesizing and
personal interpretation of various models to
draw out the best components for yourself
• Thus, you pull the best from various models
in any effort to build your own statement of
personal philosophy.
• Humanistic School
• show respect to ss
• consideration of ss’ needs, expectations,
feelings, values
• accepting ss as they are
• active learning strategies
• conflict resolution
• incorporating whole class
• Meaning: Intellect distinguishes humans from
animals
• What is Reality: Humans have potential and
innate goodness
• Nature of Humanness: Autonomy, dignity, and
freedom are sacred
• Educational Aim: Individual
potentiality; self-actualization
• Educational Method: Facilitation; selfdirection; team work
• Educational Content: Any curriculum is
a vehicle for meeting needs
• Main Criticism: Important societal goals
can be missed
• Key proponents: Maslow, Knowles,
Elias/Merriam, Tough
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Programs/Practices:
Individualized instructional process
learning projects
sensitivity training
teacher effective training
active listening
conflict resolution
invitational learning
values clarification
moral education
multiethnic educational approaches
• Humanistic Approaches to English Language
Teaching
• Active Listening
• letting s’s to express her/his feelings & then
paraphrasing what s/he has said
• No advice is given during active listening
• Conflict Resolution
• the involved people talk how problems
emerge and how they can get rid of those
problems/negative attitudes
• problem solving & meaningful learning
strategies are used
• Invitational Learning
• communicating with the student by
making her/him feel that s/he is
‘responsible, able and valuable’
• procedure:
– know your s’s name
– have individual contact with each student
– show him you respect her/him
– be honest with her/him
– not take rejection by the s’s personality
– respect her/him as a human being
• Values Clarification
• technique that clients
– identify how they feel or what they believe about
something
– value that feeling or belief and,
– if valued, act on it
• aim: to raise s’s consciousness and values
and help them to act on it.
• Ex: Do you think using drugs should be
banned?
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What can you do?
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• Moral Education
• related to character education &
citizenship education
• aim: to help clients to develop more
responsible behaviour
• Strategies:
– serving as role models who are always
respectful and caring to others
– creating a family or community
atmosphere so that clients feel worthwhile
and care about people
– encouraging students to hold high
academic & behavioral standards
THE PURPOSE OF SCHOOLS
• How can we solve the world’s
problems?
• revolutions
• wars
• education
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• Education
School
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Specific
• -Take place anywhere,
-particular
location
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anytime, anyplace
-limited definition
• - behaviour change processes
-place for education
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collective body of pupils
• -lack of formalization
-formalized
• -no assessment processes
- assessment
• -non-official
-official
• -lack of system
-systemic
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-no need to certified person
-certified
person
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-no specific time limit for learning
-compulsory period
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for attendance