EDU 103
EDU 103
Fall 2009
December
EDU 103
Chapter 6
Educational Philosophy – The
Intellectual Foundations of
American Education
EDU 103
• Chapter Learning Objectives
– 1. Define philosophy, including
normative philosophy, and explain the
difference between philosophy and
theory.
– 2. Describe each of the branches of
philosophy, and identify examples that
illustrate each.
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• Chapter learning objectives
continued
3. Describe the traditional schools of philosophy,
and identify examples that illustrate each view.
4. Describe the major philosophies of education,
and identify examples that illustrate each view.
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• Chapter learning objectives
continued
5. Explain why a personal philosophy
of education is important, and
describe the steps involved in forming
one.
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Axiology (page 189)
Epistemology (page 188
Essentialism (page 197)
Idealism (page 191)
Logic (page 190)
Metaphysics (Ontology) (page 189)
Normative philosophy (page 188)
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Perennialisn (page 196)
Philosophy (page 185)
Philosophy of education (page 186)
Postmodernism (page 200)
Pragmatism (page 192)
Progressivism (199)
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Realism (page 191)
Theory (page 187)
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• Brad Norman &
Allie Skinner
– Conversation
between two
teachers
– What were they
discussing?
– Did they agree on
all the items they
were discussing?
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• What is
philosophy?
• Basic level – search
for wisdom
• Formal sense – it is a
study of theories of
knowledge truth,
existence, and
morality, or matters of
right and wrong
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• What does philosophy
of education mean?
– Provides a
framework for
thinking about
educational issues,
and it guides
professional
practice
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• All professions
have their own
philosophies
– Systems of beliefs
that guide their
decisions about
professional
practice
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• Teacher Professionalism
–Based on specialized
knowledge
–Emphasis on decision making
–Reflection
–Autonomy
–Ethical standards of conduct
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• Relationship between
philosophy and theory
• Overlap in many ways
• Theory
– A set of related
principles that are
based on
observation and are
used to explain
additional
observations
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Normative
philosophy:
– A description of
the way something
ought to be
For example:
– The way educators
ought to practice
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• Branches of philosophy
–1. Epistemology
–2. Metaphysics (Ontology)
–3. Axiology
–4. Logic
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• Epistemology
– Examines questions
of how we come to
know what we know
• Scientific method
• Intuition
• Authority
• Devine revelation
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• Constructivism
– Prominent learning
theory
• The belief that
learning occurs
when the learner
ties newly
acquired
information to
previously gained
understanding
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• Epistemology
– Important to
teachers
• Our beliefs
about how
students gain
knowledge
affect our choice
of teaching
methods
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• Metaphysics
– Also called ontology
• Considers what we know
• Considers questions of reality and
what is real
• These beliefs influence the way
we teach and the goals we
establish
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• Axiology
– Considers values
and ethics
– Character
education
• Moral values –
honesty and
citizenship
should be
emphasized
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– Moral education
• Emphasizes the
development of
moral reasoning,
but doesn’t
establish a
preset list of
values that
learners should
acquire
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– Logic
– Examines the
process of
deriving valid
conclusions
from basic
principles
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• Deductive reasoning
– Begins with a major proposition called a
major premise that is a general statement
– Proceeds from general principles to
specific instances
» Testing generalizations to see if they
hold true in specific cases
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• Inductive reasoning
• Opposite of deductive reasoning
– Start with specific facts or data
– Students are asked to draw a conclusion
or make a generalization or develop a
pattern of relationships based on the
facts or data they observe
– Observe specific facts and then
generalize them to other circumstances
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Traditional
Schools of
Philosophy
– Idealism
– Realism
– Pragmatism
– Existentialism
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Idealism
– Since the
physical world
is always
changing, ideas
are the only
form of reality
– Plato
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Realism
– Holds that the
universe exist
whether or not
a human being
is there to
perceive them
– Aristotle and
others
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Pragmatism
– Rejects the idea
of absolute,
unchanging
truth
– Asserts that
truth is “what
works”
– Practical
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Existentialism
– Suggests that
humanity isn’t
part of an orderly
universe
– Individuals create
their own realities
in their own ways
– Emphasis on the
individual
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– Existentialism
• Stresses the
importance of the
individual
• Emphasizes
individual choice
over the
importance of
rational theories
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• Each person must
define him-or herself
through choices in life
• Jean-Paul Sartre, Carl
Rogers, and A.S.
Neill
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Philosophies of Education
1.
2.
3.
4.
Perennialism
Essentialism
Progressivism
Postmodernism
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– Perennialism
• Aim is to
acquire
knowledge
about the great
ideas of Western
culture
• Cultivation of
the intellect is of
high priority
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– Highest level of
knowledge in each
field should be the
focus of curriculum
– Robert Maynard
Hutchins and
Mortimer Adler
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• Essentialism
– Response to
progressivism
– Advocates a conservative
philosophic perspective
– Curriculum should
consist of essential
knowledge and skills
– Schooling should be
practical and not
influence social issues
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– Back-to-schools
movement that
emphasizes facts
– Students should be
taught discipline,
hard work, and
respect for
authority
– William Bagley
and others
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• Progressivism
– Focuses on the
child rather than
the subject
matter
– Students’
interests are
important
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– Active learners and
problem solvers by
reflecting upon
their experience
– Learn by doing
– John Dewey and
Francis Parker
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– Behaviorism
• Behavior is the
result of external
forces that cause
people to behave in
predictable ways
• Linked with
empiricism
– Stresses
scientific
experiments
and
observations
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• Role of the teacher is
to identify behavioral
goals and establish
reinforcers to achieve
goals
• B.F. Skinner, Ivan
Pavlov, J. B. Watson,
and Benjamin Bloom
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Postmodernism
– Contends that
schools are used
by those in
power to control
and marginalize
those who lack
power
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Should be literature
about women,
minorities, etc.
– They want to
change the current
curriculum and
eliminate the study
of Shakespeare,
and other
traditional subjects
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Your Educational
Philosophy
– Six parts
• See handouts
– 5-paragraphy essay
format
• Will be 8
paragraphs
– Grammar, spelling,
etc.
EDU 103
•
•
•
•
Philosophy
Educational philosophy
Teacher professionalism
Relationship between philosophy and
theory
• Normative philosophy
• Epistemology
• Metaphysics (Ontology)
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Axiology
Logic
Constuctivism
Moral Education
Deductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Idealism
Realism
Pragmatism
Existentialism
Essentialism
Perennialism
Progressivism
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• Behaviorism
• Postmodernism
• Your educational philosophy
– See handouts pertaining to philosophy