Educational
Philosophy
The Enduring ”WHY”
or
The BIG Understanding
Go To Your Teachable Curriculum Document and Transcribe
the Mission and Goal Statements
 Put into practical language
 Use this document for goal reference
 (Toggle to pg 1 lecture notes-Ministry's
Educational Philosophy}
Review the Literature
 Antecedent Foundations of Our
Educational Philosophies:
 Professionalism is based on (1)
technical skill, (2) theoretical knowledge
on which the skill is anchored, and (3)
acceptance by a community of other
professionals
 Transmission-TransactionTransformation [Educational
Philosophy]
We have philosophies that tell
us how to transfer knowledge
 PEDAGOGIES ARE THE
EDUCATIONAL TOOLS WE USE
 FOUNDATIONS ARE THE
BASIC,IDENTIFIABLE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUBJECT
 WE NEED THE RESEARCH TO HELP
US CHOOSE
The Science is in the Literature
 The Literature is the lifeblood of education.
Ongoing research as evidenced in texts or
periodicals is the process through which the
profession refines and renews itself. Research,
when properly conducted, makes predictions of
performance outcomes, codifies pedagogy and
evaluates the effectiveness of this pedagogy.
This application of empirical method is the
criterion that separates the technician from the
professional.
The SCIENCE
 “We have used the knowledge base
about teaching to identify and create
models of teaching and learning that
increase student capability…we succeed
by helping our teachers inquire more
powerfully into our common knowledge
base, into their own learning, and into
the learning of their students.” (Joyce,
Weil & Calhoun, 2000)
TRENDING:
 In the 1920s, 1930s, and the
1940s…schools had adopted the
assembly line model as multipurpose,
and multileveled classrooms that slowly
gave way to discrete, but contiguous
grade levels…by standardizing
instruction time administrators could
ensure that all rooms were being utilized
efficiently (Taylor)
Connecting Philosophy to Theory and
Practice
 Philosophy-allows you to understand the “how”
and the “why” classroom practice and school
decision-making is influenced
 The primary (historical) balance is between
more rigorous course study (content) and
attention to the personal and emotional needs
of the student.
Our History
 In the 1920s, 1930s, and the
1940s…schools adopted the assembly
line model as multipurpose, and
multileveled classrooms slowly gave way
to discrete, but contiguous grade
levels…by standardizing instruction time
administrators could ensure that all
rooms were being utilized efficiently
 The pre-ordering of tasks, by managers for
workers, is “the most prominent single element
in modern scientific management (Bobbett),
1918). An element that remains intrinsic to the
lesson planning devices taught prospective
teachers in their methods courses. It assumes
the ends should be fixed prior to the
implementation of means. Efficiency then is
measured in terms of the number of specific
ends achieved and the time needed for
achievement.
The Philosophers
 The language and thought of
industrialism has permeated American
social thought and school curriculum …
the learning model underlying the
curriculum posited what Bruner (1973)
calls a “deficit hypothesis”. This
hypothesis – Calvinist in tone – assumes
that humans by nature have deficits
The Philosophers
 Piaget and Chomsky each stated that
the primary emphasis in any
competence model is not on deficits of
being but on the powers of
“Becoming”…. Chomsky (1971)
analyzed…the concept of grades is
nothing but a device for expressing,
indeed measuring, the performance
deficit
The Philosophers
 For Charters (1923), curriculum thought
must emanate from a matching of ideals
with activities. However, in practice, the
industrial activities themselves became
the ideals of education…Education and
Curriculum was now thoroughly
grounded in the goals of industrial
society’s activities
The Philosophers
 “John Dewey sees educational ends arising within a
process of experiential activity, with learning as a byproduct of that activity; Tyler sees educational ends set
prior to experience, with learning as a specifically
intended, directed, and controlled outcome – one that can
be measured. Post-modernism (Doll) curricular thought
rejects this concept: that knowledge can exist
independent of the knower and further that this
knowledge can be discovered and validated. In other
words, educational goals cannot be separated from
curricular goals and stated autonomously merely to
satisfy the public’s “fearful” concerns for uncertainty.
 Ralph Tyler’s (1950’s) foundations of
curriculum planning – (1) chosen
purposes, (2) provided experiences, (3)
effective organization, (4) evaluation are modern/industrialist design
applications, created to reduce fear of
chaotic results by imposing control on
the educational process (Doll) .
Philosophy of Education
 An exploration of the historical development of
educational perspectives will assist the teacher candidate
in understanding the foundations upon which teaching
practice has evolved. You will explore, reflect upon and
critically analyze various educational philosophies. You
will examine how these approaches to educational
philosophy relate, complement, or challenge your own
personal perspectives about teaching and learning. You
will also reflect upon your evolving theories-in-use and to
examine how these theories impact upon your teaching
practices, or your praxis. This will help you begin to
construct, reconstruct and explain your living personal
philosophy of education.
Critical Perspectives
 Critique - It is a conceit, which underlies
our modernist concept of curriculum –
we only allow one type of knowing: a
rational, definitional knowing. Not
appreciating the impact of learned
language (Serres,) intuition, feelings and
experiences (Descartes) (Newton).
Critical Perspectives
 Donald Schon(1991) describes curriculum as “technical
rationality” if it describes a learning process characterized
by a linear, reductionist, “scientific,” and a taxonomic view
of knowledge. He is describing the concept of practical
knowledge as being no more than an application of
theoretical knowledge. In his study of competent
practitioners he finds emerging a “reflective practice” that
is experientially based and is constantly being refined.
(Sounds like rethinking – Wiggins et al) He states that
technical rationality is incomplete in that it can only
address problem solving and not problem finding and
problem-framing. Therefore, reflective practice is an
emergent, post-modern epistemology.
Critical Perspectives
 Critique…science’s simplistic and
seductive allure…Stephen Gould
(1981) the myopia of the modernists
view of science came from the mistaken
belief that physics is the “ultimate
science,” and that by reducing all to
physics and “ quantifiable causes,” one
is dealing with the principles underlying
reality.
Transmission-knowledge transfer
philosophical model

Transmission – the function of education is to transmit
atomistic facts, skills and values to students using the
appropriate pedagogy (expository, didactic, direct
instruction techniques, i.e. lectures and recitation).




Teaching strategies that are highly structured,
repeatable and specific. . Lectures explain in a logical
fashion proceeding from simple ideas to ideas.
Students are motivated by extrinsic factors; the
teacher is in absolute control.
Extrinsic motivators- report cards, curiosity empathy
with teacher.
Characteristics - Students have shared learning
characteristics. Learning objectives are very specific –
content based – “byte-sized” or right - sized for
40minute periods.” (Fix, 02)
Pedagogical Models
 Therefore “The Concept Attainment”
model (Joyce et al, 1986) of teaching
presents organized information over a
wide range of areas. (Direct DidacticDD)
Pedagogical Models
 The Inductive Thinking” (Ibid.) model
persuades or induces students to find
and organize data, create names for
concepts; and to explore new ways to
gather, organize and test the validity of
data and test the relationships amongst
data. (hypotheses - ID)
Pedagogical Models
 “Guided Inquiry (Heuristics) engages
students by through causal reasoning…if
A then B….therefore if B then only A etc
(logic) (Socratic questioning) teaching
the skills required for careful questioning,
building concepts and hypotheses.
Pedagogical Models
 Advanced Organizers – provides a
cognitive structure for the synthesis of
lecture, readings and mixed media
presentations.
Pedagogical Models
 Memorization or mnemonic techniques
Pedagogical Models
Cognitive Developmental Model –
instruction is adjusted to the stage of
maturity and then efforts are expended
to increase the student’s rate of
development.
Pedagogical Models
 Scientific Inquiry – teaching using the
scientific method, using the foundations
of the particular discipline and only the
basic information relative to that
discipline.
Pedagogical Models
 Nondirective – more or less using the
teacher as a partner to clarify goals and
develop research.
Pedagogical Models
 Synectics – creativity groups, thinking
and acting outside the box, individual
and cooperative learning is facilitated.
Pedagogical Models
 Awareness Training – induces reflection,
interpersonal relationships, and selfimage, experimentation or limited risks
situations.
Philosophers
 Plato
 Aristotle
 Socrates
 Mortimer Adler
 E.D. Hirsch
 Theodore Sizer
 Augustine
 Aquinas
Philosophers
 Abelard
 William of Ockham
 Francis Bacon
 Descartes
 Newton
 John Locke
 Rousseau
 Maslow
Readings
 W. Hare & J. Portelli, (2003) “Philosophic

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issues, Case Studies, and Teacher Education”,
in What to Do? Case Studies for Educators.
pp1-16.
Krishnamurti, J. (1981) “Education and the
Significance of Life,” pp.9-16.
Osbourne, K. (1999) “A Guide to the Canadian
School Debate, “pp.3-27.
R. Simon (1992) “Teachers as Cultural
Workers,”pp.35-53.
Dunn, Sheila G.(2005). “Philosophical
Foundations of Education.”pp.155-249.
Philosophers
 Friederich Froebel
 John Dewey
 Michel Foucault
 Thoreau
 Piaget
 Emerson
 Sartre
 Lev Vygostky