CHAPTER 8
Philosophies of Education
Lesson 1
Our Philosophical Heritage:
Philosophies of Education
What is Philosophy?
The study of ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature
and meaning of life, etc.
Set of ideas about how to do something or how to live.
A pursuit for wisdom
According to J. Pieper
To philosophize is so essentially human – and in a
sense to philosophize means living a truly human life.
Seven (7) Philosophies of Education
1. Constructivism
2. Essentialism
3. Progressivism
4. Perennialism
5. Existentialism
6. Behaviorism
7. Linguistic Philosophy
1. Constructivism
Why teach?
To develop intrinsically motivated and independent learners
adequately equipped with learning skills for them to be able to
construct knowledge and make meaning of them.
• What to teach?
Learners are taught how to learn, learning processes and skills
• How to teach?
Teacher provides students with data or experiences that allow them
to hypothesize, predict, manipulate objects, pose questions,
research, investigate, imagine and invent.
constructivist classroom is interactive
promotes dialogical exchange of ideas among learners and
between teachers and students.
teacher’s role is to facilitate the process.
knowledge is constructed by learners through an active,
mental process of development.
the minds are full of ideas waiting to be midwifed by the
teacher with his/her skillful facilitating skills.
2. Essentialism
Why teach?
learners to acquire basic knowledge, skills and values.
To transmit the traditional moral values and intellectual
knowledge that students need to become model citizens.
• What to teach?
Programs are academically rigorous
The basic skill or the fundamental r’s – reading, ‘riting,
‘rithmetic, right conduct- needed in preparation for adult
life.
traditional discipline – Math, natural Science, History, Foreign
Languages and Literature.
Frown upon vocational courses
What is most important and place little emphasis on students interest
How to teach?
Emphasize mastery of subject matter
Teachers fountain of information and paragon of virtue
Teachers observe “core requirements, longer school days and a longer
academic year”
Rely heavily on the use of prescribed textbooks
Heavy stress on memorization and descipline
3. Progressivism
Why teach?
To develop learners into becoming enlightened and intelligent
citizens of a democratic society.
Teach learners so they may live life fully NOW.
• What to teach?
Need-based and relevant curriculum
Curriculum that respond to students’ need and relates to students’
lives and experiences
Accept the impermanence of life and inevitability of change,
everything else change.
Concerned with teaching the learners the skill to cope with change .
Give focus to teaching of skills or process in gathering and
evaluating information and in problem solving.
Give emphasis on natural and social sciences
• How to teach?
Employ experiential methods
Learns by doing
John Dewey- advocate of Progressivism
Heavily rely on the problem-solving method (Scientific Method).
Hands-on-minds-on teaching method like field trips and
thought-provoking games.
4. Perennialism
Why teach?
We are all rational animals
Develop the students’ rational and moral powers
• What to teach?
Curriculum is universal or general
Heavy on the humanities, general education
Less emphasis on vocational and technical education
What the perennialist teachers teach are lifted from the Great Books
• How to teach?
Centered around teachers
Students engaged in Socratic dialogues or mutual inquiry sessions to develop an
understanding of history’s most timeless concepts.
Why Teach
The main concern of the existentialists is "to help students
understand and appreciate themselves as unique individuals
who accept complete responsibility for their thoughts,
feelings, and actions." Since 'existence precedes essence',
the existentialist teacher's role is to help students define
their own essence by exposing them to various paths they
take in life and by creating an 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."
7 Philosophies of
Education
Existentalist
What to Teach
" In an existentialist curriculum, students are given a wide variety of
options from which to choose." Students are afforded great latitude in
their choice of subject matter. The humanities, however, are given
tremendous emphasis to "provide students with vicarious experiences
that will help unleash their own creativity and self-expression. For
example, rather than emphasizing historical events, existentialists
focus upon the actions of historical individuals, each of whom
provides possible models for the students' own behavior... Moreover,
vocational education is regarded more as a means of teaching students
about themselves and their potential than of earning a livelihood. In
teaching art, existentialism encourages individual creativity and
imagination more than coping and imitating established models."
How to Teach
" Existentialist methods focus on the individual. Learning
is self-paced, self-directed. It includes a great deal of
individual contact with the teacher, who relates to each
student openly and honestly. To help students know
themselves and their place in society, teachers employ
values clarification strategy. In the use of such strategy,
teachers remain non-judgmental and take care not to
impose their values on their students since values are
personal."
Behaviorism
Why Teach
Behaviorist schools are concerned with the modification
and shaping of students' behavior by providing for a
favorable environment, since they believe that they are a
product of their environment. They are after students who
exhibit desirable behavior in society.
What to Teach
Because behaviorists look at "people and other animals...
as complex combinations of matter that act only in
response to internally or externally generated physical
stimuli," behaviorist teachers teach students to respond
favorably to various stimuli in the environment.
How to Teach
Behaviorist teachers "ought to arrange environmental
conditions so that students can make the responses
stumuli. Physical variables like light, temperature,
arrangement of furniture, size and quantity of visual aids
have to be controlled to get the desired responses from the
learners. ...Teachers ought to make the stimuli clear and
interesting to capture and hold the learners' attention They
ought to provide appropriate incentives to reinforce
positive responses and weaken or eliminate negative
ones."
Linguistic Philosophy
Why Teach
To develop the communication skills of the learner because
the ability to articulate, to voice out the meaning and values
of things that one obtains form his/her experience of life
and the world is very essence of man. It is through his/her
ability to express himself/herself clearly, to get his/her
ideas across, to make known to others the values that
he/she has imbibed, the beauty that he/she has seen, the
ugliness that he/she rejects and the truth that he/she has
discovered. Teachers teach to develop in the learner the
skill to send messages clearly and recieve messages
correctly.
What to Teach
Learners should be taught to communicate clearly -how to send clear,
concise messages and how to receive and correctly understand messages sent.
Communication takes place in three (3) ways- verbal, nonverbal, and
paraverbal. Verbal component refers to be content of our message, the choice
and arrangement of our words. This can be oral or written. Nonverbal
component refers to the message we send through our body language while
paraverbal component refers to how we say what we say - the tone, pacing
and volume of our voices.
There is need to teach learners to use language that is correct, precise,
grammatical,'coherent, accurate so that they are able to communicate clearly
and precisely their thoughts and feelings. There is need to help students
expand their vocabularies to enhance their communication skills. There is
need to teach the learners how to communicate clearly through non-verbal
means and consistently though paraverbal means.
There is need to caution the learners of the verbal and
non-verbal barriers to communication.
Teach them to speak as many languages as you can. The
more languages one speaks, the better he/she can
communicate with the world. A multilingual has an edge
over the monolingual or bilingual.
How to Teach
The most effective way to teach language and
communication is the experiential way. Make them
experience sending and receiving messages through
verbal, non-verbal and para-verbal manner. Teacher
should make the classroom a place for the interplay of
minds and hearts. The teacher facilitates dialogue among
lerners and between him/her.
ABSTRACTION: Let’s Add to What You Already Know
APPLICATION: Let’s Apply What You Learned
With Teacher Macrina’s philosophy of education
as an example, formulate your own philosophy of
education.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING
A. Read Teacher Macrina’s Philosophy of Education.
Then answer the question that follows.
1. Does Teacher Macrina have a clear philosophy on
how she should teach values? – Evaluation
a. Yes c. No
b. Somewhat d. Not at all
2. which teaching methodology statement should I
formulate if I cling to the progressivist philosophy of
education? – Creating
A. I will make students learn by doing; less teacher talk, more
student talk.
B. I will make students learn by listening; less student talk,
more teacher talk.
C. Teaching-learning takes place only in the classroom.
D. Teaching-learning is best with the full use of the
chalkboard.
• 3. I am a progressivist. For teaching in the affective
domain, which will form part of my philosophy of
education? – Creating.
A. I will inculcate values in my lessons.
B. I will engage my classes in values clarification.
C. I will not do any sort of value education considering
pluralistic values.
D. I will impose objective values to my students.
RESEARCH CONNECTION
Research on at least one formulated philosophy of
education then summarize the teacher’s concept of
the learner and how the teacher should relate to
the learner, important subject matter to be taught,
how that subject matter should be taught.
REFLECTION
THE END
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
GROUP 8 Reporters
Aslon, Mailene A.
Oguimas, Robert D.
Pernes, Janice R.
Quiacao, Dianne Rose A.
