Philosophy of education

 PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR TEACHERS  

Introduction

The philosophy of education will be discussed first, since we need to understand the philosophy of education, before we can discuss about its significance for teachers. The lecture will cover seven philosophies of education (idealism, realism, pragmatism, existentialism, essentialism, progressivism, and social reconstructionism); followed by the significance of four of these philosophies (pragmatism, existentialism, essentialism, and social reconstructionism) for teachers.The Philosophy of EducationPhilosophy of education, as we know, focuses on the values, beliefs and attitudes in relation to the process of growth of individuals and society. These values, beliefs and attitudes determine the direction of our education, particularly the aims, goals, objectives, contents, delivery and assessment of education. Now, we will look some educational philosophies which will help us to understand better the goals of education. Idealism: “Ideal” means “a conception of objects as something that are perfect, having noble character, visionary, and existing only in imagination”. Idealism views that education should focus on moral, spiritual and mental aspects of human being; and that the truth and values are absolute, timeless, and universal. Education should concern with ideas and concepts and their relationship, with the final outcomes of education are the most general and abstract subjects. Mathematics is important to develop abstract thinking; while history and literature are important to develop moral and culture. Realism: “Real” means “a conception of objects as something that are actual, existence, and authentic, rather than imaginary”. Realism views the world in terms of objects and matter; and everything is derived from nature and is subjected to its laws. Realism suggests that education should focus on objects and matter; and views that people can learn about the world through their senses and reasons. However, just like idealist, realist views that the ultimate goals of education are the most general and abstract subjects. Realist stresses that the subjects such as ethical, political and economics are important in life; while reading, writing and arithmetic are necessary as basic education.Pragmatism: “Pragmatic” means “a conception of objects as something that are real, and having cause-effect relationship and practical values”. Pragmatism views the world as not fixed, but constantly changing; and views knowledge as process and not as product. Education, therefore, should focus on experiencing the process, for example, learning occurs as pupil engages in problem solving. Knowing is an interaction between the learner and environment (both are undergoing constant changes). Teaching is not focused on “what to think”, but on “how to think critically”; and hence, it should be more exploratory than explanatory. The ultimate goal of education is for the learner to acquire the process of solving problems in an intelligent manner. Existentialism: “Existential” means “a conception of objects as actual being, existing, occurring, appearing, or emerging”. Existentialism views the world as subjective, depending upon one’s perception; and that knowledge is a personal choice. Education should focus on emotional, aesthetic and philosophical subjects; such as literature, drama and arts. Learners are allowed to choose the subject(s) for their self-fulfillment. Curriculum should stress on self-expressive and experimentation activities that will create emotions, feelings and insights. The ultimate goal of education is to develop consciousness about freedom to choose, and the meaning one’s choices and responsibility in relation to these choices.Essentialism: “Essential” means “a conception of objects as something that are absolutely necessary, indispensable, or vital”. Essentialism views that education should focus on the fundamental and essential subjects, such as the 3 R’s (reading, writing, arithmetic) as the fundamental subjects at primary school level; and five academic subjects at secondary school level (English, mathematics, science, history & foreign language). Essentialism rejects the subjects such as arts, music, physical education, homemaking and vocational education. The ultimate goal of education is the acquisition of culture and mastery of essential skills, facts, concepts, and thinking skills.Progressivism: “Progressive” means “a conception of objects as something that are moving forward toward specific goal, further stage, or cumulative improvement”. Progressivism views that education should promote democratic society in which students could learn and practice the skills and tools necessary for democratic living; which include problem-solving methods and scientific inquiry; and learning experiences that include cooperative behaviors and self-discipline; which are important for democratic living. Since reality constantly keeps changing (similar to pragmatism), progressivism believes that there is little need to focus on fixed body of knowledge. Social Reconstructionism: “Social reconstruction” means “a conception that the social problems; such as poverty and lack of educational and employment opportunities; can be solved through education”. Social reconstructionism believes that “people are responsible for creating social conditions, whether they are good or bad”. It views that education should prepare people to create new good and just society and to bring the have-nots into a better society. Other than those who are fortunate helping out those who are unfortunate, education can play its role by preparing students to meet their intellectual, emotional, personal, and social needs, to solve their social problems.Significance of Philosophy of Education for TeachersThe significance of the philosophy of education for teachers can be discussed by looking at the goals of education, role of students, role of teachers and teaching methods for various philosophies of education . We are going to look at four philosophies of education as examples, i.e. the Existentialism, Pragmatism, Essentialism, and Social Reconstructionism. Pragmatism:The goalof education under this philosophy is“developing and applying practical knowledge and skills for life in a progressive democratic society”. The role of students is to show “active learning and participation”. Hence, teachers need to plan teaching and learning activities that encourage students to actively participate in learning. The role of teachers is to “teach inductive and deductive reasoning, scientific method, and the power of observation and practice”, which can be achieved through the teaching methods of “hands-on curricula, group work, and experimentation”.Existentialism: The goal of education under this philosophy is “developing authentic individuals who exercise freedom of choice and take responsibility for their actions”. The role of students is to “develop independence, self-discipline, set challenges, and solve problems”. Teachers should know this goal to decide what to teach, how to teach, how students learn and how to assess learning outcomes. The role of teachers is to “encourage students to philosophize about life and to recognize and fulfill personal freedom”, which can be done through the teaching methods of “discussion and analysis, examination of choice-making in own and other’s live”.Essentialism:The goalof education under this philosophy is “acquisition of culture and cultural literacy for personal benefit”. The role of students is to “receive knowledge and demonstrate minimum competencies”. The role of teachers under this philosophy is to “deliver a standard curriculum”, which can be done through teaching methods of “subject-centered direct instruction”. Teachers need to know this role in order to plan teaching and learning activities that are subject-centered and can deliver the standard content through direct instruction. An example of a subject with standard curriculum is history. A teacher can prepare the content of a lesson and delivers the content through direct instruction. Social Reconstructionism:The goalof education under this philosophy is “solving social problems and create a better world”. The role of students is to “inquire, apply critical thinking skills, and take action”. The role of teachers under this philosophy is to “ask questions, present social issues and problem solving challenges, and serve as organizer and information resource”, which can be done through the teaching methods of “stimulating divergent thinking and group discussion”. Teachers should give emphasis on social studies, social problems, global education, and environmental issues.