Transcript 6. Education as a Profession - Alabama Agricultural and

6. EDUCATION AS A PROFESSION
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
FED 300
Foundations of Education
THE MAJOR KINDS OF EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
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Idealism --- Reality is spiritual or mental and unchanging (Plato):
In education, it emphasizes exploring truth, and spiritual
principles, thinking and learning, Socratic method of inquiring
pedagogy in which the teacher stimulates the learner’s awareness
of ideas by asking leading questions. Safeguard high quality of
education and standards. Encourage highly talented students
staying on top (use the same scale to screen between good and
lower students). Educational competition is valused.
Realism --- Reality is objective and is composed of matter and
form; it is fixed based on natural law; stress on objective
knowledge and value (Aristotle): Realism values scientific
method regarding knowing about the objective world. Theories
are the guide to knowing about the world and could be
refined/revised to conform most accurately to reality. Knowing the
world is two folds --- sensation and abstraction (sensory input and
higher order thinking). Concepts of reality are based on
experience, the interaction with environment; it is always
changing. (in the areas of science, engineering, math, etc.).
Subject-based learning is the center of instruction.
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 Existentialism --- Reality is subjective, with existence
preceding essence . It values individual existence. Emphasizing
imagination as a way of knowing and feeling. Humans make
their own definition and make their own essence by making
personal choice. The teacher encourages individual creativity
and uniqueness, with freedom of choice (learning diversity), but
oppose standardized curriculum and standardized tests
because they ask everybody to meet at the same level/standard
of learning outcome in the same subject matter and limits
individual creativity and uniqueness. Student-centered
learning is often used. Respect students’ own freedom of choice
in learning. Use more of the student-centered discussion and
analysis. Allow individualized learning and set goals according
to different students’ preferences.
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Essentialism --- viewing the school’s primary function as
maintaining the basic elements of human culture by transmitting
them to students as skills and subjects in a well-organized
curriculum. Professor Bagley stated that school should provide all
students with the knowledge they need to function in a
democratic society. The essential knowledge includes the skills of
literacy (reading and writing) and computation (algebra) and the
subjects of history, math, science, language arts, and literature.
Encouraging standardized tests on the basic knowledge and skills
which reflect both students’ outcome and teachers’ teaching
effectiveness. This outlook reflects in the implementation of the
No Child Left Behind Act (2002) by standardized test/assessment.
If a school or district failing to make adequate yearly progress are
to be identified and helped. If the schools fail to meet standards
for three years, their students may then be transferred to a
higher-performing public or private school. (The primary
educational goal is most important and must be met.) the
Subject-based, teacher-centered learning is often used to reach
this goal.
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Perennialism --- (a traditional educational philosophy)
It emphasizes a permanent or perennial subject-matter
curriculum to cultivate intellectual development, such as English,
history, math, logic, literature, the humanities, and science. It
also advocate the cultivation of rationality, and the study of
moral, aesthetics, and religious principles to develop ethical
behavior and civility (Maritain). It is against the enriched
curriculum like vocational, professional skills and competencies
in curriculum. They think those added curriculum would take
student’s time and attention from the main subject-matter.
A teacher should be well-equipped with knowledge and
competency to be the intellectual mentor and model for the
students. Education should focus on the primary knowledge and
skills to teach students to be ready for the lifelong quest for truth.
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Postmodernism --- (a social democratic inclusive view)
Rejects metaphysics as historical constructions used for socioeconomic domination. It differs from the pre-modern idealism and
realism. They contend what experts pronounce to be objective
truth is really a disguised rationale for the elites who hold power
and want to use it over others, especially the poor, minorities and
women. It emphasizes educational democracy and equity. They
argue that the contribution of the underrepresented groups like
Africans, Asians, Latinos, native Americans, feminists, the
economically disadvantaged, and gays and lesbians---should be
included in the curriculum. A culturally diverse curriculum
should reach all children.
The postmodernist curriculum could be modifying the current
mainstream curriculum into one that voice the minorities’ impact
and contribution in this society historically and reveal the
marginalization of the underrepresented.
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Pragmatism --- John Dewey, etc.
Pragmatism emphasizes the need to test ideas by acting on them; using
the scientific method as a means to validate ideas empirically. Education
is a process of creating a learning environment to promote experiences for
optimum human growth. Whereas idealism and realism emphasized the
content of subject-matter disciplines, while Dewey stressed the process of
thinking and learning as problem solving. For Dewey, the problem-solving
method transfers to a wide variety of situations. Learning is an
experience-based intellectual growth. Experience is defined as the
interaction of the person with the environment, that is, the person’s
interaction with the social, cultural and natural environments constitutes
the process of living, growing, and developing.
The learning methods associated with the Pragmatism constitute a
variety of social learning, cooperative learning, hands-on learning,
observational learning, experimental learning, field experience, etc.
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Progressivism
Progressivism views nature as ever-changing, so knowledge must be continually
redefined and rediscovered. Progressive education views learners as problem solvers who
naturally develop by exploring questions of interest to them. Progressives contend that no
knowledge is privileged over another and that the knowledge of the most value is the
knowledge that the learner wants to know. Against the traditional schools, Progressives
oppose essentialism and perennialism. They rebelled against rote memorization and
authoritarian classroom management. They adopt child-centered progressive education
(Organic School at Fairhope, AL by Marrietta Johnson), believing that childhood for learning
should be prolonged instead of following the adult scheduled learning, possessing their own
stages of readiness, children should not be pushed by teacher or parents to do things for
which they are not ready. Children learn most successfully and satisfyingly when engaged in
the active exploration of the environment and when constructing their own meaning of reality
based on their direct experiences.
Teaching methods: Constructivist learning: “Project Method” (West Tennessee by
Kilpatrick) with collaborations in a democratic (vs. authoritarian) learning environment;
activity-based learning physical exercised, nature study, crafts, field geography, story telling,
music, dramatization, and games at first, students were motivated by their own interests
would be engaged in wholehearted purposeful open-ended problem solving activities in
which they designed and completed a project. not until 9 or 10 years old children began to
learn reading and writing. Free children from conventional restraints and repression.
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