Chapter 2 Philosophical Foundations and Theories of Education

1. Chapter 2Philosophical Foundations and Theories of Education

2. Four Philosophical Stances • Idealism • Realism • Existentialism • Pragmatism

3. Idealism • The most significant philosophy; • The quality of life– the intangibles, the whispers; • Material things are evils; • The highest element of man is reason; • Freedom is based on education; • Creative growth; • One’s intellectual and personal life.

4. An idealist teacher: stretches oneself through higher-level thinking; every pupil makes a different, he counts for something; knows the content, likes to teach, knows his students; school represents the community; demonstrates school spirit, good conduct, high moral standards, and fair play;

5. Realism • Like idealism, one of the oldest; • Focuses on scientific method and personal experience; • Its crux is science-- empirical, objective, and experimental; • Discovers the truth; • Rules and regulations are essential; • Men are created equal. • Education is for all; • Accountability; • Precision in math and science encouraged; • The influx of technology reflects realist philosophical view.

6. Existentialism • One’s total self; • Choice, absolute freedom, and total responsibility; • Empowering students; • Existentialists interested in affective side of man, his capacity to love, to appreciate, to respond emotionally to the world about him; • Emphasizes humanities– art, music, and drama. • The existential teacher is a free spirit who has no limitations in terms of dress and personal lifestyle; • This teacher does as he or she chooses, in short, daring to be different at all times.

7. Pragmatism • Ventures forth with the question about truth; • Scientific and technological advances; • Charles Pierce, an American mathematician, scientist, and philosopher, was a promoter of pragmatism in the 1800s and early 1900s; • Teaching students survey techniques and equipment.

8. PHILOSOPHIES OF EDUCATION AND THEIR CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS

9. IDEALISM The teacher • Knows the content area that he/she teaches very well. • Enjoys teaching and serving as a model for student. • Believes each student has value and can make a valuable contribution to society.

10. Teaching strategies • Encourage students to challenge themselves as learners. • Encourage students to “seek the truth”. The student • Is in school to seek the truth.

11. The curriculum • is based on cultural heritage and wisdom. Classroom management • Few discipline problems as teacher’s love of subject matter is transferred to students. • Any problems with student behavior are handled by the teacher who discusses them with the students involved.

12. REALISM The teacher • Relies on test score to place students. • Readily adopts new technology. Teaching strategies • Emphasize realistic novel such as The Color Purple. • Stress precision and accuracy in math, science, social studies, and writing.

13. The student • Is expected to focus on accuracy. The curriculum • Emphasizes accountability. • Stresses concept acquisition. Classroom management • Classroom rules and resultant punishments are established at the beginning of the school year and posted in the classroom. • Violators are punished according to the criteria established.

14. EXISTENTIALISM The teacher • Emphasizes individual choice. Teaching strategies • Stress individual freedom, empowerment of students to make choices about what and how they will learn. The student • Is an individual who gains meaning from within.

15. The curriculum • Stresses the arts and literature. • Has little emphasis on math and science. Classroom management • Emphasis on freedom to do as student pleases in the classroom.

16. PRAGMATISM The teacher • Applies democratic methods. • Classroom is a community of learners. Teaching strategies • Encourage problem solving. • Democratic procedures. The student • Learns by engaging in activity first-hand.

17. Curriculum • Emphasizes concrete experiences. • Emphasis on the three Rs in elementary school. Classroom management • Classroom rules are established by the class in democratic fashion.

18. THEORIES OF EDUCATION • The various philosophies led to the development of theories of education: • Experimentalism • Progressivism • Social Reconstructionism • Perennialism • Essentialism

19. Experimentalism • Comes from pragmatic theory; • Tests ideas through experimentation; • Emphasizes experience and child-centered activities; • Stresses final product; • Promotes firsthand experience.

20. Progressivism • Is based on the belief that all people are benevolent and that by using human intellect in combination with the scientific method, the world would be improved. • William Heard Kilpatrick, a follower of Dewey, synthesized Dewey’s experimentalism with progressivism and developed a “project method”.

21. He suggested four different types of projects. • The creative project: Ss design plan// Acting out a play. • The enjoyment project: Cultivating aesthetic experiences. • The problem project: Gender discrimination solved// Ss using intellect. • The specific learning project: Acquisition of knowledge and skills// Swimming or playing golf.

22. Social Reconstructionism • Has its roots in progressivism; • Ss study their own culture, finding the major causes of problems (poverty or war) and resolving them; • Teachers utilize problem solving and divergent thinking; • Remedies for solutions to social problems are probed.

23. Perennialism • Based on the philosophy of realism; • A traditional and conservative view; • Follows the beliefs of Aristotle; • Insights into art, history, literature, math, and science can be passed from one generation to the next; • A perennialist teacher is a reader and writer and Ss do the same; • Goals of learning: Acquire organized knowledge, develop intellectual skills, and an enlarged understanding of ideas and values.

24. Essentialism • Very traditional and conservative; • In direct opposition to progressive education; • Teacher should be well trained in his discipline; • American Ss performed poorly in math and science; • Lashed out at social promotions for Ss; • In the 1970s, essentialist movement resurfaced as the back-to-basic movement; • Ss should be trained in history, science, math, literature, language, art and other disciplines.

25. Now, essentialism is rigorous; • There is a push for national standards for teachers and Ss; • US is lagging behind other nations due to a lack of standards in the schools.

26. THEORIES OF EDUCATION AND THEIR CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS EXPERIMENTALISM The teacher • Encourages students to test ideas • Develops rapport with students • Play is encouraged for both cooperation and competition

27. Teaching strategies • Use hands-on activities • Place emphasis on problem solving • Include integrated instruction The student • Is encouraged to question ideas The curriculum • Stresses science • Places emphasis on interrelatedness

28. Classroom management • Dialogue is encouraged between student and teacher regarding student behavior

29. PROGRESSIVISM The teacher • Assists rather guides learning • Places emphasis on intrinsic rather than extrinsic rewards • Is more sensitive to student needs than academic subject matter • Follows lead of students as to what should be taught

30. Teaching strategies • Incorporate projects planned, developed, and carried out by students • Stress aesthetics of learning • Stress cooperative learning The student • Is self-directed in learning The curriculum • Stresses skills attainment • Places emphasis on the arts and the aesthetics of learning Classroom management • Liberal classroom discipline with students given lots of freedom

31. Social Reconstructionism • The teacher • Is a liberal thinker; • Challenges the established rules of the school district. • Teaching strategies • Encourage Ss to address and attempt to solve social problems; • Stress experimentation and problem solving.

32. The Student • Needs to study his or her own culture; • Is encouraged to be divergent thinker. • The Curriculum • Is heavily multicultural; • Places emphasis on social issues.

33. Perennialism • The Teacher • Emphasizes searching for the truth and realization; • Places emphasis on the good, true, and beautiful; • Is avid reader and writer. • Teaching Strategies • Stress the great works of literature, math, art, music; • Didactic learning of concepts; • Coaching of skills; • Small group discussion using Socratic method.

34. The Student • Is encouraged to organize, clarify, and connect thoughts to make accurate quantitative comparisons. • The Curriculum • Focuses on the classics in literature; • Places emphasis on concept acquisition in math, science, and social studies. • Classroom Management • Students are expected to behave in a rational behavior.

35. Essentialism • The Teacher • Teaches Ss basic skills and knowledge. • Strives to develop Ss’ higher thinking skills. • Each subject is taught separately. • No social promotions to higher grade level. • Competency testing. • Teaching Strategies • Incorporate paper and pencil activities. • Emphasize reading the classics and skill and drill work in math and other subject areas.

36. The Student • Is encouraged to set high personal goals. • The Curriculum • Stresses reading, writing, math, science, and social sciences. • Classroom Management • Time on task is emphasized. • Ss are expected to follow directions and behave properly.

37. Four Philosophical Terms • Philosophy • Love (philo) and wisdom (sophos) • Metaphysics • The study of the nature of reality, or what is real. • Epistemology • The theory of knowing and of knowledge. • Axiology • Is concerned with value. • Divided into two areas: ethics and aesthetics.

38. Logic • Addresses the rules of correct and valid thinking and considers the rules of inference that we use to frame propositions and arguments. • Deductive logic: Reasoning moving from general to particular instances. • Inductive logic: Reasoning moving from particular instances to generalizations. • The End of Chapter 2, FE Semester 1, 2007-08