Why should a teacher study Philosophy of Education?

A teacher needs to study Philosophy of education in order for him or her to be

guided as to how to teach the students effectively and efficiently. His or her knowledge
of the Philosophies of Education will serve as the guiding principle in his/her everyday
life and will work as a blueprint on the way he/she treat the students.

Monica Hyatt cites seven reasons why it is important for a teacher to study
Philosophy of Education, namely;

 1. Clarification of Pedagogical Issues

Since philosophy involves critical examination carried out by a person on

his/her own, educational philosophy will, therefore, help pedagogists (i.e.
teachers, educational researchers, and school authorities) to have clarification of
various implicit and explicit educational issues.

 2. The consistency of Educational Views with Other Spheres of Life

The study of the philosophy of education aids man to probe into the totality of
things surrounding the existence of education in a society. It in fact enables
stakeholders in schools to hold views in education that are consistent with other
domains of human and non-human life.

 3. Becoming a Great Influence in Making Educational Policies

The study of Philosophy of Education helps one (especially a teacher) influence

educational policies under which s/he operates by partaking in theoretical
discussion about educational issues and problems.

 4. Development of Organisational Skills

The knowledge of philosophy of education enables teachers and educational

researchers to organise all their experiences in the field of morality, politics,
psychology, religions, linguistics, etc via critical thinking commonly aided by logic.

 5. Battling with challenges of improving and changing the society

 It is imperative for nation builders like teachers and teachers-in-training to
properly understand philosophy of education in order to increase their knowledge
of day-to-day changes in their environment.

 6. Penetrating thinking ability

The knowledge of philosophy of education allows educationists to think critically

about what they do, and why and how they do them. For example, teachers are
expected to be witty enough to understand the best way to penetrate a pupil’s
mind in such a way that he/she would be interested in the teacher’s subject
regardless of the previous impression of the subject.

It aids teachers in creating conducive cognitive atmospheric conditions during the

teaching and learning activities.

 7. Discovery of alternative dimensions of meaning of education and its

practices

Philosophy of education allows you to discover alternative dimensions of

meaning that conventional wisdom have missed in guiding theory and practice in
education.
This discovery will help you tackle and solve a lot of complicated educational
problems and challenges.

Thus, is it empirical for us teachers to study the Philosophies of Education

so that we will have a clear understanding on the different issues affecting
education specially those issues that are almost always overlooked as it helps us
to see Education in General and on a more objective point of view. It will guide us
in our day to day interaction with our students and allows us to think critically
about what to do, and why and how they do them.

We, as educator specially needs to understand why we do things, as it is

said: “ The greatest weapon a man can bring into battle is the reason why”.