Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN PHILIPPINES

Tamag, Vigan City
2700 Ilocos Sur

CTE Graduate Studies

MGT 266: Foundations of Education

CAMELLO, MARNELL AJOI REPATO SECOND TERM

MAEd – EM 1 SY 2018 – 2019
PHILOSOPHIES OF EDUCATION

What is Philosophy?
- made up of two Greek words, Philo, meaning “love”, and Sophos, meaning “wisdom”.

- the science that seeks to organize and systematize all fields of knowledge as a means of
understanding and interpreting the totality of reality.

- the attempt to give a reasoned conception of the universe and of man’s place in it. (W. P.
Montagne, Lacuesta, et. al.)

- a world view or a reasoned conception of the whole cosmos, and a life-view or doctrine
of values, meanings and purpose of human life. (J. A. Leighton, Lacuesta, et. al.)

- it is a search for a comprehensive view of nature, an attempt at a universal explanation of

the nature. (A. Weber, Lacuesta, et. al.)

Branches of Philosophy:
1. Metaphysics – deals with the first principles, the origin and essence of things, the causes
an end of things.
 Osmology – the science of existence and/or being.
 Cosmology – deals with the nature of the universe.

2. Epistemology – deals with knowledge and with ways of knowing.

Different kinds of knowledge:
a. Conceptual
b. Perceptual
c. Intuitive
d. Empiricism
e. Intuition
f. Reasoning or Logic
- Deductive
 - Inductive
3. Axiology – is teleology which deals with purposes and values. This includes ethics and
aesthetics.

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
￫ a point of view or points of view that provide a logical, rational, and valid basis of
educational effort and criteria for the selection of a sound educational practice.
Major Schools of Thought in Philosophy
1. IDEALISM
￫ a philosophical approach that has its central tenet that ideas are the only true
reality, the only thing worth knowing. In search for truth, beauty, and justice that is
enduring and everlasting, the focus is on conscious reasoning in the mind.
Plato – father of Idealism. (The Republic)
Two worlds:
a. Spiritual/ Mental World – eternal, permanent, orderly, regular, and
universal.
b. World of Appearance – the world experienced through sight, touch, smell,
taste, and sound, that is changing, imperfect, and disorderly.
Three Categories:
a) Classica Idealism – the philosophy of the Greeks; Socrates and Plato
– searches for an absolute truth
b) Religious Idealism – tries to reconcile God and humanity
c) Modern Idealism – stemming from the ideas of Descartes, links perception and
existence

Aim: To discover and develop each individual’s abilities and full moral excellence in
order to better serve society.
Character Development: Through imitating examples and heroes.

2. REALISM
￫ believes that reality exists independent of the human mind. This theory holds that
universals are independent of, antecedent to, and more real than the specific
individual instances in which they are manifested.
Aristotle – father of Realism and Scientific method
– believed that to understand an object, its ultimate form had to be understood,
which does not change.
– first to teach logic as a formal discipline in order to be able to reason about
physical events and aspects.
– believes that the world of matter is separate from human perceptions
 Aim: To understand objective reality through “the diligent and unsparing scrutiny of all
observable data”.
Character Development: Through training, in the rules of conduct.

3. PRAGMATISM
￫ derived from the teaching of Charles Sanders Pierce
￫ believes that we should select the ideas, actions, and consequences with the most
desirable outcome, as well as learning from previous experiences to achieve
desirable consequences.
￫ believe that reality is constantly changing and that we learn best through applying
our experiences and thoughts to problems, as they arise.
￫ a tendency, movement, or more or less definite system of thought in which stress
is placed upon practical consequences and values as standards for explicating
philosophical concepts, and as tests for determining their value and truth.
￫ Asserts that the test of truth lies in its practical consequences and that the purpose
of thinking is to arrive a t a general purpose of conduct.

Charles Sanders Pierce – believed that thought must produce action, rather that linger in
the mind and lead to indecisiveness.
John Dewey – believed that learners must adapt to each other and to their environment.

 Instrumentalism – a kind of pragmatism which stresses thought as an instrument

and its function as adapting the human organism to its environment.

Aim: The creation of a new social order.

Character Development: Is based on making group decisions in light of consequences.

4. EXISTENTIALISM
￫ focus on intricate readings of text and social and political conventions, examining
existing structures for flaws.
￫ nature of reality is subjective and lies within the individual
￫ focus is on freedom, the development of authentic individuals.

Soren Kierkegaard – founder of Existentialism

– believes that we must recognize the finiteness of our lives on this
small and fragile planet, rather than believing in salvation through
God.

Character Development: Emphasizes individual responsibility for decisions.

Major Philosophies in Education

Teacher-Centered
 1. ESSENTIALISM
￫ it is the teaching of basic skills that have been proven over time to be needed in
society.
￫ may be defined as the doctrine where an indispensable common core of culture
knowledge, skills, attitudes, ideals etc. can be identified.

Aims:
 To equip the individual with the fundamental, essential, and universal
knowledge, skills, and attitudes that would enable him to adjust well to his
environment.
 To equip the individual with the essential or necessary knowledge, skills and
attitudes to enable him to perform well his assumed role in society.
 To protect and preserve society.
 To protect and preserve those freedoms that are much valued by citizens who
are deeply imbued with democratic ideals. (In a democracy)

2. PERENNIALISM
￫ focuses on the teaching of great works.
￫ the focus is to teach ideas that are everlasting, to seek enduring truths which
are constant, not changing, as the natural and human worlds at their most
essential level, do not change.
￫ advocated by Robert Maynard Hutchins and Mortimer Adler.

Aim: To ensure that student acquire understanding about the great ideas of Western
Civilization.

Student – Centered
3. PROGRESSIVISM
￫ dominated by the technological experimental advancements which have so
powerfully shaped our modern culture; it is concerned with recognizing change
and adjusting through the use of the scientific method; it concentrates on
present problems rather than on the application of a prior principles to the
solution present problems.
￫ stresses that students should test ideas by active experimentation.
￫ focuses on developing the student’s moral compass

John Dewey – staunchest advocate of progressivism; after his death, William H.

Kilpatrick took over the cudgel.

Features:
 Before an educational practice is put into effect, it must undergo some
experimental testing to determine its efficacy.
 Considers the child as the center of educational process.
  It emphasizes learning by doing.

Aims: Formulate in accordance with the interest and well-being of the child.

4. HUMANISM
￫ its roots are found in the thinking of Erasmus (1466-1536)
￫ developed as an educational philosophy by Rosseau and Pestalozzi
￫ believes that the learner should be in control of his or her own destiny.

Erasmus – believed in the essential goodness of children, that humans have free will,
moral conscience, the ability to reason, aesthetic sensibility and religious
instinct.
Pestalozzi – emphasized nature and the basic goodness of humans, understanding
through senses, and education as a gradual and unhurried process in
which he development of human character follows the unfolding of
nature.

Focus:
 Social, Cognitive, and Emotional well-being
 Personal Freedom
 Choice
 Responsibility

Aim: Help students to strive to be all that they can.

Character Development: Healthy self- concept and awareness of the psychological
need.

5. CONSTRUCTIVISM/COGNITIVISM
￫ focuses on using education to shape a student’s world view.
￫ believes that the learner actively constructs his or her own understandings of
reality though interaction with objects, events, and people in the environment,
and reflecting on these interactions.

 Equilibrium – the balancing between what is assimilated (the new) and

accommodation, the change in structure.

Socially – Centered
6. RECONSTRUCTIONISM
￫ perspective that education is the means to solve social problems.

7. BEHAVIORISM
￫ stresses scientific information and observation, rather than subjective or
metaphysical realities.
 ￫ believes that behavior is shaped deliberately by forces in the environment and
that the type of person and actions desired can be the product of design.

Other Philosphies
8.