Philosophical

Foundation
of
Curriculum
Prepared by:
Rowena M. Tivoli
MAED Student

Philosophy provides educators.

teachers and curriculum makers
with framework for planning,
implementing and evaluating
curriculum in schools. It helps
in answering what schools are
for,
what
subjects
are
important, how students should
learn and what materials and
methods should be used. In
decision
making,
philosophy
provides the starting point and
will be used for the succeeding

The philosophy of curriculum

planner, implementer, or
evaluator reflects his or her
life experiences,
common beliefs, social and
economic background and
education.
For example, JOHN DEWEY
(1916) looks at
education as a way of life
a laboratory in which
philosophy becomes

Suggestio
ns
from
Subject
Specialists
Studies of
Learners

Use of
Philosoph
y

School
Purpose
s

Studies
of
Contempo
-rary Life

Use of
Psychology of
Learning

Aim of
Educati
on

Role of
Educati
on

Perenniali Essential Progressi

sm
ism
vism

Roconstructio
nism

To
educate
the
rational
person ;
To
cultivate
the
intellect

To
promote
the
intellect
ual
growth
of the
individua
l and
educate
a
compete
nt
person

To
promote
democrati
c and
social
living

To improve
and
reconstruct
society
education for
change

Teachers
help
students
think with
reason

The
teacher
is the
sole
authorit
y in his

Knowledg
e leads to
growth
and
developm
ent of

Teachers act
as agents of
change and
reform in
various
educational

Focus in
the
curriculum

Curriculum
Trends

Perennialis Essentialis
m
m

Progressivi Reconstructi
sm
onism

Classical
subjects,
literary
analysis
and
curriculum
is constant

Essentials
skills of
the 3Rs
and
essential
subjects of
English,
Science,
History,
Math,
And
Foreign
Language

Subjects
are
interdiscipl
i-nary,
integrative
and
interactive
.
Curriculum
is focused
on
students
interest,
human
problems
and affairs

Focus on
present and
future trends
and issues of
national and
international
interests

Use of
great
books and
return to

Excellence
in
education,
back to

School
reforms,
relevant
and

Equality of
educational
opportunities
in education,

Philosophical Foundations of
Education
The most remarkable thing about
philosophyis that the questions
raised
never seem to get answered.

Idealism

- The most significant philosophymost of the

worlds religions are based on idealism
- Idealism as idea-ism
- Platothe Academy opened in 397 B.C.,
believed that material things are of little
consequencethe everyday world of things and
objects is a shadowy copy of the true
idea which the soul carries within itself from
heaven, reason is rooted in a spiritual soul
- No discipline problems, because the teacher
knows the content well, likes to teach, and
knows the students
- The idealist philosophy views the school as
representing the community

Idealist
- Plato, Descartes, Kant, Spinoza,
philosophers

Leibniz, Hegel, Schopenhauer

- Students are encouraged to
stretch themselves through higherlevel thinking to become
truth seekers
- The teacher will devote
considerable time and energy to
the one who goes astray

Realism

- Objects exist regardless

of how we perceive them
- Focuses on the
scientific method and
personal experience
- The crux of realism is
scienceempirical,
objective, and
experimentalwith
precise

Realist
- Aristotle,
Comenius,
philosophers

Pestalozzi, Herbart, Montessori,

Hobbes, Bacon, Locke
- Thomas Jefferson and Horace
Mann embraced realism
- Accountability in the schools is
an outgrowth of realism

Existentiali
sm

- Focuses on the individual

- Not a logical theory, but one that can
be felt as an attitude or mood
- Awareness, anxiety, choice take on
special meaning
- Revolt against the traditional
philosophical stance
- A way of life which involves ones
total self in complete seriousness
about the self

Existentialist
- Kierkegaard, Sartre, Nietzsche
philosophers

- Kierkegaardthemes of passionate
choice, absolute freedom, total
responsibility
- Life must be understood backward,
but lived forward
- The theory focuses on value
questions

The
End

Thank you for listening