My Philosophy of Education

Juliet Holzknecht
AHE 554
Western Washington University

Introduction
Throughout the course of the Adult and Higher Education program, I have learned about
many different educational philosophies. As Elias & Merriam state, ...philosophy inspires ones
activities, and gives direction to practice. The power of philosophy lies in its ability to enable
individuals to better understand and appreciate the activities of everyday life (2004, p. 5).
Acknowledging this, it is important for every educator to develop their own educational
philosophy to create a strong foundation and purpose for their teaching. Because, how we teach
is intimately related to why we teach and what we teach (Elias & Merriam, 2004, p. 66).
Most philosophies stand on several principles. Elias & Merriam define principles as ...the
foundations or basic structures by which phenomena, events, and realities are understood(2004,
p. 3). Throughout this paper, I will address the key principles in my educational philosophy.
While I do not anticipate becoming a formal teacher in a classroom, I strongly believe my
educational philosophy can contribute to my teaching in many aspects of my life, including work
trainings and professional development.

Key Principles of my Educational Philosophy

A Broadened view of Education

Because my current professional experience is outside of the scope of traditional formal
education, I began my journey in educational philosophy recognizing how many spaces adult
education exists. I believe we can cultivate adult learning in many different areas of our lives,
including but not limited to academia, professional work spaces, volunteer opportunities, and
social media. By broadening the view of education, we are not confined to certain spaces or

times and can continue to explore learning outside of classes, through community organizations
and many other spheres that are present in our life.

Student-centered
While working at Western Washington University, I have heard the term student-centered
many times. My first position at the university considered student experiences in everything that
they did. It was not until I moved to a different area of the university, where student-centered
development was not a focus that I began to realize how important it is. I have based my
educational philosophy on a student-centered focus because I believe it provides an
individualized approach to education that has a greater impact on each student. Throughout this
course, I have acknowledged that I must also redefine my own definition of student to a
broader group of adult learners in many new settings, based on my first principle. With a broader
group of learners, a student-centered focus also encourages the use of different backgrounds and
experiences from adult learners to increase their learning as a group. Teachers and facilitators
must acknowledge that students come from all different backgrounds and experiences, and many
have different levels of knowledge on the topic. By teaching towards a students specific skills
and needs, I will be more engaging and effective with the students I teach.

Self-Directed Learning
Adult learners are self-motivated to learn new topics and explore (Elias & Merriam,
2004). Acknowledging this intrinsic motivation and developing an experience that fosters
students to search out their own development and interests can increase the learning experience
for each student. It can also present a larger intrinsic reward for their learning. Self-direction

requires that the instructors provide general guidelines, and support for student learning, as well
as help to facilitate discussions and provide resources that encourages continued learning. The
teacher does not simply provide information; it is the teachers role to create the conditions
within which learning can take place. In order to be a facilitator one must trust students to
assume responsibility for their learning. (Elias & Merriam, 2004, p. 127)

Lifelong learning
Dewey considered lifelong learning as a continuous growth of the mind (Elias &
Merriam, 2004). I believe that this growth, through self-directed learning, makes a more
satisfying and complete life experience. Each learning opportunity should build on or enhance
previous experiences, and lead to new topic areas that students can continue to learn and grow.
No single lesson will be the pillar of a students education, but as a whole, each lesson can
integrate with others to develop a more comprehensive learning experience.

Diversity and social justice should be incorporated in all learning

Students are part of an increasingly diverse workforce and society. While students learn
about many different topics, it is my goal to incorporate diverse perspectives and conversations
about diversity in every opportunity I can. I believe that diversity and inclusion cannot be taught
in a single lesson, but must be woven into each conversation in order to truly develop a greater
understanding of the power, privilege, and different perspectives that are present in every
moment of our lives. I believe that social justice is paramount in adult education and must be
shared with all in order to change the inequality and oppression in our society.

Critically reflective
As an adult educator, I recognize that each student and situation is different. It is
imperative to critically reflect on my own practice in order to grow from my experiences and
become a better teacher or facilitator. Additionally, this principle should be incorporated into
educational experiences I lead so that students also learn to be critically reflective on their own
practices as well. MORE?

Connecting Principles with Philosophical Traditions & History

While developing my educational principles, I found that my foundational beliefs come
from a mixture of progressive, and humanistic philosophical traditions. These traditions combine
within my own perspectives to develop the principles listed in the previous section. While each
tradition has strong tenets, I felt that I could not agree to any one philosophy on its own and built
my philosophy on strong pillars within each tradition.
While learning about different philosophical traditions this quarter, I found myself
immediately drawn to the humanist tradition. Historically, the humanist philosophy can be traced
back to the days of Confucius, Aristotle, and Plato. It began as a revolt against a world
dominated by churches that attempted to control knowledge and develop people through a
behaviorist model. I think this tradition appealed to me most due to the values it is built on to
consider each person as an individual who can think and act creatively rather than simply a body
that follows orders.
My first principle, A Broadened View of Education, is a principle within the
progressive philosophy. Elias & Merriam explained that this principle formed through what
sociologists call inculturation. Education is thus not restricted to schooling, but includes all

those incidental and intentional activities that society uses to pass on values, attitudes,
knowledge and skills (Elias & Merriam, 2004, p. 61). Considering my undergraduate work in
sociology, I related very easily to this principle.
The progressive tradition is also apparent in my principle of lifelong learning and
diversity incorporated in all education. Elias & Merriam state:
Progressives believed that the function of education was not merely to prepare learners
for fitting into the existing society, but also to educate persons who would be interested in
changing society. For the progressives education was to be directed at fostering creativity
and stability, as well as individuality and social consciousness (2004, p. 72).
Through continued learning and diversity education, individuals are more likely to change
society. Building a social consciousness through constant exploration of new perspectives can
ignite the passions of students to work towards social change.
The strongest tradition present in my educational principles is humanistic philosophy.
Humanistic educators utilize principles of student-centeredness, self-directed learning and view
the teacher as a facilitator (Elias & Merriam, 2004). I align with the humanistic principles that
when working with adult learners, the teacher does not always know best and should act as a
guide rather than a lecturer (Elias & Merriam, 2004). I prefer to help students get to the space
they want to be, rather than telling them where to go. I believe that each person is the expert of
their own life and that they are the best equipped to decide what their next goals should be. This
directly connects with humanistic education, which places the responsibility for learning with
the student- the student is free to learn what he or she wants to learn in a manner desired by the
learner (Elias & Merriam, 2004, p. 124).

The humanistic philosophy is also present within my principle Diversity and social
justice should be incorporated in all learning. Elias & Merriam state that in humanistic
philosophy the individuality or uniqueness of each person is recognized and valued (Elias &
Merriam, 2004, p. 120). Every student should be valued and acknowledged that their experience
and skills may be different from the student next to them. To do so, instructors must educate
themselves on diversity topics and provide opportunities for their students to learn about the
social constructs that create privilege and oppression in our society. As Sheared et al. explain,
when educators and scholars in adult and continuing education focus on creating safe learning
environments, they need to consider how interlocking positionalities affect the educational
context. They also need to examine how a persons race and sexual orientation have an impact on
his or her experiences in the learning environment (2010, p. 195). For example, Grace found
that many queer individuals tread lightly in learning environments and may not chose to disclose
this identity as these students have experienced heterosexism in many instances and may not feel
safe enough to share this identity with classmates ( n.d.).
Racism continues to be an ever present issue in America. The only way to provoke
change is to specifically address racism through education. Sealey-Ruiz states that racial
literacy can be developed when explicit conversations about race and the ill effects of racism are
central topics of course readings and writing assignments and when discussions are held in a safe
classroom environment (Sheared et al., 2010, p. 44). By incorporating these conversations into
lessons and developing better racial literacy, I believe we will build a safer learning environment
for all students as well as a more equitable society as a whole.

Applying my philosophy to my profession

In my current profession as a conference and youth event planner, I have the opportunity
to work with several undergraduate students as well as conference coordinators. With both of
these groups, I see many areas where my educational philosophy is incorporated into my work,
and how my teaching as a supervisor and guide become educational opportunities for other
adults.
My most prominent teaching opportunities occur within my office, as I coordinate,
delegate and evaluate the work of three student staff. My student-centered principle shines
brightly in this arena, as I truly focus on providing a good work environment and learning
experience for my student staff. I have developed expectations for them that incorporate selfdirected learning through open ended tasks and problem solving opportunities. At our weekly
meetings, I ask if there is additional training they need or other information they need to continue
with our work. They have requested several different training and work sessions to increase their
productivity including project and time management, Microsoft Excel, personality tests applied
to the workplace and planning sessions for large events. Where it is possible, I have developed
these trainings in a way that gives my student staff experiential learning opportunities. I see this
self-directed, student-centered learning as an opportunity for their own professional development
and engagement in the workspace.
The humanistic educator in me has worked hard at developing a strong role model that
acknowledges that work is only one aspect of an individuals life. I push myself to incorporate
good self-care habits into my work life, and request this of my student staff as well. This can
include reminders to schedule lunch breaks between work and class so that they are able to be
their best self in both spaces. I continually consider Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (Elias &

Merriam, 2004, p. 121) and remind my students that without meeting their basic needs, it will be
very difficult to function at their highest level. As Elias and Merriam explain, Humanistic adult
educators are concerned with the development of the whole person (2004, p. 111). I
acknowledge their other identities within the context of their work environment and try to
challenge them to grow in many different skills and abilities. I see their work as an opportunity
to have them grow into better professionals when they leave school, not simply as an assignment
to complete tasks.
Additionally, I have incorporated critical reflection into my own professional experiences
and have built a model that encourages my student staff to do the same. After each event that we
host, we take time to debrief the event. I started this process with formal meetings after each
event, and would include notes on our conversation so that we could keep documentation for the
next event. I would ask the staff four questions: What went well? What could we improve? What
do we need to remember for next year? Who did we miss? After several events, the staff began to
automatically answer these questions before I scheduled a meeting. Through this process of
critical reflection and group learning, the staff has grown from each event and feel better able to
handle new situations as well.
In addition to my three office staff, I coordinate and train several other student staff for
our youth programs. With these students, I provide a general structure, and then ask that they
develop lesson plans as a group. I see my role as the facilitator for this group, and provide
questions for each lesson plan to help them think about how they could improve the lesson, or
consider other perspectives they might not have originally. This can include considerations of
diverse perspectives within each classroom, or other elements to think about in each lesson.

Through this process, I feel that the self-directed learning, student-centered, and diversity
principles are emphasized.
Current policies of the day
I believe that many of the principles I listed above are in line with current adult education
practices of the day. Unfortunately, there is still a large gap between adult education practices
and professional work environments. My supervisor has questioned my professional
development trainings for my students several times in my annual evaluations and during
strategic planning discussions. I stand behind each of my trainings and believe that they have not
only provided a better experience for my student staff, but made them stronger, more productive
employees in our office. Each time this discussion comes up, I reiterate that, for example, with a
one-hour project management training, we have grown as a group to be a much stronger and
more productive organization that will reduce the time spent on mismanaged time long term. I
use this as an example of how the short term goals of an organization can conflict with the
humanistic perspective of adult development.

My philosophy in relation to my popular education project

The popular education project I chose connects with Homeless services in the Bellingham
area that work to improve housing options, and other resources for people that are homeless.
Many of these organizations take a student-centered, humanistic approach to service that seems
very fitting with a wide array of people in different circumstances. I believe that diversity, critical
reflection and lifelong learning are all incorporated into the organizations I worked with. The one
principle that may need to be adapted slightly for this population is self-directed learning.
Homeless individuals have not filled in the foundational levels of Maslows hierarchy of needs

(Elias & Merriam, 2004) and therefore, are not searching for self-actualization at this time.
Considering the stresses that a homeless person encounters on a constant basis, and the amount
of paperwork and different service organizations that are needed in order to meet a persons basic
needs, I would advocate for a modified version of self-directed learning that incorporates more
support for individuals who are trying to navigate these resources.
My philosophy in relation to class discussions
Through the online and in person discussions I had with classmates, I was able to reflect
and evaluate my perspective in relation to others. While I do not think that these discussions
changed my principles substantially, I did find that each discussion created an opportunity to fine
tune my principles and evaluate my reasoning. Elias & Merriam state, the professional adult
educator should be constantly examining, evaluating, and perhaps rejecting or modifying what
has been received from the past. A study of philosophies of adult education should produce
professionals who question their own theories, practices, institutions, and assumptions as well as
those of others (2004, p. 251). I found that through my discussions with classmates, I was able
to modify and evaluate my principles. As this strongly connects to my principle of critical
reflection, I plan to continue to find communities of practice in which I can explore and evaluate
my philosophy as I continue as an adult educator.

References
Elias, J. L., & Merriam, S. B. (2004). Philosophical Foundations of Adult Education (3 edition).
Malabar, Fla: Krieger Pub Co.
Grace, A. (n.d.). Using Queer Cultural Studies to Transgress Adult Educational Space. In
Cultural Infusion: Reflections on Identity and Practice.
Sheared, V., Johnson-Bailey, J., III, S. A. J. C., Peterson, E., Brookfield, S. D., & Cunningham, P.
M. (2010). The Handbook of Race and Adult Education: A Resource for Dialogue on
Racism (1 edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.