PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
MANILA

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION

A Take-Home Final Examination

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN

ED 501
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Master of Arts in Special Education

First Semester SY 2011-2012

Submitted by :
Mr. Benedict Mary P. Ambos
(Student)

Submitted to:
Dr. Nicasio A. Manantan
 October 15, 2011

A. Unit 1 (Introduction) – Philosophy and Education

1. What is the connection between philosophy and education?

ANSWER
Philosophy is closely connected with education in a way that Philosophy
serves as a guide to educational practice and education as field of
investigation yields certain data as a basis for philosophic judgments.
Thus , the experience of the educator in nurturing the young places him
in touch with phases of reality which are considered in making
philosophic judgments. Both Philosophy and Education deals with the
study of value.

2. How are the branches (metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and logic) of

philosophy applied to education?
ANSWER
The branches of philosophy can be applied to education, namely:
a. Metaphysics – it will serve as the foundation of a worldview or
fundamental view of the world around us where all of these are
very basic to education which can be further divided into
knowing the structure of the universe from the standpoint of
physics and validating the beliefs as to the organization and
orderly arrangement of the various parts of the universe; to
define exactly what does the infinitive “to be” mean and what is
it to exist; and the reasoned discourse concerning God.
b. Epistemology – this applies to education in the study of
methods, structure and validity of knowledge and the views
about learning and what one should know directly.
c. Axiology – this applies to education in the study of the general
theory of value; the nature of values and the different kinds of
values, specific values worthy of possession. Ultimately, it will
be important to educate people on the nature of good and evil
and the problems of conduct and ultimate objectives.
d. Logic – this applies to education in the study of methods in
distinguishing valid thinking from thinking which is fallacious. It
will help a person derives conclusions about the nature of
knowledge which influences his approach to the reasoned
control of his experience.

Page 2 of 6
Final Examination of Mr. Benedict Mary P. Ambos
ED 501 Philosophy of Education First Semester School Year 2011 -2012
 3. Why is the study of Philosophy of Education important?
ANSWER
The study of Philosophy of Education is important since it serves as the
foundation of all disciplines where it can validate a certain theory
through reasoning or a series of experimentation.

B. Unit2 II & III – Classical and Contemporary Philosophies of Education

1. Choose a classical philosophy (naturalism, idealism, realism, or
pragmatism) and describe its educational ideas in terms of these topics:
Reason (s) for the Existence of the School, Nature of the Pupil, Objectives
of Education, and the Educative Process.
ANSWER
REALISM: The chosen classical philosophy
a. Reason (s) for the existence of the school – so that man is to be
made a man, human culture must give direction and form his
basic potentialities according to John Amos Comenius. Secondly,
so that education can possess a body of tested knowledge and
its practitioners can base their art on these knowledge; so that
these conditions being supplied, education as a profession can
claim to be the final arbiter as to what is to be taught
(curriculum), as how the teaching should be done (method), as
to the organization of the school system (administration), and
there can be established qualifications of those who shall be
permitted to teach at any level of instruction according to Harry
Broudy.
b. Nature of the Pupil – the pupil is an organism with a highly
developed brain and/or a highly developed nervous system. The
pupil has a mind which is a unique thing, distinct at least in
quality from bodily existence, which unifies experience, enjoys
(or suffers, as the case may be) the things it undergoes, and
consciously projects purposes into the world.
c. Objectives of Education – that every choice which a man makes
intends to have a good life, however mistakenly, for no one
knowingly chooses evil according to Broudy. It aims to have a
good society with good individuals which is ultimately a priority
concern.
d. Educative Process – it is a simple transmission of information,
conditioning of the pupil so as to conform him to his
environment, and use of this discipline in reinforcing both of
these processes wherein the objectives of the curriculum are
habits or tendencies to acquire, use and enjoy truth.
Page 3 of 6
Final Examination of Mr. Benedict Mary P. Ambos
ED 501 Philosophy of Education First Semester School Year 2011 -2012
 2. Why does language analysis doubt the possibility of a Philosophy of
Education?
ANSWER
Language analysis doubts the possibility of a Philosophy of Education
since according to Alfred Jules Ayer, in Language, truth and logic, a
sentence can be factually significant to a given person if and only if that
person knows how to verify the propositions that it means to express.
The truth of falsity of any propositions must be determined by empirical
verification. However, in Philosophy, a statement can neither be
confirmed nor it is conceivably capable of confirmation as opposed to
the function of language where it can make a statement true because it
can confirm or verify it as true.

C. Unit IV – Philosophically-Rooted Educational Theories

1. Why is perennialism considered an elitist theory?

ANSWER
Perennialism is considered to be an elitist theory since it was based on
the foundations of classical realism which strongly believes in having
basic traditional liberal arts in all schools. This uses the Great Books
regarded as constituting or best expressing the foundations of Western
culture. It discredits the importance of extracurricular activities from
schools in belief that they were emotive and irrelevant to the learning
process.

2. Why is progressivism regarded as weak in subject matter mastery?

ANSWER
Progressivism is regarded as weak in subject matter mastery for it
adheres of being child-centered where learning should take place by the
child itself and not by the teacher or subject matter. That whenever the
child wants to learning something, he should be able to do so because
of his own interest and determination to do the things. Learning here is
through problem solving which should replace inculcation of subject
matter since it rejects the traditional view that knowledge is an
abstract substance stocked by the teacher at the mind of his pupil. It is
more concerned with the “learning by doing” and purports that children
learns best when satisfying their needs and pursuing their own interest.

D. Units V & VI – Educational Issues and Building a Philosophy of

Education
Page 4 of 6
Final Examination of Mr. Benedict Mary P. Ambos
ED 501 Philosophy of Education First Semester School Year 2011 -2012
 1. Describe an “educated person” and how our schools can help realize this
kind of individual.

ANSWER
An educated person is someone who has not only develop his
intellectual, moral and aesthetic faculties but one who is also a good
citizen, a good worker, a good colleague and he must be of great help in
achieving worthwhile external ends. The school can only help realize in
producing educated men if their curriculum do not only focus in the
academic development of their students but also in their moral and
aesthetic aspects. The curriculum should be package in such a way
that it is holistic in approach. The student should be aware of what is
the outside world and his significant contribution to the community.
Thus, it is just but an acceptable practice that students are being
exposed to outreach activities so that they will be sensitive to the needs
of others apart from what they need as well as by their families. He
should be given the opportunity to explore the outside world and let
him experience what is life beyond his horizon.

2. How do you distinguish teaching from educating, training, and

indoctrinating?
ANSWER
Teaching involves that someone should learn as a result of what one
does requiring the recognition by both teacher and pupil of a special
relationship existing between them. In addition, teaching may be a
necessary condition of education taking place but it is not a sufficient
condition. Educating usually involves teaching, but not all teaching
need be educative and some it is not where it implies that not all
teaching employed in educating are educative. Training is usually used
in those situations where some skill or competence is involved, often
though not always, where the skill is fairly limited in scope. It entails
providing learners with a range of strategies and tactics which will
enable them to operate successfully within a given field of activity and
it can take place in circumstances where no one would claim that
education was going on. Indoctrinating is a form of teaching which
relies heavily on authoritarian methods and which seeks to establish in
the learners beliefs and attitudes which subsequent experience will not
change. It is typically non-rational in temper since it requires certain
conclusions to be put beyond the scope of critical inquiry.
3. How do the mechanistic and organic approaches in education affect the
authority of the teacher, pupil participation, discipline, and punishment?

Page 5 of 6
Final Examination of Mr. Benedict Mary P. Ambos
ED 501 Philosophy of Education First Semester School Year 2011 -2012
 ANSWER
The mechanistic and organic approaches in education can affect the
following:
a. Authority of the Teacher – in mechanistic approach of education,
the teacher gains more authority he has a formal authority over
his student or pupil while in the organic approach, the teacher’s
authority is weakened as he establishes a special relationship to
the pupil so that he grows to develop his capacities and grow as
a person.
b. Pupil Participation – in mechanistic approach of education, the
pupil’s participation is restricted since he has to follow and obey
what his teacher is teaching him while in organic approach, the
pupil is encouraged to participate actively since the activities are
designed based from his own interests.
c. Discipline – in mechanistic approach of education, discipline is
observed as implemented by the teacher since he is shaping the
student from without while in organic approach, discipline is
observed since pupil is given the opportunity to explore to
maximize his learning educative process.
d. Punishment – in mechanistic approach of education, punishment
is implemented particularly if the pupil do not follow or obey the
teacher while in organic approach, the pupil does not
necessarily receives punishment since he does his activities
according to his pacing and interest.

Page 6 of 6
Final Examination of Mr. Benedict Mary P. Ambos
ED 501 Philosophy of Education First Semester School Year 2011 -2012