PHILOSOPHY OF

EDUCATION
Apolonia, Baje E.
YOU, THE TEACHER, AS A
PERSON IN SOCIETY
We live in a society. We are part of society. Our
society influences us to the extent that we allow
ourselves to be influenced by it. Our thoughts, values,
and actions are somehow shaped by events and people
with whom we come in contact. We, in turn, help shape
society its events, its people, and it destiny.

Teachers as the most responsible & important
member of society because their professional efforts
affect the fate of the earth. unknown source

In the context of your life as a teacher, we would say:
No teacher is an island. No teacher stands alone.
Indeed you cant become a teacher alone. Think of the
many people who are helping you now become a teacher
in the near future.

Your influence on your students and on other people
with whom you work and live depends a great deal
on your philosophy as a person and as a teacher.
Your philosophy of education serve as your window
to the world and your philosophy of teaching serve
as your compass in the sea of life.

YOUR PHILOSOPHICAL
HERITAGE
To philosophize is so essentially human
and in a sense to philosophize means living a
truly human life. J. Pieper.

We are heirs to a rich philosophical heritage.
Passed on to us are a number of philosophies of
various thinkers who lived before us. These
thinkers reflected on life in this planet. They
occupied themselves searching for answers to
questions about human existence.

EXISTENTIAL QUESTIONS
Is the
universe real?
What
is
good
to
do?
How should I live my life
meaningfully?
IN SCHOOL CONTEXT
Why do I teach?
What should I teach?
How should I teach?
What is the nature of the lesseons?
How do we learn?
FIVE PHILOSOPHIES
OF EDUCATION
Why Teach?
What to Teach? How to Teach?
For learners to
acquire basic
knowledge, skills and
values
To transmit the
traditional moral
values and intellectual
knowledge that
students need to
become model
citizens
Academically
rigorous
Academic content for
students learn basic
skills or the
fundamental rs
reading riting
rithmetic and right
conduct
Traditional principles
such as math, natural
science, history,
foreign language and
literature
Emphasize mastery
of subject matter
Expected to be
intellectual and moral
models of their
students
Seen as fountain of
information and
paragon of virtue

ESSENTIALISM
Why Teach? What to Teach? How to Teach?
Frown upon
vocational courses
Teachers decide what
is important for
students to learn and
place a little emphasis
on students interests

Teachers have to
observe core
requirements longer
school days, longer
academic year
Rely heavily on the
use of prescribed
textbooks
ESSENTIALISM
PROGRESSIVISM
Why Teach? What to Teach? How to Teach?
To develop learners
to becoming
enlightened and
intelligent citizens of
a democratic society
Teach learners so
they may live life
fully NOW not to
prepare them for
adult life
Identified with need-
based & relevant
curriculum. A
curriculum that
responds to students
personal needs and
experiences

Teaching learners to
cope with change
Focus on the
teaching skills or
progress in gathering
and evaluating
information and in
problem solving
PROGRESSIVISM

Why Teach? What to Teach? How to Teach?
Emphasis on the
Natural Science &
Social Science
Expose students to
many new scientific,
technological &
social developments

PERENNIALISM
Why Teach? What to Teach? How to Teach?
Develop students
rational & moral
powers
If we neglect the
students reasoning
skills, we deprive
them of the ability to
use their higher
facilities to control
their passions &
appetites (Aristotle)
All human beings
possess the same
essential nature
Heavy on humanities
& general education
but not a specialist
curriculum but a
general one
Less emphasis on
vocational & technical
education
Centered around
teachers
Do not allow the
students interest to
substantially dictate
what they teach.
PERENNIALISM

Why Teach? What to Teach? How to Teach?
Teach what are lifted
from the great books
which are repository
of knowledge and
wisdom. (Mortimer
Adler)

Apply whatever
creative techniques
and other tried & true
methods which are
believed to be most
conductive to
disciplining students
minds
Students engaged in
Socratic dialogues or
mutual inquiry
sessions to develop
an understanding of
historys most
timeless concepts.

EXISTENTIALISM

Why Teach? What to Teach? How to Teach?
Help students
understand &
appreciate themselves
as unique individuals
who accept complete
responsibility for
their thoughts,
feelings & actions
Help students define
their own essence by
exposing them to
various paths they
take in life
Students are given
variety of options
from which to
choose.
Humanities are given
tremendous emphasis
Focus upon the action
of historical
individuals, each of
whom provides
possible models for
the students own
behavior
Focus on the
individual
Learning is self-paced
& self-directed
Includes great deal of
individual contact
with the teacher
Teachers employ
values clarification
strategy

EXISTENTIALISM

Why Teach? What to Teach? How to Teach?
Education of the
whole person

Vocational education
is regarded more as a
means of teaching
students about
themselves
Encourages
individual creativity
and imagination

Teachers remain
non-judgmental and
take care not to
impose their values
on their students
since values are
personal
BEHAVIORISM

Why Teach? What to Teach? How to Teach?
Concerned with the
modification and
shaping of students
behavior by providing
for a favorable
environment since
they believe that they
are a product of their
environment.
They are after
students who exhibits
desirable behavior in
society
They look at people
and other animals as
complex
combinations of
matter that act only in
response to internally
or externally
generated stimuli
Teach students to
respond favorably to
various stimuli in the
environment
Ought to arrange
environmental
conditions so that
students can make the
responses to stimuli.
Physical variable like
light, temperature,
arrangement of
furniture, size and
quantity of visual aids
have to be controlled
to get the desired
responses from the
learners
BEHAVIORISM

Why Teach? What to Teach? How to Teach?
Teachers ought to
make stimuli clear
and interesting to
capture and hold the
learners attention
Ought to provide
appropriate incentives
to reinforce positive
responses and
weaken or eliminate
negative ones

FORMULATING YOUR
PHILOSOPHY OF
EDUCATION
Your philosophy of education is reflected in
your dealings with students, colleagues, parents
and administrators. Your attitude towards
problems and life as a whole has an underlying
philosophy.

WHAT DOES A PHI LOS OPHY OF EDUCATI ON
CONTAI N OR I NCLUDE?


My Philosophy of Education as a Grade
School Teacher

I believe that every child
Has a natural interest in learning and is
capable of learning
Is an embodied spirit
Can be influenced but not totally by
his/her environment
Is unique and so comparing a child to
other children has no basis
The human
person, the learner
in particular and
the educated
person

Here is an
example

I believe that there are unchanging values in
changing times and these must be passed on to
every child by my modeling, value inculcation
and value integration in my lessons

What is true &
good and
therefore must be
taught

I believe that my task as a teacher is to facilitate the
development of every child to the optimum and to the maximum
by:
Reaching out to all children without bias and prejudice
towards the least of the children
Making every child feel good and confident about him/her
self through his/her experiences of success in the classroom
Helping every child master the basic skills of reading,
communicating in written and oral form, arithmetic and
computer skills
Teaching my subject matter with mastery so that every child
will use his/her basic skills to continue acquiring knowledge,
skills and values for him/her to go beyond basic literacy and
basic numeracy
Inculcating or integrating the unchanging values of respect,
honesty, love and care for others regardless of race , ethnicity,
nationality, appearance and economic status in my lessons
Consistently practicing these values to serve as model for
every child
Strengthening the value formation of every child through
hands-on-minds-on experiences inside and outside the
classroom
Providing every child activities meant to develop the body,
mind and the spirit

How a learner must
be taught in order
to come close to the
truth