REALISM

Reported by: Catherine B. Diaz

REALISM
the type of education in which natural phenomena
and social institutions rather than languages and
literature are made the chief subjects of study
considered as an educational philosophy which
advocates that education should be concerned with
the actualities of life and prepare for its concrete
duties.
presumably arose as a reaction opposing narrow
humanism and religious formalism that held education
captive for nearly three centuries

History of
Realism
Ancient

History of Realism
(Ancient)

PLATO
he defined reality as the pure ideas of
mind
he believed that ideas and concepts
are innate or inherited in a form

History of Realism
(Ancient)

ARISTOTLE
defined reality as the relationship found in
nature and the physical environment
the source of knowledge is the physical
environment and learning occurs through
contact with that environment

History of Realism
(Ancient)

St. Thomas
Aquinas
he believed in reality matters
matter was created by God as a primary
substance from which the different kinds of
things and different individual objects
comprising the universe were made

Humanistic
Realism
wished to secure a knowledge
of human society and its
institutions and of nature and
mans reactions to nature

John Milton
(1608-1674)

John Milton (1608-1674)

a poet published Tractate on
Education
this indicates his belief that
education must prepare for
actual living in a real world.

advocated that boys should study formal

grammar and the content of classical
literature
he also suggested that the entire
education of the boys from twelve to twentyone should be given in the academy instead
of being divided between the secondary
school and the universality

Francois Rabelais
(1483-1553)

Francois Rabelais
(1483-1553)
a university scholar and a satirist
advocated that all forms of studies
should be made pleasant, and that
games and sports should be utilized
towards the physical development for
the child and for their practical
application in his duties later in life

education should be made attractive

rather than compulsive
known for his idea that education
should be gained through books, but
the emphasis should be on the mastery
of contents and their actual use in
ones life

SOCIAL
REALISM
emphasized the study of modern
foreign languages and gave
stress to the importance of
travelling so as to have contacts
and intercourse with men from all
walks of life

Michael de
Montaigne
(1533-1592)

Michael de Montaigne
(1533-1592)
a well-known social realist who authored
Pedantry and The Education of Children
a lawyer and a public official
he believed that education is to prepare
the individual for the practical affairs of real
life, and that bookish learning is not enough
to attain this education end

he further contended that a mere study of books would

be inadequate and would only provide the individual a
knowledge of words but not of ideas (acquired through
experience with other people)
learning should be done under pleasant conditions,
both under terror nor compulsion, and with proper
provision for the care and training of the body.
the aim of education was not to produce scholars and
professionals but to prepare the young boys to live the
life of gentlemen in the world of affairs

SENSE
REALISM
knowledge comes primarily
through the senses and
education was to be founded on
the training of the sense
perception rather on pure
memory activities

John Amos
Comenius
(1592-1670)

John Amos Comenius

a Moravian Bishop who was considered as the
first educator who advocated the use of visual aids
in classroom teaching
This idea was well-articulated in his textbook
Orbis Pictus. Sensualism or the World of Sensible
Things Pictured. known as the first illustrated
textbook for children
provided a comprehensive curriculum from the
elementary to the university
the aim of education was to know all things, do
all things, and say all things.

organized a school system for

both boys and girls
Age
School
0-6 y/o
6-12 y/o
12-18 y/o
18-24 y/o

School of the mothers knee (home)

The vernacular elementary school
Latin school (secondary school)
University

 At home - child should not only be cared

for physically and morally but he should
learn facts of nature and basic geography
even in the absence of books.
Second period - should be free and
compulsory for all and be conducted entirely
in the mother tongue (vernacular) and
should include all human experiences

Third stage - similar to the work of the

gymnasium but should only admit
students who passed the qualifying
examinations
University - should provide for the
development of the individuals in all
branches of human knowledge

Comenius introduced various

principles in education
a. Older children should stay longer in
school while younger ones should be in
school only for a short period a day.
b. Each class should have uniformity in
textbook, teacher, and test.
c. Morning hours should be devoted for
intellectual subjects while subjects for
physical and aesthetic development should
be given in the afternoon.

d. No subject should be left unless

thoroughly mastered.
e. Education should be in accordance with
the childs natural interest.
f. The level of teaching should be suited to
the childs understanding.
g. Effective learning is done through the use
of the vernacular.

Francis Bacon
(1561-1626)

Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

He was from England, a statesman,

philosopher, and educator
He wrote The New Atlantis
knowledge of nature is the only real
and fruitful knowledge and should be
the only basis of all scientific progress

known for his Baconian method of research in

which he postulated that an investigator must first
relieve himself of all idols like prejudices and
others then assemble the materials resulting from
his observations and draw his general principles
from a comparison of the cases where a certain
effect had taken place and where it had not
He was also known for his effort to make
scientific inquiry practical rather than
metaphysical.

Richard Mulcaster
(1531-1611)

Richard Mulcaster
(1531-1611).
He was the school head of Merchant Taylors
school and St. Pauls school, two of the most
famous and excellent humanistic schools in
England
He authored Elementaries and positions
where he insisted that education should be in
accordance with nature and that its aim was to
secure the expression and development of childish
tendencies and not to suppress them.

He also advocated that all teaching processes

should be adapted to the pupils taught, and that
mother tongue or the vernacular should be the
language of the school for children from six to
twelve years of age
teachers should be required to obtain university
training like lawyers, physicians, and ministers,
and to realize this, he worked hard for the
establishment and maintenance of training
colleges for teachers which were later known as
normal colleges

Wolfgang Ratke
(1571-1633)

Wolfgang Ratke (1571-1633)

He was a German sense realist

advocated the use of vernacular
as the basis for instruction to give
all children a thorough knowledge
of all the arts and sciences

He also believed that everything

should always be repeated to ensure
mastery; everything should be without
compulsion and rote learning should by
all means be avoided, and all things he
said be through experience and
investigation or experiment.

Thank you
and God
bless!