Educational Realism,

Disciplinism, Rationalism and

Naturalism and Their Positive
Contributions to 21 Century
st

Education:
A Literature Review
Geia Mae Tampoy, Juvelyn Banquerigo, Jack
Renacia, and Joemer Saloma
 The significance of the chosen topic
Realism, Disciplinism, Rationalism, and Naturalism as schools of
thought are very important foundations of education and are very
useful to a teacher when formulating his or her very own
educational philosophy.

It is also very important to know how these schools of thought can

effectively address contemporary issues and challenges.
Two focused research questions are desired to be answered.

1. What are the positive contributions of these schools of thoughts to the

field of education?

2. How does each of these philosophies effectively address certain issues

and challenges in 21st century learning?

Aim of the literature review

-This literature review seeks to enrich the study of the
aforementioned philosophies as foundations of education and to
show their relevance to today’s teaching.
 Realism
Key Points Positive Contributions 21st Century Issues
Address

Deals with the facts • Arguments are based 1. Problem Solving

that reality has an on truth 2. Collaboration
• Life useful skills 3. Communication
absolute existence
• No place for
independent from our punishments,
thoughts, ideas and repression and fear
even consciousness. • Emphasizes on
individual education
 Disciplinism
Key Points Positive Contributions 21st Century Issues
Address

• Also known as formal • Formation of the

discipline, based upon
1.Technological
Aristotle’s faculty desirable habits of challenges
psychology. thinking and acting 2.Ethics, Action
• The mind is made up of
certain faculties such as • Includes drills,
and
memory, reason, will and exercise, and
judgment each of which
corporal Accountability
needs special activities for
its training and development punishments.
 Rationalism
Key Points Positive Contributions 21st Century Issues and
Challenges Addressed

• Reason is the chief source and test • The fullest development of the 1. Combat disinformation
of knowledge. intellect especially regarding 2. Identify fake news
• Reality has a rational structure in logical reasoning.
that all aspects of it can grasped • The learner also develops critical
through mathematical and logical thinking skills which are very much
principles. needed for one to succeed in his
• Some of our knowledge are part studies.
of our innate rational nature.
 Naturalism
Key Points Positive Contributions 21st Century Issues and
Challenges Addressed

• It is concerned with “natural self”
or “real self.”
• It contends that the ultimate
reality is matter, and not mind or
spirit.
• Does not believe in spiritualism
• Emphasizes the nature of the
child.
• “Follow nature”
• Instincts, impulses and emotions
should form the basis of all
education of the child.
• Senses are the gateways of
knowledge.
1. Devoid of the beauty of nature.
2. Suffering from superiority or
inferiority complex
3. Issue on the energy of students is
not being channelized
Commonalities
• Realism emphasizes individual education which supports naturalism that gives freedom to learners.
• Both Realism and Naturalism point to nature and real objects as source of knowledge through perception
and experience

Points of Disagreement
• Punishment has no place in realism while in Disciplinism gives corporal punishment
• Rationalism: All knowledge is through reason alone, yet some rationalists believe this isn’t possible
in practice in human beings except in specific areas such as mathematics
• Realism: truth is objective, and reality is physical objects, but some truths can be deduced even
without sensory perception, e.g. in mental math calculations
• Disciplinism: formal training of the mind although there are multiple intelligences
• Naturalism: Nature is complete in itself and does not require insight or intuition to be understood.
Mind (thought process) is a function of the brain (material) yet how can one know something without
thinking?
 Conclusion
The foregoing body of discussions has indeed
answered the research questions, as shown in each
section of the discussions in the literature reviewed.
Although some limitations and inconsistencies can
be observed, it opens up new possibilities for further
studies on the philosophies as chief contributors to
education.