UNIT I

PHILOSOPHIES IN EDUCATION

 Overview

We all have our own value systems in life. We give utmost consideration to the things and
phenomena that are of great importance to us. In education, teachers also do the same. Educational
philosophies serve as the guide of teachers on how to maximize the teaching-learning process by
employing their chosen approaches, methods, strategies, and techniques. Not only teaching but also
other professions resort to philosophical foundations in order to carry out their work. Anchoring
your actions to a certain belief like a life philosophy makes you realize your purpose in what you
are doing.

In this unit, we are going to discuss the Philosophies in Education. Educational philosophies
are not only beneficial for our professional development but they also influence us greatly in the
personal level.

Unit Objectives

At the end of the unit, I am able to:

1. Classify the different educational philosophies according to their orientation.
2. Enumerate different educational philosophies.
3. Classify general types of activities in multi-grade classrooms;
4. Identify the role of the teacher and the student in teach educational philosophy.
5. Decide which educational philosophy is suitable for my teaching goals.

Activating Your Prior Knowledge

Congratulations! You are now officially on your way to become a professional teacher. How did you
come up with the decision to take up education? Did you decide on your own or were you
influenced by other factors? What is your hugot on becoming an education student?

Here’s a video titled Bakit gusto komagturo? made by future educators like you which you
can view at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yME4BcRDdn0. Find out if you share the same with
reasons with the testimonies expressed in the video.

Mini Task:
 What is your general impression about the video?
 Cite a striking line from the sharers that you can truly relate with.

Expanding Your Knowledge

 Philosophy literally means ‘love of wisdom,’ coming from the two Greek words philo and
sophia.The term was coined by the renowned mathematician and philosopher, Pythagoras.Studying
philosophy enables us to engage ourselves into theories, the search for truth, discover the meaning
of our existence, and determine our morality. There are six major divisions of philosophy and each
of which pertain to particular matter, obect or discipline causes (Santiago-Espartinez, 2011).

1. Metaphysics – the study of beings and Being

2. Epistemology – the study of the validity of human knowledge
3. Ethics -  the study of the morality of human act 
4. Logic – the study of correct reasoning
5. Cosmology – the science of the universe
6. Theodicy –the philosophical study of God

Philosophy serves as a framework for knowledge for it is the science of all things by their first
causes (Santiago-Espartinez, 2011).

A teacher’s educational philosophy serves as his or her foundation for the teaching-learning
process that she wants to inculcate in the classroom. As a future educator, it is important for you
decide and adhere to the philosophy of your choice so that all of your actions and educational goals
to that philosophy. However, you are not required to only have one belief that you want to follow.
You may combine several philosophies that you think can complement well with one another.
Unleash your creativity and explore the possibilities.

Basic Philosophies in Education

Idealism

It is a traditional philosophy asserting that because the physical world is always changing,
ideas are only reliable from reality. This philosophy is the basis of almost all the religions that exist
in the world. The teachers are deemed to have mastery of the subject matter and a thorough
knowledge about their students. In return, students become more motivated to pursue higher-
order thinking skills and to embark on a quest for truth. The means of idealist education are
inductive reasoning and lecturing.

Realism

Realists suggest that the features of the universe exist whether or not a human being is
there to perceive them and that there are important ideas and facts that must be understood and
that they can only be understood by studying the material world. Meaning making happens through
empirically proven facts because reality is made up of natural laws and facts. Realist teachers are
known to be logical, methodical, and scientific. As a result, when applied to education, this
massively involves the use of reasoning and scientific method.

Pragmatism

Pragmatists reject the idea of absolute, unchanging truth. Instead, it asserts that truth is
what works. Thus, the teaching-learning process in a pragmatist classroom focuses on learning how
to learn, direct experiences, problem solving, and integration.

Existentialism

Existentialists suggest that humanity is not part of an orderly universe. Rather, individuals
create their own realities. Its primary emphasis is on the individual thus teaching learners and not
teaching subjects. In this philosophy, the school should be a place where learners have the freedom
to do activities because they find them interesting and because they help them discover who they
really are.Teachers teach to help students define their own essence by exposing them to various
paths they take in life and by creating an environment in which they freely choose their own
preferred way. It aims to teach students through a variety of options and choices in order to help
them understand and appreciate themselves as unique individuals by creating an environment
which they freely choose their own preferred way. Teachers who employ existentialism in the

classroom are known to be democratic, appreciative and forgiving.

 Major Western Philosophies

Perennialism

“What was true yesterday is still true today and will remain true forever.”

Perennial means ‘everlasting’. Teachers teach using this philosophy to develop the learners’
rational and moral power. They are generalists and teach timeless using The Great Books or the
humanities and liberal arts and Timeless Historical Concepts to develop the rational and moral
powers of the students. It suggests that nature, including human nature, is constant. However,
perennial teachers are often deemed boring and monotonous because they are too traditional.
Essentialism

The teachers teach for learners to acquire the 4 fundamental Rs or basic skills such as
reading, writing, arithmetic, and right conduct.  Students must be equipped with essential
knowledge, skills, and values to become worth-emulating members of the society. It focuses on back
to basic movements resulting to focus on the logical sequencing of the curriculum and longer days
in the school calendar. Teachers who practice this philosophy are often labeled as perfectionists,
disciplinarians, masters of the subject matter, paragons of virtue, bookish, and Walking
Encyclopedias.

Progressivism

A progressivist teaches learners to live fully by employing experiential methods. It is the

belief that education must be based on the principle that humans are social animlas who learn best
in real-life activities with other people. It is experiential teaching with the aim of responding to
changes, promoting growth, and encouraging innovation among students. Likewise, teachers
respond to the needs and skills of the students to cope with change through experiential learning so
that students may live fully in the present. Progressivist teachers are student-centered, innovative,
adventurous, modernized, up-to-date, and trendy.

Humanism

Humans are known to be rational animals, meaning we are distinguished from other living
things because we have intellect, free-will, and conscience. In educational humanism, it is believed
that we humans have innate potentials and goodness. Thus, no learner should be called stupid
because we all have the capacity to learn.
Rationalism

From the root word ‘rational,’ this school of philosophy subscribes to knowledge and reason
as sources of judgment. In order to determine the acceptability of things, everything must be
analyzed through human reason.

Naturalism

It springs from the idea that all phenomena can be explained in terms of natural causes and laws. In
naturalism, all basic truths are considered as truths of the nature. As a result, educational
naturalism believes that learning should be done according to the natural phase of the child.

 Major Eastern Philosophies

Hinduism
 This philosophy originated from India. It subscribes to two major phenomena namely

karma and nirvana. 

Karma is known to be a chain of causes and consequences. Based on this belief, what we do
today can have consequences for us in the near future, be it good or bad. For example, when a bird
is still alive, it eats worms; but when birds die, worms eat them. Another one, there will be a time
when people who did us wrongly will eventually come to us and ask for our help sometime in the
future.
Whilst karma deals with the complications of life, it is the total opposite of nirvana for it
deals with liberation from life permanently. When we die, Hindus believe that we become one with
the universe

Buddhism

Founded by Gautama Siddharta Buddha, it is known to be a philosophy of letting go and

liberation. Buddhism teaches us to let ourselves stop holding on the causes of human suffering such
as our neverending desires, expectations, and ego. Through eliminating these aspects in our lives,
we will achieve serenity and peace of mind. Meanwhile, Zen Buddhism, an offset that was
popularized in Japan and Korea, focuses on meditation to achieve inner peace.

Confucianism
 “Do not do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you,” also known as ‘The Golden
Rule,’ was coined by one of the world’s highly regarded Chinese philosopher, Confucius. During his
lifetime, he has very simple moral and political teachings: (1)  to love others; (2) to do what is right
instead of what is of advantage; (3) reciprocity (The Golden Rule); and (4) to rule by moral example
instead of violence and force. His teachings about ethics and societal management are recorded in
The Analects. He greatly influenced the world making others thought of his way of life as a religion
due to its relevance even in the present time.

Taoism
Founded by Lao Tzu, Taoism is a belief that all things and changes in the world are based on
The Way or TaoTeChingwhich is the source of all being and ultimate reality. It realizes the existence
of everything and it also governs everything. Even if all else in the world contradict each other, the
Tao remains to be symbol of unity.
Living life in The Way or Tao means you have to go with the flow. As humans, we always
want to plan our lives and this against Taoism. Taoists believe that The Way will guide us to what is
best for us. Thus, Lao Tzu emphasized to emphasize passivity, calmness, and humility.
Islam
Islam means “believing in or surrendering to God to achieve peace and security in life.”The
religion was known to be revealed by Allah to the Prophet Muhammad who is esteemed by our
Muslim brothers and sisters as the last and greatest prophet of Islam. Muhammad means
“praiseworthy.”