Unit I

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.
Plato
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.
Aristotle
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
Jean-Paul Sartre
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.
Robert Hutchins
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.
William Bagley
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.
John Dewey
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.
Jean Jacques
Rousseau

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UNIT I

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

Activating Your Prior Knowledge

Expanding Your Knowledge

1. Metaphysics – the study of beings and Being

Basic Philosophies in Education

It is a traditional philosophy asserting that because the physical

Realists suggest that the features of the universe exist whether or

Pragmatists reject the idea of absolute, unchanging truth. Instead, it

Existentialists suggest that humanity is not part of an orderly

Perennial means ‘everlasting’. Teachers teach using this philosophy

The teachers teach for learners to acquire the 4 fundamental Rs or

A progressivist teaches learners to live fully by employing

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