CHAPTERCHAPTER Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. TEACHERS, SCHOOLS, AND SOCIETY NINTH EDITION DAVID MILLER SADKER KAREN R. ZITTLEMAN Philosophy of Education 8

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. WHAT SHAPES A PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION? p What is the purpose of education? 2.What content and skills should schools teach? 3.How should schools teach this content? 4.What are the proper roles for teachers and students? 5.How should learning be measured?

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. INVENTORY OF PHILOSOPHIES OF EDUCATION Do Survey: pp

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. TEACHER-CENTERED PHILOSOPHIES 1.Essentialism 2.Perennialism

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. ESSENTIALISM Emphasis on academics Promotion based on mastery of material Academically rigorous Curriculum determined by administrators and teachers 8.1

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. VIDEO SEGMENT Essentialism in Action: A Classroom Observation hill.com/sites/ /student_view0/classroom_obs ervation_videos.html

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. PERENNIALISM Focus on classic ideas Develop reason and moral qualities Emphasis on humanities and the great books Teachers set curriculum Little flexibility in curriculum Focus on concepts rather than facts Emphasis on learning for learning’s sake 8.2

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. STUDENT-CENTERED PHILOSOPHIES 1.Progressivism 2.Social Reconstructionism 3.Existentialism

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. PROGRESSIVISM Education based on needs and interests of students Students learn by doing as well as from textbooks Teaching through field trips and games Emphasis on natural and social sciences Experiential learning Grouping by interest and abilities 8.3

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTIONISM Physical world as the basis of reality Learn from meaningful social experiences Focus on social, political, and economic needs Learn by reconstructing society Become intelligent problem solvers, enjoy learning, live comfortably in and reshape the world 8.4

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. EXISTENTIALISM Emphasis on individuality Students determine what is true, right, beautiful Helping students understand themselves Teachers expose students to various paths; students choose which to follow Humanities emphasized Math and science deemphasized Rarely found in public schools No grading system 8.5

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCES ON EDUCATION 1.Constructivism 2.Bahaviorism

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. CONSTRUCTIVISM Centered on the learner Constant need to make sense of new information Scaffolding links new information Student and teacher constantly challenge assumptions 8.6

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. BEHAVIORISM Views free will as an illusion Reality based on scientific observation Positive rewards encourage desired behavior Curriculum based on incremental learning Curriculum is controlled by school personnel 8.7

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. THREE LEGENDARY FIGURES OF CLASSICAL WESTERN PHILOSOPHY pp Socrates 2.Plato 3.Aristotle

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY Figure

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. KEY TERMS Academy A classical secondary school in colonial America that emphasized elements of Latin and English grammar schools and by the nineteenth century became more of a college preparatory school. Also the name of the ancient Greek school founded by Plato. aesthetics The branch of philosophy that examines the nature of beauty and judgments about it. back-to-basics During the 1980s, a revival of the back-to-basics movement evolved out of concern for declining test scores in math, science, reading, and other areas. Although there is not a precise definition of back to basics, many consider it to include increased emphasis on reading, writing, and arithmetic, fewer electives, and more rigorous grading. behavior modification A strategy to alter behavior in a desired direction through the use of rewards. behaviorism A psychological theory that interprets human behavior in terms of stimuli-response.

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. KEY TERMS Cartesian dualism The belief that reality is composed of both materialism and idealism, body and mind. constructivism With roots in cognitive psychology, an educational approach built on the idea that people construct their understanding of the world. Constructivist teachers gauge a student's prior knowledge, then carefully orchestrate cues, classroom activities, and penetrating questions to push students to higher levels of understanding. core curriculum A central body of knowledge that schools require all students to study. deductive reasoning Working from a general rule to identify particular examples and applications to that rule. empiricism The philosophy that maintains that sensory experiences, such as seeing, hearing, and touching, are the ultimate sources of all human knowledge. Empiricists believe that we experience the external world by sensory perception; then, through reflection, we conceptualize ideas that help us interpret the world. epistemology The branch of philosophy that examines the nature of knowledge and learning.

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. KEY TERMS essentialism An educational philosophy that emphasizes basic skills of reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, geography, and language. ethics The branch of philosophy that examines questions of right and wrong, good and bad. ethnocentrism The tendency to view one's own culture as superior to others, or to fail to consider other cultures in a fair manner. existentialism A philosophy that emphasizes the ability of an individual to determine the course and nature of his or her life and the importance of personal decision making. Golden Mean The doctrine put forth by Aristotle asserting that virtue lies in the middle ground between two extremes. Great Books The heart of the perennialists' curriculum that includes great works of the past in literature, philosophy, science, and other areas.

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. KEY TERMS idealism A doctrine holding that knowledge is derived from ideas and emphasizing moral and spiritual reality as a preeminent source of explanation. inductive reasoning Drawing generalizations based on the observation of specific examples. informal education A practice that, in many cultures, augments or takes the place of formal schooling as children learn adult roles through observation, conversation, assisting, and imitating. Laboratory School Schools often associated with a teacher preparation institution for practice teaching, demonstration, research, or innovation. logic The branch of philosophy that deals with reasoning. Logic defines the rules of reasoning, focuses on how to move from one set of assumptions to valid conclusions, and examines the rules of inference that enable us to frame our propositions and arguments.

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. KEY TERMS materialism A philosophy focused on scientific observation and the belief that existence is experienced only in the physical realm. metaphysics The area of philosophy that examines the nature of reality. oral tradition Spoken language is the primary method for instruction in several cultures around the world. Word problems are used to teach reasoning, proverbs to instill wisdom, and stories to teach lessons about nature, history, religion, and social customs. perennialism The philosophy that emphasizes rationality as the major purpose of education. It asserts that the essential truths are recurring and universally true; it stresses Great Books. philosophy The love of or search for wisdom; the quest to understand the meaning of life.

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. KEY TERMS political philosophy An approach to analyzing how past and present societies are arranged and governed and how better societies may be created in the future. pragmatism A philosophical belief that asserts truth is what works and rejects other views of reality. Praxis series of tests developed by ETS to assess teachers' competence in various areas: reading, writing, math, professional and subject area knowledge. Praxis test requirements differ among states (see Appendix 1). progressivism An educational philosophy that organizes schools around the concerns, curiosity, and real- world experiences of students. rationalism The philosophy that emphasizes the power of reason and the principles of logic to derive statements about the world. Rationalists encourage schools to emphasize teaching mathematics, because mathematics involves reason and logic.

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. KEY TERMS rationalism The philosophy that emphasizes the power of reason and the principles of logic to derive statements about the world. Rationalists encourage schools to emphasize teaching mathematics, because mathematics involves reason and logic. scaffolding Taken from the construction field, scaffolding provides support to help a student build understanding. The teacher might use cues or encouragement or well- formulated questions to assist a student in solving a problem or mastering a concept. social Darwinism A belief similar to Darwin's notion of "survival of the fittest," that contends that society is a natural sorting system which rewards the talented and places the less deserving at the bottom of the social and economic pecking order. social reconstructionism See reconstructionism. Socratic method An educational strategy attributed to Socrates in which a teacher encourages a student's discovery of truth by questions.

Sadker/Zittleman, Teachers, Schools, and Society, Ninth Edition. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. FOCUS QUESTIONS 1.What is a philosophy of education, and why should it be important to you? 2.How do teacher-centered philosophies of education differ from student-centered philosophies of education? 3.What are some major philosophies of education in the United States today? 4.How are these philosophies reflected in school practices? 5.What are some of the psychological and cultural factors influencing education? 6.What were the contributions of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to Western philosophy, and how is their legacy reflected in education today? 7.How do metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics, and logic factor into a philosophy of education?