0. PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Chapter 6
Teachers, Schools, and Society
A Brief Introduction to Education
David Miller Sadker
Karen R. Zittleman

1. Philosophy of Education
Philosophy - is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.
Philosophy of Education (elements) –
Epistemology: What is knowledge? How do we know what we know? How did we acquire that knowledge? Only through Seeing, hearing, touching, smelling? Prove it! = Empiricism
or through reasoning, logic and philosophy that we maybe cannot sense? = Rationalism

2. Philosophy of Education
Axiology: influence of values, beliefs and ethics on learning. What do we value?
Now Add: Metaphysics:
What is real? Is reality only composed of matter that we can sense? =Materialism – Aristotle “common sense and the natural sciences”
But you cannot see God, so is he/she real? Maybe the physical world is only an illusion! =Spiritualism or Idealism

3. Philosophy of Education
Or is the reality of the world comprised of both materialism and idealism? -Dualism from Descartes (“I think therefore I am”) called Cartesian Dualism
Dialectical Materialism – Marx scaffolds Hegel with Thesis – Antithesis – Synthesis - is part of the basis for Communism including the theory of Economic Determinism/Class Struggle

4. Five Major Philosophies of Education
First review your interpretations of your own philosophy of education from page 186
PAUSE
Teacher-Centered Philosophies
Essentialism – Bagley, Hirsch
Perennialism – Hutchins, Adler

5. ESSENTIALISM EMPHASIS ON RIGOROUS ACADEMICS
PROMOTION BASED ON MASTERY OF MATERIAL
CURRICULUM DETERMINED BY ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS
Back to Basics! Common, “core” curriculum for all, “A Nation at Risk,” teacher is intellectual and moral role model. We must educate the “whole child.”

6. PERENNIALISM
FOCUS ON CLASSICAL IDEAS, DEVELOP THE MIND, SOCRATIC METHOD OF QUESTIONING/CHALLENGING
DEVELOP REASON AND MORAL QUALITIES
EMPHASIS ON HUMANITIES AND THE GREAT BOOKS OF ARISTOTLE, DARWIN, DICKENS, MARX, PLATO, THE BIBLE, CHAUCER, MELVILLE, PLATO
LITTLE FLEXIBILITY IN TEACHER DEVELOPED CURRICULUM
FOCUS ON CONCEPTS RATHER THAN FACTS
EMPHASIS ON LEARNING FOR LEARNING’S SAKE (brain = muscle)

7. Five Major Philosophies of Education
Student-Centered Philosophies
Progressivism – Dewey
Social Reconstructivism - Counts (student of Dewey), Paulo Reglus Neves Freire
Existentialism – A.S. Neil

8. 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

9. SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTIONISM
PHYSICAL WORLD AS THE BASIS OF REALITY
LEARN FROM MEANINGFUL SOCIAL EXPERIENCES
LEARN BY RECONSTRUCTING SOCIETY TO MEET EVOLVING NEEDS AT TIMES IN *CONFLICT WITH THE STATUS QUO, ANTI SOCIAL DARWINISM (class struggle), ADVOCATES OF THE POOR, EQUALITY OF EDUCATION FOR RICH AND POOR IS A GOAL
BECOME INTELLIGENT PROBLEM SOLVERS, ENJOY LEARNING, LIVE COMFORTABLY IN AND RESHAPE THE WORLD

10. EXISTENTIALISM
Definition: The conditions of existence of the individual person and their emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts.
All must be considered for the overall health of the individual.
Soren Kierkegaard – father of Existentialism
Viktor Frankl – logo therapy (existential vacuum leads to personal collapse) man must have meaning in life to survive and thrive

11. 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
A.S. Neil’s Summerhill

12. Psychology’s Additional Influences on American Education
Constructivism – knowledge must be constructed by each person, you cannot effectively transfer knowledge. Piaget and theory of cognitive development through interaction. Genetic epistemology. Four stages of development. Bloom’s Taxonomy of learning.
Behavioralism – free will is an illusion. Humans are shaped entirely by their environment. B.F. Skinner and behavior modification, moving students from extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation through rewarding proper behavior. (Rats and pellets). Alter the environment to promote learning.

13. CONSTRUCTIVISM CENTERED ON THE LEARNER’S GROWTH
CONSTANT NEED TO MAKE SENSE OF NEW INFORMATION
“SCAFFOLDING” LINKS NEW INFORMATION TO OLD
STUDENT AND TEACHER CONSTANTLY CHALLENGE EXISTING ASSUMPTIONS

14. Benjamin Bloom
Refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy Handout

15. BEHAVIORISM VIEWS FREE WILL AS AN ILLUSION
REALITY BASED ONLY ON SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION
POSITIVE REWARDS ENCOURAGE DESIRED BEHAVIOR
CURRICULUM IS BASED ON INCREMENTAL LEARNING
CURRICULUM IS CONTROLLED BY SCHOOL PERSONNEL

16. Other Influences on American Education
Ethnocentrism – Western influences are predominant in America. Other cultures? (Extreme is xenophobia)
Informal Education – formal teaching and informal teaching, showing “how to”
Verbal (non-reading) traditions – stories, survival, values, “the way”

17. Forming your own Philosophy of Education as a Teacher
What do you believe is/are the purpose(s) of American Education?
What content/skills should be taught at your school?
Should students or teachers direct learning?
How should schools teach this content and skills?
How should learning be measured?
Should everyone have access to education?
Can everyone actually learn?
What can you do to create the proper learning environment in your classroom – in your school to maximize learning?

18. End EDUC 110 Dr. Jackson