Philosophy of Education

1. Philosophy of Education Rebekah Haithcock SLIS 5314- OL1 Assignment 5- Dr. Cogdell

2. Introduction • Educational philosophies are made up of beliefs about the nature of learning and teaching, the process by which students learn, and the rationale for education in society. Most philosophies lean toward one of the 4 major educational philosophies: Perennialism, Essentialism, Progressivism, and Reconstructionism.

3. Perennialism and Essentialism are more traditional philosophies. • Progressivism and Reconstructionism are more contemporary philosophies. • Eclecticism- does not hold rigidly to any single philosophy, but draws on multiple theories (most of us do this). Cohen, L.M. (1999). "Educational Philosophies". Section III Philosophical perspectives in education, part 3. Retrieved September 22, 2011 from oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html

4. Perennialism • Focus: mind • Teacher as leader • Education’s purpose is to seek enduring truths which are constant, not changing, through great literature, art, philosophy, and religion (of Western civilization) • Related to Information Processing theory- The mind makes meaning through symbol-processing • Related to Idealism- Ideas are the only true reality • Proponent- Robert M. Hutchins and his Great Books Program

5. Essentialism • Focus: Body • Teacher as leader • Teach students a basic “core” curriculum in a systematic way. • Teach students hard work, respect for authority, and discipline. • Differs from Perennialism in that it allows for curriculum to change over time • Related to Behaviorism and social learning- behavior is shaped by design and determined by forces in the environment. Learning occurs in response to stimuli and by observing and imitating others. • Related to Realism: the world of physical objects is the ultimate reality. Reality exists independent of the human mind. • Proponent: William Bagley

6. Progressivism • Focus: Experience • Teacher as facilitator • Learning is rooted in inquiry and interaction with others. Ideas should be tested by active experimentation. • Education should focus on the whole child, not the content or the teacher (student-centered) • Related to cognitivism and constructivism- the learner actively constructs understandings of reality through interaction with environment and reflection on their actions. • Related to pragmatism: Truth is relative, the universe is dynamic and evolving, and the purpose of thought is action. • Proponent: John Dewey

7. Reconstructionism/ Critical theory • Focus: Freedom • Teacher as facilitator • Community-based, interactive learning- Analysis of world events, controversial issues and diversity to provide vision for a better world and social change • Quest for a better society and worldwide democracy, Curriculum focus on social action • Related to humanism- control over one’s own destiny, emphasis on personal freedom and responsibility • Related to existentialism- reality is subjective and within the individual • Proponent- Paulo Freire

8. Philosophers I relate to • John Dewey • Jean Piaget • Jerome Bruner • I find myself almost entirely in agreement with what these 3 leaders put forth.

9. John Dewey • Pragmatist school of thought • One learns by doing and reflecting • pointed out that the authoritarian, strict, pre-ordained knowledge approach of modern traditional education was too concerned with delivering knowledge, and not enough with understanding students' actual experiences • the school itself is a social institution through which social reform can and should take place • the purpose of education should not revolve around the acquisition of a pre-determined set of skills, but rather the realization of one’s full potential and the ability to use those skills for the greater good • “we must take our stand with the child and our departure from him. It is he and not the subject-matter which determines both quality and quantity of learning” . Dewey believed in helping children to grow, but not to the point where the teacher or the content get pushed aside. • Field, Richard. (2005, April). “John Dewey (1859-1952)”. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved September 20, 2011 at http://www.iep.utm.edu/dewey/

10. Jean Piaget • Progressivist/ constructivist • "only education is capable of saving our societies from possible collapse, whether violent, or gradual." • Studied and theorized about 4 developmental stages, and found that children progressively enrich their understanding by building on previous knowledge, and that they learn best by interaction • Through reflection, a child decides whether or not an action was justified • Children's logic and modes of thinking are initially entirely different from those of adults. • theorized that as children interact with their physical and social environments, they organize information into groups of interrelated ideas called "schemes". • There are genetic constraints in people- a child cannot be forced from one stage to another, and they must go through certain stages before others can be started. • http://www.nndb.com/people/359/000094077/

11. Jerome Bruner • Progressivist/ Constructivist • We are actively involved in making sense of the world around us rather than being passive receivers of information • developed the concept of discovery learning which promoted learning as a process of constructing new ideas based on current or past knowledge • Learner is capable of learning any material so long as the instruction is organized appropriately • people interpret the world in terms of its similarities and differences: "To perceive is to categorize, to conceptualize is to categorize, to learn is to form categories, to make decisions is to categorize." • Two modes of thought: Narrative thinking (where the mind engages in sequential, action-oriented, detail-driven thought) and Paradigmatic thinking (where the mind goes past details to stories and overall theme). • Smith, M.K. (2002) 'Jerome S. Bruner and the process of education', the encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved September 19, 2011 from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/bruner.htm.

12. Comparisons • All 3 believed in student-centered learning • Piaget and Bruner were both progressivists and constructivists • All 3 believed learning is an active process, and that the teacher is a guide in this process.

13. Contrasts • Piaget and Bruner differ in the order of development stages. While Bruner allowed that stages could transition differently. Piaget maintained that growth is built on the foundation set in earlier stages of development, so it would be pointless to teach a subject to a child that requires logical operations if they have not yet completed this stage.

14. Purpose of Education • preparing our young people for the workplace and for citizenship • development of interpersonal skills, moral character, and ethical behavior

15. Process of Education • a child’s prior knowledge is an essential element in making connections to new material • Students learn by doing and by reflecting on what they did

16. Nature of Education • Learning is an emotional process. • Teachers can encourage students to explore and satisfy their curiosity, but they also have a large role in helping children learn to respect authority and cooperate with others, which are crucial to functioning well in our society. • : “The ideal condition would be, I admit, that men should be right by instinct; but since we are all likely to go astray, the reasonable things is to learn from those who can teach.” ~Sophocles

17. Conclusion • Like many of you, I fall under eclecticism, because I pull certain beliefs from each philosophy, although I am more centrally rooted to Progressivism. From the Essentialist family, I pull the idea that there should be a core curriculum. Although I like the idea of Perennialism, I believe that students need to be exposed to many more cultures besides Western civilization and thought, so I find Perennialism outdated for our needs. With existentialism, I agree that no matter what I teach, I hope that students come closer to the answer to: What is my purpose?”.