Developing and Educational Philosophy

Philosophy defined
The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when
considered as an academic discipline.
What is Philosophy of Education?

 All teachers have a personal philosophy that colors the way they teach
 Engaging in philosophy helps clarify what they do or intend to do, justify or explain why
they do what they do in a logical, systematic manner
There are many ways to discuss the philosophies, but most of them could be traced back to one
of four major stances;
1. Idealism
2. Realism
Two of the oldest philosophical position
3. Pragmatism
4. Existentialism

And these are the Traditional Schools of Philosophy

Idealism,
Declares that because the physical world is always changing, ideas are the only reliable form of
reality
Idealistic the first systematic philosophy in Western thought…Socrates and Plato, the Socratic
method was dialogue.
The only constant for Plato was mathematics, unchangeable and eternal
Plato’s method of dialogue engaged in systematic, logical examination of all points of
view…ultimately leading to agreement and a synthesis of ideas…this approach known as the
dialectic.
Realism
The features of the universe exist whether or not a human being is there to perceive them.
Aristotle was the leading proponent of realism, started the Lyceum, the first philosopher to
develop a systematic theory of logic
Realist teachers may employ a wide selection of methods, such as the lectures, discussions,
demonstrations or experiment.
Pragmatism
Rejects the idea of absolute, unchanging truth, instead asserting that truth is “what works”
This philosophy was very much related to experimentalism, which is based on the scientific
investigation.
Pragmatist teachers are more concerned with the process of solving problems intelligently. They
do not dominate the classroom but seek to encourage both seek to guide learning by acting as
facilitators of the students research activity.
Existentialism
Humanity isn’t part of an orderly universe; rather individuals create their own realities.
The philosophy of existentialism , representing both feeling of desperation and a spirit of hope,
examines life in a very personal way. An existentialist education encourages deep personal
reflection on one’s identity, commitment and choices.
An existentialist teacher would encourage students to philosophize , question, and participate in
dialogue both meaning of life, love and health .
For the existentialist , the school is where individuals meet to pursue discussion about their own
lives and choices . Since every person in the same predicaments and has the same possibilities .
Basic Philosophical Education
Perennialism
Perennialism means “ perpetual” or long lasting” educators who identify themselves as
perennialists advocate a curriculum of timeless values and knowledge.
Perennialism is also the belief that nature including human nature is constant,
The perennialist views education as a recurring process based on eternal truths; thus the schools
curriculum should emphasize the recurrent themes of human life.
Progressivism
An educational philosophy emphasizing curricula that focus on real-world problem solving and
individual development.
Progressive education is best reflected by numerous theories and practices in both public and
private schools.

The list is significant

  The open classroom
 Individual instruction
 Self paced instructional materials
 Grouping by the need of interest
 Affective education
 Problem based curricula , such as themes focusing on the environment , social issues, and
political questions.
 Vocational or career education.
 Counseling
Teachers who follow progressive principles are instructionally flexible, using a selection of
learning activities that includes problem solving , field trip and creative expression.
Essentialism
An educational philosophy suggesting that a critical core of knowledge and skills exists that all
people should possess.
It is a Back to basics movements. Essentialism as an educational philosophy is grounded in the
oldest and most commonly accepted philosophy found in public school. It is often called
traditionalist or conservatives believe literacy has a broad meaning.
This philosophy involves first a skill in reading, but it also implies an enlargement of ideas and
intelligent judgment concerning preservation of a democratic society,
Social Reconstructionism
In the reconstructionist view, the teachers responsibility is to help reduce the cultural gap
between technology and values of the individual.

Philosophy can guide practice and help you explain and defend your educational goals.
The process of developing a philosophy begins with examining your own beliefs about teaching,
learning, and students.
An analysis of educational philosophies can assist teachers in forming their own personal, and
probably eclectic, personal philosophy
Pioneers in Educational Theory
Dewey: Learning though experience
John Dewey ( 1859 – 1952 ) was among the most significant Western philosophers. Darwinian
evolutionary theory, pragmatism, and the scientific method shaped his pioneering
experimentalist philosophy of education. He viewed education as a process through which
young people are brought to fully participate in society.
Dewey believed that every learner actively attempts to explore and understand the
environment.
Dewey was especially concerned that learners master the scientific problem-solving method.
This scientific approach features;
1. Identifying a problem
2. Gathering information relevant to its solution
3. Developing a tentative solution
4. Testing the solution in light of additional evidence.
Dewey approach to learning emphasized activities and processes by which children
interacted with their environment .
He identified three level of activity in the curriculum
First level; for pre-school – involved activities to develop sensory abilities and physical
coordination.
Second level ; - involved using materials and instrument in the environment .
Third level; - children discover examined and used new ideas.
These three curricular levels move learning from simple impulse to careful observation of
the environment, to planning actions and finally reflecting on a testing the consequences of
action.
In Dewey’s advocacy of a democratic education, he wanted an environment where students
were free to test all ideas , beliefs and values.
Friedrich Froebel
Friedrich Froebel is a famous German educationalist who created the concept of
kindergarten.
Froebel vision according to Watson ( 1977b) was tp stimulate an appreciation and love for
children and to provide a small new world- later known as kindergarten. Where children could
play with others from their own age group and experience.
Watson further adds that this early education vision laid the foundation for the framework
of Froebel’s philosophy of education which encompassed by the ; four basics component;
a. Free self-activity
b. Creativity
 c. Social participation
d. Motor expression
Self activity is defined as the development of qualities and skills that make it possible to take an
invisible idea and make it a really; self-actvity involves formulating a purpose. Corbert ( 1998 )
suggest that one of Froebel’s significant contribution to early childhood education was his theory
of introducing plays as a means of engaging children in sel-activity for the purpose of externalizing
their inner natures.
In creativity, Freobel’s provide the children with many stimulating activities to enhance their
creative powers and abilities. Froebel design a series of instructional materials that he “called
gifts and occupations” which demonstrated certain relationships and led children in comparison,
testing, and creative exploration activities.
Third component of Froebel’s educational plan involved working closely with the family unit.
Froebel believed that parents provided the first and most consistent educational influence in a
chid’s life.
Focusing on the home environment occupations as the foundation for beginning subject matter
content allowed the child to develop social interaction skills that would prepare the child for
higher level subject-matter.
Motor expression, refers to learning by doing as improved to following rote instructions. Freobel
said the that child should be allowed to shape his own mold and grow at his own pace through
the development stages of the educational process.
Comenuis: The search for a new Mehtod
John Amos Comenius Called the Father of Modern Education. From the persecution and
hardships he suffered in his life, he came to develop a philosophy, called pansophism, which
emphasized political unity, religious reconciliation, and cooperation in education.
Throughout his life, John Amos Comenius worked for educational, scientific, and cultural
cooperation, enlightenment and understanding.
Comenius believes that the teacher should create a classroom which is pleasant and hopeful to
learning by means of advanced methods.
He emphasized the following principles for teachers;

 Use object or pictures to illustrate concepts.

 Apply lessons to the student’s practical life.
 Present the lesson in a simple manner.
 Emphasize that all creatures and objects are part of a whole universe.
 Present lesson in sequence, stressing one thing at a time.
 Do not leave a specific subject until students understand it completely
He also believed that teaching should build on children’s interest and gently lead children to
understand the world which they live in.
Locke: Empiricist Educator
John Locke (1632–1704), an English physician and philosopher, supported the important political
changes that gave England a more representative government. He attacked Plato’s idealist
epistemology of innate ideas, emphasizing instead that ideas arose from sensation.
Locke wrote that a proper education began in early childhood. Emphasizing a sound mind in a
strong and healthy body, he called attention to the importance of a child’s physical and social
environments, diet, and activities. Children should breathe fresh air, have plenty of sleep, eat
nourishing and plain food, bathe frequently, exercise regularly, and have time for recreation and
play.
Learning, Locke said, should be a gradual process; instruction in reading, writing, and arithmetic
should be slow and cumulative. In addition to these basics, Locke’s curriculum included
conversational foreign-language learning, especially French; higher mathematics; and history.
Physical education, games, and athletics were encouraged. He believed that this foundation
would achieve the educational goal of cultivating ethical individuals and competent managers of
social, business, and political affairs.
Rousseau: Educating the natural Person
Rousseau was the leader of the Naturalistic Movement. Rousseau’s philosophy was based on the
principle that everything is good when it comes from God’s hand but due to its influence of the
society it steadily degenerates. He emphasized that traditional and formal education was
manmade and therefore undesirable and he was against this educational system. He believes
that education is the development of the child’s inner disposition and it is certainly not about
imparting information or seeking knowledge. He also said that the first and the most important
part of education, precisely that which the entire world neglects is that of preparing a child to
receive education.
Rousseau says that education comes to us by nature, man and things. Here he is regarding nature
as equal to endowment. According to nature is repeatedly interpreted to the development of a
child. The naturalistic hierarchy of educational objectives represents a complete reversal of
traditional purposes of the school, chiefly, perfecting of man’s highest powers via study of
literature, philosophy, and classics.
Rousseau said that a child is born good, free from all sins. After the influence of society he learns
evil. In Christian era a child is born with mortal sin and therefore he was treated harshly.
Rousseau focused on that period of a child where he develops different stages and builds his
character.
These are;
Phase 1: Infant – from birth to 2 years of age
For Rousseau, education during infancy should focus primarily on physical training.
Phase II : Childhood – from 2 years of age to 12.
The juvenile period or childhood,, focuses primarily on intellectual and labor education
Phase III: Pre-adolescence - from 12 to 15 years of age.
Phase IV: Adolescence – 15 years of age to adulthood,
The adolescence phase focuses mainly on moral education.
Rousseau believed that these periods are closely linked and each period of the educational
process should focus on the period of the child’s natural development.
Rousseau concept of education was also Naturalism. As a philosophy of education it was
developed in the 18th century and was based on the assumption that nature represents the
wholeness of reality. It was a concept that firmly believes that ultimate reality lies in the nature
of the matter. Matter is considered to be supreme and mind is the functioning of the brain that
is made up of matter.
Piaget: Development Growth
Piaget has been labeled as an interactionist as well as a constructivist. His interest in cognitive
development came from his training in the natural science and his interest in epistemology.
He was very interested in knowledge and how children come to know their world. He developed
his cognitive theory by observing children .
Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that children move through four different
stages of mental development. His theory focuses not only on understanding how children
acquire knowledge, but also on understanding the nature of intelligence.
Piaget's stages are:
Sensorimotor stage: birth to 2 years
Preoperational stage: ages 2 to 7
Concrete operational stage: ages 7 to 11
Formal operational stage: ages 12 and up
Piaget believed that children take an active role in the learning process, acting much like little
scientists as they perform experiments, make observations, and learn about the world. As kids
interact with the world around them, they continually add new knowledge, build upon existing
knowledge, and adapt previously held ideas to accommodate new information.
How Piaget Developed the Theory
Piaget was born in Switzerland in the late 1800s and was a precocious student, publishing his first
scientific paper when he was just 11 years old. His early exposure to the intellectual development
of children came when he worked as an assistant to Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon as they
worked to standardize their famous IQ test
Much of Piaget's interest in the cognitive development of children was inspired by his
observations of his own nephew and daughter. These observations reinforced his budding
hypothesis that children's minds were not merely smaller versions of adult minds. Up until this
point in history, children were largely treated simply as smaller versions of adults. Piaget was one
of the first to identify that the way that children think is different from the way adults think.
Instead, he proposed, intelligence is something that grows and develops through a series of
stages. Older children do not just think more quickly than younger children, he suggested.
Instead, there are both qualitative and quantitative differences between the thinking of young
children versus older children.
Based on his observations, he concluded that children were not less intelligent than adults, they
simply think differently. Albert Einstein called Piaget's discovery "so simple only a genius could
have thought of it."
Piaget's stage theory describes the cognitive development of children. Cognitive development
involves changes in cognitive process and abilities. In Piaget's view, early cognitive development
involves processes based upon actions and later progresses to changes in mental operations.

The Stages
Through his observations of his children, Piaget developed a stage theory of intellectual
development that included four distinct stages:
The Sensorimotor Stage
Ages: Birth to 2 Years
Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:
The infant knows the world through their movements and sensations.
Children learn about the world through basic actions such as sucking, grasping, looking, and
listening.
Infants learn that things continue to exist even though they cannot be seen (object permanence).
They are separate beings from the people and objects around them.
They realize that their actions can cause things to happen in the world around them.
During this earliest stage of cognitive development, infants and toddlers acquire knowledge
through sensory experiences and manipulating objects. A child's entire experience at the earliest
period of this stage occurs through basic reflexes, senses, and motor responses.
It is during the sensorimotor stage that children go through a period of dramatic growth and
learning. As kids interact with their environment, they are continually making new discoveries
about how the world works.
The cognitive development that occurs during this period takes place over a relatively short
period of time and involves a great deal of growth. Children not only learn how to perform
physical actions such as crawling and walking, they also learn a great deal about language from
the people with whom they they interact. Piaget also broke this stage down into a number of
different substages. It is during the final part of the sensorimotor stage that early
representational thought emerges.
Piaget believed that developing object permanence or object constancy, the understanding that
objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, was an important element at this point
of development. By learning that objects are separate and distinct entities and that they have an
existence of their own outside of individual perception, children are then able to begin to attach
names and words to objects.

The Preoperational Stage

Ages: 2 to 7 Years
Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:Children begin to think symbolically and learn
to use words and pictures to represent objects.
Children at this stage tend to be egocentric and struggle to see things from the perspective of
others.
While they are getting better with language and thinking, they still tend to think about things in
very concrete terms.
The foundations of language development may have been laid during the previous stage, but it
is the emergence of language that is one of the major hallmarks of the preoperational stage of
development. Children become much more skilled at pretend play during this stage of
development, yet still think very concretely about the world around them.

At this stage, kids learn through pretend play but still struggle with logic and taking the point of
view of other people. They also often struggle with understanding the idea of constancy.
For example, a researcher might take a lump of clay, divide it into two equal pieces, and then
give a child the choice between two pieces of clay to play with. One piece of clay is rolled into a
compact ball while the other is smashed into a flat pancake shape. Since the flat shape looks
larger, the preoperational child will likely choose that piece even though the two pieces are
exactly the same size.
The Concrete Operational Stage
Ages: 7 to 11 Years
Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes
During this stage, children begin to thinking logically about concrete events.
They begin to understand the concept of conservation; that the amount of liquid in a short, wide
cup is equal to that in a tall, skinny glass, for example.
Their thinking becomes more logical and organized, but still very concrete.
Children begin using inductive logic, or reasoning from specific information to a general principle.
While children are still very concrete and literal in their thinking at this point in development,
they become much more adept at using logic. The egocentrism of the previous stage begins to
disappear as kids become better at thinking about how other people might view a situation.
While thinking becomes much more logical during the concrete operational state, it can also be
very rigid. Kids at this point in development tend to struggle with abstract and hypothetical
concepts.
During this stage, children also become less egocentric and begin to think about how other
people might think and feel. Kids in the concrete operational stage also begin to understand that
their thoughts are unique to them and that not everyone else necessarily shares their thoughts,
feelings, and opinions.

The Formal Operational Stage

Ages: 12 and Up
Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:
At this stage, the adolescent or young adult begins to think abstractly and reason about
hypothetical problems.
Abstract thought emerges.
Teens begin to think more about moral, philosophical, ethical, social, and political issues that
require theoretical and abstract reasoning.
Begin to use deductive logic, or reasoning from a general principle to specific information.
The final stage of Piaget's theory involves an increase in logic, the ability to use deductive
reasoning, and an understanding of abstract ideas. At this point, people become capable of
seeing multiple potential solutions to problems and think more scientifically about the world
around them.
How children learn
In Piaget's theory of cognitive development helped add to our understanding of children's
intellectual growth. It also stressed that children were not merely passive recipients of
knowledge. Instead, kids are constantly investigating and experimenting as they build their
understanding of how the world works.
Implications for Education
The educational implication of Piaget's theory is the adaptation of instruction to the learner's
development level. It is important that the content of instruction needs to be consistent with
the developmental level of the learner.
The teachers main role is the facilitation of learning by providing various experiences for the
students. "Discovery Learning" allows opportunities for students to explore and experiment,
while encouraging new understandings. Opportunities that allow learners of different cognitive
levels to work together often help encourage less mature students to advance to a higher
understanding of the material. One future implication for the instruction of students is the use
of hands on experiences to help students learn.
Piaget's theory has had a major impact on the theory and practice of education. It has helped to
create a view where the focus of attention is on the idea of developmentally appropriate
education. This refers to an educational with environments, curriculum, materials and instruction
that are consistency with student's physical and cognitive abilities as well as their social and
emotional needs.

Pestalozzi: Educator of the Senses and Emotions

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss educational reformer influenced by the work of Jean-
Jacques Rousseau. He believed in a whole-child approach that focused on the head, heart, and
hands. For Pestalozzi, education was a vehicle for creating a more just society.
He wrote books based on the theories that he had about education. "Children should learn
through activity and through things (hands-on tools). They should be free to pursue their own
interests and draw their own conclusions." When Pestalozzi argued that there was a need for
balance, that the three elements of head, heart and hands is what is most important to children
receiving a great education. Pursuing this balance of hands, heart and head Pestalozzi did away
with the punishment upon kids known as flogging, because as a part of the heart there should be
love, without love, head and hand cannot develop.Pestalozzi wanted to move schooling away
from education as an old way of using old teaching methods. It is because of this that Pestalozzi
became concerned with everything dealing with school, children, and the idea that children
should be finding out things (answers) for themselves. Johann was about putting that which is
right and good before that which is correct because he cared more about people and their well-
being than anything else.
Herbert Spencer: Social Darwinism in Education
As a social Darwinist , Spencer helped gain acceptance of the theory of evolution which also
became the basis for most of his book and teachings. The principle of evolution believed in the
process whereby all things change from the simplest forms to the most complex .
Spencer was an agnostic who believed that the only that the only way to gain knowledge was
through a scientific approach. And he was noted non-conformist who detested authority and
strongly emphasized individualism.
Montessori: The Prepared Environment
The Montessori Method is founded on Maria Montessori’s educational philosophy. Her basic
principle was to “follow the child”. A Montessori classroom is carefully prepared to allow the
child to work independently and allow for the joy of self-discovery. Teachers introduce materials
and children are free to choose them, again and again, working and discovering, and ultimately
mastering ideas. Lessons are given, but the goal is for children to discover the answers by using
the “auto-didactic”, or “self-correcting” materials that are found only in Montessori classrooms.
Children grow academically in the Montessori environment. They discover an ability to complete
complex math problems, name the continents, identify geometric shapes, write beautifully and
talk about scientific concepts such as “metamorphosis”. Just as important in the classroom is the
engaging of the child’s creative intelligence. Children are exposed to fine art, drama, music, and
history.
Principles of Teaching and Learning
Montessori school had preplanned teaching materials designed to develop the practical, sensory
and formal skills. Example included lacing and buttoning frames , weights , and packets to be
identified by their sound or smell. Since they directed learning in the prepares environment ,
Montessori educators were called directresses rather than teachers. Under guidance of the
directress , children used these materials in a prescribed way so that they acquired the desired
skill mastery, sensory experiences or intellectual outcome.
Influence on educational Practice Today
1. Instruction in three year age group, corresponding to sensitive periods of development.
2. Children as competent beings, encouraged to make maximal decisions.
3. Observation of the child in the prepared environment as the basis for ongoing curriculum
development.
4. Small, child –sized furniture and creation of a small, child- sized environment in which
each can be competent to produce over all a self-running small children world.
5. Creation of a scale sensitive periods of development , which provides a focus for class
work that is appropriate and uniquely, stimulating and motivating to the child.
6. The importance of the “absorbent mind “ the limitless motivation of the young child to
achieve competence over his or her environment and to prefect his or her skills and
understanding as they occur within each sensitive period.

Hutchins: Liberal Educators

Robert Maynard Hutchins believed that the principles of learning flowed from the rational
nature of human beings. Genuine learning had to do with identifying , examining, and
reflecting on intellectual issues. In other words, learning was the cultivation of the mind
rather than vocational training.
State below are the following ideas of Hutchins:
1. Education is based on mankind’s perennial and contrast search for truth. Since what is
true is always true and is true everywhere.
2. Since the life of the mind is intellectual and consist od ideas, education should be about
ideas; education’s primary function is to cultivate human rationality.
3. The true purpose of education is to encourage students to think critically about
important ideas.