Philosophy as a Basis, for Curriculum Decisions ALLAN ORWSTEIN FOCUSING QUESTIONS 1. Hos des philosophy guide the rganiation ad implementation of curiam’? 2. What athe sources of knowledge that ape pesos phlsopy of uric? [3 Whatare the sources of knowledge that shape your plorophical view of cuit? 4 How doe sims, means, and ends of education difer ', What i the major philosopicel ise that must be detemined before we can define philoso of cuca? 6, What are the four major educational philosophies that have inuenced curiam Inthe United Stes? 7, Whats your plosopty of curiulum? Prilosophicisses always have fan ill do. vides hem with framework for rod ses and have an impact on Schools ad society. Conte ass, sacha determining the goals of education. par Society and its choos are changing fun- subject content ad its organization the process ‘mentally and rapidly. mach more s0 than inf teaching nd learn, ad. in general, wht ex: the past Thece ia special urgency that dictates pieces apd atvies to sess in Schools and ‘continous apps and reappraisal ofthe oleof clsrooms, also provide eduetrs witha bs Schools and eal fora piosophy of education. Tor making such decisions as what workbook Without putsophy. educators ae drectioales_textboks, or other cognitive and noncogntive inthe whats and hows of organizing and imple” Scvies to ublize and how wo utize them. what menting what we te yng to achieve. In short, and ow much homework to astgn how to test ‘ur pulsophy of eduction influences, and Wo 8 sudens and how tase he est euits, and what Tage ete termine, ouresicatiml deisins, cours oe wubject mater erphanze hoes, and alteatves, "The importance of plop in determin sng corculom decisions is expressed well By the case snement of Thomas Hopkins (191) Philosphy has entered tnt every important Philosophy provides editors, especially cur- decison that hs ever Been made about cue ‘eulum specials, with afaework or organi am ad taching in the past and wll come Ing schools and classrooms tain them answer wo be the anno very spertant decision nthe ‘eston about whahe shoal’ pur ig what fete. There ay 2 moment in choo! Subjects are of vale, ow students ean and what day when feacher is not confronted with occa Ietbods and materials to use. Philosophy po- sions whee philosophy ia Wil part of action= PHILOSOPHY AND CURRICULUM,6 PARTON Cara ant Philosphy Hopkins statment reminds ws of bow imprint Hhlosopy foal ayes of cumicalum di ons whee ic opsates ove o covert {eed asl lens of curious tase ‘on pilsopty. As John Goodlad (1979) points St phiosopy ethe Being point in cus ‘eatum dest making at the bass forall “bsequent decisions reporting cusictry. Phi Insophyhocomes he criterion fr dteining tbe Smee means and code of cucu. The ims She satements of salu, ved on plsophial ‘eit: he meas represent proceses and mth {ub whieh eflect losopeealeoices: and the husconete the fats, concep, ad panies of the knowledge or behavior arnd—hat set tobe import ering ‘mith, Staley, and Stores (1987) aso pt recemphass nthe ie of plnopty develop Ing cmncuim seria itisesenl when frm Taig djing edict purposes selecting forging knowledge olin ase poe ‘eues an ati ealng ith eal aps fat we see er whats ead). Coca he fst ty po fen ao egret ow {rportae phlosey to decloping exclu nd ow inlgence aspects curiam. Philosophy and the Curiclam Specialist “The phiksophy of curiam specials rfl thvilfe expenses, common Sense, social and conomic background, eduation. and general belief aout poole An invidualspioxophy Coles an coins to evolves longa thee fesonal growth, declopent, ad eating fom Experience Phowphy description explana tho, and eelation of he world as sen fom yeronal perspective or tough what some socal ents call social ens ‘Cara peasant o many sures cof knot Bt 0 sate how many susces they draw of oe how many autos they Tse tote dcp espe yal he experiences that have affected hem al he socal ups wah ich they ncn, Thee deco fe sed on ‘uc ates and sha they have deve ped ining thee kao ee ad nero Pause events ander consequences. Phlso- ros vin for ein action [No ome can be tally objective in a cl tur o scl sting bat coralum specials an broaden tei base of nosed a espe Fences fy tying to understand tbe peoples “hse of lis an by anlyzing problems tm Sarious peeps, Tey cm aot 19 mod Ther own etal analyect and pots of View by Teaming fom thir experiences a tose of th thy Caecum pecaswho are unig 10 ni their point of ie or comprise ilo “Spica postions when schol offal oF thei Collages espouse ater song. are at sk ‘reausing conic and sping te soo Ron {HH Do 198) prs this way Cont among hrculum planters ocr when persons Do postions along continuum of iret belies Tha. persons" The conflict may Hecome 3 imeaie tat “curicalun sty pins 0 hak Most ef the time the differences can be 20 ‘ed terporsniy i deference fo the demands ‘ts tmporry, immediate task” However, Dall father explains that teachers and aministaors ‘svar cel ddd a piosophy ean seldom Trek ogther in close primi For Tog psd The more mature and understanding a the tes peso thetened and ego-ivolved in Sas are, he more capable they ae of rex ining or mifyng thei pitosophy.o at ast of being willing fo appreciate other posts of view This iportant for curl speci to reacl their odes and Beles a temtive—as sje! to eesamation whenever fats oF webs chal Tenge them. Equally dangerous fr eueiclam Sgecialiss i the opposite—indecsion of lack ‘any pilosphy.which can be eect nat temps avd cemontent fo 9 ales A Inca of postive cniton eset 1 pr ‘Eon acton, Having 3 persona posh thats tenine or saben o micaton doesn ea CCorclum specialist can ave at ther conc Siow nthe bet evidene aval and they then Cmchange when beter evidence sites. Phitsophy as Curriculum Source The futon of philosophy can Be conceived 3s ier th se for the ating XD In CHC1m development oan iterdependen function of other fonctions curiulum development John Dewey (1916) repecsnts the Fst School fof thought by contending that “plowophy may be defied sete general hry fed ton anda the hanes of ploy 0 ‘roide [the fame ork) forthe sims and eth ‘sof schools. For Dewey philosophy provides generalized meaning to olives an 3 way of {hinking, "an explic formalin fhe. men taland moral tudes respet othe dificties fof contemporary soci life" Philosophy isnot fol tating poi for schools is aso eral forall cumcum actives. For as Dewey a, “Education isthe laboratory in which philosophic tinction become concrete and ate ested” Highly infaened by Dewey. Ralph Tyler's (1909 feamenork of eumeulam includes pina. phy a8 only on of fie criteria commonly wed for sleting educational purposes. The relation. ship between philosophy and hese rere Stes of leer, sas of contrary Iie “iggetion rm subject speci, ate psy holy of taming the bass or determing ihe shoots purposes. Although pilose be nat the string poi in Tyler's caren but athe Inert onan eal Bais wih the oer cite fia, he does seem to place more importance on Piosophy Yor developing edocatonal purposes. "yer (949) writes, "The edveatonal and Soria plilosophy to which he school s commited ean cre athe fin screen for developing the soa ogra” He cncldes that "phosphates {define the nate ofthe god ie anda good Socket" and that the “educational philosophies in damoratic society ae likly to emphasize Somgy democrat vals in school There cn be no serous discussion aout phi Iosopy uni we embrace the question f whats daeation When we agree om what education tee can rk what he schools pope is We cin ‘hen purse pilosa. ans and goa of come thm According t Goad (1979), he cos fit respons it he sxial ere, what be calls he "ato tte” bt nosy the sense ‘of individual growth and potentials pram ‘This days vere the saa has teen amsjrphitwopical nse im Wester wt ty for cenues an ms ery poate in Dewey's works. As Dewey (1916 chimed, we noon wish make (god eizens ad work {25 tata ultimately want make Duman be- ings who wl ive life tothe flee “The compromise of the duty between ns nal allegiance and individual iment 3 noble am that should guide all cuicalum spe- ‘liste—tiom the means othe end, When many individuals row and prosper, then society lure ithes. The original question set forth by Good ‘in be answered: Education f growth and he focal poi Yor he individual st well soe itisa neverending process of fe std the mae refined the guiding pony the beter the quale fy ofthe edvatonl proces in considering the inflence of philosophic ‘howeht on curculum, several classification ‘shemes ae posible: therefore, no pein) lao forthe eateries used inthe tables bere. “The cites of teat ae those that fen evolve “openly or uniting drng cia planing Four major edestional philosophies have infueaced cuca inthe United Sates" Pe ‘eonialis,Essetalsm, Progresivism. apd Re- onstctioism. Table I. provides an overview ‘ofthese education philosophies and how they af Feetcuiculum, instruction, and teaching. Teach- ‘sand admins sbould compare he content fof the cazgories with their own philosophical “ens in terms of bow they view cucu and tw ether ews of coca ad veld inate ‘sonal and teaching nus may cisaree ‘Another way 0 sterpretingplosophy and Its effet om curl iso arly philosophy in terms of polarity. The danger ofthis mod 18 simply in terms ofa dichotomy, ott ‘ecounize tha there are overlaps and shi. Table 172 lutte pilsophy in terms of raion and contemporary categories. The tational pllsopty as shown ends to overlay with Pe- Fesnilam and Essent. Conterporay phi Fosopy tends 0 coincide with Propet and Reconsttoni “able 2 shams that ation philosophy focuses om the pst, emphasizes fx and abs. lute values. and glorifies oo cultural estage Contemporary philosophy emphasizes the pes ‘entand frre and views events changes sd restive forthe late, nothing can be preserved