Academic Writing

Capstone Requirement
Name: Andrei C. Gonzales Program: Philosophy Date: May 23,2019
Review of Related Literature
It is important to know that the classroom is not just all about education, but a place where

community of inquiry must be introduced and can develop the thought of the learner where

character formation has the chance to be inculcated on the learner. (cf: Mancenido-Bolaños, 2018;

Bungay, 2018; Estioko, 2000; Aguas, 2002). Numerous philosophical papers are written to tackle

the education in the Philippines including the topics used in this paper, such as: Character

Formation, Philosophy of Children, Weaknesses in Philippine Education. Introducing this

philosophy can also be applied not only inside the classroom but in real life of the learner as well.

However, the mentioned papers indicate on how to make Philippine education better, but some

important questions are still to be raised: Are these situations enough to make a move or establish

a new curriculum? Can this be way for a better society where students can apply this in life? Can

character be developed as if it is applied on the self? How do the roles of educational institutions

in helping the learners develop a good morality? Does lack of creativity in teaching learners in

classroom affects the outcome of giving philosophy inquiry? It is important to remember that this

paper is intended to address the current situation of education in the Philippines, as it seems to be

limited on the classroom setting, and find a solution to introduce philosophy and establish a

community of inquiry in the classroom where all are morally good. How philosophy in a

curriculum can help education be a place of inquiry has to be achieved.

In teaching in classrooms, teachers are to give lecture and make sure that the students

understood them. Bolaños (2018, p. 141) echoed that “[e]ducation is an inquiry. Teachers must be

able to present a problem to the students rather than immediately offer them solutions they do not

understand.” Lipman (2003, as cited Bolaños 2018) “When philosophy is properly taught, it could

bring a significant improvement in students’ thinking. This can be done by using the community
of inquiry as a pedagogy.” Here Lipman emphasized that schools rarely give practical reasoning

and introduce philosophy to students. These situation leads to what happen in the classroom, if

philosophy is introduced to the students, this is where different student can share their own thought.

Education in the Philippines focuses on the value of teaching philosophy as the moral aim

of education. As character formation or character education, to emphasize the groundwork of a

moral character and the role of educational institutions are not just to make such great minds but

in forming great ethical characters on the paper presented by Aguas in 2002. To fully give the

students the opportunity to philosophize, conferring to Bolaños (2018) that through human person,

human nature, history, literature, technology, and psychology, through these factors which is

related to the lives of children and teachers may somehow connect with their personal experiences.

Kennedy (2015, cited Bolaños, 2018) that the teachers understanding the childhood and processes

of CPI (i.e., community of philosophical inquiry) plays an important role on the program of

teaching philosophy, and teachers need to the see the importance of CPI, to carry the program

successfully.

However, Estioko (2000) stated that normal schools of the Philippines are lamentable,

teachers are not given the opportunity to be creative, as they are instructed to be obedient on what

to do and to teach their students. Aguas (2002) said that education is in the fullest sense a moral

enterprise, that it is an “continuous effort” in guiding the learner to know and practice the good,

and what is ethical, and to guide them to live a meaningful life. According to Aguas “[t]he aim of

education is the personal development of the students concretized in forming moral character” (p.

185). But a paper presented by Bungay (2018) stated that students only learn the objectives for a

day, on introductory of the daily lesson or basic ones and as the presenter emphasized that on this

manner, teachers only discuss “Book-based”. After that, students may forget what they have

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learned during that time. Though Dewey (1938, cited in Bungay, 2018) said that schoolroom must

have interactions, integrating real-life experiences and have students to be involved in learning.

And that traditional schoolroom is not the place for students to not learn and limit their experiences.

And also, according to Dewey, that every human experience has the ability to influence the

capacity to learn. And as stated by Bungay (2018) “that education is a mere social process, growth

and not a preparation for life: education is life itself.” This means that the education that we gain

is the life form that we may carry through life. In doing so, the call for making the classroom a

place of community of inquiry and making education improve here in the Philippines is the best

solution that we can have in order to improve the moral character and the thoughts of the learner

using Philosophy, also being able to apply philosophy in the daily lives of the learner (Estioko,

2000; Aguas, 2002; Mancenido-Bolaños, 2018; Bungay, 2018) which has been critiqued and gave

philosophical explanations from these Philosophers.

The aim of this paper is to offer a way of resolving the lack of philosophical inquiry in the

classroom, so the student’s may be able to use philosophy in their daily lives to have a moral

character in order to know the good and to develop their thoughts. This paper argues that using

philosophy is better than the education used in the traditional classroom, which uses textbook-

based teaching and able to be applied in the lives of the students inside and outside of the

classroom. The paper is applicable to be studied, taught and used in the classroom. However, this

approach on a way to teach to students using philosophy offers a solution for the educational

institutions and for the Philippines as well.

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References
Aguas, J. J. (2002). Character Formation: A Challenge to Educational Institutions. Karunungan:
A Journal of Philosophy, Official Journal of the Philippine Academy of Philosophical
Research, 19, 183-196.
Bungay, B. K. (2018). Experience as a Teacher: on John Dewey's Experience and Education.
Talisik: an Undergraduate Journal of Philosophy, 5(1), 12-20.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Kappa Delta Pi.
Estioko, L. R. (2000). Some Weaknesses of Philippine Education. Karunungan: A Journal of
Philosophy, Official Journal of the Philippine Academy of Philosophical Research, 17,
251-257.
Lipman, M. (2003). Thinking in Education. New York, Ny: Cambridge University Press.
Mancenido-Bolaños, M. A. (2018). Narrowing the Gap Between Theory and Practice: Community
of Inquiry and its State in the Philippines. Kritike, 12(2), 140-156.

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