This document discusses the philosophical foundations of curriculum design. It outlines six philosophies: Essentialism focuses on basic skills and aims to prepare students for higher-level thinking. Perennialism emphasizes timeless principles and critical thinking skills. Progressivism is learner-centered and promotes democratic values. Reconstructionism aims to create social reform through education. Constructivism views learning as an active process where students build knowledge from their experiences. Pragmatism prepares students for life by focusing on problem-solving real world issues. The current K-12 curriculum incorporates elements from these philosophies, such as an emphasis on building knowledge over time and using inquiry-based learning.

1. Philosophical Foundations
of the Curriculum
Instructor:
Hannah Gay C. Amontos, MAED

2. Objectives
At the end of the session, the students are expected to
1. Recognize the philosophies that serve as the bases of
the K-12 Curriculum;
2. Identify the aim, role and focus of each philosophy; and
3. State how the concepts of each is applied to the current
K-12 curriculum.

3. Think About It!
What would you include
if you are to design your
own curriculum?

4. Philosophical Foundations of the Curriculum
Curriculum
Essentialism
Perennialism
Progressivism
Reconstruc-
tionism
Constructivism
Pragmatism

5.  Aims to instill the most essential or basic
academic knowledge, skills and character
development.
 Focuses on the essential disciplines like
math, natural sciences, history and literature.
Teacher and administrators decide on the
content regardless of student’s interest.
 Teacher-centered. Teacher is the sole
authority in the classroom and serves as the
intellectual and moral role model.
In Essentialism, students are required to
master a set of basic and pre-requisite
knowledge before they can move to the
next level. Test scores are the means to
evaluate progress.

6.  Aims to educate the rational person and cultivate
their intellect.
 As a subject-centered philosophy, it focuses on a
timeless and enduring curriculum (Universal truth
in the great books like the Bible, Koran, the
Western Canon, the Great Conversation and other
Classics)- the everlasting principles applicable to
many people. Thus, the fundamental subject areas
are given importance.
 Teachers assist students to think critically.
In perennialism, the 4 macro skills are
emphasized in the basic education to prepare
learners to study literature, history and
philosophy, and develop students to be well-
disciplined and critical thinkers .

9.  Aims to promote democratic social living by putting
the learner’s needs, experiences and interest at
the center of their curricula. It aims to develop
learners who are problem solvers through
approaches that involve collaborative and
experiment based approaches.
 It focuses on interdisciplinary subjects, learner
centered-teaching and is outcomes based.
 Teachers serve as leaders for growth and
development of life long learners.
Progressivism in the curriculum allows for
equal opportunities for all, contextualized
learning and humanistic education.

10.  Aims to create social reforms through
education and to develop awareness to
resist oppression and create a better
society with human compassion.
 It focuses on student experience and
taking social action on real problems,
such as violence, hunger, international
terrorism, inflation, and inequality.
 Teachers serve as agents of change
and reform.
For the reconstructionist, the school and the curriculum is an
agent of positive change, hence, community based learning
and bringing the world into the classroom (authentic
experience and authentic assessment) should be
incorporated in the curriculum.

11.  Aims to promote active learning by construction of
knowledge through meaningful real world
experiences.
 The focus of constructivism is on learning as an
active process and knowledge is built upon
experience.
 Teachers are facilitators as student build new
knowledge from prior knowledge and experiences.
The spiral progression of the K-12 curriculum
is based on the constructivist philosophy that
students build upon existing knowledge.

12. Principles of Constructivism
1. Knowledge is constructed.
2. People learn to learn, as they learn.
3. Learning is an active process.
4. Learning is a social activity
5. Learning is contextual

13. Principles of Constructivism
6. Knowledge is personal.
7. Learning exists in the mind.
8. Motivation is key to learning.

14.  Aims to help learners fulfill their biological
and social needs and enable students to
create their own values to adapt to the
various changes in society.
 The focus of pragmatism is to include
activities and experiences in the
curriculum that will help them be ready for
life (through learning by doing).
 Teachers suggests real world problems/
pedagogical situations based on real life to
learners and to stimulate them to find
solutions that will work.
Pragmatism and Progressivism are both brain children of John
Dewey. In the K-12 curriculum, inquiry based and problem
based approaches are encouraged to examine and find
solutions to real world problems. Performance assessments
which encourages students to apply knowledge to real world
tasks is required.

15. The aims of education as formulated by the Pragmatists
are the following:
1. To create new values;
2. To enable pupils to gather experience through activity;
3. To help the pupil to adjust with him and the society;
4. To help the pupil to reconstruct his experience;
5. To make all round development of the pupil.

16. In the field of curriculum development, the following principles
have been prescribed by the pragmatists.
1. Principle of Utility
2. Principle of Interest
3. Principle of Experience
4. Principle of Integration