philosophy of education

1. Unit # 2
Classical and Modern Philosophical
Perspectives on Education-I
Shahid Mobeen Ali Anjum
Resource Person
AIOU Islamabad
Whatsapp:03024251700

2. OBJECTIVES
•After reading this unit, you will be able
to:
1. Define Idealism and Realism.
2. Compare Idealism and Realism.
3. Analyze curriculum on the basis of Idealism
and Realism.
4. Discuss the main tenets of Idealism and
Realism.
5. Evaluate the Role of Realism in the History
of Education.

3. Idealism
PRINCIPLES OF IDEALISM
1. Presence of universal mind.
2. Regards man as a spiritual being.
3. The world of ideas and values are superior than the
materialistic world.
4. The Real knowledge is perceived in mind.
Plato- father of Idealism

4. Chief Characteristics of Idealism
• Universe subsists within the spirit or mind.
• Mechanistic explanation of universe is inadequate.
• Teleological explanation of universe.
• Synthesis between Man and Nature.
• Man is central to the universe.
• Special attention to the normative and social sciences.
• Evaluative explanation of the universe.
• Conceptualists.
• Universe is knowledge.
• Emphasis on the mental or spiritual aspect of universe.

5. Types of Idealism
• Subjective Idealism.
• Phenomenalism.
• Objective Idealism.

6. Idealism in Education
• Prepare for adulthood
• Conform to Super force

7. Aims and Ideals of Education
1. Self-realization
2. Exaltation of personality through self-realization
3. Universal education
4. Development of inventive and creative powers
5.Conservation, promotion and transmission of cultural heritages
6. Bringing out or the enrichment of the cultural environment
7. Development of moral sense
8. Cultivation of spiritual values.
9. Prepare for adulthood

8. Idealism and Curriculum
• Liberal arts Humanities
• The trivium
• Cognitive Knowledge
• Skills with words
• Structured
• Rigid curriculum Pre-existent reality
• Finite
• Revealed

9. Idealism and the Educator
• Model of morality and scholarship Mentor
• Charismatic
• Traditional
• Adults know, children do not Exemplar of the ideal
• High teacher control
• Teacher-centered

10. Idealism and Educational Methods
• Lecture
• Recitation
• Essays
• Word dependent

11. Idealism and Discipline
• Obedience
• Mental discipline Rules/ punishments Extrinsic/adults
•Discipline models
• “Spare the rod, spoil the child”
• Reward/punishment
• “Tough love” Corporal punishment James Dobson

12. Idealism in Contemporary Education
• Wider and higher aims.
• The ideal teacher.
• Integrated and multisided curriculum.
• Moral education.
• Self-discipline.
• Psychological methods.

13. Realism
• Modified By Gemore, Russel, John Wild.
• Things we see and perceive are real and knowledge
acquired through senses only is true.
Definition
• In J.S. Ross's opinion, "the doctrine of realism asserts that
there is a real world of things behind and corresponding
to the objects of our perception".
• According to Butter, "realism is the reinforcement of our
common acceptance of this world as it appears to us".
Aristotle- father of Realism

14. Realism and Aims of Education
• (a) Prepare the child for a real life.
• (b) Prepare the child for a happy and successful life.
• (c) Fosters mental and physical powers of child.
• (d) Developing and training of senses.
• (e) Providing vocational education.
• (f) Make the child familiar with the nature and social environment

15. The Chief Tenets of Realism
• Existence of objects is independent of knowledge.
• Qualities are inherent in known objects.
• Knowledge does not affect the object or its qualities.
• Knowledge of objects is direct.
• Objects are common.
• Relation between object and thought.

16. Types of Realism
• Naive realism.
• Representationism.
• Neo-Realism.
• Critical Realism.

17. Realism in Education
• Prepare for adulthood
• Conform to nature

18. Aims of Education
1. Activities concerned with language,
2. Activities concerned with hygiene,
3. Citizenship activities,
4. Ordinary social activities,
5. Leisure activities,
6. Activities of mental health,
7. Religious activities,
8. Activities concerning race-preservation,
9. Vocational behaviour activities,
10. Vocational activities.

19. Curriculum
• The child should be allowed to choose subjects according to his ability from
detailed curriculum.
• He should be taught what is useful in his life.
• Learning according to one's abilities.
• Subjects should be planned according to the needs of the society.
• Education should enable the student to adjust to changing social
circumstances.
• The curriculum should have utility.
• The curriculum should lay emphasis upon science subjects—physics,
chemistry, biology, astrology, etc.

20. Methods of Teaching
• Lecture
• Recitation Labs/audio-visual
• Words and things

21. Contribution of Realism to Education
• Like other systems of philosophy of education realism has its
advantages and disadvantages.
• Its impact can be seen everywhere.
• The realist philosophers influence practical education. In seventeenth
century academies for the teaching of natural sciences developed
everywhere in Europe and later on in America in eighteenth century.
• Technical and vocational education has become a common feature of
education everywhere.
• Thus, the following may be considered to be the contribution of
realism to education.

22. Cont…
• Education in Technical and Vocational Subject
• Practical Bias
• Practical Aims.
• Widening of Scope
• Scientific Teaching Methods
• Objective Attitude
• Sense Training
• Realistic School Organiation
• Too Much Emphasis on Objectivity
• Too Much Emphasis on Facts
• Positivism and Meliorism

23. Topic Idealism Realism
Purpose of education Prepare for adulthood
Conform to Super force
Prepare for adulthood
Conform to nature
Curriculum Liberal arts Humanities
The trivium
Science, math, social science
The quadrivium
Curricular Emphasis Cognitive Knowledge
Skills with words
Cognitive Knowledge
Skills with science
Approach to subject
matter
Structured
Rigid curriculum Pre-
existent reality
Structured
Rigid curriculum External
reality
Subject matter and
knowledge
Finite
Known to Super force
Revealed
Objective
Natural Science/observation
Comparison of Idealism and Realism

24. Cont…
Topic Idealism Realism
Role of the teacher Model of morality and scholarship
Mentor
Charismatic
Model of science and scholarship
Mentor
Conduit
Methods of instruction Lecture, Recitation
Essays, Word dependent
Lecture, Recitation Labs/audio-
visual, Words and things
Agent of change Learn time-tested Preserve status
quo, Traditions
Test and verify Evolution in nature
is slow, Order
Permanence and change Absolute-ism Permanence Tradition Absolute-ism
Natural evolution Tested
Teacher’s power roles Traditional
Adults know, children do not
Exemplar of the ideal
Traditional Authoritarian Exemplar
of nature
School rules Traditional
Time-tested
Traditional
Norm-tested
Learner expectation Obedience Scholarship Conformity Obedience Scholarship Conforming

25. Topic Idealism Realism
Discipline models “Spare the rod, spoil the
child” Reward/punishment
“Tough love” Corporal
punishment James Dobson
Behavior-modification
Reinforcement-schedule
Assertive discipline Skinner,
Canter
Special student needs Academic talent All must
meet “the standards”
Push bright kids
Academic talent Tracking in
the basic curriculum
Some special-education
Preferred student role Traditional, Passive
Obedient, Receiver
Natural, Reactive
Obedient, Responder
Individual difference No individualization
Students conform to
expectations
Tracking,
Students conform to norms
Cont…

26. Topic Idealism Realism
Individual rights Traditional defined
Super force first
Social norms for definitions
Part of nature
Discipline expectations Obedience
Mental discipline Rules/
punishments Extrinsic/adults
Behaviorism Modification
Reinforcement Extrinsic/adults
Type of thinking prized Rote memory Traditional
Convergent Inductive Aristotelian
logic
Memorization of principles
Divergent, Scientific,
Deductive
Who has knowledge Books, Schools
Teachers Adults
Books, Schools
Teachers Adults
Who is in charge of the learning
space
High teacher control
Low student control
High teacher control
Low student control
Classroom center Curriculum centered Teacher-
centered
Curriculum centered Teacher-
centered
Cont…

27. Cont…
Topic Idealism Realism
Accountability To excellence
To academics Traditional
Liberal arts model
To excellence
To society Statistics/norms
Standardized testing
Teaching art or science? Teaching, especially lecturing,
is an art form
Scientific
Organized Technical
Objectives Classical/ traditional Adult-
selected Board teacher goals
Objective/ scientific Adult-
selected Specific
Behavioral
Back to basics Tool subjects Humanities
Liberal arts
Higher standards
Tool subjects
Math, science Social sciences
Higher standards
Examinations and testing Essays
Teacher-judged Formal
External standards
Objective Standardized
Lab performance External
standards

28. Topic Idealism Realism
School as a social
institution
Spiritual necessity Cultural
birth
Man needs culture
Natural necessity Group life
is preserved
Respect nature
School climate Contemplative Formal
Studious Inspirational
Businesslike Organized
Sequenced
Classroom design Central focus-teacher
stations
Recitation stage Traditional
seating One-way
Central focus-demonstration
table, lectern
Media usage Observation
Sources of motivation Curriculum
Teacher personality
Rewards/punishments
Curriculum
Teacher organization
Reinforcement
Cont…

29. Topic Idealism Realism
Value education Imposed
Moral training
Indoctrination
Rewards/punishments
Moral development Social
training Reinforcement
Leadership training Elitist
Social class
Intellect
Elitist
Intellect
School buildings Traditional Enclosed
spaces Single teacher
Inflexible One-way
Largely traditional Enclosed
spaces Single teacher Media
applicable Passive students
School activities Traditional Teacher-
controlled Support
academics Build character
Subject clubs Teacher
controlled Academic
orientation Cost-effective
Cont…