1. Philosophies of Education
Educational
Philosophy Metaphysics Epistemology Axiology Implications Proponents
Idealism Reality is spiritual Knowing is the Values are A subject-matter Butler
or mental and rethinking of absolute and curriculum Emerson
unchanging latent ideas eternal emphasizing the Froebel
great and enduring Hegel
ideas of the Plato
culture
Realism Reality is Knowing consists Values are A subject-matter Aquinas
objective and is of sensation and absolute and curriculum Aristotle
composed of abstraction eternal, based on stressing Broudy
matter and form; nature’s laws humanistic and Marin
it is fixed, based scientific Pestalozzi
on natural law disciplines
Pragmatism Reality is the Knowing results Values are Instruction Childs
(experimentalism) interaction of an from situational or organized around Dewey
individual with experiencing; use relative problem solving James
environment or of scientific according to the Peirce
experience; it is method scientific method
always changing
Existentialism Reality is Knowing is to Values should Classroom Sartre
subjective, with make personal be freely chosen dialogues Marcel
existence choices stimulate Morris
preceding essence awareness that Soderquist
each person
creates a self-
concept through
significant choices

2. Theories of Education
Educational
Theory Aim Curriculum Implication Proponents
Progressivism (rooted in To educate the Activities and Instruction that features Dewey
pragmatism) individual according to projects problem solving and Kilpatrick
his or her interest and group activities; teacher Parker
needs acts as a facilitator Washburne
Social reconstructionism To reconstruct society Social sciences used Instruction that focuses Brameld
(rooted in pragmatism) as reconstructive on significant Counts
tools socioeconomic problems Stanley
Perennialism (rooted in To educate the rational Subject matter that Focus on enduring Adler
realism) person is hierarchically human concerns as Bloom
arranged to revealed in great works Hutchins
cultivate the of the Western cultural Maritain
intellect (great heritage
books, etc.)
Essentialism (rooted in To educate the useful Basic education: Emphasis on skills and Bagley
idealism and realism) and competent person reading, writing, subjects that transmit the Bestor
arithmetic, history, cultural heritage and Conant
English, science, contribute to Morrison
foreign languages socioeconomic
efficiency
Critical Theory (rooted To raise consciousness Autobiographies Focus on social conflicts McLaren
in neo-Marxism and about critical issues about oppressed Giroux
postmodernism) peoples
Source: Gutek, G.L. (1997). Philosophical and ideological perspectives on education (2nd ed). Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1997. Reprinted with permission.