2. 19. The curriculum of a school should not be decided by a small circle of school
officials, but by all involved parties within the community.
20. What is real is perceived differently by individuals, therefore no two things can be
the same.
21. Learning by specified programs of material in sequence is paramount to a child’s
education.
22. Teachers need to give more individual assistance in the classroom.
23. Students with a mental disability cannot learn the same subject matter as regular
students and should not be placed in a regular classroom environment.
24. Money is not the total answer to increased student achievement.
25. Learning to read proficiently is the solution to the educational dilemma.
26. Each individual in society must attain a specified body of knowledge to function
properly.
27. Student needs, experiences, and interests should be the determining factor when
designing a school’s curriculum.
28. A school’s curriculum should contain more electives for students to choose.
29. A complete curricular analysis for effective teaching should include scope,
sequence, articulation, pacing, and, most importantly, reward or reinforcement.
30. All teachers have an underlying concern for students and the learning process.
31. Effective education begins at the home.
32. Traditional education of the 1950s should be reinstated in the school curriculum.
33. Teachers should not teach in areas where their proficiency is below average.
34. More emphasis should be placed on “The Great Men” and “The Great Books” of
past civilizations.
35. The curriculum should be entirely a hands-on, practical approach.
36. Student achievement cannot take place in a traditional, lecture-oriented format.
37. The environment is a tangible place where material is a solid representation of what
is.
38. Students learn best in a one-on-one basis.
39. Students, teachers, parents, and administrators should decide solely on the curricular
structure of a school.
40. What works in one environment does not necessarily work in another.
41. There should be a distinct division of subject matter, not the consolidated collection
presently advocated.
42. Art/music appreciation should stress past contributions rather than practical
applications.
43. The teacher’s sole function in the classroom should be to guide students through
problem-solving situations.
44. A school environment should nurture students to find their roles in society.
45. Fool me once, shame on you–fool me twice, shame on me.
46. Children are born with universal knowledge and it is the teacher’s job to bring forth
that knowledge.
3. 47. The universe is made from scientific laws and the scientific process is designed to
explain our existence.
48. If it works, it is true.
49. Enculturation is the primary function of education.
50. A school’s curriculum should concentrate on long-range goals, not on immediate
concerns.
51. A student should feel free to be inventive and communicate inner curiosities without
the threat of reprimand.
52. Individuals are first an introvert and second an extrovert.
53. The scientific approach is the best approach to effectively understand explained and
unexplained phenomenon.
54. Reality is what one believes.
55. Teachers should always adapt and should be flexible in the learning environment.
56. We learn best from experience.
57. A strict, proven curricular format is necessary to ensure proper learning.
58. Even though students learn at different rates, every student should be exposed to the
same learning material.
59. School environments should be void of any autocracy by the teachers and/or
administration.
60. Every child evolves at a different rate, both physically and mentally, and should be
free, without interference, to do so.
61. Students learn best when given an incentive or reward.
62. Students know what they need to know and should follow their beliefs.
63. Teachers are in the best position to determine appropriate learning activities.
64. Our past dictates our future.
65. Students do not do enough outside assignments for effective exposure to the subject
matter.
66. The Socratic method of questioning should be utilized more in the classroom to
cultivate critical thinking skills.
67. Student-to-student interaction is the best learning method.
68. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” because there is no standardized scale for
measuring beauty.
69. Moral and ethical values are not inborn traits, but learned processes.
70. Perceptions are everything in learning.
71. Student success is a product of his/her environment regardless of intellectual
capability.
72. Field trips should be utilized more often to enhance the learning process.
73. All teachers of a given subject should teach the same content in order to establish
continuity of learning.
74. Students learn by themselves under direct supervision of the teacher.
75. Students learn better when grouped together than when separated for individual
investigation.
7. PHILOSOPHIES OF SCHOOLING
KEY POINTS
1. Philosophy is not a science; it is an attempt to understand the world.
2. Educational philosophy is the application of formal philosophy to the field of
education.
3. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that deals with ultimate reality;
epistemology focuses on knowledge, and axiology deals with the study of values.
4. Idealism, the philosophy of Plato, focuses on the search for truth.
5. Realism, the philosophy of Aristotle, supports the notion that knowledge can be
gained through the senses and from deductive reasoning.
6. Pragmatism is an American philosophy that is associated with human experience;
John Dewey was a prominent pragmatist.
7. Existentialism, an individualized philosophy, represents a radical departure from
other schools of philosophy and focuses on the individual.
8. Perennialism is an educational philosophy developed from realism, while the
educational philosophy of essentialism is the basis for the back-to-the-basics
movement in education.
9. Progressivism is associated with problem-solving techniques, while
reconstructionism focuses on social reform.
10. Basic philosophy and educational philosophy are directly related to what occurs in
school classrooms.
11. Philosophy directly impacts on curriculum and teaching practices.
12. Some philosophies encourage a highly structured curriculum with close student
monitoring, while others focus on limited structure and wide freedoms for students.
Dr. Kritsonis provides basic information regarding philosophy and educational
philosophy. It begins by discussing the basic philosophies, such as idealism and
realism, and then moves into a discussion of specific educational philosophies.
B. KEY TERMS–DEFINITIONS
ANALYTICAL - allows the use of language to analyze words; currently the dominating
activity of American and British philosophers; given to studying a problem by breaking it
down into its various parts.
ANALYTICAL PHILOSOPHY - philosophy based on analytical activity.
AXIOLOGY - area of philosophy that focuses on values.