Core (Professional) Courses of Far-western University

1. 1
Far-western University, Mahendranagar
Faculty of Education
Course Title:Philosophiesineducation
Course No. : Ed.101 Full marks: 100
Level: B. Ed. Year: First
Semester: First Pass marks: 45
Total Teaching Hours: 45 Hours
1. Course Introduction
This course aims to provide the students with learning opportunities to understand and reflect upon the
philosophical underpinningof educationas well as to help them develop critical thinking surrounding the
issuesof philosophiesingeneralandeducational philosophiesinparticular.Primarily,itintendstoacquaint
the students with the meaning and nature of philosophy, relation between education and philosophy,
perspectivesonthe philosophiesof education and major educational philosophies. It then provides them
withlearningopportunitiestounderstandthe basicpremisesandeducational implications of the selected
philosophies including behaviourism, pragmatism, critical theory and feminism. In addition, this course
intendstoacquaintthe students withtwomajorreligiousphilosophiesandhelpthemdraw implications of
these philosophiesforeducationandteaching.Finally,ithelpsthe studentsacknowledgethe importanceof
elective approach to philosophy in view of the emerging learning needs in the today’s complex modern
world.
2. General Objectives
General objectivesof thiscourse are as follows:
 Developcritical understandingof educational philosophy
 Specifybehaviourismasa basicphilosophyof educationanddraw itsimplicationforeducation and
teaching.
 Understandandcriticallyappreciate pragmatismwithreference toitspremisesandeducational
implications.
 Comprehendcritical theoryof educationanddraw itsimplicationsforeducationandteaching.
 Developunderstandingof the emergence of feminism,itsbasicstrandsandpremisesanddrawits
implicationsforeducational policiesandpractices.
 Developcritical thinkingonthe philosophical worldviews of Hinduism,Buddhism,Christianityand
Islamismandderive theirimplicationsfor educationandteaching.
 Specify the needandimportance of eclecticapproachtoeducational philosophiesinthe moderntimes.
3. Contentsin Detail with Specific Objectives
SpecificObjectives Contents
 Conceptualizethe meaningandnature of
philosophyand discuss itsscope and
function.
 Specifythe branchesof philosophy.
 Discussthe relationbetweeneducation
and philosophy.
 Reflectonthe variousperspectivesof
philosophyof education.
 Acknowledgethe needsandimportance
of philosophyof educationinmodern
times.
 Be acquainted withmajoreducational
philosophies.
UnitI Introductionto educational philosophy
(8 hours)
1.1 Meaning,nature,scope andfunctionof philosophy
1.2 Branchesof Philosophy
1.3 Relationbetweeneducationandphilosophy
1.4 Perspectivesonthe philosophiesof education
1.5 NeedandImportance of philosophyof educationin
moderntimes
1.6 Major educational philosophies(introductiononly)
 Idealism
 Realism
 Naturalism
 Pragmatism
 Postmodernism

2. 2
 Specifymeaningandconceptof
behaviourism.
 Discussthe philosophical basesof
behaviorism.
 List andexplaineducational implications
of behaviourism.
 Provide critiquesof behaviourismwith
reference toeducation.
UnitII Behaviourismandeducation (6 hours)
2.1 Meaningand conceptof behaviourism
2.2 Philosophical basesof behaviourism
2.3 Educational implicationsof behaviourism
 Aimsof education
 Methodsand curriculum
 Role of the teacher
2.4 Critique of behaviourismineducation
 Introduce pragmatism
 List andexplainbasicpremisesof
pragmatism.
 Explaineducationalimplicationsof
pragmatism.
 Provide critiquesof pragmatism.
UnitIII Pragmatismand Education(5 hours)
3.1 Introductiontopragmatism
3.2 Basic premisesof pragmatism
3.3 Educational implications
 The aims of education
 Curriculum
 The teacher
 Educational methods
3.4 Critique of pragmatism ineducation.
 Introduce critical theorywithits
characteristicsanddevelopment.
 Discussthe educational relevance of
critical theory.
 Explainthe distinctive insightsand
contributionsof critical theory.
 Discussthe meaningof critical pedagogy
and itsimplicationforclassroom.
UnitIV Critical theory and critical pedagogy(5 hours)
4.1 Developmentandcharacteristicsof critical theory
4.2 The educational relevance of critical theory
4.3 Distinctive insightsandcontribution
4.4 Critical pedagogyanditsimplicationforclassroom
teaching
 Introduce feminisminrelationto
philosophyof education.
 Discussthe issuesof feminism.
 List andexplainthe implicationsof
feminismforeducational policiesand
practices.
UnitV Feminismandeducation(5 hours)
5.1 Overview of feminisminrelationtophilosophyof
education
5.2 Issuesof feminism
 Genderdifference (Cultural/Biological
feminism)
 Genderinequality(Liberal feminism)
 Genderoppression(Radical feminism)
 Structural oppression(Socialistfeminism)
5.3 Implicationof feminismforeducationalpoliciesand
practices
 Introduce Hindu/VedicPhilosophy.
 Explainthe ontological,epistemological
and axiological premisesof Hinduism.
 List andexplaineducational implications
of Hinduism.
 Introduce Buddhistphilosophy.
 Explainthe ontological,epistemological
and axiological premisesof Buddhism.
 List andexplaineducational implications
of Buddhism.
 Introduce Christianityanddiscuss
educational implicationsof Christianity.
 Introduce Muslimreligiousprinciplesof
education.
UnitVI Religiousphilosophyandeducation
6.1 Hinduphilosophyandeducation(5 hours)
6.1.1 IntroductiontoHindu/Vedicphilosophy
6.1.2 Conceptof reality(ontology),nature of
knowledge (epistemology) andvalue
system/ethics(axiology)
6.1.3 Implicationsof Hinduworldview foreducational
practices
 Objectivesof education
 Nature of curriculum
 The rolesof teachers
 The rolesof students
6.2 Buddhistphilosophyandeducation(5hours)
6.2.1 IntroductiontoBuddhistphilosophy
6.2.2 Conceptof reality(ontology),nature of
knowledge (epistemology) andvalue
system/ethics(axiology)
6.2.3 Implicationsof Buddhistworldviewfor

3. 3
educational practices
 Objectivesof education
 Buddhistcurriculum
 The rolesof teachers
 The rolesof students
6.3 Christianity and education
6.4 Islamism and education
 Discussthe needof eclectictendencyin
education.
 Explainvariousaimsof education inthe
lightof variousneedsof livingandlife.
 Justifythe needof eclecticphilosophical
approach to actualize the variousaimsof
education.
UnitVII Eclectic tendency in education(synthesizing all
educational philosophiesandtendencies in education) (6
hours)
7.1 Eclectictendencyandmodernlife
7.2 Variousaimsof education
 Knowledgeaim
 Cultural developmentaim
 Character developmentaim
 Vocational aim
 Citizenship(bothnational andglobal) aim
 Self expressionandself-realizationaim
7.3 Needof eclecticphilosophical approachforthe
actualization of the above aims.
4. References
1. Bartley,C.(2011). An introduction to Indian philosophy.London:Continuum(UnitVIandVII).
2. Blake,N.,Smeyers,P.,Smith,R. &Standish,P.(2003) (eds.). The Blackwellguide tothe philosophyof
education.Malden,MA:Blackwell Publishing(UnitsI,III,IV,V).
3. Brannigan,M.C. (2000). The pulse of wisdom:the philosophiesof India,ChinaandJapan(2nded.).
Belmont,CA:Wadsworth/ThomsonLearning(UnitsVIandVII).
4. Lengermann,P.M. & Niebrugge-Brantley,J.(2000). Contemporaryfeministtheory,inG.Ritzer(ed.)
Sociological theory(pp.443– 490). New York:McGraw Hill (UnitV).
5. Noddings,N.(1998).Philosophyof education.Colorado:Westview Press(UnitsIandIV).
6. Ozmon,H.A. & Craver,S.M. (1999). Philosophical foundationsof education(6thed.).New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall,Inc(UnitsI,II,III,VIand VII).
7. Shrivastava,K.K.(2007). Philosophicalfoundationsof education(1sted.).New Delhi:Kaniska publishers
(UnitsI, II,IIIand VII).
8. Wilson,J.(2003). Perspectivesonthe philosophiesof education.OxfordReview of Education,29(2),pp.
279 – 303 (UnitI).