The document discusses several educational philosophers and philosophies. It describes John Dewey as an American philosopher who believed in democracy and reconstruction of schools and society. It outlines Paulo Freire's support for problem-posing education where students participate, the importance of tolerance and literacy. It also summarizes Laurence Cohen's philosophy of transformative pedagogy where students learn through experience and critical reflection to change their understanding of the world.

1. Educational Philosophy & Theory
Dr. Paul A. Rodriguez
July 15, 2015

2. John Dewey
October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952
American Philosopher/Psychologist/Educational Reformer
Primary figure associated with the philosophy of pragmatism and is
considered one of the founders of functional psychology.
Belief in democracy which considered two fundamental elements:
schools & civil society which need attention and reconstruction to
encourage experimental intelligence and plurality.

3. Paulo Freire
 Promoted Problem Posing Education wherein the student takes part in their
education versus the teacher providing all of the input.
 Believes we need to be tolerant. It is our ethical and political duty to be
tolerant.
 Literacy is a fundamental chapter of education. Language is the thinking of
ideology and power.

4. Laurence Robert Cohen
 Developed the philosophy of Transformative Pedagogy wherein people
remember what they do and see.
 Environment where students can learn is important.
 Assure students they have the ability to think.
 Reexamine student’s basic personal meaning perspective before they can
critically reflect sufficiently to experience reassessment.
 Bring the students face-to-face with the reassessment of their past.
 Students need to find themselves as individuals and as a class.
 Critical reflection is necessary in order for students to discover skills and
intelligences necessary to rearrange the structure of the world.

5. My Teaching Philosophy
The following questions serve to shape an educational
philosophy:
What is the purpose of education?
What content & skills should schools teach?
How should schools teach this content?
What are the proper roles for teachers & students?
How should learning be measured?

6. My Teaching Philosophy

7. Educational Philosophy
& Theory
• What is an educational philosophy?
• An educational philosophy is one’s belief as to
how education should take place.

8. Educational Philosophy &
Theory
What is the difference between Teacher-Centered Philosophies &
Student-Centered Philosophies?
Teacher-Centered Philosophies are based on teacher input versus student-centered
philosophies wherein students collaborate and knowledge is discovered.

9. Educational Philosophy &
Theory
What are the five major philosophies of education?
•Perennialism: Perennialists believe that education, like human nature, is a
constant, should focus on developing rationality, and is a preparation for
life. Students should be taught through structured study.
•Idealism: Idealist believe truth is to be found in the consistency of ideas.
Teachers would be models of ideal behavior. Students would have a
somewhat passive role by receiving and memorizing the reporting of the
teacher.

10. Educational Philosophy &
Theory
What are the five major philosophies of education?
•Realism: The job of the teacher would be to teach students about the world.
Topics such math and science would be ideal as it applies to the here-and-now.
Students would be taught factual information for mastery. Classrooms would be
highly ordered and disciplined.
•Experimentalism: For the experimentalist, the world is ever changing. Reality is
what is actually experienced. They openly accept change and continually seek to
discover new ways to improve society. Emphasis is placed on social subjects and
experiences. Learning would occur through problem-solving or inquiry.

11. Educational Philosophy
& Theory
What are the five major philosophies of education?
•Existentialism: The existentialist sees the world as personal subjectivity wherein
goodness, truth, and reality are individually defined. Reality is a world of existing,
truth subjectively chosen, and goodness a matter of freedom.

12. A Comparison of the Five Educational
Philosophies
 Comparison Chart: