Philosopy

1. DEFINITION AND
SIGNIFICANCE OF
PHILOSOPHY IN EDUCATION

2. WHAT IS A PHILOSOPHY?
Common responses might include:
 A set of beliefs
A personal platform
Our personal thoughts

3. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary (2005),
a philosophy is “the study of the fundamental nature of
knowledge, reality, and existence” (p. 1278).
When it comes to our educational philosophy, Webb et. al.
(2010) state that our “philosophy of education enables us
to recognize certain educational principles that define our
views about the learner, the teacher, and the school” (p.
50).

4. PHILOSOPHY AND CURRICULUM
Derived from the Greek “philos,” which means love,
and “sophos,” which means wisdom, the actual
meaning of the
word philosophy is
love of wisdom
(Johnson et. al., 2011).

5. Studying Philosophy helps us deal with our
own personal systems of beliefs and values,
i.e. the way we perceive the world around us
and how we define what is important to us.
In essence, a philosophy of education
influences, and to a large extent determines,
our educational decisions and alternatives.

6. There are four broad schools of thought that
reflect the key philosophies of education that we
know today. These schools of thought are:
Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism, and
Existentialism.

7. It is important to study each school of thought
because they shape the way we approach
education today. Specifically, each school of
thought directly impacts how
curriculum is developed,
implemented, and assessed.

8. OVERVIEW OF MAJOR
PHILOSOPHICAL SCHOOLS

9. Four major philosophical schools that
have influenced curriculum development:
Idealism
Realism
Pragmatism
Existentialism

10. “ideas or concepts are the essence of all that is worth
knowing” (Johnson et. al., 2011, p. 87).
The only true reality is that of ideas.
Based on the writings of Plato, this school of philosophy
encourages conscious reasoning in the mind.
idealists look for, and value, universal or absolute truths
and ideas.
believe that ideas should remain constant throughout the
centuries.
IDEALISM

11. Teaching methods used within idealism
include: lecture, discussion, and Socratic
dialogue.

12. REALISM
“reality, knowledge, and value exist independent of the
human mind” (Johnson, 2011, p. 89).
Realists argue for the use of the senses and scientific
investigation in order to discover truth.
The application of the scientific method also allows
individuals to classify things into different groups based
on their essential differences.

13. Outcomes of this thinking in classrooms today include the
appearance of standardized tests, serialized textbooks, and
specialized curriculum (Johnson et. al., 2011). Teaching methods
used in realism include:
• Demonstration
• Recitation
• Critical thinking
• Observation
• Experimentation

14. PRAGMATISM
Pragmatism is “a process philosophy that stresses
evolving and change rather than being” (Johnson et.
al., 2011, p. 91).
reality is constantly changing so we learn best
through experience.

15. The teachers job is to help support students learning by promoting
questioning and problem-solving during the natural course of lesson
delivery.
The curriculum is also interdisciplinary. Teaching methods used in
pragmatism include:
• Hands-on problem solving
• Experimenting
• Projects
• Cooperative Learning

16. EXISTENTIALISM
“focuses on the importance of the individual rather
than on external standards” (Johnson et. al., 2011, p. 93).
our reality is made up of nothing more than our lived
experiences, therefore our final realities reside within
each of us as individuals.
the physical world has no real meaning outside our
human experience.

17. curriculum is structured to provide students with
experiences that will help unleash their own creativity
and self-expression through an emphasis on teaching
humanities.
methods focus on the individual.
Learning is self-paced, self directed,
and includes a great deal of
individual contact with the teacher, who relates to each
student openly and honestly.

20. INSTRUCTIONS
1. Group yourselves into four.
2. A representative from each group shall pick a strip of paper
containing a philosophical school.
3. Demonstrate how you will apply a specific philosophical school
(realism, idealism, pragmatism or existentialism) in teaching
through a role-play.
4. You will be given 20 minutes to plan and organize.
5. Your performance should last only 3-5 minutes.

21. ROLE-PLAY RUBRIC
Understanding of Philosophical school 20%
Presentation/Execution 20%
Creativity 20%
Relevance to Teaching 20%
Timing and Organization __20%
TOTAL 100%