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Perennialism theory of education
- 2. Comes fromthe word perennial meaning everlasting. A very conservative and inflexible philosophy of education. A teacher-centered philosophy that emphasizes the importance of transferring knowledge, information, and skills from the older (presumably wiser) generation to the younger one. Perennialism says since people are human, one should teach first about humans, not machines or techniques. Its similarity with essentialism Philosophers who described these theories Rules given by robert hutchins Teaching tules class tools
- 3. Secular Perennialism– Definition of secular perennialism ◦ Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler ◦ Perennialism is learning to reason ◦ Advocates using original work in education ◦ Comprises the humanist and scientific traditions ◦ Secular Perennialist’s view point
- 4. Religious Perennialism– Definition /Introduction ◦ First developed by Thomas Aquinas ◦ Religious Perennialism continues to shape the nature of Catholic schools throughout the world ◦ John Henry Newman
- 5. Definition ofphilosophical rationale Its positions Metaphysicsical Position Aristotelian ontology Father william Mcgucken Epistomological position
- 7. 1. Permanence ismore real than change 2. Human nature remains essentially the same no matter the culture 3. The good life-the life that is fit for man/woman to live-remains essentially the same 4. Moral principles remain essentially the same 5. Education that men/women receive should remain essentially the same
- 8. Robert Hutchins ◦Perennialist educator who strongly believed in having traditional liberal arts in all schools ◦ Introduced the Great Books program ◦ Wanted NO extracurricular activities in schools…said they were irrelevant to the learning process ◦ Stated that textbooks “have probably done as much to degrade the American intelligence as any single force.” ◦ Professor and Dean at Yale Law School
- 9. Mortimer Adler ◦Helped Hutchins organize the Great Books program ◦ Proposed a single elementary and secondary curriculum for all students, with no curricular electives except the choice of a second language ◦ Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University
- 10. Students spendmost of their time mastering the three “Rs”- reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic Greatest importance placed on reading Teach values and character training through discussions about underlying values and moral principles in stories Only elective is the choice of second language
- 11. Few, ifany, textbooks Schools are organized around books, ideas, and concepts Teach from the Great Books-works by history’s finest thinkers and writers Teachers do not lecture but lead and facilitate discussions
- 12. Role ofthe Teacher ◦ Teach time-honored classics ◦ Lifelong Learner ◦ Discussion Leader…Not Lecturer Role of the Student ◦ Active Thinker/Learner
- 13. Teaching Tools ◦Standardized Tests ◦ Teacher-made tests ◦ Memorization ◦ Classic Books Classroom Management ◦ Orderly rows ◦ Neat/Clean room ◦ Strict rules ◦ Punishment/Rewards
- 14. Perennialism wasstarted in the 1930s Perennialism IS still around St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland ◦ Adopted the Great Books as a core curriculum in 1937 ◦ Readings in Literature, Philosophy, Theology, History, Social Sciences, Mathematics, and Music ◦ Students write extensively and attend weekly seminars to discuss assigned readings
- 15. Grades aregiven but students only receive their grades upon request Expected to learn for learning’s sake Thrives in small-group atmosphere 2nd campus opened in 1964 in Santa Fe, New Mexico
- 16. With thisphilosophy, what happens to the students who are poor readers or who do not like to read? Are we setting them up for failure? Research showed that religious schools use the Perennialism philosophy…why? Are electives really not important? How can teachers teach all subjects without the use of textbooks?
- 17. www.oregonstate.edu www.successfuleducation.info Ediger, M. (1997). Influence of ten leading educators of American education. Education, 118(2), 267. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Perennialism (2003). Retrieved from http://www.mtsu.edu/~tsbrown/pere.htm Sadker, D., Zittleman, K. Teachers, Schools, and Society: A Brief Introduction to Education. p.200-207. Retrieved from http://www.education.com