This document discusses different philosophies of realism and their implications for education. It addresses: 1) The different forms realism has taken throughout history including scholastic, humanistic, social, and sense realism. 2) The aims, curriculum, teaching methods, role of the teacher, and school organization associated with a realist philosophy of education. This includes an emphasis on studying the material world, science, and practical knowledge. 3) The key aspects of realist education are understanding reality through inquiry, a problem-centered and practical curriculum, and teaching methods focused on observation, experimentation, and mastery of facts. Schools should also reflect the real needs of society.

1. Maham Naveed
2015-245

2.  All teachers have a personal philosophy that
colors the way they teach
 Philosophy helps clarify
 what they do or intend to do
 justify or explain why they do what they do in a
logical, systematic manner

3.  Eric Berne’s three important questions:
 Who am I?
 Why am I here?
 Who are all these other people, and what do
they want of me?

4.  Universals have a real objective existence
 The theory that particular things exist
independently of our perception
 Matter has its own existence independently of
our mind
 Each thing has a purpose or function

5.  Knowing one’s self is the beginning of all wisdom
 Only through studying the material world is it
possible to clarify or develop ideas
 Matter is real independent of ideas
 The inductive method moves to generalizations
from specifics
 Reason is the instrument to help individuals
achieve balance and moderation

6.  A doctrine that the objects of our senses exist
independently of their being known or
perceived by mind
 Deals with the fact that reality has an
absolute existence independent from our
thoughts, ideas and even consciousness
 Connection between the classroom and
reality

7.  A tree creates sound waves as it falls Sound comes
from things that exist
 Sound waves are moving patterns of air compression
 These compressions are heard as sound when they
strike the eardrum
 All falling trees create air compression patterns
 Therefore, all trees create sound as they fall

8.  Material cause
 (the substance of which the thing is made)
 Formal cause
 (its design that shapes the material object)
 Efficient cause
 (its maker or builder)
 Final cause
 (its purpose or function)

9. 2015-202

10.  Believed that people
be much involved in
studying and
understanding the
reality of all things
 Aristotle believed that
everything had a
purpose and that
human purpose is to
think.

11. Religious Realist
 Believed God teaches us
and, teachers motivate
us.
 Each person is born with
an immortal soul
 God made it possible to
acquire true knowledge
so that we may know him
better.

12. Modern Realist
 He challenged Aristotle logic and use of
theological methods for examining scientific
principles
 Focused on scientific—or inductive—method
 Science is a tool for creating new knowledge
 Human knowledge is divided into three part:
History, Poetry, Philosophy

14. Modern Realist
 His major contribution was
the development of an
acute awareness of
experience
 He believed we gain
knowledge from what we
experience
 We are born as a blank
slate.

15.  The external world exists
independent of human
thought
 The truth system about
that world on dependent
 Consciousness is as much
an ordinary biological
phenomenon as is
digestion

16.  Attempted to construct a variant form of
realism he called “internal realism”

17. 2015-224

18. Realism has acquired different meanings and even
contradictory ones at different periods of history.
Applied to education, realism manifested itself in 4
forms namely:
 Scholastic Realism
 Humanistic Realism
 Social Realism
 Sense Realism

19.  A demand for truth or reality rather than beauties
of Roman days arose
 It started when medieval thinkers wanted to bring
together a relation between faith and reason.
 St. Thomas Aquinas who wrote Summa
Theological used philosophy to help explain the
guideline and ambiguities of the church

20.  Relied on authorities from the past
 Synthesizing of knowledge
 Deductive approach to reasoning
 Use of syllogistic logic

21. • Scholastic schools had two methods of teaching:
• Lection (the simple reading of a text by a teacher/
no questions were permitted)
 Disputation (where question to be disputed was
announced beforehand)
• Education is the process by which he lifts himself
up to the eternal.

22.  A reaction against emphasis on form & style of old
classical literature
 Humanist realist emphasized content and ideas
 Aim: To acquire meaning & spirit of the classics
 Purpose: to master his own environing life, natural &
social through knowledge of broader life of ancients

23.  The study of old literature (Literature of the Greeks &
Roman) is a means to understand the practical life.
 Basic concerns in education: Physical, moral and social
development
 Humanists believed that classical literature should be
studied for the information and the knowledge of the facts
of the pasts so that such knowledge could be used for the
preparation for practical living (answer to any problem that
man might need).

24.  Reaction against a type of education that produces
scholars and professional men to the neglect of
the man of practice
 Aim: To train a “gentleman” for active
participation in social life and social judgment
and to prepare the practical man of the world
 Social realists follow the method of travel of
journey method.

25. • Direct contact with things, people & social
conditions through travel rather than books.
• Study of gymnastics, sports, riding, modern
languages, customs of other countries
• Study of one’s self but also others
• Social realism explains that education should
equip learners for a happy and successful life as
a man of the world.

26. • Emphasizes the training of the senses:
• Senses = gateways of knowledge
• Learning takes place = operation of the senses.
• Amalgam of humanistic & social realism
• Sense-realism attached more importance to the
study of natural sciences and
contemporary social life.

27. • Aim: To develop a natural society by
working in according with the laws of nature.
• Purpose: Happiness with God
• Through education, man can still know
laws of nature and thereby control nature.

28. Two characteristics of representatives:
• formulation of basic assumptions
• formulation of new curriculum based on
natural sciences & contemporary life

29.  The sense-realists emphasized the three things:
 Application of inductive method (Bacon) in order
to organize and simplify the instructional process
 To replace instruction in Latin by the instruction in
Vernacular
 To substitute new scientific and social studies in
place of the studies in language and literature
 to manAs Innovators, their goal is discovery and
utilization of the secrets of nature for the real and
practical benefits they could bring

30. Marukh Shazadi
2015- 246

32. Idealism Realism
 See things in an ideal
or perfectly
 Focus on ‘what could
be’
 See things in hopeful
manner
 Reality is shaped by
our thoughts and
ideas
 See Actual view of a
situation
 Focus on ‘what
actually is’
 View a situation
through less hopeful
eyes
 Deals with the fact
that reality has an
absolute existence

33. Idealism Realism
 Willing to make more
risky decisions
 Not clarity to achieve
focus goals
 Realists make safer
and more practical
choices
 More goals oriented

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38. IMPLICATIONS OF REALISM IN EDUCATION
 AIMS
 CURRICULUM
 METHODS OF TEACHING
 TEACHER
 SCHOOL

39. • Understanding the material world through
inquiry
• A study of science and the scientific
method
• A need to know the world in order to ensure
survival and good life
• Basic, essential knowledge with a no-
nonsense approach
• Transmit culture and develop human nature
AIMS OF REALIST EDUCATION

40. • Problem-centered (subject-centered)
• Practical and useful
• Highly organized and systematic
• Physical activity has educational value (Locke)
• Extensive use of pictures (Comenius)
• Attention to the complete person (Locke)
• Use of objects in education (Maria Montessori)
• Highly organized, separate and systematically
arranged (Science, Social Sciences and
Mathematics)
THE REALIST CURRICULUM

41. • Emphasis on critical reasoning through observation
• Supports accountability and performance-based teaching
• Scientific research and development
• Mastery of facts: Recitation, experimentation, demonstration, drills,
exercises
• Education should proceed from simple to complex and from
concrete to abstract.
• Enhanced learning thru direct or indirect experiences: Field trips,
lectures, films, TV, audio-visual aids, computer technology &
library.
• Learning is based on facts – analysis – questioning.
• Vernacular to be the medium of instruction.
• Precision and order: ringing bells, time periods, daily lesson plans,
pre-packaged curriculum materials
• Children should be given positive rewards
REALIST METHODS OF TEACHING:

42. • A teacher should be educated and well versed with the
customs of belief and rights and duties of people, and the
trends
• He must have full masteryof the knowledge of present life.
• He must be able to expose and guide the student towards
the hard realities of life. (neither pessimist, nor optimist)
• He must be able to co-relate between utility in daily life
and education.
• He should define simple rules
• He should teach subjects in proper order
• He needs to find out the interest of the child and to
teach accordingly
REALISM AND THE TEACHER

43. 1) School organization would be based on the real
needs of society. (not due to politics)
2) The opening of science classes in every school
is a must.
3) Co-education is a natural happening so it
cannot be rejected.
4) School is the mirror of the society. It is a
miniature form of society and it presents the real
picture of the society.
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION INFLUENCED BY REALISM