6 Philosophical Foundation/tHoughts in Education

1. Philosophical
Thoughts on
Education
Prof. Roxan B. Sta Ana

2. Learning Outcomes
2
⇨Discuss at least six
(6) philosophical
thoughts on
education

3. LET’S READ! 
Read this conversation then answer the question in the Analysis phase of this
lesson
In Grade 3 Science class
Teacher: What is the function of the mouth?
Student: To break the food into smaller pieces
Teacher: Very Good! What about the stomach?
Student: To digest the food.
Teacher: Very Good! Perfect! and the small
intestines?
Student: To absorb the food nutrients.

4. Sharing…
What classroom
scenario is / are being
depicted by the comic
strip and the teacher-
student question and

5. THE 6
PHILOSOPHICAL
THOUGHTS ON
EDUCATION
5

6. “John Locke:
The Empiricist
Educator
6

7. Empiricism
Empiricism is a
philosophical belief that
states your knowledge of
the world is based on your
experiences, particularly
your sensory experiences. 7

8. Locke’s theory implied that citizens should
establish their own government and elect
their own leaders. To do this intelligently and
responsibly, they had to be educated.
This idea of civic education became a
significant principle of the nineteenth-century
American common-school movement and
remains a major responsibility of public
schools.
8

9. “
Herbert Spencer:
Utilitarian
Education
9

10.  Spencer's concept of “survival of the
fittest”.
 Curriculum should emphasize the
practical, utilitarian, and specific
subjects that helped humankind
master the environment
10

11.  Was not inclined to rote learning,
schooling must be related to life, and to the
activities needed to earn a living.
 Science and other subjects that sustain
human life and prosperity should have
curricular priority since it aid in the
performance of life activities
 Individual competition leads to social
progress
11

12. “
John Dewey:
Learning though
Experience
12

13. Education is a social progress
and so school is intimately
related to the society that it
serves.
Children are socially active
human beings who want to
explore their environment and
gain control over it. 13

14. 14

15. “
George Counts:
Building a New
Social Order
15

16.  Education is not based on eternal truth but
is relative to a particular society living at a
given time and space.
 Schools become instrument for social
improvement rather than an agency for
preserving the status quo
 Teachers should lead society rather than
follow it. Teachers are agents of change
 Schools ought to provide an education that
affords equal learning opportunities to all
students
16

17. “
Theodore Brameld
: Social
Reconstructionism
17

18.  Also called Critical Theory or Critical
Pedagogy
 It is a philosophy that emphasizes
addressing of social questions and a
quest to create a better society and
worldwide democracy.
 Reconstructionist educators focus
on a curriculum that
highlights social reform as the aim
of education. 18

19. “
Paulo Freire:
Critical Pedagogy
19

20.  Education and literacy are a vehicle for
social change. Humans must learn to resist
oppression and not become its victims, nor
oppress others.
 A democratic relationship between the
teacher and her students is necessary in
order for the conscientization process to
take place.
20

21. What is Critical Pedagogy?
Is a teaching approach that
attempts to help students
question and challenge
domination, and the beliefs and
practices that dominate them.
It tries to help students become
critically conscious.
21

22. Let's Check for Undersatnding
⇨ Explain in a sentence why each education
philosopher was associated with these given
words
1. John Locke- the empiricism
2. Spencer- the utilitarian education
3. John Dewey- experience
4. George Counts- building a new social
order
5. Theodore Brameld -social 22