Philosophy of Philosophy of EducationEducation

LEAD 421 Foundations of LEAD 421 Foundations of Educational LeadershipEducational LeadershipDr. Ana Gil-GarciaDr. Ana Gil-Garcia

Defining PhilosophyDefining Philosophy the most basic beliefs, concepts, and the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group attitudes of an individual or group

a discipline comprising as its core a discipline comprising as its core logic, aesthetics, ethics, logic, aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology metaphysics, and epistemology

pursuit of wisdom pursuit of wisdom a search for a general understanding a search for a general understanding of values and reality by chiefly of values and reality by chiefly speculative rather than observational speculative rather than observational means means

Philosophy of EducationPhilosophy of Education Based on core values and Based on core values and beliefs: culture, religion, beliefs: culture, religion, family, education, political family, education, political preferences, personal preferences, personal experiences.experiences.

Guides decisions and actions: Guides decisions and actions: determining how you teach and determining how you teach and what kind of teacher/school what kind of teacher/school leader you are.leader you are.

A philosophy of A philosophy of education is education is

A statement of your beliefs A statement of your beliefs about the purpose of education, about the purpose of education, how children and youth develop how children and youth develop and learn, and what and how and learn, and what and how they should be taught.they should be taught.

Quite personalQuite personal A representation of who and A representation of who and what you are what you are

Philosophy

PhilosophyPhilosophy

Axiology

Epistemology

Metaphysics

P H I L O S O P H Y

METAPHYSICSThe nature of

reality

EPISTEMOLOGYThe nature of knowledge

AXIOLOGYThe nature of

values

ONTOLOGYCosmology

•Authority•Experience•Reason•Intuition•Active Construction

ETHICSAesthetics

METAPHYSICSMETAPHYSICS The field of philosophy concerned The field of philosophy concerned with the nature of reality; with the nature of reality; addresses such questions as “what addresses such questions as “what is the self?” “What is the nature is the self?” “What is the nature of existence” and “What is real?”of existence” and “What is real?” Cosmology deals with the nature and Cosmology deals with the nature and origin of the universeorigin of the universe

Ontology concerned with questions of Ontology concerned with questions of being and existencebeing and existence

EPISTEMOLOGYEPISTEMOLOGY The field of philosophy concerned The field of philosophy concerned with the nature of knowledge. It with the nature of knowledge. It asks such questions as “What is the asks such questions as “What is the nature of knowledge?” “How do we nature of knowledge?” “How do we learn?” “What is worth knowing?”learn?” “What is worth knowing?” Empiricism is knowledge acquired through Empiricism is knowledge acquired through the sensesthe senses

Deductive reasoning, inferring specifics Deductive reasoning, inferring specifics from a general principle or drawing a from a general principle or drawing a logical conclusion from a premiselogical conclusion from a premise

Inductive reasoning, thinking from the Inductive reasoning, thinking from the particular to the general, or drawing particular to the general, or drawing logical conclusions from instances of a logical conclusions from instances of a case.case.

AXIOLOGYAXIOLOGY A branch of philosophy that A branch of philosophy that addresses human conduct (ethics) addresses human conduct (ethics) and beauty (aesthetics).and beauty (aesthetics). Ethics is a branch of philosophy Ethics is a branch of philosophy focusing on questions of right and focusing on questions of right and wrong, good and bad, and the basis wrong, good and bad, and the basis for moral judgments.for moral judgments.

Aesthetics is a branch of Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy about the nature of philosophy about the nature of beauty and value in human endeavor.beauty and value in human endeavor.

Roots of Educational PhilosophyRoots of Educational Philosophy

Existentialism Idealism Realism Humanism

Pragmatism

Perennialism

Essentialism

Progressivism Social Reconstructionism

Existentialism

Humanism

Philosophical EvolutionPhilosophical EvolutionClassical Philosophy Educational Philosophy

Idealism

Realism

Neo-Thomism

Experimentalism

Existentialism

Essentialism

Behaviorism

Perennialism

ProgressivismPragmatismReconstructionism

Existentialism DeschoolingHumanism

IDEALISMIDEALISM A school of philosophy that A school of philosophy that considers ideas to be the only considers ideas to be the only true realitytrue reality

Is the belief that ultimate Is the belief that ultimate reality is not the world of things reality is not the world of things seen, but the world of ideas, seen, but the world of ideas, which constitute the ideal pattern which constitute the ideal pattern of what the world should be like.of what the world should be like.

Plato’s eternal truthsPlato’s eternal truths

REALISMREALISM A school of philosophy that holds A school of philosophy that holds that reality can be known through that reality can be known through but is independent of the sensesbut is independent of the senses

Aristotle sought truth not in Aristotle sought truth not in ideas but in the real world.ideas but in the real world.

Empirical data are an important Empirical data are an important source of knowledgesource of knowledge

The purpose of education is to The purpose of education is to develop rational thinking.develop rational thinking.

PRAGMATISMPRAGMATISM A philosophy that maintains that A philosophy that maintains that the value and truth of ideas are the value and truth of ideas are tested by their practical tested by their practical consequences.consequences.

Emphasizes practicality.Emphasizes practicality. Greek sophists “man is the Greek sophists “man is the measure of all things”.measure of all things”.

Truth and values are the result Truth and values are the result of changing and evolving human of changing and evolving human values. values.

Relationship Between Relationship Between Realism, Idealism, and PragmatismRealism, Idealism, and Pragmatism

Relationship

Idealism Realism Pragmatism

Idea Mind Nature Body ExperienceProblem solving

with reason

The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life……Plato (Idealism)

I believe that the individual is a social individual and that society is an organic union of individuals……. Dewey (Pragmatism)

Education with inert ideas is not only useless: it is, above all things, harmful- corruptio optimi, pessimas……. Whitehead (Realism)

HUMANISMHUMANISM A branch of philosophy concerned with A branch of philosophy concerned with human nature and the human condition.human nature and the human condition.

Renaissance’s intellectual core.Renaissance’s intellectual core. Encourages the development of students Encourages the development of students as persons, including self-concepts, as persons, including self-concepts, personal growth, and self-esteem.personal growth, and self-esteem.

Emphasizes the affective side of Emphasizes the affective side of development ( how students feel about development ( how students feel about learning and learning experiences)learning and learning experiences)

EXISTENTIALISMEXISTENTIALISM A philosophy that emphasizes the A philosophy that emphasizes the necessity for individuals to necessity for individuals to determine the course and nature determine the course and nature of their own lives.of their own lives.

Focuses on the subjectivity of Focuses on the subjectivity of human experience and the human experience and the importance of the individual.importance of the individual.

Proposes that meaning is Proposes that meaning is determined by individuals, not determined by individuals, not by external criteria.by external criteria.

Philosophies of Philosophies of EducationEducation

PerennialismPerennialism EssentialismEssentialism ProgressivismProgressivism ExistentialismExistentialism Social ReconstructionismSocial Reconstructionism

The School of The School of PerennialistsPerennialists

The base of education is the common nature The base of education is the common nature of man, wants to cultivate reason and of man, wants to cultivate reason and develop children’s intellectual powerdevelop children’s intellectual power

Ends of education is absolute and Ends of education is absolute and universaluniversal

Truth is absolute and universalTruth is absolute and universal The Liberal Arts and Sciences and The Liberal Arts and Sciences and Classical sources are fountains of truthClassical sources are fountains of truth

Improvement of memory and thinking, Improvement of memory and thinking, intellectual developmentintellectual development

Emotions and feelings are excluded from Emotions and feelings are excluded from educationeducation

The School of The School of EssentialistsEssentialists

Basic culture has a common coreBasic culture has a common core Cultural transmission to ensure social Cultural transmission to ensure social solidarity and the general welfaresolidarity and the general welfare

Basic education: reading, writing, Basic education: reading, writing, counting, and computingcounting, and computing

Concentration on traditional instructional Concentration on traditional instructional methodsmethods

Schools are responsible for providing sound Schools are responsible for providing sound instruction and the authority to demand instruction and the authority to demand achievementachievement

Teachers must be liberally educated, Teachers must be liberally educated, morally sound personsmorally sound persons

Teachers must be technically skillful in Teachers must be technically skillful in directing the learning processdirecting the learning process

The School of The School of ProgressivismProgressivism

Places emphasis upon HOW to think rather than Places emphasis upon HOW to think rather than WHAT to thinkWHAT to think

Gives the individual the necessary skills and Gives the individual the necessary skills and tools with which to interact with a changing tools with which to interact with a changing environmentenvironment

Builds around the personal and social Builds around the personal and social experiences of the studentsexperiences of the students

Interdisciplinary curriculum in natureInterdisciplinary curriculum in nature Uses scientific methods of inquiry and problem Uses scientific methods of inquiry and problem solvingsolving

Indicates that the learner is capable of Indicates that the learner is capable of thinking and exploring their own needs and thinking and exploring their own needs and interestsinterests

Sees the teacher as the guide for the student in Sees the teacher as the guide for the student in his/her problem-solving activities and projectshis/her problem-solving activities and projects

The School of The School of ExistentialismExistentialism

Making own choices and rejecting authority Making own choices and rejecting authority that cannot justify its own existencethat cannot justify its own existence

Dualism of mind and body, emphasis on mindDualism of mind and body, emphasis on mind An independent physical universe exists, An independent physical universe exists, spiritual reality may or may not existspiritual reality may or may not exist

Tendency toward skepticism, a willingness to Tendency toward skepticism, a willingness to acknowledge the possibility of achieving acknowledge the possibility of achieving truthtruth

Free to choose own moral standardsFree to choose own moral standards Teachers do not moralize, establish number of Teachers do not moralize, establish number of rules, or humiliate or ridicule pupilsrules, or humiliate or ridicule pupils

Is also called a “Nonphilosophy”Is also called a “Nonphilosophy” Its chief educational concern is to free the Its chief educational concern is to free the individual child “to do his or her own thing”individual child “to do his or her own thing”

Social-ReconstructionismSocial-Reconstructionism A philosophyA philosophy that emphasizes the addressing of that emphasizes the addressing of

socialsocial questions and a quest to create a better questions and a quest to create a better society and worldwide democracy society and worldwide democracy

Systems must be changed to overcome oppression and Systems must be changed to overcome oppression and improve human conditions. improve human conditions.

Education is the means of preparing people for Education is the means of preparing people for creating a new social order. creating a new social order.

Curriculum highlights social reforms as the main Curriculum highlights social reforms as the main of education. Curriculum focuses on student of education. Curriculum focuses on student experience and taking social action on real experience and taking social action on real problems, such as violence, hunger, international problems, such as violence, hunger, international terrorism, inflation, and inequality. terrorism, inflation, and inequality.

Strategies for dealing with controversial issues Strategies for dealing with controversial issues (particularly in social studies and literature), (particularly in social studies and literature), inquiry, dialog, and multiple perspectives are the inquiry, dialog, and multiple perspectives are the focus. Community-based learning, bringing the focus. Community-based learning, bringing the world into the classroom are also strategies. world into the classroom are also strategies.