Philosophical Roots of Teaching
Metaphysics
Axiology
Epistemology
Important to education because the disciplines, experiences, and skills in the curriculum reflect what our society has determined to be real.
Seeks to understand what is real
Teachers may have presumptions about free choice (caused by oneself) vs. determined (external forces)
Concerned with aesthetics and ethics; how we define
what is beautiful and what is morally good and valuable.
Addresses what knowledge is and how we acquire it.
Plato believed that knowledge is justified true belief.
division on how justification and truth are to be discerned
Education aspires to give students tools for discerning the justification of beliefs
Disagreement of how knowledge is acquired
-If schools are teaching the beliefs accumulated by society, then they are transmitting that knowledge through lectures and demonstrations. We are teaching only what we want students to know based on set ideologies.
Concern for the sights, sounds and feelings pertaining to learning.
Ethics are the principles and norms that govern human conduct.
-divided between consequential and deontology
Consequentialism seeks the greatest good for the greatest number (eg) Happiness is the greatest mood therefore we will do almost anything to be happy.
Deontology claims that we are obligated to our duties, regardless of the consequences.
Virtue Ethics: Aristotle and Plato suggested that ethical behaviors originates from individual character, as opposed to consequences and rules.
Philosophical systems
Idealism: Plato: there is an ideal world of perfect ideas that express truths and are universal. Therefore the truth is not influenced by the environment.
Realism: Aristotle: believed reality cold be perceived with one's senses, and a person could abstract concepts from those experiences.
Education helps learners develop abstract concepts
Existentialism: Reject systematic philosophy and emphasize personal responsibility for one's choices and living and authentic life.
Pragmatism: Believes knowledge is constructed by individuals and groups to solve problems they encounter. Reality is what is observed or experienced and truth is what works. Truth is justification.
Friedrich Froebel introduced balls, blocks and rods to understand learning concepts. Likewise, today we use these tools for young children to learn basic math and science concepts.
We do not give knowledge, we draw out knowledge
Be true to yourself despite external pressures
Encourage student/teacher relationship and to find personal meaning in their learning.
Encourage arts and humanities to invite personal meaning, defined themselves by the choices they make.
A pragmatist teacher believes that knowledge is constructed by individuals and groups to solve problems they encounter. The lessons grow out of the students needs and interests.
John Dewey preferred the term naturalism because he found explanations in natural phenomena.
Perennialism: Believes that great truths are universal and unchanging, so education should foster rational powers and transmit these truths through classic texts.
Strong morals and high disciplinary expectations
Encourages students to look at themes like justice and human rights in context of current social issues.
Essentialism: Emphasizes basic skills and subjects, mastery standard content, and preparing students to be productive citizens through classrooms that are orderly, disciplined and efficient.
May be compared to an industry assembly line.
Assertive discipline is associated with this type of philosophy and puts students into a subordinate role, following clear rules and assertively applying consequences.
Conservatism: Resists rapid change in education, and endorses basic skills instruction, rigorous academic standards, and strict disciplinary standards.
Christian fundamentalists, argue for restoration of family values
Resistant to teaching about abortion, premarital sex, and homosexuality.
Progressivism: Jean-Jacques Rousseau - children's natural goodness was corrupted by adults and institutions like schools
Teachers serve as facilitators and promote students development.
Development of the whole child - physical, cognitive, social and emotional.
Formative assessment and assessment to support learners
The best learning happens when children seek answers on their own. Teachers appear to be in a secondary role, but they play a role in establishing an environment with rich opportunities for learning and guiding
Inquiry based learning: part of the regular curriculum and deliberate effort to build inquiry questions around essential questions from the curriculum.
Galileo Educational Network
8 Pillars: Authenticity, academic rigour, assessment, beyond the school, use of digital technologies, active exploration, connecting with experts, elaborated communication
Authenticity: emanates a question, problem, or exploration significant to disciplines. Addresses real world problems, students have the opportunity to create or produce knowledge.
Academic rigour: Students use methods similar to professionals in the field they are inquiring in. Encouraged to question evidence, viewpoints, causes, and significance.
Assessment: Clear sense of assessment criteria and critique their own work to establish learning goals. Also receive feedback from teachers, peers and outsides sources.
Beyond the school: Relevant exploration outside of the school. Work experience organization, communication, teamwork, problem solving.
Use of digital technologies: Using technology to research, share information, solve problems and communicate with various audiences using multimedia, simulation, video conferences and data bases.
Active exploration: Students involved in fieldwork, labs, interviews and construction. Communicate understanding through presentations and exhibitions.
Connecting with experts: Students interact with adults who have expertise related to their study.
Elaborated communication: Students strongly support, challenge and respond to others ideas. Express ideas in various forms such as powerpoint, iMovie, art, dance, ect.
Argument: May fail to use current events or contemporary relevance of ancient text.
Argument: May lose student interest due to lack of meaningful context, authoritarian discipline due to too much structure.
Philosophy of education is not just explanative and descriptive
Sociology of education describes what teachers do
Psychology of education describes how people learn
Philosophy of education requires teachers to ask themselves questions like:
-What should my goals for my students be?
-What should the aims of education be? (academic, social, moral)
-Why should I teach this way and what approaches should I use? Why are these valuable?
-How should I contribute to students' moral development?
Social Reconstructionism:Students can be empowered by activism projects and learn about their own social context.
Teachers passionate about their own beliefs on issues, need to remember to teach ethically and foster open minded questions and debates.
Parents may argue that things like math and explicit language instruction get pushed to the back burner.
May help to develop a more just society and foster individual responsibility for one's actions.