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The Philosophical Roots of Education - Coggle Diagram
The Philosophical Roots of Education
Branches of Philosophy
Metaphysics
Seeks to understand what is real.
What is time? Do numbers exist? Does beauty exist?
How we categorize knowledge.
Dividing the world into meaningful categories (science curriculum).
Disciplines, experiences, and skills in the curriculum reflect what our society has determined to be real.
Teacher's presumptions about how the world works can affect how they see students and view their roles as teachers.
Axiology
Concerned with aesthetics and ethics.
How we define what is beautiful and what is morally good and valuable.
Aesthetically concious teacher - helps students see beauty in aspects of the curriculum, every day life (poetry/natural world), or in the fine arts.
The value of the arts may be overshadowed by a desire to do well on provincial achievement exams.
Ethics (principals and norms that govern human conduct).
consequentialism (utilitarianism) - seeks the most useful consequence; the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Deontology - humans have an obligation to do what duty requires, regardless of the consequences. *Immanuel Kant.
Consequentialism: Lying is wrong, except when permissible to not hurt another's feelings.
Deontology: People are never justified in lying.
Virtue ethicist: What is the truth telling or lying saying about the person's character?
Virtue ethics - ethical behaviour originates from the character of the individuals rather than consequences or any rules.
The creation of classroom rules...
get an idea of what these are in field work
Epistemology
What is knowledge and how do we acquire it?
Knowledge = justified true belief...
Sociological view - knowledge is simply what people believe.
What should be included in the curriculum? Only things that we know to be true? Topics where the truth is less clear?
Education aspires to give students the tools for discerning the justification for their beliefs.
Acquiring knowledge - educators help students with this.
Learners may engage in exercises that allow them to understand and clarify their own beliefs.
Not simply just acquiring knowledge that is in the curriculum.
Major Philosophical Systems
Idealism
Plato - An ideal world with perfect ideas exists.
Containing all truth, goodness, justice, and beauty.
Allegory of the cave - humans are like prisoners who have not left the cave (subjective experience = living in the dark).
Adolescents accepting the political views of their parents are not experiencing "true knowledge".
Enduring truths taught to students using question's to stimulate the learner's ability to reason.
Teacher helps to "draw out" knowledge, instead of giving it.
Classics in literature, art, and music are "transhistorical" sources of universal truths.
Pure math - the perfection is a thing of beauty.
Idealist elementary school curricula - basic literacy and numeracy, prepares for further study of the classics.
Series of gifts - ball, rod, blocks. Children play with these objects and it reflects geometric and mathematic concepts.
Great works in different disciplines are storehouses for the culture's values, provide models for ethical action.
Exposure to beautiful things over time, students will learn what is ethical and beautiful (empathetic perspective).
Realism
Aristotle - reality could be perceived with one's senses, and one could abstract concepts from those experiences.
Sensation to learn about the world, and abstraction to extract the necessary qualities to form an understanding of the subject. ex. repeated walks in the forest, children learn about trees and are able to make distinctions about different types.
Education helps learners develop abstract concepts.
Developing concepts and the ability to discern between things.
Relate concepts to one another.
Virtue ethics: get children used to participating in society even when they do not fully understand it yet.
Teachers require obedience to foster moral habits and develop character.
Theistic realism: Aristotle's ideas and Christian theology, influential in many Christian schools today.
Eudaimonia: happiness and fulfillment.
Bodies of knowledge and scientific inquiry skills.
Teachers should not let social issues distract them from the purpose of their teaching: provide basic skills in mathematics, reading, writing, basic research skills.
Existentialism
Kierkegard: emphasizes personal responsibility for one's choices and living an authentic life.
Existence precedes essence - we determine our essence based on the choices we make.
Teacher aims to foster students' responsibility and autonomy - students take ownership of their choices and become authentic human beings.
Being true to oneself despite external pressures.
Encourage a more authentic student-teacher relationship, students finding personal meaning in their learning.
Teachers must be careful to ensure students' individuality is not lost in the group.
Learner's determine what is meaningful to them as an individual.
Reject the idea of order; prefer ambiguity and openness.
Minimal teacher intervention; ethics and morals defined by students.
Values the arts and humanities re: inviting personal meaning making.
Self-identity, creative expression (not emulating the classics), opposed to standardized testing.
Education is an important part of one's journeys.
Pragmatism
Uniquely American philosophy.
Knowledge is constructed by individuals and groups to solve problems they encounter.
Reality is what is observed or experienced and the truth is what works.
Scientific orientation to understanding the world.
Rejection of truth as it is traditionally understood, but quickly get to work to find practical solutions to human problems.
Curriculum is open ended, growing out of students' needs and interests.
Provide building blocks, instead of getting to an "end product".
Transmitting knowledge that can be extended through inquiry.
Skills instruction integrated with a practical task.
John Dewey - progress through intelligent regulation of existing conditions.
Not relying on truths laid out by others.
Normative Philosophies of Education (how education ought to proceed).
Perennialism
Drawn from realism and idealism.
Great truths are universal and unchanging, education should foster rational powers and transmit these truths. CLASSICAL TEXTS.
Transmitting a core curriculum.
Ideas are perennial, universal, and unchanging.
Do not overlook the wisdom of the past.
Evident in secondary English classrooms.
Essentialism
Education that goes "back to the basics".
Basic skills and subjects, mastery of the content checked by standards, prepare students to be productive citizens.
Classrooms are orderly, disciplined, and efficient.
The world is knowable - teacher are obligated to teach those represent those objective realities.
Transmission of basic knowledge is critical for human civilization.
Respect for authority.
Factory model - preparing students to be efficient workers.
Lower student voice/participation/say in how classroom functions.
Progressivism
Democratic classrooms, more student voice - working together to make class rules.
The learning process is more important than the final goal.
Active exploration, problem solving, collaborative, reflective skills, and experiments.
Inquiry and problem based.
Decisions are made by the group.
Children should be heard in the classroom.
Social Reconstructionism
Schools, classrooms, teachers, students as agents of change.
Value human flourishing over academic achievement.
Question the status quo.
"problem posing" education.
Feminism - questioning status quo.