Philosopher: Plato, Aristotle or Thomas Aquinas

Idealism

Idealism is considered one of the oldest philosophical systems, whose main proponent was the Greek
philosopher, Plato. Idealism advocates that ideas constitute what is real and permanent, i.e. ideas are
the only true reality. Idealism also emphasizes the spiritual component of man, i.e., man is a spiritual
being.
According to this philosophy, education is the process of development of a person, his/her conscious and
spiritual self. The ultimate responsibility for learning rests with learners. The school exists to develop
character, increase knowledge, and cultivate aesthetic taste. The teacher is expected to be a model,
friend, and guide to the learners.

Philosopher: Plato, Aristotle or Thomas Aquinas (generally regarded as the father of Realism)

John Locke, Erasmas, Rabelias, Comenius, Bertrand Russell, Francis Bacon, Milton are the chief
protagonists of Realism.

Realism

The realist’s school of thought is traced back to Aristotle, another main, Greek philosopher. According to
this philosophy, matter or objects that we see exist by themselves, i.e., they exist absolutely with or
without man. In other words, matter is not a construct of the human mind.
The following principles are therefore upheld:
the principle of independence of matter,
the principle of orderliness of the world behind its organization, this means that law and order prevail in
the universe,
the principle of the world as real as discovered by the scientist.
Thus, it is possible to have objective knowledge of the world. Our senses are also a source of knowledge.
The philosophy also advocates that values exist objectively; they are absolute and eternal.
What then are the educational implication of realism? Following are a few:
The ultimate educational aim is achievement of knowledge of nature and inner workings of the universe.
Education is essentially transmission of inherited culture from one generation to another.
Disciplines of curriculum should contain certain elements of culture.
Students should learn disciplines to develop intellectual skills to discover important principles and
theoretical insights.
Based on this philosophy, there should be a core curriculum for every learner.

Philosopher: John Dewey

Pragmatism

The main proponent of pragmatism was John Dewey (1859 -1952). The proponents of pragmatism were
reacting against what they considered as failures or shortcomings of the traditional school system,
supported by idealism and realism. Some of the criticisms included:
Traditional curriculum content included a lot of meaningless and needless content.
Traditional curriculum did not give a “utility education.”
The curriculum was rigid and did not cater to individual needs of particular learners.
Pragmatists, therefore, advocated for reality being considered as instrumental, i.e., used as an
instrument to solve problems. Philosophy is therefore built on practical usefulness, i.e., “cash value of
ideas.” Hence, truth is what works, what turns out all night. Truth also should be the idea that has been
tested, verified, and found effective in solving problems.
What are the educational implications of pragmatism?
Learning from Experience

If experience is the source of knowledge, it is also a source of education. We learn by doing. However,
not every experience is educative; experience must be productive, i.e., produce growth.
Educational Aim: Develop Learners’ Ability to Deal with Future Problems
That is, to develop intelligence to solve problems. According to Dewey, the process involves:
identifying the problem,
formatting a hypothesis(es),
gathering or collecting data and tools to solve the problem,
testing each hypothesis, and
storing the unity of knowledge for use in some similar situations.
Curriculum

Pragmatists propose a curriculum based on problems that arise out of daily living. School is therefore an
extension of home and community.
Methods of Study

These should include:

problem-solving,
activity,
projects, and
group involvement.
Teachers should be a resource and guide; thus a motivator. Teaching must be child-centered.
For pragmatists, all subjects are vital. However, sciences are favored because the child is able to explore
new knowledge.

Philosopher: Jean-Paul Sartre

Existentialism

According to Akinpelu (1981), existentialism is defined as “the philosophy of existence.” Sartre (1957)
also states that “man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.” A person is therefore free to choose
the type of life to live and is in control of his/her destiny. An individual is thus free to make choices and
be responsible for them.
Reality, therefore, is subjective. Values emphasized are those that the individual chooses freely according
to his/her perception.
Implications of Existentialism on Education and Curriculum

The main implication is an emphasis on knowledge and abilities for personal choice. Hence, the need to
acquire knowledge and principles of the human condition and acts of choice-making.
Curriculum should have a broad range of subject matter from which learners can choose, i.e., electives,
and an inclusion of subjects that involve:
human emotions,
aesthetics, and also,
philosophical subjects.
Most important is that philosophy can free learners to expand their learning and what they believe.
Thus, there should be no standard guides for teachers to follow, given that learners are unique.

Philosopher: Plato, Aristotle or Thomas Aquinas

Perennialism

Perennialism draws from both idealism and realism. The perennialists believe that the “cement of
education, is the common nature of man” (Doll, 1992:29). With that focus, education should be the
same for everyone.
Education must therefore pursue perennial truths. These truths are absolute and universal. The
philosophy presupposes that there are permanent studies and knowledge that is available, particularly
from the great books, which should be taught to all students.
The stress is on significance of reason and intellectual development. Curriculum is expected to contain
“important” subjects taught in their customary separate form, e.g., history as history, geography as
geography, and civics as civics, rather than combining them and naming them “Social Studies” for
example.
Other subjects emphasized on include literature, philosophy, and theology because of their ability to
“sharpen the mind.”

Philosopher: Wiliam Bagley

Essentialism

Essentialism focuses on traditional subjects, reading, writing, and mathematics. This philosophy aims to
instill students with the “essentials” of academic knowledge and character development. In the following
video, Dr. Thomas Lickona describes the importance of respect and responsibility in schools.

As with perennialism, essentialism is also on the major traditional philosophies of idealism and realism.
Essentialist’s educational aims are to develop intellectual powers, as well as educate competent persons.
Schools should therefore not be side-tracked into catering to the personal problems and social needs of
students. Cultural heritage needs should be considered for curriculum making. Essential skills especially
reading, writing, and arithmetic (three Rs) and academic subjects such as English, science, and
mathematics are given priority in the education process with an emphasis on mastery of concepts and
principles of subject-matter.
As with perennials, the curriculum is subject-centered and emphasized separate organized disciplines as
opposed to integrated subjects. The teacher in this case is considered an authority in his/her subject
field. Moving from traditional educational philosophies, let us now examine more modern ones.

Philosopher: John Dewey

Progressivism

Progressivism is one of the educational philosophies originating from pragmatism. Hence all that we
discussed earlier about pragmatism holds true for progressivism.
Besides Dewey’s contribution, other scholars in this area include Montessori, Cornelius, and Rousseau.
Their studies and research were geared towards identifying the most appropriate type and nature of
curriculum for learners.
Progressivists education seeks to promote democratic schooling as well as social living. The other major
emphasis is on a child or learner-centered curriculum. The curriculum therefore is based on the learners’
interests, needs, abilities, and aspirations, among other characteristics of the learners.
Progressive education curriculum emphasized five approaches to the teaching/learning process, namely:
teacher-pupil planning of curriculum activities,
flexible curriculum and individualized instruction, and
learner-centered teaching and learning methodology.
Selection of study material in line with the expressed interests and concerns of the learner. Non-formal
curriculum activities and physical training in areas like games, related hobbies, and other co-curricular
areas.
The aim of this form of education is to provide a learning atmosphere that allows children maximum self-
direction and to reduce teacher domination in the teaching/learning process.
Concerning progressivism, the emphasis is on a child-centered curriculum, which necessitates a flexible
and broad curriculum. There is also an emphasis on practical skills.
In general, it is possible to identify elements of past education in the present-day curricula in many
education systems within the United States and the rest of the world, depending on the past history.
The following video shows a real classroom of 4th- and 5th-grade students who are participating in a
constructivist social studies lesson. Constructivism is often considered to be an offshoot of
progressivism.

Philosopher: Theodore Brameld

Reconstructionism

Reconstructionists hold on to an anthropological–sociological philosophy that would put schools at the

forefront of remaking society. Reconstructionism evolved from a critical perspective of the work of the
progressivists who put much emphasis on the needs of the child, sometimes at the expense of societal
needs.
Reconstructionists’ educational aims are to improve and reconstruct society as need be, as well as
education for change and social reform. Thus, the study of contemporary social problems become the
centerpiece of curriculum content.
The critical social problems might be national or global including such issues as oppression, poverty,
hunger, racial/ethnic strife, war, and health issues such as HIV/Aids.
The reconstructionists believe that resources are available to solve these problems and the education
profession could be the catalyst to prepare and organize future generations to make this possible. They,
however, try to avoid indoctrinating children; rather, they seek to lead them in rational discussion and
critical analysis of issues.
Reconstructionists use multiple teaching materials, and they consider the inclusion of subject matter
that would be useful to serve the central cause of the issue of concern. Planning of curriculum often
involves various stakeholders including learners, parents, and community leaders.

Influenced the development of Behaviorism were Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, and B.F. Skinner

Philosopher: Considered the Father of Behaviorism B.F. Skinner

Behaviorism

The behaviorist school of thought states that students learn behaviors through

their interactions. According to behaviorists, an individual's intrinsic qualities have little bearing on how
they behave within an environment. Rather, the teacher can directly and intentionally influence the
quality and consistency of student behaviors with various strategies. An example of behaviorist thought
in practice is positive reinforcement, in which a learner receives a reward for positive actions. In time,
they come to associate these actions with rewards and so prefer to behave well rather than poorly.

Philosopher of Conservatism - Edmund Burke (1729-1797) has been widely regarded as the
philosophical founder of modern conservatism as we know it today.

Conservatism

In pedagogy, conservatism refers to the belief that the original intended purpose of education was to
prepare learners for entry into an established culture, with its traditional values and social pathways. An
educational conservative is likely to believe teaching to be an act of data transmission and learning to be
the combined acts of obedience and data acceptance. This school of thought may also deny any
nonacademic functions of education, such as the belief that schools also function as environments
where young people learn about social interactions and the value of the individual.

Philosopher: Auguste Comte

Positivism

Positivism-stemming from the Latin "a posteriori," meaning "based on reasoning and facts" is a teaching
philosophy based on evidence-based learning and verifiable notions. It's a teacher-oriented philosophy
that relies on concrete data and knowledge gained through experiments. Owing to these characteristics,
positivism tends to feature in the sciences and engineering disciplines.

Philosopher: Jean Piaget

Constructivism

The constructivist philosophy states that learners develop knowledge by building on the foundations of
previous learning. Constructivists acknowledge that learners come from different backgrounds, so they
carry their unique set of circumstances and experiences into the shared environment of the classroom.
Moreover, the experiences and knowledge specific to a learner.

Philosopher: Francesco Petrarca

Humanism

Humanism is a teaching philosophy that centers on the needs of the student. According to this approach,
students learn best under self-direction, when they have input in what they learn, so it's the goal of the
educator to facilitate a love of and competency for learning. To that end, humanistic educators aim to
establish a safe, nonthreatening environment for learners and openly validate students' feelings as part
of the learning process. Grades play little to no role in a humanistic learning environment since self-
evaluation is the only meaningful form of assessment.

Philosopher: John Locke

Liberalism

Liberalism refers to a philosophy aimed at cultivating free human beings through exposure to a broad
array of subjects and skills and the development of civic values tested via engagement with important
ideas and issues. A liberalist approach to education is necessarily multidisciplinary, allowing learners
some freedom to choose their path while allowing them the opportunity to develop knowledge in a
wide range of subjects. Thus, this philosophy tends to result in what people commonly call a "well-
rounded education"

Philosopher: Francesco Petrarch

Humanism

Humanism is a teaching philosophy that centers on the needs of the student. According to this approach,
students learn best under self-direction, when they have input in what they learn, so it's the goal of the
educator to facilitate a love of and competency for learning. To that end, humanistic educators aim to
establish a safe, nonthreatening environment for learners and openly validate students' feelings as part
of the learning process. Grades play little to no role in a humanistic learning environment since self-
evaluation is the only meaningful form of assessment.