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Philosophy of Education

University Ana G. Méndez

Online Division
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Philosophy of Education

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), philosophy is defines as “the rational,

abstract, and methodical consideration of reality as a whole or of fundamental dimensions of

human existence and experience” (p. 1). This term basically means “love of wisdom” and is used

by people to understand personal themselves, the world around them, and their relationship with

the world (Florida State University, 2019). Academically, philosophy is based in the questioning,

answering, and arguing of basic question about life divided in major areas of study. These areas

are known as metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, and Logic (Florida State University, 2019). On

the other side, educational philosophy refers to a teacher’s personal statement that serves as a

guide to issues related to students’ education such as best learning strategies and techniques

(Lewis, 2019). Referring to curriculum development, both philosophy and educational

philosophy influence in the establishment of standards, principles, and skills that will be attained

in a course. In addition, a specific philosophy of education serves to determine the goals and

objective of the curriculum, provides a framework for the planning implementation and the

evaluation of the curriculum, and helps to answers the questions about what materials,

techniques, strategies, and subject are better for the learning process of students (Thomas, Kuria,

Nyamwaka, & Nyakan, 2013). In other words, philosophy represents the starting point for the

decision-making process and the development of curriculum.

The curriculum development process is focused in what teachers should teach, how

teachers should teach, and how they will organize the content. There are different principles of

curriculum development such as personalization, breadth, relevance, challenge, and enjoyment.

Personalization is the principle responsible of teaching professionals and institutions how to

review, evaluate, and improve the learning process and the teaching strategies taking into
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account all learners (Writers Bureau Centre, 2017). The principle of breadth provides learners a

vast amount of experiences in the learning process due to planning, organization and learning

through different contexts (Writers Bureaus Centre, 2017). Relevance allows learners to

understand why they are learning and the activities that are related to ensure that learners

recognize the value and relevance of learning in their lives (Writers Bureau Centre, 2017).

Through the principle of challenge, the curriculum enhances learner’s aspirations and ambitions

and students encounter the challenge to improve their potential creating an appreciation of a

motivational and attractive learning process (Writers Bureau Centre, 2017). According to the

Writers Bureau Centre (2017), the principle of coherence “allows a combination of the learner’s

different aspects of learning activities to form a coherent experience that enhances the

achievement of the learning outcomes” (p. 7). Additional principles are focused in the facts that

the development of the curriculum should be sustainable to the age and mental level of learners,

focused in the students’ interests, environmentally centered, comprehensive, co-related, and

flexible.

There are major philosophies of education in the United States such as essentialism and

existentialism. Essentialism believes in a core curriculum with high standards supporting to get

back to basics. The focus of this philosophy is based “on the teaching of the essential elements of

academic and moral knowledge” (Sadker, 2016, p. 4). Essentialism support the idea that each

thing possesses attributes and characteristics that creates its identity and function. On the other

side, existentialism is focused in the belief of free will and the necessity of the individual to

develop his/her own future (Sadker, 2016). In the classroom, education is auto-controlled by the

students trying to find out what is the meaning of their lives. Compared to essentialism,

existentialism do not believe in “essence” or identity and consider that the existence precedes
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essence. In addition, through this philosophy, teachers should encourage students to practice

individual choices, teach that every action or decision has positive or negative results, explain to

students that they are responsible from themselves, and provide them with all the different

choices that they have in life (Drew, 2020).

Each one of these philosophies impact, in any manner, the roles of students and teachers.

Essentialism is a student-centered philosophy that strives in the fact that teachers should develop

a curriculum and teach students the knowledge of society and civilization, environment, basic

laws, and education (Chandler, 2018). Through this philosophy, teachers should use traditional

approaches to instill students with the most important information or essential of the American

culture (Chandler, 2018). For the essentialism, teachers dominate the instruction, while students

receive the important and necessary knowledge. Perennialism is a teacher-centered philosophy

that believes that the ideas established centuries ago are the ones that should be directing the

students’ education (Chandler, 2018). Under this philosophy, teachers facilitates and/or coaches

students, while students engages discovery and construct their own knowledge. For this reason,

teachers develop a traditional and universal curriculum, in which the principal purpose in to

engage the minds of students. Therefore, the learning process of students is through reading and

analyze of the works of history’s great writer and philosophers (Chandler, 2018).

Progressivism, social reconstructionism, and existentialism are student-centered

philosophies, in which the activities in the classroom are focused in the learning process of

students. Progressivism is a philosophical theory based in the fact that education should be

focused in the student rather than on the content of the curriculum. This is an active philosophy

in which students learn through questions about their experiences, problem solving, and thinking.

In this case, the role of teachers consist in provide experiences, such as the scientific method,
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based in the student’s interest so the students can learn by their own investigations (Oregon State

University, 1999). Social reconstructionism is a philosophy that believes in the improving of

society. For the implementation of this theory, teachers should develop a curriculum based in

social reform incorporating real problems such as violence, hunger, and inequality (Oregon State

University, 1999). Through social reconstructionism, students are encourage to dialog and

practice critical thinking to reinvent the world and create a social change. As mentioned

previously, existentialism supports the theory that students possess a complete freedom and

responsibility of their education (Drew, 2020). Under this philosophy, the role of teachers is to

provide the resources for students to explore all their choices and values and create a classroom

environment where students can express themselves through discussions or projects. On the

other side, students must determine their identity and values and take a complete responsibility

of these values and consequences (Drew, 2020).

References

Chandler, C. (2018). Similarities and Differences between Essentialism and Perennialism.

Retrieved from: https://www.genesisuniversity.education/similarities-and-differences-

between-essentialism-and-perennialism/

Drew, C. (2020). Existentialism in education – 7 Key features. Retrieved from:

https://helpfulprofessor.com/existentialism-in-

education/#Existentialism_in_the_Classroom

Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019). Philosophy. Retrieved from:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/methodic-doubt

Florida State University (2019). What is Philosophy? Retrieved from:

https://philosophy.fsu.edu/undergraduate-study/why-philosophy/What-is-Philosophy

Lewis, B. (2019). 10 questions to ask yourself to design your educational philosophy. Retrieved

from: https://www.thoughtco.com/design-your-educational-philosophy-2081733

Oregon State University (1999). Section III – Philosophical Perspectives in Education. Retrieved

from: https://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html

Sadker (2016). Philosophy of education. Retrieved from:

http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072877723/student_view0/chapter9/index.html

Thomas, E., Kuria, G., Nyamwaka, E., & Nyakan, B. (2013). Philosophy as a key instrument in

establishing curriculum, educational policy, objectives, goals of education, vision and

mission of education. Journal of Education and Practice, 4(11), 95-101.

Writers Bureaus Centre (2017). An overview of the principles of curriculum design in education.

Retrieved from: http://writersbureau.net/jede/an-overview-of-the-principles-of-

curriculum-design/