The Teacher and

the Community ,
School Culture and
Organizational
Leadership
Chapter 1

Philosophical
Thoughts on
Education
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson,
student should be able
➤ To know the definition of
Philosophy
➤Discover the six (6)
philosophical thought on
education:
>Reflect on the importance
of these philosophies in
PHILOSOPHY
the word philosophy comes from the
Greek roots philo meaning "love" and
Sophos, or "wisdom".
Philosophy of education is branch of
applied or practical philosophy
concerned with the nature and aims of
education and the philosophical
problems arising from educational
theory and practices.
PHILOSOPHIES OF
EDUCATION
-Emphasizes the
primacy of ideas,
values, and
metaphysics in
education, focusing
on intellectual
development.
Key Words: Mind,
ideas, values,
-Advocates for an
education based on
practical
experiences and
factual knowledge,
emphasizing the
objective reality.
Key words: Reality,
experience,
practical, science,
A traditional
philosophy that
focuses on timeless
knowledge from
classic literature
and subjects to
develop thinking
and character.
Key words: classic,
literature,
traditional,
Centers on individual
existence,
emphasizing
freedom, choice, and
the pursuit of
authenticity in
education.
Key words:
Existence,
-Focuses on the
practical aspects of
learning, problem-
solving, and
applying knowledge
in real-life
situations.
Key words:
Practical, problem-
solving, experience,
Emphasizes learning
through experience,
problem-solving, and
active engagement,
aligning with
democratic principles.
Key Words: Experience,
problem-
solving, active
learning, democracy,
A philosophy that
sees bodily
pleasure and the
avoidance of pain
as the main
purpose of life.
Key words: bodily
pleasure,
enjoyment, avoid
pain, desire,
satisfaction,
Advocates for a back-
to-basics approach,
focusing on core
knowledge, discipline,
and a standard
curriculum.
Key Words: Core
knowledge, basics,
discipline, tradition,
standard curriculum.
An ethical theory
that values actions
that bring the
greatest happiness
or benefit to the
greatest number of
people.
Key words:
happiness,
usefulness,
A learning theory that
says learners build
their own
understanding
through experiences,
interaction, and
reflection.
Key words: active
learning, experience,
discovery,
interaction, meaning-
-An approach
that uses
education to
promote social
change and solve
real-world
problems.
Key words:
change, justice,
reform, society,
-A theory that states
knowledge comes from
sensory experience;
the mind starts as a
blank slate shaped by
what we see, hear, and
feel.
Key words: experience,
senses, observation,
blank slate, learning,
-is an educational and
psychological philosophy that
emphasizes personal growth,
self-actualization, and the
development of the whole
person. It views humans as
inherently good and capable
of making free choices to
reach their full potential.
Key words: Self-actualization,
personal growth, free will,
whole person, self-esteem,
An educational
philosophy that
emphasizes learning
through nature and
experience, allowing
the child to develop
freely and naturally.
Key words: nature,
freedom, experience,
child-centered,
growth,
Six Philosophers on
Education
Summaries of Thoughts of
Education Philosophers
John Locke (1632-
1704)
The Empiricist
-English philosopher
Educator
whose works lie at
the foundation of
modern
philosophical
empiricism and
•Acquire knowledge about the world through senses-
learning by doing and interacting with the environment,
Simple ideas become complex through complex
comparison, reflection and generalization-the inductive
method.
•Questioned that long traditional view that knowledge
came exclusively from literary sources, particularly the
Greek and Latin classics.
•Opposed the "divine right of kings" theory that the
monarch had the right to be unquestioned.
•Political order should be based on a
contract between the gov't and the
people.
Aristocrats are not destined by birth to
be rulers. •Civic education is
necessary.
People should be educated to govern
themselves intelligently and
responsibly. (Ornstein, 1984).
Remember:
-For John Locke, education is not
acquisition of knowledge contained
only on the great books.
It is learning interacting with concrete
experiences comparing and reflecting.
The learner is an active not passive
agent of his/her own learning.
-Education helps the citizen to actively
and intelligently participate in the
society. Establishing their government,
 Herbert Spencer
(1820-1903)
Utilitarian Education
Spencer's concept of
"Survival of the Fittest"
means that human
development had gone
through an evolutionary
series of stages from the
simple to the complex
and from the uniform to
more specialized kind of
 •Social development had taken place
according to an evolutionary process
by which simple homogeneous
societies had evolved to more
complex societal systems
characterized society
•Industrialized with humanistic
require and
classical education.
vocational and professional education
based on scientific and practical
(utilitarian) objectives rather than on
the very general education goals
associated with humanistic and
•Curriculum should emphasize the
practical, utilitarian and scientific subjects
that helped human kind master the
environment.
Was not inclined to rote learning; schooling
must be related to life and to the activities
needed to earn a living.
•Curriculum must be arranged
according to their contribution to
human survival and progress.
•Science and other subjects that
sustained human life and
prosperity should have curricular
priority since it aids in the
performance of the life activities.
Individual competition leads to
social progress. He who is fittest
survives. (Ornstein, 1984).
 Spencer's Survival of the
Fittest
•He who is the fittest survives. Individual
competition leads to social progress. The
competition in class is what advocates of
whole-child approach and Socio-emotional
Learning (SEL) atmosphere negate. The
whole child approach is powerful tool for
SELF-focused schools has as tenets -
"each student learns in an environment
that is physically and emotionally safe for
students and adults" and "each student
 Remember:
Specialized Education of Spencer vs.
General Education.

•To survive in a complex society,

Spencer favors specialized
education over that of general
education. We are in need of social
engineers who can combine
harmoniously the findings of
specialized knowledge. This is
 John Dewey (1859-1952)
Learning through
Experience
-American philosopher
and educator who was
founder of the
philosophical movement
known as pragmatism, a
pioneer in functional
psychology, and a leader
of the progressive
movement in education
-Education is a social process and so
school is intimately related to the
society it serves.
-Children are socially active
human beings who want to
explore their environment and
gained control over it.
-Education is a social process in
which the immature members of
the group, especially the children
are brought to participate in the
society.
-The school is a special environment
established by members of the
society, in the purpose of simplifying,
purifying, and integrating the social
experience of the group so that it can
be understood, examined and used by
-Sole purpose of education is to
its children.
contribute to the personal and
social growth of individuals.
•Steps of the scientific or reflective
method of Dewey's Educational Theory:
1. Learner has a "genuine situation of
experience"
2. Within the experience, the learner has
"genuine problem"
3. Does research to acquire information
needed to solve the problem.
4. Develops possible and tentative
solution.
5. The learner tests the solution by
•The accumulated wisdom of the
cultural heritage if it served
human purposes, becomes part of
the "reconstructed experience".

•The school is social. A

miniature society as a
means of bringing
children into social
participation.
•The learner acquires disposition and
procedures associated with scientific
or reflective thinking and acting.

•The school is democratic as

they are free to test all
ideas, beliefs and values.

•School should be used by all,

it is a democratic institution.
•Authoritarian or coercive
administration is no longer
applicable as it blacks genuine
inquiry and is
•Education dialogue.
a social activity and
social agency that helps shape
human character and behavior.
•Values are relative but sharing,
cooperation and democracy are
significant human values that
should be encouraged by schools.
(Ornstein, 1984).
The fund of Knowledge of the
Human Race
-Dewey does not disregard the
accumulated wisdom of the past.
These past ideas, discoveries and
inventions, our cultural heritage,
will be used as the material for
dealing with problems and so will
be tested. If they are of help, they
become part of a reconstructed
Schools are For the People and By the
People
-Schools are democratic institutions where
everyone regardless of age, ethnicity, social
status is welcome and is encouraged to
participate in the democratic process of
decision-making Learners and stakeholders
practice and experience democracy in
schools.
 George Counts (1889-
1974)
Building a
-American New Social
educator and
Order who believed that
activist
schools should bring about
social change. Social
change refers to any
significant alteration over
time in behavior patterns
and cultural values and
norms. For example: the
•Counts believed that education is
not based on eternal truths but is
relative to a particular society
living at a given time and place.
•Schools should cope with
social change that arises from
technology.
•There is a cultural lag between
material progress and social
institutions and ethical values.
•Instruction should incorporate
content of a socially useful nature
and a problem-solving
methodology. Students are
encouraged to work on problems
that have social significance.
•Schools become instrument
for social improvement rather
than an agency for preserving
the status quo.
•Teachers should lead society rather
than follow it. Teachers are agents
of change.
•Teachers are called on to make
important choices in the
controversial areas of
economics, politics and morality
because if they failed to do so,
others would make the decisions
for them.
•Schools ought to provide an education
that affords equal learning opportunities
to all students.
(Ornstein, A. 1984)
Schools and Teachers as
AgentsCounts, schools and
-For George
teachers should be agents of change.
Schools are considered instruments for
social improvement rather than as
agencies for preserving the status quo.
Whatever change we work for should
always be change for the better not
➤ Teachers are called to make
decisions on controversial issues
not to make a
decision is to actually making a
decision.
➤ Like Dewy, problem
solving, should be the
dominant method for
instruction.
Lag Between Material Progress and
Ethical Values
•Count asserts that there is a
cultural lag between material
progress and social institutions
and ethical values". Materials
progress of humankind is very
evident but moral and ethical
development seem to have
A friend once wrote "The
Egyptians had their horses.
Modern man has his jets but
today it is still the same moral
problems that plague
humankind."
Theodore
Brameld (1904-
1987-)
Social
Reconstructioni
sm
•As the name implies, social
reconstructionism is a philosophy that
emphasizes the reformation of society.
•So, the social reconstructionist
asserts that school should:
critically examine presents culture
and resolve inconsistencies,
controversies and conflicts to build
a new society not just change
society...do more than reform the
•Technological era is an era of
interdependence and so education
must be international in scope for
global citizenship.
•For the social
reconstructionist, education is
design "to awaken students'
consciousness about social
problems and to engage them
actively in problem solving".
(Ornstein, A. 1984).
➤ Social reconstructionist are firmly
committed to equality or equity in
both society and education. Barriers of
socio-economic class and racial
discrimination should be eradicated.
➤ They also emphasize the
idea of an interdependent
world. The quality of life needs
to be considered and enhanced
on a global basis. (Ornstein, A.
1984).
Comments:

➤ Like John Dewey and

George Counts, social
reconstructionist Brameld
believe in active problem-
solving as the method of
teaching and learning.
➤ Social reconstructionist
are convinced that
education is not a
privilege of the few but a
right to be enjoyed by
➤ They also emphasize the
all.
idea of an interdependent
world. The quality of life
needs to be considered and
enhanced on a global basis.
(Ornstein, A. 1984).
Paulo Freire (1921-
1997)-Critical
Pedagogy
Critical Pedagogy
and Dialogue vs
the Banking Model
of Education
 •Paulo Freire a critical theorist like
social reconstructionist, believe that
systems must be changed to overcome
oppression and improve human
conditionsand literacy are the vehicle
•Education
for social change. In his view, humans
must learn to resist oppression and not
become its victims, nor oppress others.
To do so requires dialogue and critical
consciousness, the development of
awareness to overcome domination and
•Rather than "teaching as banking," in
which the educator deposits information
into students' heads, Freire saw teaching
and learning as a process of inquiry in
which the child must invent and reinvent
the world. must not see themselves
•Teachers
as the sole possessors of knowledge
and their students as empty
receptacles. He calls this
pedagogical approach the "banking
method" of education.
•A democratic relationship
between the teacher and her
students is necessary in order
for the conscientization process
to at take place.
•Freire's critical pedagogy is
problem-posing education.
•A central element of Freire's pedagogy
is dialogue. It is love and respect that
allow us to engage people in dialogue
and to discover ourselves in the process
and learn from
•Dialogue one
is the another.
basis for critical and
problem-posing pedagogy, as
opposed to banking education, where
there is no discussion, only the
imposition of the teacher's ideas on
the students. (Ornstein, A. 1984)
Comments:
-All of these education philosophers,
point to the need of interacting with
others and of creating a "community
of inquiry" as Charles Sanders Pierce
put it. The community of inquiry is
"group of persons involved in inquiry,
investigating more or less the same
question or problem, and developing
through their exchanges a better
understanding both of the questions
That's All for
today❤️
Thanks for
listening.