Philosophies of Education

3.1 What are the major philosophies of education?

• Perennialism: Believes in a constancy of nature and that education should provide a foundation for the future. Classic literature is emphasized as well as basic skills like math, science, and art. The curriculum is rigorous and remains largely unchanged over time.
• Essentialism: Believes the purpose of education is to advance society through specific needed, essential knowledge that all people should know. Instruction is directed by the teacher to make sure students attain this knowledge.
• Progressivism: Emphasizes real-world problem solving and developing individual students as completely as possible. Believes students should have experiences applicable to today's world, and the most common instructional method is question and discussion to guide the students as they learn.
• Social Reconstructionism: Believes schools, teachers, and students should take the lead in addressing social issues and improving society by eliminating social inequity to create a more just society. Classroom instruction is largely discussion based. The curriculum uses topics that reflect current social issues.

3.2 Because students must be able to function effectively in, and adapt to, a changing world, a teacher emphasizes the "whole person" - physical, social, emotional, and intellectual - in her students. She stresses and models physical fitness, involves her students in discussions to help them practice social skills and perspective taking, and involves them in problem solving about modern-day topics. To which of the educational philosophies are the teacher's efforts most closely related? Explain.

• Progressivism. (See description above.)

3.3 You visit a school, and you overhear a conversation between two teachers. One says, "I love teaching Shakespeare. His work has been studied for hundreds of years, and it's as timely now as it was then." Which educational philosophy is best illustrated by the teacher's comment? Explain.

• Perennialism. (See description above.)

3.4 A teacher who wants her students to examine racism and injustice involves them in a unit on nonviolent noncooperation using a study of Gandhi's struggles against racism in India as an example She further illustrates the ideas with a study of Martin Luther King's nonviolent protests against American racism. To which of the educational philosophies are the teacher's efforts most closely related? Explain.

• Social Reconstructionism. (See description above.)