EDUC 7:

THE TEACHING
PROFESSION
WEEK 2-3

The Teacher as a Person

in Society
INTRODUCTION
Philosophy is the search for a general understanding of
values and reality primarily by speculative means instead of mere
observation. Western philosophy focuses on the man’s quest for
truth, while Hindu philosophy is intensely spiritual and has always
emphasized the need for its practical realization. Since human being
have a natural and necessary desire to know themselves and the
world they live in, philosophy guides people into understanding this
reality, and helps them decide how they will live and treat others.

Philosophy is one of the oldest disciplines, and is considered

as the mother of all the sciences. Since philosophy is at the root of
all knowledge, education is greatly influenced by it, and has drawn
its materials from different philosophical bases.

THE CONCEPT OF PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATION

Etymologically, philosophy comes from the Greek word

"philo" and "sophia", which means love of wisdom. In other words,
philosophy is the "search for meaning". Man examines all his
dimensions as a person—as an existent being in the world—in
relation to God and others, as well as in birth and death, sorrow and
joy. Man searches for the meaning and truth of life—its importance,
significance, value and relevance.

Love of wisdom is the essence for any investigation, the

very origin of philosophy. On the other hand, education is derives
from the Latin word "educare", which means "bring up" and is
related to "educere" (bring out, bring forth what is within, bring out
potential) and "ducere" (to lead). Education, in the most general
sense, is any act or experience that had a formative effect on the
mind, character, or physical ability of an individual.

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CONCEPT OF PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATION CONTINUED...

Philosophers and thinkers, from Socrates to John Dewey in West and a host of Indian
philosophers, have attempted to give a more definite meaning for education. However, since
the term has a wide connotation, it is difficult to pinpoint a single definition for it. Redden
states that ―education can be understood as the deliberate and systematic influence exerted
by a mature person upon the immature through instruction, discipline and harmonious
development of physical, social, intellectual, aesthetic and spiritual powers of the human
being. In the historical development of man, education has been the right of a privileged few. It
is only in recent centuries that education has come to be recognized as a human right. All have
equal right to be educated as education has become sine qua non of civilization.

The educational institution is composed of the school, teachers, curriculum, and the
students. Each aspect is working side by side to support the other aspects accurately. School
plays a significant role in the educative process. It is considered as an instrument to reshape
community and build a good society, to produce quality people by means of shaping the
learner’s attitude and behavior influenced by the teacher. It is the school that fulfills the social
responsibility of preparing the individuals for the future by (a) fitting him in the society that he
lives in (adjustive function) and (b) enabling him to use his knowledge and creative powers to
improve this society (constructive function).

The effectiveness of teaching is measured by the extent to which teachers are

successful in producing desirable changes in the attitudes and behaviors of the students. To
pursue these objectives, the teacher needs a satisfactory philosophy of education which
incorporates in teaching to influence the student’s attitudes and behavior to become a better
person. In other words, the teacher plays an important role in the desired transformation and
improvement of the people. Curriculum represents a set of desired goals or values that is
activated through a development process and culminates in successful learning experiences
for students (Wiles & Bondi,2007).

The curriculum also defines the specific knowledge, behavior, and attitudes needed
to create a healthy and educational environment for the student, who is considered a
fundamental factor to build the future. Finally, the role of the students in the educative
process is the knowledge he acquires in the classroom, which he can use to influence other
people in the community and transform the society into building a better nation. The quest for
quality education is the basis of all society to achieve
stability, progress and prosperity.

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THE TEACHER'S PHILOSOPHICAL HERITAGE:
THE PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

A philosophy of education is a statement of point-of-view, a

generalized theory of education which is recognized by teachers,
parents and learners. It evolves from the understanding of one’s
being. The philosophy of education is defined in the 1987
Constitution, Article XIV:

Section 1. The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens
to quality education at all levels, and shall take appropriate steps to
make such education accessible to all.

Section 2. The State shall:

(1) Establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and

integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people
and society;

(2) Establish and maintain a system of free public education in the

elementary and high school levels. Without limiting the natural right
of parents to rear their children, elementary education is compulsory
for all children of school age;

(3) Establish and maintain a system of scholarship grants, student

loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives which shall be
available to deserving students in both public and private schools,
especially to the underprivileged;

(4) Encourage non-formal, informal, and indigenous learning systems,

as well as self-learning, independent, and out-of-school study
programs particularly those that respond to community needs; and

(5) Provide adult citizens, the disabled, and out-of-school youth with
training in civics, vocational efficiency, and other skills.

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THE TEACHER'S PHILOSOPHICAL HERITAGE:
THE PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the

general assembly of the United Nations, is also a fertile source if
educational direction. The part directly concerned with education is
Article 26, which is quoted as follows:

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at

least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary
education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education
shall be made generally available and higher education shall be
equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human

personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and
friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall
further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of
peace.

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that
shall be given to their children.

On the other hand, the objectives of UNESCO are stated in the four
pillars of education: (1) learning to know, (2) learning to do, (3)
learning to live together, and (4) learning to be.

"Learning to know" is combining a sufficiently broad general

knowledge with the opportunity to work in depth on a small number
of subjects. This also means learning to learn (autonomous learning),
so as to benefit from the opportunities education provides
throughout life. In "learning to do," one acquires not only an
occupational skill but also the competence to deal with many
situations and work in teams. It also means learning to do in the
context of young people’s various social and work experiences, which
may be informal—as a result of the local and national context—or
formal—involving courses, alternating study and work.

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THE TEACHER'S PHILOSOPHICAL HERITAGE:
THE PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

One "learns to live together" by developing an understanding

of other people and an appreciation of interdependence, carrying out
joint projects and learning to manage conflicts in a spirit of respect
for the values of pluralism, mutual understanding, and peace. One
"learns to be" so as to better develop one’s personality and be able to
act with ever greater autonomy, judgment, and personal
responsibility. In this connection, education must not disregard any
aspect of enhancing the qualities of the individual: memory,
reasoning, aesthetic sense, physical capacities, and communication
skills.

Based on the four pillars of education, what is important is

the holistic growth of the learner—intellectual, emotional, social,
physical, and spiritual—for him to be able to transform into a useful
member of society, one who not only understands the alphabet but
also knows how to be a good, peace-loving, law-abiding citizen, and a
patriotic Filipino. Traditionally, early schooling aims to teach a
student how to read and write a-bc and how to count 1-2-3. But one
must note that the most important goal of education is that of
enabling the learner to live a full, self-fulfilled life, just as how God,
the Creator if life, means it to be.

Among the personnel designated by society to enable the

schools to carry out its education function, the teacher takes on a
primary role. Teachers are responsible in educating the youth, as
stated in the 1987 Constitution, Article XIV:

1. Second Parents.

Teachers may influence the behavior and character of students,

as they are second to none in doing the noble service of rearing good
citizens and future leaders of our nation. To a great extent, the
quality of education depends on the ability of the teacher and the
standard of teaching he or she uses.

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THE TEACHER'S PHILOSOPHICAL HERITAGE:
THE PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

2. Heart of the Educational System.

The teacher is the key to the learning process as they have

the biggest impact on student learning and performance. A school
may have the best facilities and excellent learning tools but if its
teachers are inefficient and incompetent, the whole educational
program would collapse.

With the foregoing statements, it must be noted that

Philippine educational philosophy emphasized on the development of
the Filipino people to become productive citizens in society. It is also
stated in the provisions of the 1987 Constitution that education is one
of the highest priorities of the national government, because through
education people will obtain better physical and intellectual training
that will enable them to achieve greater dignity and progress.

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THE TEACHER AS A PERSON

The teacher is the representative of the content and the

school. How a teacher presents himself makes an impression on
administrators, colleagues, parents, and students. Often a student
links the preference to a particular subject to a teacher and the way
the subject was taught. A teacher who shows enthusiasm and
competence for a content area may transfer those feelings to the
students. The teacher’s personality is one of the first sets of
characteristics to look for in an effective teacher.

Several studies have been made of the abilities and attributes

of an effective teacher and the relative desirability of various traits
for success in teaching. The following are some of the abilities which
the teacher must have. (Lipson, Joseph 1973)

a. The teacher should be an intellectual model for students.

b. The teacher should have attributes, opinions and emotions which

help, rather than inhibit, the student’s learning.

c. The teacher should be able to determine the appropriateness of

student behavior, and arrange proper contingencies for various
behaviors,

d. The teacher should be able to employ a complex and varied system

of allocating resources.

e. The teacher should be a selective knowledge source both of

knowledge regarding instructional strategies and information of
direct use to the student.

f. The teacher must be able to collect, organize and interpret data,

using the data as bases for decision-making.

g. The teacher should be able to plan an educational program which

will assist each student’s career development.

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