Field Study 6

Online Class

Lesson 3

My Concrete
Experience
This activity will enable you to ask yourself about the different future practices or actions
that you will do in teaching. You may not have done it yet, but if you become a teacher what do
would be your response to each item? Your answers will identify what your philosophy of
education is all about.

Answer each item in the Survey Questionnaire very honestly. There is neither right nor
wrong answer for each item. After you have answered each item, record your answers and look
at the interpretation at the back of this work text.
After you have answered the questionnaire yourself, you are to ask two teachers to do the same
activity.

WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF

EDUCATION?
(based on Sadker & Sadker, 1998
Teachers, Schools and Society, 2nd
Ed)

Each of us has a philosophy of education or a set of fundamental beliefs regarding how

we think schools be run. What is your philosophy of education? To find out, read each of the
following statements about the nature of education. Decide whether you agree or disagree with
each statement. Use the following numbers to express your response.

4 Agree strongly 2 Disagree

3 Agree 1 Disagree strongly

3 1. The student learning should be centered around basic subjects such as reading, writing,
history, math and science.

2 2. The school subjects should focus on the great thinkers of the past.
4 3. Many students learn best by engaging in real- world activities rather than reading.

3 4. The students should be permitted to determine their own curriculum.

4 5. Subject matter is taught effectively when it is broken down into small parts.

3 6. The school subjects should be determined by information that is essential for all
students to know.
4 7. Schools, above all, should develop students’ abilities to think deeply, analytically,
and creatively; than develop their social skills or provide them with a useful body of
knowledge about the ever- changing world.
4 8. Teaching should prepare students for analyzing and solving the types of problems they
will face outside the classroom.

2 9. Reality is determined by each individual’s perceptions. There is no objective

and universal reality.
3 10. People are shaped much more by their environment than by their generic dispositions
or the exercise of their free will.

3 11. Students should not be promoted from one grade to the next until they have read and
mastered certain key material.
1 12. An effective education is not aimed at the immediate needs of the students or society.

3 13. The curriculum of a school should be built around the personal experiences and needs
of the students.
2 14. Students who do not want to study much should not be required to do so.

2 15. Programmed learning is an effective method of teaching information.

2 16. Academic rigor is an essential component of education.

2 17. All students, regardless of ability, should study more or less the same curriculum.

4 18. Art classes should focus primarily on individual expression and creativity.

2 19.Effective learning is unstructured and informal.

3 20. Students learn best through reinforcement.
2 21. Effective schools assign a substantial amount of homework.
2 22. Education should focus on the discussion of timeless questions such as “What is
beauty?” or “What is truth?”
4 23. Since students learn effectively through social interaction, school should plan for
substantial interaction in their curricula.
3 24. The purpose of school is to help students understand themselves and find the meaning
of their existence.
2 25. Frequent objective testing is the best way to determine what students know.

2 26. Countries must become more competitive economically with other countries hence
schools must bolster their academic requirements to facilitate such competition.

4 27. Students must be taught to appreciate learning primarily for its own sake, because it
will help them in their careers.
4 28. Schools must place more emphasis on teaching about the concerns of minorities and
women.

3 29. Each person has free will to develop as he or she sees fit.
2 30. Reward students well for learning and they will remember and will be able to apply what
they learned, even if do not understand why the information is worth knowing.

3 31. Philippine schools should attempt to instill traditional Filipino values in students.

3 32. Teacher- guide discovery of profound truths is a key method of teaching students.

4 33. Students should be active participants in the learning process.

4 34. There are no external standards of beauty. Beauty is what an individual decides it to be.

3 35. We can place a lot of faith in our schools and teachers to determine which student
behaviors are acceptable and which are not.
3 36. Schools must provide students with a firm grasp of basic facts regarding the books,
people, and events that have shaped the Filipino heritage.
3 37. Philosophy is ultimately at least a practical a subject to study as is computer science.

4 38. Teachers must stress for students the relevance of what they are learning for their lives
outside, as well as inside the classroom.

3 39. It is more important for a student to develop a positive self- concept than to learn
specific concept.

2 40. Learning is more effective when students are given frequent tests to determine what
they have learned.

Note
Secure two copies of this instrument. Request two teachers to answer the remaining questionnaire.
Tabulate all the answers in the Matrix provided.

Now that you have responded to all 40 times, write the number of the response to each statement
in the matrix below. Add the numbers in each column to determine your attitude and those of
the two teachers toward key educational philosophies.

Among the three of you, who is more inclined to be an essentialist, perennialist,

progressivist, essentialist or behaviourist?

Based on our answers, I believe that Teacher 2 and I are more inclined to be progressivists
due to our preference of a need-based and relevant curriculum. Moreover, our shared
teaching methodology focuses on the “learning by doing” technique. In comparison, Teacher
1 is more inclined to be an essentialist, since she believes in a traditional curriculum.
Additionally, Teacher 1 emphasizes mastery of the “fundamental R’s – reading, ‘riting,
‘rithmetic, and right conduct”.
The Observations
Recall a teacher in a school and what school/classroom activities reflect his/her
philosophy of education while she is teaching. Identify and describe teacher’s action or behavior
and match each with the identified educational philosophy.

1. Observed actions of a teacher who is a progressivist:

 During my fourth year of high school, I had a PE teacher who provided us with
creative activities such as choreographing our own dances, and participating in various
sports. I recall that our PE classes were always fun and exciting, since we had gained
firsthand experiences on improving our skills. These are actions of a progressivist
teacher, since he taught us through the use of experiential methods.

2. Observed actions of a teacher who is a behaviourist

 When I was in nursery, I recall that most of my teachers were behaviorists, since they
provided us positive reinforcement whenever we performed desired outcomes. For
example, well-behaved students were given rewards in the form of star-shaped stickers.
These stickers served as motivation for other learners to show good behavior in the
classroom.
My Reflections

Based on your concrete experience and the actions of the teacher you have observed, how
important is your philosophy of education to your future career as a teacher? How would your
experiences and observations contribute to your becoming a teacher?
 A philosophy of education is highly important in one’s future career as a teacher for
numerous reasons. First, it helps to decipher the path of learning. Teachers must know
the reasons why and how they want to teach to ensure students’ lifelong learning.
Second, having a philosophy of education ensures that your core values will be taught
to learners in a way where they may apply these values in their daily lives. Third, it
teaches unity between the teacher and each student to ensure harmony at all times.
 My experiences and observations contribute to my future profession by allowing me to
decide if these actions should be emulated or avoided when managing my own class.

My Affirmed Concepts
Identify at least three concepts learned in your previous subject like “The
Teaching Profession which are related to the Experiential Learning Episode 3 (Teaching
Belief/Philosophy) that are confirmed or affirmed in this activity? Enumerate.

1. Affirmed Concept 1
Through progressivism, learners are taught a curriculum that “responds to students’ needs and
relates to students’ personal lives and experiences”. The teachers also focus on teaching learners
the skills to cope change.

2. Affirmed Concept 2
Learners construct knowledge through an active, mental process of development. Therefore, the
teacher must provide learners with data or experiences that allow them to “hypothesize, predict,
manipulate objects, pose questions, research, investigate, imagine and invent”.

3. Affirmed Concept 3
As the teacher serves as the facilitator, students address real-world problems through project-based
learning.
 My Future Application

Using the firsthand experiences in this activity, how will I use these
when I become a teacher in the future?

1. In teaching learning

 I have learned that students should be exposed to data, key sources, and
the ability to interact with other students so that they can learn through
their experiences. Also, students should be given hands-on activities to
improve their critical thinking and creativity skills.

2. In addressing diversity learners

 Ensuring that cultural awareness is encouraged in the classroom begins
with the teacher’s understanding of each student. When I become a teacher
in the future, I must take the time to learn about each student’s cultural
background, learning style, and unique traits.

3. In creating a conducive learning environment

 I must remember to build a conducive learning environment by keeping a
clean and orderly classroom, permitting students to be openly expressive,
and promoting kindness at all times.