SOLAMIN, ANGEL MAE H.

BEED 2B

DISCUSSION QUESTION #3

1. How does philosophy influence curriculum workers?

Curriculum work is a value-laden process, and you have to sort out those things that you feel are
essential. In order to determine the essential from the frivolous, a theoretical base would help one
filter the plethora of available ideas, activities, and programs. The theories of learning as propounded
by different educational psychologists influence curriculum specialists during the development stages
of the curriculum in a variety of ways starting from the planning and design of the curriculum where
they essentially consider ingredients in the curriculum development process based on the perceptions
of learners and how they learn. Before the detailed construction of a curriculum document occurs,
curriculum developers are involved in planning and designing their proposed curriculum. Curriculum
planning is a process whereby curriculum developers conceptualize and organize the features of the
curriculum they wish to construct.

2. What are the differences between perennialism, essentialism, progressivism, and

reconstructionism?

Perennialism

• Classrooms are centered on teachers (Teacher-centered classroom).

• Focuses on everlasting ideas and universal truth.
• Teaches concepts and focuses on knowledge and its meaning of it.
• Emphasizes the importance of transferring knowledge, information, and skills from the older
generation to the younger ones.
• Enables students to differentiate between good and evil, right and wrong.
• Ensures that students acquire an understanding of the great ideas of Western civilization.
• The most conservative, traditional, and flexible philosophy.

Essentialism

• An educational theory that believes that the purpose of schooling is to impart necessary
knowledge, skills, and attitudes to enable young people to function as fully developed human
beings in the modern world.
• Schools should be organized to transmit this core of essential material.
• Learning involves hard work and discipline.
• The teacher has the authority.
• The core objective is for the students to learn the essential subjects (which can change over time).
• Schools use traditional methods of instruction (lecture, rote, memorization, etc.).
• Vocational courses are frowned upon.
• Teacher-centered classroom.
➢ A place where children come to learn what they need to know.
 ➢ The teacher is the person who can best instruct students, so he/she does not let students’
interests determine what is taught.
➢ The students sit, listen, learn passively, and should be respectful while the teacher instructs.
➢ Textbooks are frequently used.
➢ Students’ desks are typically arranged in rows.
➢ Lessons involve thinking and reasoning rather than hand-on, “learning by doing” activities.
➢ There is an emphasis on standards and testing.

Essentialism tries to instill all students with the most basic knowledge, skills, and character development.
Essentialists believe in the mastery of learning where the teachers should teach traditional moral values
and virtues and students should be taught to be model citizens.

Progressivism

• The idea that students learn best from what they consider relevant in their lives.
• Students work in groups to learn cooperation and social skills.
• Importance of skills that will help them for the rest of their lives not just for tests.
• Help students to formulate meaningful questions and devise strategies to answer these questions.
• The focus of progressivism:
➢ Individual growth from within through interaction with a favorable environment.
➢ Learning through experience.
➢ A speculative view of knowledge.
➢ The natural learning process and stages of development.
➢ Learner as a whole person.
• The human elements, human beings are given more importance. The teacher must meet the needs
of pupils as good human beings.
• The teacher is the facilitator or guide.
• Determine students’ interests.
• Involve students in curriculum development.
• Stimulate the direct learning process.

The teacher who is vital in the education process has richer, superior experience and can analyze the
present situation. The teacher will act as a stage setter, guide, and coordinator but he is not total
authority, just he guides the situation.

The goal of progressivism is for students to become intelligent problem-solvers and that they will be
socially aware citizens who are prepared to live comfortably in the world.

Reconstructionism

• Emphasize the addressing of social questions.

• A quest to create a better society and worldwide democracy.
• The educators focus on a curriculum that highlights social reform as the aim of education.
• In reaction against the realities of World War 2.
• Taking education to be the instrument for achievement and cultural improvement.
• Enabling the learners to envision the good future and spend their learning as a preparation for their
role in the future.
• Focus on students’ experiences and taking social action.
• Reconstructionist believes through experience, students learn more and apply it to new situations
rather than being told something.

3. How do relevant curriculum, humanistic curriculum, and radical school reform differ?

Relevant Curriculum
One of the main curriculum of progressivism education. It is individualized learning and driven
by the demands of the students and the demands that as the workforce and what we see today.
This is teaching with the world around us in mind. Students play more active roles in this type
of curriculum because they are saying things that they want to see such as career-based
learning. Learning does not take place in just the classroom.

Humanistic Curriculum

Humanists believe that the function of the curriculum is to provide each learner with
intrinsically rewarding experiences that contribute to personal liberation and development. To
humanists, the goals of education are related to the ideals of personal growth, integrity, and
autonomy. Healthier attitudes toward self, peers and learning are among their expectations.
The idea of self-actualization is at the heart of the humanistic curriculum. A person who
exhibits this quality is not only coolly cognitive but also developed in aesthetic and moral ways,
that is, a person who does good works and has good character. The humanist views
actualization growth as a basic need. Each learner has a self that must be uncovered, built up,
and taught.

Radical School Reform

Since the 1980s, education reform has been focused on changing the existing system from
one focused on input to one focused on outputs.

Education reforms acknowledge and encourage public education as a primary source of K-12
education for youth. Education reformers desired to make public education into a market in
the terms of an input/output system where accountability creates high stakes from curriculum
standards tied to the standardized test. As a result of this input/output system, equality has
been conceptualized as an endpoint which is often evidenced by an achievement gap among
diverse populations. This conceptualization of education reform is based on the market logic
of competition. Consequently, competition creates inequality which has continued to drive the
market logic of equality at an endpoint by reproducing the achievement gap among diverse
youth.

Overall, education reform has and continues to be used as a substitute for needed economic
reforms.

4. Discuss two traditional and two contemporary educational philosophies that have been
influential in your country.
TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES
Perennialism

Role of a Teacher Methods of Teaching

1. Instill respect for authority, perseverance, duty,
consideration, and practicality.
2. As the director and coach of intellect
respondents.
3. Must deliver clear lectures.
4. Coaching in critical thinking skills.
Perennialists use a lot of teacher-telling. In other
words, they like the lecture method. However, it is
not their favorite method. Perennialists frequently
use catechism.
This is simply a refined version of the recitation
method where the student “lectures back” to the
teacher. All the questions relevant to the subject
matter are ordered and organized in a published
list. Each question has one and only one correct
answer. The student commits both the question
and the answer to memory.

Essentialism

Role of a Teacher Methods of Teaching

1. The teacher teaches discipline and hard work. 1. Use instructional strategies
2. The teacher is an expert in content knowledge. 2. Lecture
3. The teacher is accountable for student learning 3. Memorization
4. Homework
5. Teacher and subject-centered
6. Mastery of learning

CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES

Progressivism

Role of a Teacher Methods of Teaching

1. As a facilitator or guide 1. Project method-active participation of the
2. Determine student interests pupils in learning.
3. Involve students in curriculum development 2. Socialized method-to bring all the individual
into a group system of interaction.
3. Conferences
4. Demonstration
5. Group work
6. Roleplay
7. Debates
8. Inquiry
9. Discussion
10. Planning and participation in the activities

Pragmatism
 Role of a Teacher Methods of Teaching
1. Creates a real-life situation-child interested to 1. Gives importance to a child than books or
solve teachers
2. Keep student as discoverer and experimenter. 2. Avoids outdated and rigid methods of learning
3. Not imposing anything-child will decide their 3. Methods include:
own aim, and goals. Learning by doing
4. Not a dictator-only “leader of group activities” Provision of a real-life situation
5. As a friend, philosopher, and guide Project method (real and purposeful task)
6. Can maintain a close relationship Questioning and inquiry