Philosophical Foundation for Curriculum Development

Philosophy, then, is a way of framing questions that have to do with

what is presupposed, perceived, intuited, believed, and known. It is a
way of contemplating, examining, or thinking about what is taken to
be significant, valuable, or worthy of commitment. Additionally, it is a
way of becoming self-aware and thinking of everyday experiences as
opportunities to reflect, contemplate, and exercise our curiosity so that
questions are posed about what we do and how we do it, usual
practices are challenged and not merely accepted as “the way things
are,” and positive change can occur. Indeed, each of us—as a fundamental
practice of being—must go beyond the reality we
confront, refuse to accept it as a given, and, instead, view life as a
reality to be created. However, “doing philosophy” must also be a group
activity when one
is involved in curriculum work. In crafting a statement of philosophy
for a school of nursing, the beliefs and values of all faculty must be
considered, addressed, and incorporated as much as possible.
The very process of talking about one’s beliefs and values—while it
may generate heated debates—leads to a deeper understanding of
what a group truly accepts as guiding principles for all it does.

mission, vision, and values of our parent institution and of our school itself,
as well as the values of
our profession.

Philosophical Statements

As stated, a philosophy statement is a narrative that reflects and

integrates concepts expressed in the mission, vision, and values of the
institution or profession; it serves to guide the actions and decisions of
those involved in the organization. Educational philosophy is a matter
of “doing philosophy” for the educational enterprise as it
engages the educator. It involves becoming critically conscious of
what has involved in the complex teaching–learning relationship and
what education truly means.

Philosophy is essentially a narrative statement of values or beliefs. It reflects

on the mission, vision, and values of the parent institution and of the school
itself, as well as on the values of the profession.

A mission statement describes the unique purposes for which an institution

or nursing unit exists: to improve the health of the surrounding community, to
advance scientific understanding or contribute to the development of nursing
science, to prepare responsible citizens, or to graduate individuals who will
influence public policy to ensure access to quality health care for all.

A vision is an expression of what an institution or nursing unit wants to be:

the institution of choice for highly qualified students wishing to make a
positive difference in our world; the leader in integrating innovative
technology in the preparation of nurses; or a center of synergy for teaching,
research, professional practice, and public service. Institutions and schools of
nursing often also articulate a set of values that guide their operation: honesty
and transparency, serving the public good, excellence, innovation, or
constantly being open to change and transformation.
Philosophy as It Relates to Nursing Education
As noted earlier, “doing philosophy” must move from individual
work to group work when engaged in curriculum development,
implementation, and evaluation. Faculty need to reflect on their own
individual beliefs and values, share them with colleagues, affirm
points of agreement, and discuss points of disagreement.

Summary of Philosophical Perspectives

Philosophical Perspective Brief Description

Behaviorism
 Education focuses on developing mental discipline, particularly
through memorization, drill, and recitation. Because learning is
systematic, sequential building on previous learning is important.
Essentialism
Because knowledge is key, the goal of education is to transmit and
uphold the cultural heritage of the past.
Existentialism
The function of education is to help individuals explore reasons
for existence. Personal choice and commitment are crucial.
Hermeneutics
Because individuals are self-interpreting beings, uniquely defined
by personal beliefs, concerns, and experiences of life, education
must attend to the meaning of experiences for learners.
Humanism
Education must provide for learner autonomy and respect their
dignity. It also must help individuals achieve self-actualization by
developing their full potential.
Idealism
Individuals desire to live in a perfect world of high ideals, beauty,
and art, and they search for the ultimate truth. Education assists in
this search.
Postmodernism
Education challenges convention values a high tolerance for
ambiguity, emphasizes the diversity of culture and thought, and
encourages innovation and change.
Pragmatism
Truth is relative to an individual’s experience; therefore education must provide for “real-world”
experiences.
Progressivism
The role of learners is to make choices about what is important, and the role of teachers is to
facilitate their learning.
Realism
Education is designed to help learners understand the natural laws that regulate all of nature.
Reconstructionism
Education embraces the social ideal of democratic life, and the school is viewed as the major
vehicle for social change.

Central Concepts in a School of Nursing’s

Philosophy
a statement of philosophy for a school of nursing must address beliefs and
values about education, teaching, and learning. However, it also must address
other concepts that are critical to the practice of nursing, namely human
beings, society, the environment, health, and the roles of nurses themselves.
These major concepts have been referred to as the metaparadigm of nursing.
In preparing or revising the school of nursing’s statement of
philosophy, faculty must articulate their beliefs and values about:

Human beings, including the individual patients for whom nurses care,
patients’ families, the communities in which patients live and work, students,
and fellow nurses and faculty. that human beings refer to students,
faculty, and administrators, as well as patients:
• Human beings are unique, complex, holistic individuals.
• Human beings have the inherent capacity for rational thinking, self-
actualization, and growth throughout the life cycle.
• Human beings engage in a deliberate action to achieve goals.
• Human beings want and have the right to be involved in making
decisions that affect their lives.

Environment, Faculty also need to reflect on their beliefs and values related
to
society and environment, their effect on human beings, and how individuals
and groups can influence their environments and society. The following
statements may be ones to consider as faculty write or refine the philosophy
of their school of nursing:
• Human beings interact in families, groups, and communities in an
interdependent manner.
• Individuals, families, and communities reflect unique and diverse
cultural, ethnic, experiential, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Human beings determine societal goals, values, and ethical systems.
• Society has a responsibility for providing environments conducive to
maximizing the health and well-being of its members.

Health, faculty must consider the values and beliefs they hold about health.
Because the goal of nursing is to promote health and well-being, about health
that a faculty might consider:
• Health connotes a sense of wholeness or integrity.
• Health is a goal to be attained.
• Health is the energy that sustains life, allows an individual to
participate in a variety of human experiences, and supports one’s
ability to set and meet life goals.

Nursing, faculty to discuss their beliefs about nurses and nursing because
this is the essence of our programs. In doing so, it may be important to reflect
on the current and evolving roles of the nurse, the purpose of nursing, how
nurses practice in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, and how
one’s identity as a nurse evolves. The following statements may stimulate
thinking about beliefs and values related to nurses and nursing:
• Nursing is a human interactive process.
• The focus of nursing is to enhance human beings’ capacity to take
deliberate action for themselves and their dependent others
regarding goals for optimal wellness.
• Nursing is a practice discipline that requires the deliberate use of
specialized techniques and a broad range of scientific knowledge to
design, deliver, coordinate, and manage care for complex
individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations.
• Nurses are scholars who practice with scientific competence, intellectual
maturity, and humanistic concern for others.
• The formation of one’s identity as a nurse requires deep self-reflection,
feedback from others, and a commitment to lifelong learning.
• Nurses must be educated at the university level.
• Nurses must be prepared to provide leadership within

Purpose of a Statement of Philosophy

It brings to the surface points of incongruence or difference and
highlights what is truly important to the group. In a time when
nursing faculty are struggling to minimize content overload and focus. more
on core concepts.

It gains clarity about what is truly important. can help decide “what to leave
in and what to leave out” of the curriculum.

It helps the educational institution better understand who our students are;
what is important to them; what they value; what they think about teachers;
how they change and develop in college; and how academic programs,
faculty, student peer groups, and other variables affect students’ development
and college experiences.

Developing or Refining the School of Nursing’s

Statement of Philosophy

reflecting on the nursing theories that have been developed to determine if

any of them capture the essence of faculty beliefs.
For example, if faculty agree that human beings are self-determining
individuals who want to take responsibility for their health and need specific
knowledge, skills, and attitudes to do whatever is required to maintain,
regain, or improve their health, then the nursing model may be evident in that
school’s statement of philosophy. Orem’s self-care theory.

The inductive approach can be most useful to faculty when

developing or refining their philosophical statement; rather than
selecting concepts from existing theories or policy statements or other
literature, the faculty themselves generate concepts to include in the
philosophy. For example, all faculty may be asked to list no more than
five bullet items that express what they believe about each concept in
the meta paradigm: human beings, society, environment, health,
nurses and nursing, and education and teaching–learning. This can be through
working groups that might be asked to note the frequency with which specific
ideas were mentioned, thereby identifying those points where there is great
agreement and those where only one or a few faculty identified an idea. At
this point, a discussion
about the meaning and significance of the statements in each category
could ensue, or faculty could be asked to review each list, select the
three to five statements they believe are most critical to include in the
philosophy, and then engage in dialogue about why they selected
those statements, what those statements mean to individuals, and so
on. A draft statement of philosophy.
Another approach might be used to combine deduction—or
drawing on existing literature, standards, or policy documents—with
induction, or generating ideas by interviewing faculty. An individual faculty
member—one who is viewed as a
leader in the group, who is respected and trusted by peers, who have good
writing skills, and who is knowledgeable about curriculum development—
may be asked to talk to faculty about their beliefs about human beings,
society and environment, and so on, and
use that input to draft a statement of philosophy that incorporates.
what faculty expressed. This draft could then be circulated to all.
faculty for comment, editing, and revision. The original writer would
then revise the statement based on feedback from colleagues and
present the new statement to the group for discussion and dialogue.
This back-and-forth process would continue until there is a consensus about
what to include in the statement.

The final statement of philosophy should be clearly written,

internally consistent, and easily understood, and should give clear direction
for all that follows. It should be long enough to clearly express the significant
beliefs and values that guide faculty actions but
not excessively detailed, as expressions of detail often are more congruent
with the work that must be done in formulating the conceptual framework,
end-of-program outcomes or competencies, and curriculum design.