5 Philosophies of Education

Essentialism Perennialism Progressivism Social Existensialism

Reconstructionism

Teacher-centered Student-Centered philosophies

philosophies
 ESSENTIALISM

 EMPHASIS ON ACADEMICS

 PROMOTION BASED ON MATERIAL

 ACADEMICALLY RIGOROUS

 CURRICULUM DETERMINED BY ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS

 Example: http://highered.mcgraw-
hill.com/sites/0073378550/student_view0/chapter6/classroom
_observation.html
 PERENNIALISM
 TEACHERS SET CURRICULUM

 FOCUS ON CLASSIC IDEAS

 DEVELOP REASON AND MORAL QUALITIES

 EMPHASIS ON HUMANITIES AND THE GREAT BOOKS

 LITTLE FLEXIBILITY IN CURRICULUM

 FOCUS ON CONCEPTS RATHER THAN FACTS

 EMPHASIS ON LEARNING FOR LEARNING’S SAKE

 Examples: http://www.stjohnscollege.edu/ and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_books
 PROGRESSIVISM
 EDUCATION BASED ON NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF
STUDENTS

 STUDENTS LEARN BY DOING AS WELL AS FROM

TEXTBOOKS

 TEACHING THROUGH FIELD TRIPS AND GAMES

 EMPHASIS ON NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

 EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

 GROUPING BY INTEREST AND ABILITIES

 Example: http://highered.mcgraw-
hill.com/sites/0073378550/student_view0/chapt
er5/classroom_observation.html
 SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTIONISM
 PHYSICAL WORLD AS THE BASIS OF REALITY

 LEARN FROM MEANINGFUL SOCIAL EXPERIENCES

 FOCUS ON SOCIAL, POLITICAL, & ECONOMIC NEEDS

 LEARN BY RECONSTRUCTING SOCIETY

 BECOME INTELLIGENT PROBLEM SOLVERS, ENJOY LEARNING, LIVE

COMFORTABLY IN AND RESHAPE THE WORLD

 Examples: http://paulofreireschool.org/ and http://woolman.org

 EXISTENTIALISM
 EMPHASIS ON INDIVIDUALITY

 STUDENTS DETERMINE WHAT IS TRUE, RIGHT, BEAUTIFUL

 HELPING STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES

 HUMANITIES EMPHASIZED

 MATH AND SCIENCE DEEMPHASIZED

 RARELY FOUND IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 NO GRADING SYSTEM

 Example: http://sudval.org