Chapter 1

Philosophical Thoughts
on Education
• Teacher: What is the function of the mouth?
• Student: To break the food into smaller pieces.
• Teacher: Very good! What about the stomach?
• Student: To digest the food.
• Teacher: Perfect! And the small intestines?
• Student: To absorb the food nutrients
A Y
G M
R A N ?
PA LAN G
KU
Philosophical Thoughts
• John Locke
• Herbert Spencer
• John Dewey
• George Counts
• Theodore Brameld
• Paulo Freire
JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704)
The Empiricist Educator
• English Philosopher from W
rington, England
• Came up with the theory of
“tabula rasa”
• An advocate of empiricism
 John Locke (1632-1704):
The Empiricist Educator
• Learning by doing and by interacting wi
th the environment
• The inductive method (simple ideas be
come more complex)
• The learner is an active not a passive a
gent of learning
• Questioned the view that knowledge c
ame exclusively from literary devices
 John Locke (1632-1704):
The Empiricist Educator
• Opposed the “divine right of kings” t
heory
• Political order is a contract between
the people and the government
• People should be educated to gover
n themselves intelligently and respo
nsibly
HERBERT SPENCER (1820-1903)
UTILITARIAN EDUCATION
Herbert Spencer (1820-1903): Utilitari
an Education
• Survival of the Fittest
• Individual competition leads to social prog
ress
• Was not inclined to rote learning. Schoolin
g must be related to life and activities nee
ded to earn a living.
Herbert Spencer (1820-1903): Utilitari
an Education
• Curriculum should emphasize the pra
ctical, utilitarian, and scientific subjec
ts that helped human kind master th
e environment
• Curriculum must be arranged accordi
ng to their contribution to human sur
vival and progress.
 JOHN DEWEY (1859-1952)
LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCE
 John Dewey(1859-1952):
Learning through Experience
• Education is a social process.
• Children are brought to participate in t
he society.
• Sharing, cooperation and democracy ar
e significant human values that should
be encouraged by schools
• Schools are for the people and by the p
eople.
 John Dewey(1859-1952):
Learning through Experience
• Scientific and reflective method
 Genuine situation of experience
 Genuine problem
 Do research
 Develop possible solutions
 Apply them in the problem
 John Dewey(1859-1952):
Learning through Experience
• The Fund of Knowledge of the Human Ra
ce
• The school is social, scientific, and dem
ocratic.
• Authoritarian or coercive style of admin
istration and teaching is OUT OF PLACE.
George Counts(1859-1952)
Building a New Social Order
 George Counts (1889-1974): Building a
New Social Order
• Education is relative to a particular society living at
a given time and place.
• Students are encouraged to work on problems tha
t have social significance.
• Schools become instrument for social improvemen
t
• Teachers should lead society rather than follow it.
• Schools are ought to provide an education that aff
ord equal learning opportunities to all students.
There is cultural lag between materia
l progress and social institutions and
ethical values.
Theodore Brameld(1904-1987)
Social Reconstructionism
Theodore Brameld (1904-1987): Social
Reconstructionism
• Reformation of Society
• Schools should critically examine present
culture and resolve inconsistencies
• Schools should seek to create a new socie
ty.
Theodore Brameld (1904-1987): Social
Reconstructionism
• Technological era is an era of interdepen
dence
• Education is designed to awaken studen
ts’ consciousness about social problems
and to engage them actively in problem
solving.
Social reconstructionists are firmly co
mmitted to equality and equity in bot
h society and education
Paulo Freire (1921-1997)
Critical Pedagogy
Paulo Freire (1921-1997) – Critical Ped
agogy
• Systems must be changed to overcome opp
ression and improve human conditions.
• Education is a vehicle for social change.
• Teaching and learning as a process of inquir
y.
• Problem-posing Education
• Central element of Freire’s pedagogy is dial
ogue.
WHO AM I?
Who am I?

I believe curriculum m
ust be arranged accord
ing to their contributio
n to human survival an
d progress.
Who am I?

The central element of

my pedagogy is dialogu
e.
 Who am I?

Questioned the view t

hat knowledge came e
xclusively from literary
devices
Who am I?

Schools should seek to

create a new society.
Who am I?

Teachers should lead s

ociety rather than follo
w it.
Who am I?

The school is social, sci

entific, and democrati
c.
7. _____________are firmly committed to
equality and equity in both society and edu
cation
8. A type of learning acquired through me
morization and constant repetition.
9-10. The methods used by John Dewey are
_________ and _________.