THE TEACHING PROFESSION COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, UPHSD-LP

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Task 1

Test Your Understanding of the Philosophies

A. Directions: Answer each with a Yes or No. Support your answer with a
statement.
 Essentialism
1. Do essentialists aim to teach students to reconstruct society? No. They aim
to transmit the traditional moral values and intellectual knowledge that
students need to become model citizens.
2. Is the model citizen of the essentialist the citizen who contributes to the re-
building of society? No. The model student is the one who show mastery of
the basic skills and that one who lives by traditional moral values.
3. Do the essentialist teachers give up teaching the basics if the students are
not interested? No. They teach subject matter even if the students are not
interested. They are more subject matter-oriented than student-centered.
4. Do the essentialist teachers frown on long academic calendar and core
requirements? No. They need long academic calendar and core requirements
for mastery of basic skills.
 Progressivism
1. Do the progressivist teachers look at education as a preparation for life? No.
They look at education as life.
2. Are the students’ interests and needs considered in a progressivists’
curriculum? Yes.
3. Does the progressivist curriculum focus mainly on facts and concepts? No.
They focus more on problem-solving skills.
4. Do the progressivist teachers strive to stimulate in the classroom life in the
outside world? yes
 Perennialism
1. Are the perennialist teachers concerned with the students’ mastery of the
fundamental skills? No. They are more concerned with the study of the
Great Books.
2. Do the perennialist teachers see the wisdom of ancient, medieval and
modern times? yes
3. Is the perennialist curriculum geared towards specialization? No. It is geared
towards general or liberal education.
4. Do the perennialist teachers sacrifice subject matter for the sake of student’s
interests? No. Like the essentialist, subject matter is foremost to the
perennialist.
 Existentialism
1. Is the existentialist teacher after students becoming specialists in order to
contribute to society? No. They are more concerned in helping students
appreciate themselves as unique individuals who accept responsibility over
the thoughts, actions and life.
2. Is the existentialist concerned with the education of the whole person? yes
3. Is the course of study imposed on students in the existentialist
classroom? No. Students are given a choice.

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THE TEACHING PROFESSION COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, UPHSD-LP
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4. Does the existentialist teacher make heavy use of the individualized
approach? Yes, to allow each student to learn at his own pace.
 Behaviorism
1. Are behaviorists concerned with the modification of students’ behavior? yes
2. Do behaviorist teachers spend their time teaching their students on how
respond favorably to various environmental stimuli? yes
3. So behaviorist teachers believe they have control over some variables that
affect learning? yes
4. Do behaviorist teachers believe that students are a product of their
environment? yes
 Linguistic Philosophy
1. Do linguistic philosophers promote the study of language? yes
2. Is the communication that linguistic philosophers encourage limited to verbal
language only? No
3. Do linguistic philosophers prefer the teacher who dominates discussion to
save time to a teacher who encourages dialogue? No
4. Is the curriculum of the linguistic philosophers open to the learning of as
many languages, like Mother Tongue, as possible? Yes
 Constructivism
1. Does the constructivist agree to a teaching methodology of “telling”? No
2. Do constructivists believe that students can construct knowledge? Yes
3. Do constructivists approve of teaching learners the skill to learn? Yes
4. Do constructivists believe that meaning can be imposed? No

B. Directions: Answer the following.

With which philosophy do you associate the following quotations?

1. “Education is life not a preparation for life”.-Dewey Progressivism

2. “Man is nothing else but what makes of himself…” Sartre Existentialism
3. “Gripping and enduring interests frequently grow out initial learning efforts
that are not appealing or attractive/” William Bagley” Essensialism
4. “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well informed, and my own specified world
to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take anyone at random and train
him to become any type of specialist I might select---doctor, lawyer, artist,
merchant-chief; and yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his
talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.”
Watson Behaviorism
5. “Existence precedes essence.” Sartre Existentialism
6. “Life is what you make it.” William Thackeray. Constructivism
7. “Listening in dialogue is listening more to meaning than to words…In true
listening, we reach behind the words, see through them, to find the person
who is being revealed Listening is a search to find the treasure of the true
person as revealed verbally and nonverbally…”-John Powell Linguistic
Philosophy
8. “When a relationship is working, the act of communicating seems to flow
relatively effortlessly…”-Chip Rose- Linguistic Philosophy

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THE TEACHING PROFESSION COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, UPHSD-LP
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C. Directions: Answer the following.

Upon which philosophy/ies is each program/practice anchored?

1. Back-to-the Basics movement Essensialism

2. Conduct of National Achievement Test to test acquisition of
elementary/secondary learning competencies Essensialism
3. Use of the Great Books Perrenialism
4. Use of rewards and incentives Behaviorism
5. Use of simulation and problem-solving method Progressivism
6. Learners learning at their own pace. Existentialism
7. Mastery of the 3 r’s – reading, writing and ‘rithmetic. Essensialism
8. The traditional approach to education. Essensialism
9. Subject matter- centered teaching .Essensialism
10.Student-centered teaching. Progressivism
11.Authoritarian approach to teaching. Progressivism
12.Non-authoritarian approach to teaching. Progressivism
13.Making meaning of what is taught. Constructivism
14.Understanding message through verbal, non-verbal and para-verbal means.
Linguistic approach
15.Asking learners to draw meaning from what they are taught. Constructivism

D. Directions: Research on the following philosophies. Those marked with

asterisk (*) are a must. Give the gist of each philosophy. Cite those thoughts
with which you agree and also those with which you disagree.

*1. Christian Philosophy

The philosophy of Crossroads Christian Schools is to enable children to view life

from God’s perspective because He is Truth. We believe Biblical perspective is
communicated through (1) His Creation, (2) His Son, Jesus Christ, and (3) His Holy
Word, the Bible.

The Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. Jesus Christ is
the central theme of history and is the central authority of what men say, do, or
believe. Man was created in God’s image, but that image was ruined at the fall
when man chose to sin against God. God provided a way of redemption for man
through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. A regenerated
person receives the Holy Spirit to guide him into all truth.

We seek to ground everything we do on the transforming gospel of Jesus Christ. All

members of the educational process atCrossroadsChristianSchoolare personally
committed to Jesus Christ. Teachers seek to integrate Biblical truth into each
subject being taught. We believe the educational process is only accomplished
through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

We believe that a proper relationship between family, church, and school is

essential to Christian education. It is the responsibility of the parents to teach and

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THE TEACHING PROFESSION COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, UPHSD-LP
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train a child. CrossroadsChristianSchool, as a ministry of the church, is an extension
of the educational process of the home.

The pursuit of knowledge is more than the collection of information. It also

includes understanding and Godly wisdom. We are committed to leading children
and their families to a restored relationship with God, to graduating students with
both competence and character, and to developing history makers and world
changers for the glory of God.

2. Rationalism
3. Empiricism
4. Pragmatism
5. Reconstructionism
*6. Confucianism
The founder of Confucianism, Master Kong (Confucius, 551-479 B.C.E.)
Confucianism is often characterized as a system of social and ethical
philosophy rather than a religion. In fact, Confucianism built on an ancient
religious foundation to establish the social values, institutions, and
transcendent ideals of traditional Chinese society. It was what sociologist
Robert Bellah called a "civil religion," (1) the sense of religious identity and
common moral understanding at the foundation of a society's central
institutions. It is also what a Chinese sociologist called a "diffused religion";
(3) its institutions were not a separate church, but those of society, family,
school, and state; its priests were not separate liturgical specialists, but
parents, teachers, and officials. Confucianism was part of the Chinese social
fabric and way of life; to Confucians, everyday life was the arena of religion.

7. Hindu philosophy
8. Buddhist philosophy
*9. Paolo Freire’s philosophy

Paulo Freire was one of the most influential philosophers of education of the
twentieth century. He worked wholeheartedly to help people both through his
philosophy and his practice of critical pedagogy. A native of Brazil, Freire's goal was
to eradicate illiteracy among people from previously colonized countries and
continents. His insights were rooted in the social and political realities of the
children and grandchildren of former slaves. His ideas, life, and work served to
ameliorate the living conditions of oppressed people.

This article examines key events in Freire's life, as well as his ideas regarding
pedagogy and political philosophy. In particular, it examines conscientização,
critical pedagogy, Freire's criticism of the banking model of education, and the
process of internalization of one's oppressors. As a humanist, Freire defended the
theses that: (a) it is every person's ontological vocation to become more human;
(b) both the oppressor and the oppressed are diminished in their humanity when
their relationship is characterized by oppressive dynamics; (c) through the process
of conscientização, the oppressors and oppressed can come to understand their
own power; and (d) ultimately the oppressed will be able to authentically change
their circumstances only if their intentions and actions are consistent with their
goal.
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10. Socrates’s philosophy
11. Plato’s philosophy

*12. Rousseau’s philosophy

Rousseau is one of those philosophers who has been greatly misunderstood. Many
have criticized his philosophy as being totally outdated and not much applicable in
today’s situation. But this seems paradoxical as Rousseau has also been that
person who has had a great influence in the field of education. If not his method,
then other methods fashioned on his philosophy have been introduced in different
fields of education. So one would consider whether Rousseau has something to
offer us or not. The reply to such a doubt is yes. If not his method, then the
philosophy behind the method is of great importance. It is important to understand
that Rousseau has been criticized more because people have not really understood
why he expressed himself the way he did. Two main aspects come out very
strongly in his philosophy. They are nature, and the child. Both these were of great
importance in his philosophy of education. In order to grasp the reason for his
philosophy one ought to understand his background and the context in which he
wrote. Thus a brief life-sketch and his works, in the Introduction, should enable us
to see what events and situations conditioned Rousseau to think and 2 write the
way he did. Chapter 1 deals with his philosophy of education. Before understanding
anyone’s philosophy of education, one ought to get a general idea of philosophy of
education is. Chapter 2 deals with Rousseau’s philosophy of education. Chapter 3
deals with his major work, Emile, which contains all his ideas on education. Chapter
4 deals with his influence. Finally, the Conclusion aims at a general analysis of him.

13. Stoic Philosophy

14. Epicureanism
15. Philosophical Analysis
16. Phenomenology
17. Logical positivism
18. Any other philosophy of your interest or assigned by your teacher

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