Philosophical Foundation of Curriculum PDF

Philosophical Foundation of Curriculum MODULE II  PHILOSOPHY.. ❖The word philosophy is derived from two Greek words philo – means “love” sophy – means “wisdom” ❖Literally, then, philosophy means “love of wisdom” (Power, 1982)....

Philosophical Foundation of Curriculum MODULE II  PHILOSOPHY.. ❖The word philosophy is derived from two Greek words philo – means “love” sophy – means “wisdom” ❖Literally, then, philosophy means “love of wisdom” (Power, 1982). how we live, work and interact with life, children, politics, others learning, personal set of beliefs/ personal experiences philosophy teaching and learning process PHILOSOPHY.. ▪It is a search for a comprehensive view of nature, an attempt at a universal explanation of nature of things. ▪Philosophy helps teachers to reflect on key issues and concepts in education, usually through such questions as: What is being educated? What is the good life? What is knowledge? What is the nature of learning? What is teaching? PHILOSOPHY.. “Philosophy points out to the society what... is to be achieved through education.” (Thomas Ogwara, et. al., 2013) PHILOSOPHY.. ▪Many sources consider philosophy to be “the study of basic ideas about knowledge, truth, right and wrong... and the nature of meaning of life.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). ▪Locke defines philosophy as a “process of liberation from ignorance and prejudice” (Curriculum Studies, 2020.) PHILOSOPHY.. ▪According to Doll (1992: 28), philosophy has the multifaceted effect of helping us to: oindicate in general what we mean, omake what we mean more specific and definite, and odevelop what we mean into a useful construct. PHILOSOPHY.. ▪For example, what happens if an adolescent commits a serious crime? One interpretation may hide another. If such a young person is treated as an adult criminal, what does it say about justice, childhood, and the like? Or if the adolescent is treated as a child, what does it say about society's views on crime? ▪Philosophizing? Philosophy and Education ▪EDUCATION – the act of teaching and training *acquisition of knowledge/ a tool to discipline an intellect/ a preparation for life ▪PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION – application of the fundamental principles of a philosophy of life to the work of education *philosophy answers all the ultimate questions of education  So what is Educational Philosophy? Your beliefs about Sources are your life why, what and how experiences, your values, you teach, whom you the environment in which teach, and about the you live, interactions with nature of learning. It is a set of principles that others and awareness of guides professional action philosophical approaches. through the events and issues teachers face daily. Philosophy and Education Education is practical in Education can be nature and defined as the philosophy is strongest theory. 'Education is the instrument for the dynamic side of achievement of the philosophy or the ideals of life. 'Philosophy and application of the Education are fundamental two sides of the principles of same coin’. philosophy’. Functions of Philosophy In Education 1. Provide guidelines in the formulation of the educational policies and programs and in the construction of curriculum. 2. Provide direction toward which all educational efforts should be exerted. Functions of Philosophy In Education to Teachers 2. Help teacher develop a 3. Makes a teacher more 1. Provides the teachers with wide range of interest, aware of his own life and basis for making his attitudes and values work, and makes him more decision concerning his work. concomitant to his dynamic, critical and professional life as a teacher. mentally alert.  “My Teaching Philosophy” Written Reflection: a. Create a written document titled "My Teaching Philosophy as an English Teacher." b. Clearly outline and explain your teaching philosophy, connect it to your chosen topic/content and the identified philosophical principles. c. Include specific examples, anecdotes, or scenarios to illustrate how their teaching philosophy would be applied in a classroom setting.  “My Teaching Philosophy” Learning Task: Your task is to write a reflective essay about your “teaching philosophy”. Come up with a creative analogy on your teaching philosophy by relating and connecting your reflections/ideas to any English topics like literature, poems, Greek mythology, favorite movies/series, poetry, specific works or authors, books, blogs or vlogs, comics, music, anime, and many other resources.  “My Teaching Philosophy” ❑Rubric: Clarity of teaching philosophy – 30% Depth of their philosophical analysis – 20% Coherence of arguments – 25% Ability to apply philosophical principles to specific teaching practices – 25% Total: - 100% On 1 whole sheet of yellow paper, minimum of 3 paragraph (150 words) WESTERN PHILOSOPHIES IDEALISM ▪Idealism is considered one of the oldest philosophical systems, whose main proponent was the Greek philosopher, Plato. Plato conceived of ideas as the basis of philosophy. ▪It advocates that ideas constitute what is real and permanent, i.e. ideas are the only true reality. ▪It also emphasizes the spiritual component of man, i.e., man is a spiritual being. IDEALISM ❑ Plato, father of Idealism, espoused this view about 400 years BC, in his famous book, The Republic. ❑Plato believed that there are two worlds. spiritual or mental world – is eternal, permanent, orderly, regular, and universal. duality of mind and body the world of appearance – the world experienced through sight, touch, smell, taste, and sound, that is changing, imperfect, and disorderly. IDEALISM ▪signifies two terms, ideas and ideals ▪It is a philosophical position which adheres to the view that nothing exists except an idea in the mind of man, the mind of God. ▪It deals with certain with basic questions of human life. Truth or reality exists in ideas or in the spirit or in the mind. The philosophy starts with the idea and ends up with the thing, for thought is prior to being. 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓  IDEALISM The school of thought governing idealism holds that knowledge is independent of sense perception or experience The development of idealism is traced from the philosophical ideas of PROPONENTS: Plato, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Kant and Hegel. Man's knowledge is based on his mental state and the mental stimulus perceived by man's soul comes from an infinite spirit, which is God. And God is the "summum bonum" or the highest good from CLAIM: which all absolute good, beauty, and values are found.  IDEALISM Education must provide for the development of Can only be made The ultimate aim of the mind of every pupil. possible through a education is the subject matter-centered happiness of the curriculum designed to individual and welfare The school must concentrate on intellectual, provide students with the of the state. moral, judgment, and best ideas of human aesthetic development of the culture and civilization. students.  IDEALISM ▪ Education is the process of development of a person, his/her conscious and spiritual self. ▪ The ultimate responsibility for learning rests with learners. ▪ The school exists to develop character, increase knowledge, and cultivate aesthetic taste. Teachers should be: Role model/perfector of mind/co-worker of God/maker of democracy/apostle of peace and progress. Role models of intellectual, moral, aesthetic and vocational excellence to their students. They should teach by example. Idealism touches great importance to those subjects which provide knowledge and wisdom. IDEALISM ❑In idealism, the aim of education is to discover and develop each individual's abilities and full moral excellence in order to better serve society. ❑The curricular emphasis is subject matter of mind: literature, history, philosophy, and religion. ❑Teaching methods: focus on handling ideas through lecture, discussion, and Socratic dialogue (a method of teaching that uses questioning to help students discover and clarify knowledge). REALISM ▪The realist’s school of thought is traced back to Aristotle, another main, Greek philosopher. ▪Matter or objects that we see exist by themselves, i.e., they exist absolutely with or without man. ▪In other words, matter is not a construct of the human mind. REALISM ▪Realism is a school of philosophy which is as old as that of naturalism and idealism. ▪It is a revolt against the theory of knowledge and metaphysics of the idealist. ▪It holds that the world around us is a real world and does not depend on any mind, finite or infinite for its existence. ▪This philosophy of realism is traced from the ideas of Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Locke, Hernart, Spinoza, James, Kant and Comenius. It starts with a thing, for it believes that being is prior to thought. 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒅 REALISM ❑ Realists believe that reality exists independent of the human mind. The ultimate reality is the world of physical objects. The focus is on the body/objects. Truth is objective – what can be observed. ❖ Aristotle, a student of Plato who broke with his mentor's idealist philosophy, is called the father of both Realism and the scientific method. REALISM ▪ In this metaphysical view, the aim is to understand objective reality through "the diligent and unsparing scrutiny of all observable data.“ ▪ Aristotle believed that to understand an object, its ultimate form had to be understood, which does not change. For example, a rose exists whether or not a person is aware of it. A rose can exist in the mind without being physically present, but ultimately, the rose shares properties with all other roses and flowers (its form), although one rose may be red and another peach colored. REALISM ▪ Aristotle also was the first to teach logic as a formal discipline in order to be able to reason about physical events and aspects. ▪ The exercise of rational thought is viewed as the ultimate purpose for humankind. REALISM the principle of independence of matter, The following the principle of orderliness of the world principles are behind its organization, this means that therefore law and order prevail in the universe, upheld: the principle of the world as real as discovered by the scientist. REALISM Educational Implications: 1. The ultimate educational aim is achievement of knowledge of nature and inner workings of the universe. 2. Education is essentially transmission of inherited culture from one generation to another. 3. Disciplines of curriculum should contain certain elements of culture. 4. Students should learn disciplines to develop intellectual skills to discover important principles and theoretical insights. REALISM The Realist curriculum: emphasizes the subject matter of the physical The teacher: organizes and world, particularly Science and presents content systematically Mathematics. within a discipline, demonstrating Curriculum: should be scientifically use of criteria in making approached, standardized, and distinct decisions. discipline based. Students: must also Teaching methods focus Character: is demonstrate the ability to on mastery of facts and developed through think critically and basic skills through scientifically, using training in the rules of demonstration and observation and conduct. recitation. experimentation. PRAGMATISM ▪ pragma which means actions or practice ▪ It suggests an emphasis upon the practicalities in life. ▪ Is the doctrine that claims that the meaning of a proposition or idea lies in its practical consequences. ▪ It is derived from the Greek word pragma, meaning a thing done, a fact that is practiced ▪ This can be attributed to the teachings of ancient intellectual like Heraclitus of ancient Ephesus and the Sophists. ❖ Pragmatism in education and in modern perspective is credited to Professor John Dewey, Charles Pierce and William James, the three famous American educators and philosophers. PRAGMATISM ▪The main proponent of pragmatism was John Dewey (1859 -1952). ▪The proponents of pragmatism were reacting against what they considered as failures or shortcomings of the traditional school system, supported by idealism and realism. CRITICISMS: o Traditional curriculum content included a lot of meaningless and needless content. o Traditional curriculum did not give a “utility education.” o The curriculum was rigid and did not cater to individual needs of particular learners. PRAGMATISM ▪Pragmatists, therefore, advocated for reality being considered as instrumental, i.e., used as an instrument to solve problems. ▪Philosophy is therefore built on practical usefulness, i.e., “cash value of ideas.” Hence, truth is what works, what turns out all night. ▪Truth also should be the idea that has been tested, verified, and found effective in solving problems. PRAGMATISM Educational Implications: Learning from EXPERIENCE - If experience is the source of knowledge, it is also a source of education. We learn by doing. However, not every experience is educative; experience must be productive, i.e., produce growth. PRAGMATISM Schools' Main Functions according to Pragmatism: 2. Being selective in a 1. Being a specialized qualitative if not ethical 3. Being responsible in giving institution designed to manner as it represent the child a balance and represent society to the child society to the young, the genuinely representative in simplified form; school is in a position to acquaintance with society. exercise value judgments in representing society;  PRAGMATISM ▪ This philosophy stresses that education has been in vain if it does not perform the social functions assigned to it, and unless it is considered as a social institution in itself. The learner: must be The aim of education: The curriculum: must made the center of `all as far as the that provide offer educative processes - pragmatists are subjects opportunities a concept based on concerned is the total for various projects Dewey's tenet that development of the and activities that are education is life, child through relevant to the needs, education is growth, experiencing or- abilities, and interests education is a social through self-activity or as well as the socio- process, and the "learning by doing" economic conditions of education is the dictum postulated by the learners. construction of human John Dewey. experience PRAGMATISM ❑John Dewey (1859-1952) applied pragmatist philosophy in his progressive approaches. He believed that learners must adapt to each other and to their environment. Schools should emphasize the subject matter of social experience. All learning is dependent on the context of place, time, and circumstance. Different cultural and ethnic groups learn to work cooperatively and contribute to a democratic society. The ultimate purpose is the creation of a new social order. Character development is based on making group decisions in light of consequences. PRAGMATISM ❖Teaching methods: ▪ Hands-on problem solving, experimenting, and projects, often having students work in groups. ▪ Curriculum should bring the disciplines together to focus on solving problems in an interdisciplinary way. ▪ Rather than passing down organized bodies of knowledge to new learners, Pragmatists believe that learners should apply their knowledge to real situations through experimental inquiry. ▪ This prepares students for citizenship, daily living, and future careers. CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHIES ESSENTIALISM ▪Essentialism tries to instill all students with the most essential or basic academic knowledge and skills and character development. —Traditional disciplines: math, natural science, history, foreign language, and literature. —Traditional moral values and virtues: respect for authority, perseverance, fidelity to duty, consideration for others, and practicality and intellectual knowledge that students need to become model citizens. ESSENTIALISM ▪Students are required to master a set body of information and basic techniques for their grade level before they are promoted to the next higher grade. ▪Essentialists frown upon vocational courses. ❖Key philosophers who influenced the development of Essentialism were William C. Bagley, E.D. Hirsch Jr., and Dr. Theodore Sizer. ESSENTIALISM ❖ This is a teacher-centered educational philosophy that emphasizes learning skills through traditional disciplines: Essentialism began in the 1930s as a result of the “perceived decline of Students are able to gain deeper intellectual rigor and moral knowledge when exposed to fewer standards in the schools” (Webb core subjects. et. al., 2010, p. 80). to instill students with the “essentials” of academic knowledge and character development to develop intellectual powers as well as educate competent persons  ESSENTIALISM The Three Basic Principles of Essentialism (Johnson et. al., 2011) hard work and mental teacher-centered a core of information, discipline instruction. discipline, practical minds, ▪The content gradually moves capable of applying The teacher should serve as an towards more complex skills and intellectual and moral role lessons learned in school detailed knowledge. model for the students. in the real world ESSENTIALISM Example: A “back-to-the-basics” movement that took place in the 1970’s. This movement also emphasized: ▪ Holding teachers accountable for student learning. ▪ Providing instruction geared toward organized learning through textbooks. ▪ Teaching methods that center on regular assignments, homework, recitations, and testing.  ESSENTIALISM The curriculum is subject- Cultural heritage needs centered and emphasized The teacher in this case is should be considered for separate organized considered an authority in curriculum making. disciplines as opposed to his/her subject field. integrated subjects. Students undergo rigorous Essential skills: reading, The teacher not only needs academic instruction in core writing, and arithmetic (three to consider the content content areas. Rs) and being taught, but the They are also coached on how academic subjects: English, environment in which it is to be “culturally literate and science, and mathematics are being taught as well. to develop disciplined given priority in the education minds” process with an emphasis on mastery of concepts and principles of subject-matter. ESSENTIALISM ▪Educational Implications: The teachers or administrators decide what is most important for the students to learn with little regard to the student interests. The teachers also focus on achievement test scores as a means of evaluating progress. The essentialist classroom is centered on students being taught about the people, events, ideas, and institutions that have shaped American society. Students in this system would sit in rows and be taught in masses. The students would learn passively by sitting in their desks and listening to the teacher. ESSENTIALISM Example: Lecture based introduction classes taught at universities. Students sit and take notes in a classroom which holds over one hundred students. They take introductory level courses in order to introduce them to the content. After they have completed this course, they will take the next level course and apply what they have learned previously. English 101 and English 102 are a specific example of essentialism. ESSENTIALISM ▪Teaching methods (Webb et. al., 2010) Lecture, Recitation, Discussion, Socratic dialogues, Written communication, Oral communication, Examination Field trips, Laboratories, Audiovisuals materials, and, Nature Study. PERENNIALISM ▪Perennialism draws from both idealism and realism. ▪The perennialists believe that the “cement of education, is the common nature of man” (Doll, 1992:29). ▪With that focus, education should be the same for everyone. ▪Education must therefore pursue perennial truths. These truths are absolute and universal. ▪The philosophy presupposes that there are permanent studies and knowledge that is available, particularly from the great books, which should be taught to all students. PERENNIALISM ▪Perennialism is identified as a very conservative theory of education. Rooted in the following schools of thought: idealism, realism, and neo-Thomism. ▪“Truth is universal and does not change” ▪The literal definition of perennial means “everlasting” or something that “returns year after year.”, Perennialism is based upon the belief that there are everlasting ideas and universal truths. PERENNIALISM ▪Perennialists believe that the focus of education should be the ideas that have lasted over centuries. ▪They believe the ideas are as relevant and meaningful today as when they were written. ▪They recommend that students learn from reading and analyzing the works by history's finest thinkers and writers. PERENNIALISM ▪Adler (1984) suggested the following three methods of instruction: Didactic Instruction Coaching Socratic Method PERENNIALISM ▪The stress is on significance of reason and intellectual development. ▪Curriculum is expected to contain “important” subjects taught in their customary separate form, e.g., history as history, geography as geography, and civics as civics, rather than combining them and naming them “Social Studies” for example. ▪Other subjects emphasized on include literature, philosophy, and theology because of their ability to “sharpen the mind”. PERENNIALISM ▪Perennialists disapprove of teachers requiring students to absorb massive amounts of disconnected information. ▪They recommend that schools spend more time teaching about concepts and explaining they are meaningful to students. ▪ Example: A class about religion or history. The instructor would use religious books and historical documents. PERENNIALISM ▪Perennialists believe that education should epitomize a prepared effort to make these ideas available to students and to guide their thought processes toward the understanding and appreciation of the great works; works of literature written by history’s finest thinkers that transcend time and never become outdated. ▪Perennialists are primarily concerned with the importance of mastery of the content and development of reasoning skills. ▪The adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same” summarizes the perennialists’ perspective on education. ▪In this philosophy, skills are developed in a sequential manner. Here, the teachers are the main actors on the stage. PERENNIALISM ▪Example: St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland is a great example of a University that follows a Perennialist philosophy. At St. John’s, classes emphasize the discussion of foundational works of philosophy, literature, history, theology, politics, economics, psychology, music, mathematics, and laboratory sciences. The faculty promote an educational focus that privileges intellectual engagement and they regard themselves as guides and mentors whose task is to pose questions that further the student’s ability to think critically. Students, on the other hand, are encouraged to formulate questions and develop their thoughts in dialogue with one another using strategies like Socratic circles. EXISTENTIALISM ▪Existentialism is a philosophical doctrine which emphasizes the freedom of human beings to make choices, in a world where there are no absolutes outside of man himself. ▪A doctrine primarily attributed to Soren Kierkegaard, a 19th century Danish philosopher. EXISTENTIALISM ▪Emphasizes the freedom of human beings to make choices in a world where there are no absolute values outside the individual; ▪Other existentialists include Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Karl Jasper, Martin Heidegeer, and Gabriel Marcel. ▪The existentialists have no concrete concept to support the existence of God or any absolute value. They believe that man is the molder of his own destiny. EXISTENTIALISM ▪According to Akinpelu (1981), existentialism is defined as “the philosophy of existence.” ▪Sartre (1957) also states that “man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.” ❖A person is therefore free to choose the type of life to live and is in control of his/her destiny. An individual is thus free to make choices and be responsible for them. ▪Reality, therefore, is subjective. Values emphasized are those that the individual chooses freely according to his/her perception. EXISTENTIALISM ❑Existentialism as an Educational Philosophy: Existentialism sprang from a strong rejection of the traditional, essentialist approach to education. Existentialism rejects the existence of any source of objective, authoritative truth about metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Instead, individuals are responsible for determining for themselves what is true or false, right or wrong, beautiful or ugly. For the existentialist, there exists no universal form of human nature, each of us has the free will to develop as we see fit. EXISTENTIALISM ❑Existentialism as an Educational Philosophy: ▪In contrast to the humanities, math and the natural sciences may be deemphasized, presumably because their subject matter would be considered cold, dry, objective, and therefore less fruitful to self- awareness. ▪Vocational education is regarded more as a means of teaching students about themselves and their potential than of earning a livelihood. ▪In teaching art, existentialism encourages individual creativity and imagination more than copying and imitating established models. EXISTENTIALISM ❑Existentialism as an Educational Philosophy: ▪The teacher should only act as a guide, a resource person or facilitator of' learning and must not interfere in the decisions of the student. ▪The teacher has "the right to teach his students how think but not what to think" ▪Existentialist methods focus on the individual. Learning is self-paced, self directed, and includes a great deal of individual contact with the teacher, who relates to each student openly and honestly. ▪The student is the “center of the educative process”. EXISTENTIALISM ❑Educational Implications: ▪ An emphasis on knowledge and abilities for personal choice. Hence, the need to acquire knowledge and principles of the human condition and acts of choice- making. ▪ Curriculum should have a broad range of subject matter from which learners can choose, i.e., electives, and an inclusion of subjects that involve: o human emotions, o aesthetics, and also, o philosophical subjects. EXISTENTIALISM ❑Educational Implications: Related to education, the subject matter of existentialist classrooms should be a matter of personal choice. Teachers view the individual as an entity within a social context in which the learner must confront others' views to clarify his or her own. Character development emphasizes individual responsibility for decisions. Real answers come from within the individual, not from outside authority. Examining life through authentic thinking involves students in genuine learning experiences. EXISTENTIALISM ▪Educational Implications: ▪Existentialists are opposed to thinking about students as objects to be measured, tracked, or standardized. ▪Such educators want the educational experience to focus on creating opportunities for self-direction and self-actualization. They start with the student, rather than on curriculum content. PROGRESSIVISM ▪Progressivism is a very student-centered philosophy of education. ▪Rooted in pragmatism, the educational focus of progressivism is on engaging students in real-world problem solving activities in a democratic and cooperative learning environment. ▪One of the primary reasons for this is that a main tenet of progressivism is for the school to improve society. ❖ Key Proponents: ❖ Francis W. Parker – considered to be the father of Progressive Education ❖ John Dewey - American educator most commonly associated with progressivism. ❖ William H. Kilpatrick - played an important role in advancing progressivism.  PROGRESSIVISM Dewey (1963), who is often referred to as the “father of progressive education,” believed that all aspects of study (i.e., arithmetic, history, geography, etc.) need to be linked to materials based on students everyday life experiences. However, Dewey (1938) cautioned that not all experiences are equal: “… Experience and education cannot be directly equated to each other. For some experiences are mis-educative. Any experience is mis-education that has the effect of arresting or distorting the growth or further experience.”  PROGRESSIVISM Progressivists education seeks to promote democratic schooling as well as social living. The Progressivists believe that other major emphasis is on a individuality, progress, and child or learner-centered change are fundamental to curriculum. one's education. ❖ Believing that people learn best from what they consider most relevant to their lives, progressivists center their curricula on the needs, experiences, interests, and abilities of students. PROGRESSIVISM ▪Progressive education curriculum emphasized these approaches to the teaching/learning process, namely: o teacher-pupil planning of curriculum activities, o flexible curriculum and individualized instruction, and o learner-centered teaching and learning methodology. ▪The aim of this form of education is to provide a learning atmosphere that allows children maximum self-direction and to reduce teacher domination in the teaching/learning process. ▪Constructivism is often considered to be an offshoot of progressivism. PROGRESSIVISM ❖ Progressivist teachers: try making school interesting and useful by planning lessons that provoke curiosity. ❖ In a progressivist school, students are actively learning. The students interact with one another and develop social qualities such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view. Students solve problems in the classroom similar to those they will encounter in their everyday lives. ❖ Progressivists believe that education should be a process of ongoing growth, not just a preparation for becoming an adult. PROGRESSIVISM ▪Teaching Methods: Promoting discovery and self-directly learning. Engaging students in active learning. Collaboration: Teacher to Student Integrating socially relevant themes. Promoting values of community, cooperation, tolerance, justice, and democratic equality. Encouraging the use of group activities. Promoting the application of projects to enhance learning. Engaging students in critical thinking. Challenging students to work on their problem solving skills. Developing decision making techniques. Utilizing cooperative learning strategies. PROGRESSIVISM ▪Example: Mrs. Espenoza is an 6th grade teacher at Franklin Elementary. She has 24 students in her class. Half of her students are from diverse cultural backgrounds and are receiving free and reduced lunch. In order to actively engage her students in the learning process, Mrs. Espenoza does not use traditional textbooks in her classroom. Instead, she uses more real-world resources and technology that goes beyond the four walls of the classroom. In order to actively engage her students in the learning process, she seeks out members of the community to be guest presenters in her classroom as she believes this provides her students with an way to interact with/learn about their community. Mrs. Espenoza also believes it is important for students to construct their own learning, so she emphasizes: cooperative problem solving, project-based learning, and critical thinking. RECONSTRUCTIONISM ▪Social Reconstructionism is an educational philosophy focused on reconstructing society. ▪“Frontier Thinkers” ▪ Goal: to create a more “equitable” society. They called for social reform because they believed the educational system was not adequately addressing critical societal issues like war, prosperity, and depression ❖ Key philosophers who influenced the development of Social Reconstrctionism were Karl Marx, George S. Counts, Theodore Brameld, and Paulo Freire. RECONSTRUCTIONISM ▪Reconstructionists hold on to an anthropological–sociological philosophy that would put schools at the forefront of remaking society. ▪Reconstructionism evolved from a critical perspective of the work of the progressivists who put much emphasis on the needs of the child, sometimes at the expense of societal needs. RECONSTRUCTIONISM ▪Reconstructionists’ educational aims are to improve and reconstruct society as need be, as well as education for change and social reform. Thus, the study of contemporary social problems become the centerpiece of curriculum content. ▪The critical social problems might be national or global including such issues as oppression, poverty, hunger, racial/ethnic strife, war, and health issues such as HIV/Aids. ▪ Students as “change agents” by challenging the norm and seeking to make society a better place for everyone. It is through looking at and resolving social inequities. ▪ Example: Students might discover that a local animal shelter is going to be shut down due to lack of funds so they might work together to raise the money to keep the shelter in business. RECONSTRUCTIONISM Purpose of Education: “Schools, teachers, and students to focus their studies and energies on alleviating pervasive social inequities and, as the name implies, reconstruct society into a new and more just social order” Sadker and Zittleman, 2010) RECONSTRUCTIONISM Spend less time lecturing and more time allowing students to work in cooperative groups. Facilitate instruction, guiding students in the direction they need to go, but never mandating the direction students should take. Within this student- Encourage student to form their own opinions based on what they think centered approach to and what their research has told them, not what they are told to think by instruction, Reeves the teacher. (2013) found that Social Reconstructionist instructors: RECONSTRUCTIONISM ▪Resources are available to solve these problems and the education profession could be the catalyst to prepare and organize future generations to make this possible. ▪ They, however, try to avoid indoctrinating children; rather, they seek to lead them in rational discussion and critical analysis of issues. ❖Reconstructionists use multiple teaching materials, and they consider the inclusion of subject matter that would be useful to serve the central cause of the issue of concern. ❖Planning of curriculum often involves various stakeholders including learners, parents, and community leaders. RECONSTRUCTIONISM ▪Nature of the Curriculum: Inform students. Stir emotions within students. Shed light upon social inequities. Improve students abilities to think critically. Charge students to take action. RECONSTRUCTIONISM References: Button, L. (2020). Chapter: Philosophical Foundations of Curriculum. Oer.pressbooks.pub. https://oer.pressbooks.pub/curriculumessentials/chapter/philosophical-foundations-of- curriculum/ Perez, D. (2022). Chapter 9: Social Reconstructionism. Kstatelibraries.pressbooks.pub. https://kstatelibraries.pressbooks.pub/dellaperezproject/chapter/chapter-8-social- reconstructionism/ Progressivism. (n.d.). Www.siue.edu. https://www.siue.edu/~ptheodo/foundations/progressivism.html#:~:text=Progressivists%2 0believe%20that%20individuality%2C%20progress Practice Test: This philosophy places the highest priority on students directing their own learning. Learning is self-paced and includes a lot of individual contact with the teacher. A.Essentialism B.Existentialism C.Progressivism D.Social Reconstructionism Answer: B Practice Test: Which philosophy is based on real-world experiences and John Dewey's work? A.Perennialism B.Progressivism C.Social Reconstructionism D.Existentialism Answer: B Practice Test: In a faculty meeting, the principal told his teachers: we need to improve our school performance in the National Achievement Test. What should we do? The teachers gave varied answers as follows: ◦ 1. Let’s give incentives and rewards to students who get a rating of 85%. ◦ 2. Let’s teach them to accept complete responsibility for their performance. ◦ 3. Let’s make the school environment conducive for learning. ◦ 4. Let’s make use of the experiential methods of teaching. If you lean toward a progressivist philosophy, with which response do you agree? A. 4 B. 2 C. 1 D. 3 Answer: A Practice Test: Who among the following puts more emphasis on core requirements, longer school days, longer academic years, and more challenging textbooks? A. perennialist B. essentialist C. progressivist D. existentialist Answer: B Practice Test: Which philosophy has the educational objective to indoctrinate Filipinos to accept the teachings of the Catholic church which fosters faith in God? ◦ A. realism ◦ B. pragmatism ◦ C. idealism ◦ D. existentialism Answer: C Practice Test: Principal Uy shares this thought with his teachers: “Subject matter should help students understand and appreciate themselves as unique individuals who accept complete responsibility for their thoughts, feelings, and actions.” From which philosophy is this thought based? A. perennialism B. existentialism C. constructivism D. progressivism Answer: B