MODULE V – GOVERNING PHILOSOPHIES IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

UNDER THE NEW NORMAL

5.1 The Four Major Philosophies

INTRODUCTION
We are living in precarious times. Covid-19 has affected all of our existence,
including education and educational futures. Covid-19 has altered and changed the
way we interact with the basic premise of education that we have understood in
more or less the same ways for a substantial amount of time: the place and space
where the education takes place; the educational foundations that were clearly
linked with the physical structure of the school and schooling; and the idea of the
teacher – who is the person who delivers and facilitates education; and who is the
learner.
Now, all of this has essentially changed. As such, Covid-19 has made us
completely rethink the foundations of education. It has changed the way we are
living, the ways in which we are thinking about education, and most particularly the
ways in which we are considering what education is and what educational futures
should look like.
From the outset, this thought piece is foregrounded by three thinkers –
philosophers, from different eras, times and countries. The first is Aristotle, with his
statement that “the educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living from
the dead”. The second is John Dewey, who argued that “education is not
preparation for life; education is life itself”. And the third is Nelson Mandela, with his
statement that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to
change the world”.
Understanding the four major philosophies will contribute to the
understanding how these have given rise to what is commonly practiced and
believed in the classroom today. The four major philosophies are Perennialism,
Essentialism, Reconstructionism and Progressivism.

LESSON 1. PERENNIALISM
Intended Learning Outcomes
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. Know the importance of perennialism and its impact to education to
new normal setting
Learning Process
A. Activity
1. What do you mean by the old adage, “the more things change, the more
they stay the same?”

B. Analysis
1. Which of the following are teacher-centered educational philosophy?
a. Romanticism
b. Progressivism
c. Perennialism
2. Is it true or false? And Why?
The relationship you establish with your learners is relative to your beliefs
about students.

C. Abstraction
Perennialism
Perennialism values knowledge that transcends time. This is a subject-
centered philosophy.
The goal of a perennialist educator is to teach students to think rationally
and develop minds that can think critically.
A perennialist classroom aims to be a closely organized and well-disciplined
environment, which develops in students a lifelong quest for the truth.
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.
Impact of Perennialism in education in the new normal setting
Perennialism values knowledge that transcends time. This is a subject-
centered philosophy. The goal of a perennialist educator is to teach students to think
rationally and develop minds that can think critically.
The focus of Perennialism in the new normal setting is for personal
development of the learners to stimulate how they think critically and thoughtfully
now that they are having blended learning.

D. Application

1. How is perennialism applied in your classroom? Cite example

2. How do you adapt Perennialism in your teaching in the new normal?

Lesson 2. ESSENTIALISM
Intended Learning Outcome
1. Know the importance of essentialism and its influence to education in the
new niormal.
Learning Process

A. Activity
1. What aspects of Philippine education can be considered essentialist?
B. Analysis
1. Do Essentialists aim to teach students to reconstruct society?
C. Abstraction
Essentialism
Essentialism is also a subject-centered philosophy. Essentialism is the
educational philosophy of teaching basic skills. This philosophy advocates training
the mind.
Essentialist educators focus on transmitting a series of progressively difficult
topics and promotion of students to the next level. Subjects are focused on the
historical context of the material world and culture and move sequentially to give a
solid understanding of the present day.
Essentialism is a common model in U.S. public schools today. A typical day at
an essentialist school might have seven periods, with students attending a different
class each period. The teachers impart knowledge mainly through conducting
lectures, during which students are expected to take notes. The students are
provided with practice worksheets or hands-on projects, followed by an assessment
of the learning material covered during this process. The students continue with the
same daily schedule for a semester or a year. When their assessments show
sufficient competence, they are promoted to the next level to learn the next level of
more difficult material.
William C. Bagley was one of the most influential advocates of essentialism.
The influence of essentialism in education
Essentialism in the new normal is applied through lessons that involve
thinking and reasoning rather than hands-on, “learning by doing” activities. The
essentialist tries to instill all learners with the most basic knowledge, skills and
character development. That is why, the Department of Education comes up with
the blended learning to continue the education of the learners amidst the pandemic.
D. Application
1. How do you apply essentialism to your life?

2. Is essentialism teacher-centered? Why?

Lesson 3 Reconstructionism
Intended Learning Outcome
1. Know the importance of reconstructionism and how it is applied to
education.
Learning Process
A. Activity
What does reconstructionism mean for education?
B. Analysis
Why does a reconstructionism of education matter?
C. Abstraction
Reconstructionism
As its name suggests, the social reconstructionist philosophy of
education asserts that society needs to be changed (reconstructed) and that
schools are the ideal instrument to foster such changes. Social
reconstructionist believe that world crises require the use of education to
facilitate the development of a new social order, one that is truly democratic
in nature. Social reconstructionism encourages 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.

Theodore Brameld (1904-1987) was the founder of Social

Reconstructionism, in reaction against the realities of World War II. He
recognized the potential for either human annihilation through technology and
human cruelty or the capacity to create a beneficent society using technology
and human compassion. George Counts (1889-1974) recognized that
education was the means of preparing people for creating this new social
order.

Critical theorists, like social reconstructionists, believe that systems

must be changed to overcome oppression and improve human conditions.
Paulo Freire (1921-1997) was a Brazilian whose experiences living in poverty
led him to champion education and literacy as the vehicle for social change.
In his view, humans must learn to resist oppression and not become its
victims, nor oppress others. To do so requires dialog and critical
consciousness, the development of awareness to overcome domination and
oppression. Rather than "teaching as banking," in which the educator
deposits information into students' heads, Freire saw teaching and learning as
a process of inquiry in which the child must invent and reinvent the world.
How is reconstructionism applied in education?
Taking education be the instrument for achieving social and cultural
achievement. It also enables learners vision the good future and spend their learning
as preparation for their role in the future.

D. Application
1. What is the role of the student in Reconstructionism?

2. Why does a reconstructionism of education matter?

Lesson 4
Progressivism
Intended Learning Outcome
Know the importance of progressivism and it’s important in the field of
education today.
Learning Process
A. Activity
Give at least Five Steps to Create a Progressive, Student-Centered Classroom
B. Analysis
Is progressivism student or teacher centered? Why?
C. Abstraction
Progressivism is an educational movement started by John Dewey that says
that students learn through their own experiences. Progressivism revolves around
the students' needs, including teaching students to be good citizens as well as good
learners, a concept known as focusing on the whole child.
 Progressivists believe that individuality, progress, and change are
fundamental to 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. Progressivists like romantics,
believe that education should focus on the whole student, rather than on the content
or the teacher. They emphasize on group activity and group problem solving so that
the students learn through cooperative learning strategies.
What is the impact of progressivism in education?
Progressivism in education today helps students master a couple of important
skills needed once they pursue their careers. Students learn to cooperate with
teams, think critically before doing things, and use creative means to resolve
problems. Kids also need to learn to contribute independently.

D. Application
1.Why is progressivism important in education today?

2. How does children learn in a progressive education?

5.2 Educational Philosophies

Introduction
Theorists, educators, and citizens have long debated philosophies of
education. And while this debate is unlikely to abate any time soon, I believe that it
is critical that all teachers consider their educational philosophy. Teachers who do
not develop a philosophy can mindlessly lack purpose in their work .
Traditional education is generally considered teacher-centered because the
teacher (or someone above the teacher) determines curriculum, directly teaches it
through lecture or text readings, and students are expected to passively absorb it. In
other words, students are considered blank slates and teachers are supposed to fill
them with knowledge. The passive and obedient students are simply meant to
absorb the knowledge of the teacher through lectures.
Progressive education is generally considered student-centered because
students work alongside teachers to determine curriculum and learn through hands-
on activities. Like traditional education, there are numerous conceptions of what
progressive education can look like in practice.
Of course, there are many more educational philosophies than simply
traditional and progressive philosophies of education. Read brief descriptions about
the following five educational philosophies.

Intended Learning Outcomes

After going through this module, you are expected to:
Know the importance of the five educational philosophies of education.
Learning Process
A. Activity
Why do you believe your students want to learn?
B. Analysis
What are your aims for teaching? What do you hope to accomplish when you
teach? What do your aims say about you as a teacher?
C. Abstraction
Essentialism
Teachers should make sure students know — typically through lecture
or book work — the “essence” of important knowledge inherent in the core academic
disciplines (e.g., math, science, history, English).
 Perennialism:
Teachers should make students gain knowledge of the “perennial”
knowledge passed down from the great works and books of Western Civilization (but
not other non-white Civilizations).
. Progressivism:
Teachers should collaborate with students of the class to construct knowledge
about topics that concern both the students and society. Students work in groups
and are often encouraged to help determine curriculum and “learn by doing.”
Existentialism
The existentialist teacher is not the center of the instruction but rather a
facilitator. The goal is to help students better understand who they are as
individuals. This also means that the student should have a choice in what they learn
and that the curriculum needs to be somewhat flexible.
Behaviorism
From a behaviorist perspective, the role of the learner is to be acted upon by
the teacher-controlled environment. The teacher's role is to manipulate the
environment to shape behavior. Thus, the student is not an agent in the learning
process, but rather an animal that instinctively reacts to the environment.

D. Application

1. Does your subject matter affect your beliefs about teaching or learning? If so,
explain how.
2. Create a list in response to the following prompt: “When I teach I……”

Once you’ve created the list, reflect on why you do what you do.

Prepared by:

JEFFREY SIDRO QUILICOL, R.N., MAED