Philosophy Module 2 3 Role of Realism
Philosophy Module 2 3 Role of Realism
Philosophy Module 2 3 Role of Realism
Role of realism
According to Gutek (1997:30), realism can be defined as a philosophical position that asserts
the existence of an objective order of reality and the possibility of human beings gaining
knowledge about that reality. Ozmon and Craver (2008) state that, “The most central thread of
realism is the principal of independence. This principle holds that reality, knowledge and value
exist independently of the human mind. the world of ideas and matter defined in idealism by
Plate and Socrates do not exist separately and apart from each other for realists. Realists
contend that material things can exist whether or not there is a human being around to
appreciate or perceive them.
Realism is derived from the word “real”. Real is something which is in existence outside the
mind, it can be touched, seen r recognized by the senses. Realists believe that the study of
ideas can be enhanced by the study of material things. They believe that knowledge is power
and acquiring knowledge allows individuals to deal with problems and to face life effectively.
If the mind is a blank slate, then the knowledge comes from sources other than the mind. Those
things gained from sensation and reflection. Moreover, realists hold that the essence of things
is objectively given in nature, and that our classifications are not obituary. As such, realism is
contrasted with nominalism, the theory that universals are merely names or general items.
With this insight on what realism is, we get to understand why realism plays an important role
in education which is for the main purpose of bringing theoretical work into a practical
perspective. Realism rests on the ideas of Aristotle. For Aristotle, education was considered to
be a means of assisting human beings in their search for happiness. Aristotle believed that
curriculum should conform to the steps of human growth and development. The belief of
Aristotle is still much respected in the present educational systems. The realists’ curriculum is
highly valued in the present education systems. Children’s abilities to learn are varied on many
factors. The development stages are among them. Sprinthal et al (1998:32) argue that
“Qualitative differences in the child’s cognitive style and level do develop over time. As the
child’s cognitive base broadens and matures, higher and more abstract levels of thought
processing typically become the rule”. From this viewpoint, teachers must offer adequate
teaching materials to their students based on their developmental levels. One of the two basic
components of the subject matter of the curriculum in realism is the appropriate pedagogical
ordering of the subject matter according to readiness, maturation, and previous learning of the
student. Realists believe that the curriculum is best organized according to subject matter –
that is, it should be subject-centered. These subjects should be organized according to the
psychological principles of learning, which teach that the subjects should proceed from the
simple to the more complex. The realism classroom is teacher-centered; subjects are taught by
a teacher who is impersonal and objective and who knows the subject fully.
Snowden and Richard (1998) postulate that, “The teacher must utilize learners experiences, and
by making the subject matter as concrete as possible, he or she should maintain discipline by
rewarding efforts and achievements, controlling the attention of the individual and keeping the
learner active.
Evaluation is also an essential aspect of teaching. The teacher must use objective methods by
evaluating and giving the type of test that lends itself to accurate measurement of the learner’s
understanding of the essential material. Frequent tests are highly desirable. For motivational
purposes, realists stress that it is important to always reward the success of each learner. When
the teacher reports the accomplishments of his or her learners, he or she reinforces what has
been learned.
Realism plays a major role in the classroom especially when one comes to the issue of teaching
aids. Teaching aids are a part of learning because the appeal to a learner’s senses especially to
those learners who find it difficult to understand lessons. This is so because most teaching aids
involve sight, usually because what is seen takes a long time to be erased from one’s memory.
Teaching aids have to be practical at all times in order for one to gain understanding. An
example of a grade one class can be made; grade ones learn how to count by using their
fingers, toes, sticks or stones. These things they use can be seen therefore, they are convinced
and are aware that it is not just their imagination playing tricks on them because what they are
contributing is REAL; they can see it and their senses can bear witness to it. This is just another
one of the many roles that realism plays in education.
Realism not only plays in teaching aids but also in making the learner realize that good moral
behavior with always produce good results and this is backed up by a morally upright and
successful teacher who also plays a major role in shaping the learner as he or she is a role
model to the learner.
In realism, education should proceed from simple to complex and from concrete to abstract.
The methods used in mathematics can be used in this case. Maths work starts with simpler
methods to more complex methods. This allows the pupils to easily make a transition from easy
to hard. Students must be taught to analyze rather than to construct things from their heads
just because they want to defend what they do not understand.
It is observed that the theories of realism discussed over time by different scholars prove to
produce positive results because the stay intact with the natural laws. The realist theories as
discussed are always practical thus making it easier for teachers to relate to them and gain a
much clear understanding. Therefore it is the teacher’s duty to give to the learner something
they can clearly understand.
In conclusion, we can say that realism in interested in the use of objects and facts in order to
enhance the teaching and learning process. Realists believe in the independent existence of the
experiential universe. They have a healthy respect for the “facts” of both the sciences and social
sciences. Realism views the learner as the sense mechanism; teacher demonstrating, the
curriculum as the subject matter of the physical world; the teaching method as mastering facts
and information; and the social policy of the school as transmitting the settled knowledge.
Realists favor a school dominated by subjects of the here-and-now world, such as mathematics
and science. Students are taught factual information for mastery. The teacher imparts
knowledge of this reality into students or displays such reality for observation and study.
Classrooms are highly ordered and disciplined, like nature, and the students are passive
participants in the study of things. Changes in school are seen as natural change towards an
accomplishment of order. This is the role that realism plays in the teaching and learning
process.
REFERENCES
Gutek, G.L. (1997). Philosophical and Ideological Perspectives on Education. 2nd ed.
Concepts, Case studies and Simulations. 5TH ed. The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc.
Lloyd, G.E.R. (1968). Aristotle: The Growth and Structure of His Thought.