FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION

Unit One: Introduction to education

 Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the unit, student teachers will be able to:
 Define the concept of education,
 Discuss about the three types of education,
 Explain the nature of education,
 Analyze the various functions of education in human life.
 Explain the concept of foundations of education

1. Introduction to education
1.1. Meanings of Education
1.1.1 Definition of Education

We cannot give a complete definition of education, since it is associated with

many dimensions of human life. Education is an abstract and dynamic entity. It is a
continuous process. Education has passed through many ages and stages in the
process of its evolution. At different times, it had different meanings, aims and
objectives according to the conditions that prevailed there and then. The concept
of education is still in the process of evolution and this process will never come to
an end.
 It must continuously grow and change to be able to cope with the changing
demands.
 It is consciously and deliberately planned for the modification of behavior.
 It is pursued/followed with a set of time-bound goals through the institutions
specially established and maintained for this purpose.
 Yet, a number of philosophers and educationists have given their definitions to
elucidate/explain the meaning of education. Some of them are mentioned
hereunder:
‘Education develops in the body and in the soul of the pupil, all the beauty
and all the perfection of which he is capable.’—Plato.

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‘Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body. It develops

man’s faculty/ability/talent, especially his mind so that he may be able to
enjoy the contemplation of supreme truth, goodness and beauty.’—Aristotle.
‘Education is the natural, harmonious, and progressive development of
man’s innate powers.’ —Pestalozzi.
‘Education is the manifestation of what is already enfolded/enclosed in the
germ. It is the process through which child makes internal external.’ —
Froebel.
‘What nutrition and reproduction are to the physiological life; education is to
social life.’ —John Dewey.
“Education of man commences at his birth; before he can speak, before he
can understand he is already instructed. “Education is the child’s
development from within.” Rousseau
“Education is complete living”. Herbert Spencer
‘Education is the complete development of the individuality of the child so
that he can make an original contribution to human life according to the best
of his capacity’—T.P. Nunn.
‘Education is the deliberate and systematic influence by the mature person
upon the immature; through instruction, discipline and harmonious
development of physical, intellectual, aesthetic, social and spiritual powers of
the human beings according to individual and social needs and directed
towards the union of educant with his creator as the final end.’ —Redden.
‘We need the education by which character is formed, strength of mind is
increased, intellect is expounded/developed and by which one can stand on
his own feet.’ —Swami Vivekananda.
‘Education means enabling the mind to find out the ultimate truth which
emancipates/frees us from the bondage of the dust and gives us the wealth,
not of things but of inner light, not to empower but to love.’—R.N. Tagore.
‘By education, I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child….is
mind, body and spirit.’—Mahatma Gandhi.
‘Education is the process of the individual mind getting to its full possible
development.’ Dr. Zakir Hussain.
‘Education ought to be related to the life, needs and aspirations of the people
so as to be a powerful instrument of social, economic and cultural
transmission.’— Indian Education Commission 1964-66

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Education has been described as a process of waking up to life: Waking up to

life and its mysteries, its solvable problems and the ways to solve the
problems and celebrate the mysteries of life.
Education is the basic tool of human development.

1.2. Types of Education

There are different types of education.

1.2.1. Formal education

Define education from your own understanding

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What are the common elements that you observe from the above various
scholars’ definition of education?
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What are the various facets of education?
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 It is consciously and deliberately planned for the modification of behavior with

a particular aim in view for a specific time period.
 It is provided through the institutions specially established and maintained for
this purpose such as schools and colleges.
 It is regulated by the government, education department and school
management at different levels.
 It starts at preprimary level and lasts up to university stage. Strict entry and exit
age, regularity, punctuality, impermeable nature of discipline, fixed syllabi, vast
curriculum and teacher centeredness are some of the basic characteristics of this
type of education.
 Advantages of Formal education
An organized educational model and up to date course contents.
Students acquire knowledge from trained and professional teachers.
Structured and systematic learning process.
Intermediate and final assessments are ensured to advance students to the
next learning phase.
Institution are managerially and physically organized.
Leads to a formally recognized certificate.
Easy access to jobs.
 Disadvantages of Formal education:
Sometimes, brilliant students are bored due to long wait for expiry of the
academic session to promote to the next stage
Chance of bad habits’ adoption may be alarming due to the presence of
both good and bad students in classroom
Wastage of time as some lazy students may fail to learn properly in spite
of motivation by the professional trainers.
the personal growth of students are negligence and, the basic principles of
learning fail to be considered in the planning and the performance of
education systems.
Some unprofessional and nonstandard education system may cause the
wastage of time and money of the students which leads to the
disappointment from formal education and argue them to go for non-
formal education.
Costly and rigid education as compare to other form of learning
This system does not consider the students’ standards, values and attitudes
that are relevant to the education system
1.2.2. Informal education

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This type of education is not given by any established or preplanned

institutions.
It is for this sort of education that the saying of ‘womb to tomb’ fits suitably.
It is provided by the informal institutions such as home, neighborhood, peers,
society, television, newspaper, temple, market and so on.
It is quite incidental, spontaneous and inspired by individual needs. Contrary to
the formal setup of education, it has no provisions of entry or exit, timings,
norms, rules or regulations, degree or certificate.
It goes without any planning, curriculum, time slot, internal or external
motivation, and certification. Being self-motivated activity, its acquisition upon
the ability of one’s interaction ability and learning instinct.
Advantages of Informal Education
 More naturally learning process as you can learn at anywhere and at any
time from your daily experience.
 It involves activities like individual and personal research on a topic or
interest for themselves by utilizing books, libraries, social media, internet
or getting assistance from informal trainers.
 Utilizes a variety of techniques.
 No specific time span.
 Less costly and time efficient learning process.
 No need to hire experts as most of professionals may be willing to share
their precious knowledge with students/public through social media and
internet.
 Learners can be picked up the requisite information from books, TV, radio
or conversations with their friends/family members.
Disadvantages of Informal Education
 Information acquired from internet, social media, TV, radio or
conversations with friends/family members may lead to the
disinformation.
 Utilized techniques may not be appropriate.
 No proper schedule/time span.
 Unpredictable results which simply the wastage of time.
 Lack of confidence in learner.
 Absence of discipline, attitude and good habits.
1.2.3. Non-formal education

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 This sort of education is provided through correspondence/email/posts,

summer classes or part-time classes. Open schools and open universities are
conducting a number of courses through this mode of learning.
 It has a mixture of norms and qualities of formal and informal education
systems. Such as, it is a formal process of educational up gradation with
fixed curriculum and a system of degrees or certificate allotment at the end
of the process. But on the other hand, it does not have strict entry or exit age,
regular classes and customary teacher taught interaction as formal
institutions
 Advantages of Non-formal Education
Practiced and vocational training.
Literacy with skillfulness growth in which self-learning is appreciated.
Flexibility in age, curriculum and time.
Open-ended educational system in which both public and private sector
are involved in the process.
No need to conduct regular exams.
Certificates, Diploma, and Degree award may or may not essential to be
awarded.
Non-formal education seems better to meet the individual needs of
students.
 Disadvantages of Non-formal Education
Attendances of participants are unsteady.
Sometimes, it’s just wastage of time as there is no need to conduct
exam on regular basis and no degree/diploma is awarded at the end of
the training session.
Basic reading and writing skills are crucial to learn.
Has no its own professional and trained teachers.
Students may not enjoy the full confidence as the regular students
enjoy.
Some institutes provide fake certification through online courses just
for the sake of earning.

What are the relationship and differences among types of education?

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How does teachers implement the informal education in the school? Discuss
briefly it from your own school life experiences.
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1.3. Nature of Education

Having known the nature and definitions of education, it is clear that it is an

important activity which develops human society in all aspects of individual, social
and national life. It is the instrument of modernity and globalization in the current
era. Education is a path breaking activity ensuring emancipation from age old
misbeliefs and superstitions. It inculcates an advanced thought and outlook to the
people.
 To understand the real face of this activity, a list of basic natures of education
which emerge from the various definitions are:
• Education is a dynamic and lifelong procedure
• It is the process for the realization of various inner capabilities
• Education is a psychological and physiological process
• Education is a deliberately planned activity
• It is a child centered process of socialization
• Education is important for value inculcation and enculturation
• It is considered as a bipolar and tri-polar process
• Education is not teaching, instructing or certificate awarding
• Education is a three dimensional process
1.4. Agencies of Education

The very concept of the agencies of education describes the various support
systems of the process of education. For example, good visual, acoustic/audio,
intellectual and supportive surroundings are means to good and sound learning. As
a result, an individual with all such faculties and facilities gains considerable
knowledge and understanding of countless issues regarding self and
contiguous/nearby environment. With this exercise an individual gains certain
qualities, capabilities and perception regarding self, which makes him a better

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human being. Hence, it may be said that education is an activity which is self-
supportive in some means and externally motivated in other aspects. The role of
individual and external faculties supporting the process of education. Education is
individually supported activity means without active involvement of the individual,
there is no possibility of education and knowledge generation. Hence, it may be
said that education is the process of unfolding/explaining of inner capabilities
through scholastic and co-scholastic experiences of an individual. As already
mentioned, education is self-motivated activity but it cannot prevail/succeed
without external stimuli and support. This support is very important and decisive
with regard to the acquisition, assimilation and understanding of knowledge and its
application in practical terms.
All external factors such as family, neighborhood, society, friends, peer group,
school, society, media, bazaar, temple, festivals and various socio-political
organizations enhances his/her knowledge, experience, learning, art of living,
philosophy and makes him/her a socialized individual and a valuable citizen of the
nation and the world.
1.5. Functions of Education in human life

Education is a foundation for the development and progress of any society. It

is a base upon which the whole building of human development stands. Getting
proper education is necessary for success in life just like the food is necessary for
the healthy human body. It makes an individual civilized, refined, cultured and
educated. Its goal is to make an individual perfect.
Every society gives importance to education because it is a panacea/cure for all
evils. It is the key to solve the various problems of life. It encourages us to
distinguish between right and wrong. It helps to develop the knowledge, skill and
character of students. It helps to aid the human being in his/her pursuit of
wholeness. Wholeness implies the harmonious development of all the potentialities
God has given to a human person. True education is the harmonious development
of the physical, mental, moral (spiritual), and social faculties, the four dimensions
of life, for a life of dedicated service
 Generally, the following points highlights why education is important to
society.
1. Global impact of education:
 Education can leave the long-lasting impact on global development. An
educated person always works for the benefits of humanity for promoting
the world outlook.
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2. Education promotes the national interest

 The educated persons work for the betterment of the country.
3. Level of moral and ethical values
 Education promotes equality of prospect.
4. Vital role in the development of countries
 Education is a central cohesive source of support and stability in the
development of countries.
5. Increase in literacy rate
 Literacy rate of a country also depends upon on education.
6. Freshness of approach
 Education should bring out the best in the student. It should be able to bring
new ideas and concepts.
 The education system should be innovatively coped with the latest
technology and it should benefit all the learners or students equally.
7. Education enhances creativity
8. Education produces good citizens
 Education produced the civilized and well-organized persons. The educated
persons incorporate good ideas and ultimately go for betterment in life.
9. Awareness of rights and responsibilities
 The educated person is well aware of his rights and responsibilities.
Moreover, he/she can raise voice against some wrong happening around
his/her.
10.Curiosity for learning new things
 An educated person has the curiosity for learning new things in life,
ultimately it becomes the passion to know and understand things in a
scientific way, having objectivity.
11.Wisdom level
 The educational institutions should try to arouse intellectual curiosity, the
appetite for more learning and development of critical spirit which brings the
soundness and wisdom.
12.Character of an individual
 Education also helps in building the character of a person
13.Balance in life
 it makes us smart enough to learn how to live life and handle bad situations
14.Earn livelihood
 Education enables a person to earn a livelihood.
15.Helpful in future research

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 Education has importance in research work.

 Basically, education is a process of continuous learning which should be
continued till life ends. One should learn to live a decent life, a life which may
promote knowledge and awareness to society or individuals. To acquire
education is a fundamental right of each and every individual. Education should
be imparted to all without any discrimination. It is an essential commodity like
food, clothing, and shelter.

UNIT TWO

PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION

 Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the unit, student teachers will be able to:
 Understand the concept of philosophy
 Categorize philosophy into general and educational
 Understand the major philosophies
 Understand the educational philosophies
 Differentiate between the major and educational philosophies
 Appreciate the role of philosophy in shaping education
2.1. Introduction

Education is a formally organized human social activity. Information,

experiences and skills are transmitted to the next generations by means of
education. It is a sensitive activity in this regard. It ensures the continuity of
academic excellences between the two generations. If there had been no process of
education, the whole academic capital would have lost.

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Being an activity, education is concerned with the national ideology, society,

economy and human needs. These concerns of education are the foundations of
education. These foundations are taken into account in the educational activities.
Every individual has his particular life ideology. He/ She is a member of a
particular society as well. He/ She has to participate in the economic activities to
earn his/her livelihood. He/ She has a particular mind set tool. All aspects of an
individual’s life are considered in the educative process. An individual cannot be
parted from these aspects. Foundations of education are the motives and factors
which are considered during the construction and organization of various elements
of education. It refer to those fundamental factors, which influence the structure
and organization of various elements of education e.g. objectives, curriculum,
teaching methods and evaluation. It refers to those aspects of individual and
collective life which are taken into account while constructing a system of
education for a nation. For example:

 ideological foundation of education,

 social foundation of education and
 psychological foundation of education etc.
2.2. The Concept of Philosophy

The term philosophy has a Greek origin. The word philosophy can be traced to
the Greek word “philosophia” which is made up of the words – ‘philos’ (meaning
love) and ‘sophia’ (meaning wisdom). Therefore the literal meaning of philosophy
is ‘love of wisdom’. Since times immemorial there have been various pursuits of
unfolding those stories of the universe, birth and death, sorrow and joy. Various
ages have produced different thoughts throwing light upon the mystic region. The
ultimate truth is yet to be found out. This eternal quest for truth lends to the origin
of philosophy. A love of wisdom is the essence for any philosophic investigation.
Philosophy has been defined by various scholars from various angles. Philosophy

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according to them is nothing but an endeavor to bring about a consistent

explanation of the different realities around us. Let us quote some definitions.
 “Science of sciences”. Coleridge
 “Mother of all arts” and “true medicine of mind”. Cicero
 “The ability to feel at ease in any society”. Arstippus
 “Whenever philosophy has been defined, it has been assumed that it
signified achieving a wisdom that would influence the conduct of
life”. Dewey
 “Philosophy is the great mother of science”. Bacon
 “Philosophy is the science which investigates the nature of
being/life/existence, as it is in itself”. Aristotle
In short, philosophy deals about:

 Ultimate of the universe and general causes and principles of the things that
man observes and experiences.
 It is the science which investigates the facts and principles of reality and
human nature and conduct
 Philosophy is the science of knowledge. - Fitch
 Philosophy is the science of sciences. - Coleridge
Besides, the content of philosophy is better seen as asking questions rather than
providing answers. It can even be said that philosophy is the study of questions.
Van Cleve Morris has noted that the crux/root of the matter is asking the “right”
questions. By “right” he meant questions that are meaningful and relevant- the kind
of questions people really want answered and that will make a difference in how
they live and work. Philosophical content has been organized around three
fundamental categories:

I. METAPHYSICS
 Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the ultimate nature of
reality or existence.
 It asks questions such as ‘What exists?’ or ‘What is real?’

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 It seeks an irreducible foundation of reality or ‘first principles’ from which

absolute knowledge or truth can be induced and deduced.
 The term metaphysics is derived from the Greek words “meta” means
(“beyond”, “upon” or “after”) and physika, means (“physics”). Literally it refers
‘those things after the physics.’ Aristotle’s writings on ‘first philosophy’ came
after his treatise on physics, therefore, Aristotle’s editor, Andronicus of Rhodes,
named them metaphysics.
 Metaphysical questions are the most basic to ask because they provide the
foundation upon which all subsequent inquiry is based.
 Metaphysical questions may be divided into four subsets.
1. Ontology: What are real? -The study of questions concerns the nature of
reality or existence. e.g.
 What is reality?
 Does God exist, and if so, can we prove it?
 What is the meaning of life?
 Is there life after death? etc.
2. Cosmology:
 Cosmology consists in the study of theories about the origin, nature, and
development of the universe as an orderly system.
 Questions such as these populate the realm of cosmology:
“How did the universe originate and develop?
It comes about by accident or design?
Does its existence have any purpose?”
3. Theology: It is that part of religious theory that deals with conceptions of
and about God.
 Questions such as these populate the realm of cosmology:
“Is there a God? If so, is there one or more than one?
What are the attributes of God? If God is both all good and all powerful, why
does evil exist?

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If God exists, what is His relationship to human beings and the ‘real’ world of
everyday life?”
4. Anthropology – the study of human beings. Basic question raised like:
 What is the relationship between mind and body?
 Is mind more fundamental than body, with body depending on mind, or vise
versa?
 Are people born good, evil, or morally neutral?
 To what extent individuals are free?
II. EPISTEMOLOGY: WHAT IS TRUE?
 It is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope of
knowledge and is also referred to as “theory of knowledge”. Etymologically the
word epistemology has been derived from the Greek words episteme, meaning
“knowledge, understanding”, and logos, meaning “study of”.
 In other words we can say that Epistemology is the study of the nature, source,
and validity of knowledge.
 It seeks to answer of the basic questions as e.g.
 What is knowledge and how does it differ from belief or opinion?
 What is truth, and how can we know if a statement is true?
 What are the sources of knowledge?
 Do absolutes exist, and if so, can we know them?
A major aspect of epistemology relates to the sources of human knowledge. If one
accepts the fact that there is truth and even Truth in the universe, how can human
beings comprehend such truths? How do they become human knowledge?

Sources of Human knowledge:

A) Empiricism (knowledge obtained through the senses): Sensory knowing for

humans is immediate and universal, and in many ways forms the basis of much
of human knowledge.

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B) Revelation: Revealed knowledge has been of prime importance in the field of

religion. It differs from all other sources of knowledge because it presupposes a
transcendent supernatural reality that breaks into the natural order. Christians
believe that such revelation is God’s communication concerning the divine will.
C) Authority: Authoritative knowledge is accepted as true because it comes from
experts or has been sanctified over time as tradition. In the classroom, the most
common source of information is some authority, such as a textbook, teacher, or
reference work.
D) Reason: The view that reasoning, thought, or logic is the central factor in
knowledge is known as rationalism. The rationalist, in emphasizing humanity’s
power of thought and the mind’s contributions to knowledge, is likely to claim
that the senses alone cannot provide universal, valid judgments that are
consistent with one another.
E) Intuition:
It is the direct apprehension of knowledge that is not derived from conscious
reasoning or immediate sense perception. In the literature dealing with intuition,
one often finds such expressions as “immediate feeling of certainty.” Intuition
occurs beneath the threshold of consciousness and is often experienced as a sudden
flash of insight. In tuition has been claimed under varying circumstances as a
source of both religious and secular knowledge.

At this juncture, it should be noted that no one source of information is capable of

supplying people with all knowledge. The various sources should be seen as
complementary rather than antagonistic. It is true, however, that most people
choose one source as being more basic than, or preferable to, the others. That most
basic source is then used as a benchmark for testing other sources of knowledge.

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For example, in the contemporary world, knowledge obtained empirically is

generally seen as the most basic and reliable type.

III. AXIOLOGY: WHAT IS GOOD?

Axiology, which stems from two Greek words “Axios” means value, worth” and
“logos”, means “reason/ theory/ symbol / science/study of”. Hence, Axiology is the
philosophical study of value and “value” originally meant the worth of something.

Axiology asks the questions:

 What is a value?
 Where do values come from?
 How do we justify our values?
 How do we know what is valuable?
 What is the relationship between values and knowledge?
 What kinds of values exist?
 Can it be demonstrated that one value is better than another?
 Who benefits from values? etc.
The question of values deals with notions of what a person or a society regards as
good or preferable. Axiology, like metaphysics and epistemology, stands at the
very foundation of the educational process. A major aspect of education is the
development of values. And in that context, the classroom is an axiological theater
in which teachers cannot hide their moral selves.

Axiology has two main branches:

i. Ethics: the study of moral principles, attempts to establish rational grounds

for good conduct. eg:
What is good/bad?
What is the foundation of moral principles?

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Are moral principles universal?

Thus, schools must teach ethical concepts to their students.

ii. Aesthetics: asks such questions as

“What is beautiful?” and “What should I like?”
How do we recognize a great piece of music? Art?
Can there be beauty in destruction?
Aesthetics is the realm of value that searches for the principles governing the
creation and appreciation of beauty and art in both “the higher arts” and the things
of daily life, such as school architecture, television programs, and billboards.
Evaluations of beauty and ugliness fall into the aesthetic realm. Thus aesthetic
valuation is a part of daily life and cannot be avoided.

In general, Philosophy may be concluded indispensable/essential for every aspect

of life. It is not only love of wisdom but also stands for love of knowledge and
ultimate reality. Thus philosophy is an organized search of knowledge.

2.3. Philosophy of Education and Its Nature

Philosophy of Education is a discipline which applies philosophical approach in
order to come to better understanding of basic educational issues. It is an area of
study whose concern is about fundamental issues in education.
Following facts appear for nature of philosophy of education:
 Philosophy of education is the product of meditation of two disciplines-
philosophy and pedagogic.
 It is interdisciplinary, which is inclined towards finding philosophical
solution to problems of education.
 This is a logical discipline and not empirical science.
 In logics also, it is a subjective discipline and not objective.

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 In philosophy of education, on the basis of various philosophical opinions,

interpretation of human and nature of education is done.
 Ultimate reality is interpreted on the basis of various philosophical opinions
in philosophy of education and on the basis of this truth, individual, society
and nation is guided.
 Philosophy of education, on the basis of various philosophical opinions,
nature of knowledge and methods of attainment of knowledge is interpreted.
 Philosophy of education interprets fundamental ideals and values of human
life on the basis of various philosophical opinions.
 Philosophy of education is a directive discipline. It interprets actual nature of
human life on the basis of different philosophical opinions, which lets a
human know its objective of life and guides it to have proper education to
attain these objectives.
 Philosophy of education is a liberal discipline. It presents a critical analysis
of different philosophies by metaphysics, epistemology & logic and
axiology & ethics and provides freedom to individual, society and nation to
select its own path and arrangement of appropriate education to attain those
goals.
 Philosophy of education is an activity in itself. It never rests. It is a
continuous activity, in which old opinions are interpreted along with new
ones and thus search of ultimate truth continues and accordingly individual,
society and nation is guided continually to define nature of education as per
contemporary time and situation.

2.4. Relation between Philosophy and Education

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Philosophy and education are related like flower and fragrance, skeleton or flesh
and blood. They are two flowers of one stem, and two sides of a coin. The former
is the contemplative side, while the latter is the active side of the coin.
Philosophical knowledge has a fundamental role in clarifying questions of
education. Therefore, there is close relationship between philosophy and education
and some of them are the following.

1. Aims & Objectives Education in every society is directed for specific aims
and objectives. That aims and objectives are set by a philosophical approach.
2. Methods & Curriculum of every educational system is based upon specific
teaching methodologies and the curriculum. What should be the teaching
methodology? And what kind of teacher should be? And what kind of
curriculum be taught to the students? All the answers are given by
philosophy. So education is dependent on philosophy for guidance in
various of areas.
3. Philosophy of Education- There is a separate branch of philosophy which is
called philosophy of education. The branch investigates that what should be
the nature of education? Whether the educational aims be based on specific
religion, social, moral, scientific basis. And how these aims can be
achieved?
4. Education is the Dynamic Side of Philosophy- Here the great scholars like
Ghazali, Iqbal, Plato, and Aristotle wanted that their philosophies should be
given practical shape. The shape can be given only through well planned
education system.
5. Sound mind in Sound Body or Virtuous Man -The main purpose of
education is to have sound mind in a sound body, and virtuous person.
Philosophy gives answers and discuss that what is sound mind, sound body,

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and what virtuous person is. How we can say the philosophy is the
contemplative aspect of education and education is the dynamic aspect
philosophy.
6. Change in Education, In order to bring the desire change in society or in the
existing education set up, a very pre planned philosophy should be behind
that kind of reformation.
Relationship between education and philosophy is very close. They are called the
two sides of the same coin. That’s why educationists and teachers must have basic
information about various educational philosophies in order to know the whole
nature of a specific educational ends.

2.5. Significance of Philosophy for Education

The following are some of the major significance of philosophy for education are:

1. Philosophy affects the aims of education. It is the philosophy of the time, which
determines whether the aim of education, should be moral, vocational, intellectual,
spiritual or liberal. Rusk, therefore, says, “Every system of education must have an
aim and the aims of education are related to the aims of life. Philosophy formulates
what should be the end of life while education offers suggestions how this end is to
be achieved.

2. Philosophy determines the choice of studies or curriculum. When aims are set,
the next step is to find means to achieve those aims. Curriculum is the mean
through which educator realizes his goal. Aims of education on the other hand are
determined by philosophy. Hence, philosophy too decides why a particular subject
should be included in the curriculum.

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3. Text Book. The choice of textbooks also involves philosophy. The textbooks
must cater to the needs of an ideal life. So it is indisputably a fact that philosophy
has its role in the choice of textbooks.

4. Philosophy and the choice of method. Aims of education are subject to the
philosophy of life. Methods are means through which goals of education can be
realized. There are many instances, in which philosophical principles have
influenced method. For example, pragmatists advocate project method. A
naturalist, learning by doing and for the idealist, the school is a garden and teacher
a gardener, whose main function is to tend the little human plants under his charge,
very carefully, and thus helps to grow to beauty and perfection.

5. Philosophy determines the type of discipline to be maintained. The child is

humanized by the social environment. The business of the teacher is the
maintenance of discipline and to tell the students about the social norm. Students
will accordingly behave. There should be any nature and form of discipline.
Philosophy determines the nature and form of discipline. Whether school discipline
should be strict and rigid or flexible and free is philosophical problem.

6. Philosophy and teachers. In the widest sense, every person has a philosophy of
life and in the same way every educator has a philosophy of education. What a
teacher really and truly believes shows itself in his actions and in his attitude
towards life. When he is really earnest about his beliefs, he will not keep them to
himself but will do all in his power to persuade others. This is the mainspring of all
missionary efforts.

2.6. General Philosophies

The major philosophies influencing education are: idealism, realism, pragmatism

and existentialism

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1. Idealism/ Rationalist : the older one (Plato)

Truth exists separate and apart from the individual or the society in which he lives.
Truth, values are considered to be absolute, timeless and universal. Over emphasis
on the intellectual aspects of life & little emphasis on the physical aspects/facts.
The reality is spiritual or thoughts/that which the mind project in to the world. The
mind is not depending up on a physical world. To know is to think the latent ideas
that are already present in the mind. It is rationalistic i.e. it uses reasoning as the
sole approach to solve problems. The purpose of education is to transmit the
cultural heritage which reflects the truth. Education is eternal process. The idealist
teacher does not rely on straight lecture methods; they rely more on discussion
2. Realism: traditional school of taught (Arstotle, Thomas…)
Reject the notion that the real and true world existed only in the mind of man. The
realists believe that the universe is matter in motion. To them the real world is the
physical world. It is developed as reaction to idealism. They view the world in
terms of objects and matter. People can know the world through their senses and
their reason. Realism is quite conscious of facts and realities of actual situations.
No place to sentimentalism & imaginary. Realism emphasizes the cause-effect r/s
in the physical world. Education must explain to pupils how they are related the
world and teacher lecturing and transmitting factual knowledge. The curriculum
consists primary of physical & social sciences/maths that explain natural
phenomena less emphasis on language. The most general and abstract subject are
at the top of curriculum hierarchy. The three Rs (reading, Writing & Arithmetic)
are necessary in person’s basic education.

3. Pragmatism: (Charles Darwin, John Dewey) -20th

In contrast to the traditional philosophies, it is based on change, process and
relativity. Also it is referred as “Experimentalism”. There is no absolute idea/all

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ideas are relative. They consider knowledge as a process in which reality is

constantly changing. Education is a means for recreating, controlling &directing
experience. The goal of education is to aid the learner to solve his/her
problems/help to meet their need in a biological &social env’t. The focal point for
organizing curriculum is the interest of children rather than the traditional subject
matter organization. It is learning by doing things. Emphasis on methods or
approach to learning in curriculum planning; Teaching is more exploratory than
explanatory/the method is more important than subject matter.

4. Existentialism(Akinpely): Search for the meaning of human existence

The individual has been considered above the society and the state to them the root
to knowledge is personal. The learners would choose the knowledge they wish to
possess. Teachers have to help students realizing/experience themselves. People
are thrust in to a number of choice making situations. Therefore, learners should be
free to choose what to study. The curriculum would avoid systematic knowledge or
structured discipline.

 Knowledge is personal and subjective

 Knowledge is one’s own unique perception of one’s world

 Education should be less formal

 Curricula should be divers, not common for all

2.7. Educational Philosophies

Within the epistemological frame that focuses on the nature of knowledge and how
we come to know there are four major educational philosophies, each related to
one or more of the general or world philosophies. These educational philosophical
approaches are currently used in classrooms all over the world. They are

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Perennialism, Essentialism, Progressivism, and Reconstructionism. These

educational philosophies focus heavily on what we should teach the curriculum
aspect.
A. Perennialism
For Perennialists, the aim of education is to ensure that students acquire
understandings about the great ideas of Western civilization. These ideas have the
potential for solving problems in any era. The focus is to teach ideas that are
everlasting, to seek enduring truths which are constant, not changing, as the natural
and human worlds at their most essential level, do not change. Teaching these
unchanging principles is critical. Humans are rational beings, and their minds need
to be developed. Thus, cultivation of the intellect is the highest priority in a
worthwhile education. The demanding curriculum focuses on attaining cultural
literacy, stressing students' growth in enduring disciplines. The higher
accomplishments of humankind are emphasized in the great works of literature and
art, the laws or principles of science.

B. Essentialism

Essentialists believe that there is a common core of knowledge that needs to be

transmitted to students in a systematic, disciplined way. The emphasis in this
conservative perspective is on intellectual and moral standards that schools should
teach. The core of the curriculum is essential knowledge and skills and academic
rigor. Although this educational philosophy is similar in some ways to
Perennialism, Essentialists accept the idea that this core curriculum may change.
Schooling should be practical, preparing students to become valuable members of

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society. It should focus on facts-the objective reality out there-and "the basics,"
training students to read, write, speak, and compute clearly and logically. Schools
should not try to set or influence policies. Students should be taught hard work,
respect for authority, and discipline. Teachers are to help students keep their non-
productive instincts in check, such as aggression or mindlessness. This approach
was in reaction to Progressivism approaches prevalent in the 1920s and 1930s.

C. Progressivism

Progressivists believe that education should focus on the whole child, rather than
on the content or the teacher. This educational philosophy stresses that students
should test ideas by active experimentation. Learning is rooted in the questions of
learners that arise through experiencing the world. It is active, not passive. The
learners are a problem solvers and thinkers who make meaning through their
individual experience in the physical and cultural context. Effective teachers
provide experiences so that students can learn by doing. Curriculum content is
derived from student interests and questions. The scientific method is used by
progressivist educators so that students can study matter and events systematically
and first hand. The emphasis is on process-how one comes to know. The
Progressive education philosophy was established in America from the mid-1920s
through the mid-1950s. John Dewey was its foremost proponent. One of his tenets
was that the school should improve the way of life of our citizens through
experiencing freedom and democracy in schools. Shared decision making,
planning of teachers with students, student-selected topics are all aspects of
progressivism. Books are tools, rather than authority.

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D. Reconstructionism or Critical Theory

Social Reconstructionism is a philosophy that emphasizes the addressing of social

questions and a quest to create a better society and worldwide democracy.
Reconstructionist educators focus on a curriculum that highlights social reform as
the aim of education. Critical theorists, like social reconstructionists, believe that
systems must be changed to overcome oppression and improve human conditions.
For social reconstructionists and critical theorists, curriculum focuses on student
experience and taking social action on real problems, such as violence, hunger,
international terrorism, inflation, and inequality. Strategies for dealing with
controversial issues (particularly in social studies and literature), inquiry, dialogue,
and multiple perspectives are the focus. Community-based learning and bringing
the world into the classroom are also strategies.
Summary

The term philosophy is defined by various scholars from various angles.

Philosophy may be concluded indispensable for every aspect of life. The four
generally distinguished categories of philosophical foundations are idealism,
realism, pragmatism and existentialism. How education experts perceive the world
and education may be determined by the philosophical questions such as what is
real? What is good? And what is true?. In general, there is close relationship
between philosophy and education.

Enlist the contributions of philosophy to education.

Discuss briefly the different perspectives of education.

What is the concept of educational philosophy?

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Discuss the contribution of philosophy to the classroom teaching and learning.

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