Chapter 6 Philosophy and Aims of Education Four

Chapter 6 Philosophy and Aims of Education

Four Philosophies • • Reconstructionism Progressivism Essentialism Perennialism

Aims • Derived from examining the needs of children and youth in American society • From analyzing our culture • From studying various needs in our society

Global Aims • The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) seek to promote: – Foster international understanding among all people of the world – Improve the standards of living of people in various countries – Solve continuing problems that plague humanity, such as war, disease, hunger, and unemployment

Derivation of Aims • • Human personality Moral responsibility Institutions as the servants of men Common consent Devotion to truth Respect for excellence Moral equality

• Brotherhood • The pursuit of happiness • Spiritual enrichment

Statements by Educators • Dewey – Socializing young – Develop individual physically, mentally, morally and emotionally • National Education Association – Develop knowledge • Adler • Goodlad

• Adler – Help human beings become educated persons – Schooling is the preparatory stage – It forms the habit of learning • Goodlad (goals in 4 categories) – Academic – Social and Civic Vocational Personal

Goals 2000 • All start school ready to learn • High school graduation rate increase to 90% • Students leave grades 4, 8, and 12 demonstrating competency in Eng. , math, science, foreign lang. , civics & gov’t. , economics, arts, history and geography • Will be first in world in math & science

• All Americans literate and possess knowledge and skills in a global eco. /exercise rights and responsibilities of citizenship • Every school free of drugs, violence, firearms, and alcohol/school conducive to learning environment

• Teachers have access to programs to improve knowledge and skills/to help students • Every school promotes partnerships that will increase parental involvement

Philosophies • Reconstructionism: transmit cultural heritage and solve political/social problems • Perennialism: truth eternal, everlasting and unchanging • Essentialism: goals primarily cognitive and intellectually organized; courses transmit culture; emphasis placed on mental principle: 3 “R’s”

• Progressivism: process that continues as long as one lives • Two pervasive philosophies: Essentialism and Progressivism

Theories of Education • Reconstructionism – Concerned with life’s problems and solutions (social, eco. , political) • Perennialism (Private school) – Truth, eternal, everlasting, and unchanging (private school concept) – High verbal and academic aptitude (testing) – Emphasis on grammar, rhetoric, logic, classical and modern languages; the Bible

• Essentialism (Public school) -Seeks to preserve society and adjust people to it -What has worked…stick to it -Cognitive/intellectual -neutral discipline (3 R’s, screen youth -Classroom drill, standardized testing (TAAS), behavioral objectives

• Progressivism (Public school) – Child centered (beginning, middle, end) – Holistic grading-integrated curriculum-inquiryexperimentalization – Learning active/learn by doing – Cooperative, completion, reflective thinking – Scientific method – Gestalt-whole picture-unit planning-perceptual-selfactualization