Southern Baptist College

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Bialong, Mlang, Cotabato

Program: Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED)/Bachelor of Secondary Education

(BSED)
Course Code: PRED 3081
Course Title: The Teaching Profession
Instructor: John P. Gulmayo, LPT, MAEd

Rationale/Overview
This course deals with the teacher as an individual, a classroom manager,
community and global teacher. This emphasizes professionalization to cover teacher’s
status and levels of professional rewards and professionalism to improve competencies

Vision Statement: An institution committed to quality Christian Education responsive to

the needs of the nation and the world.
Mission Statement: The mission of SBC is the total development of the person through
relevant programs in instruction, Research and Community Extension
based on the tenets of Truth, Faith and Service.
Orientation: The teacher has to orient the students regarding the mode of learning, the
grading system, course requirements in order to pass the course.

GRADING SYSTEM
1. Written Works (Research Outputs) 30 %
2. Performance Tasks (Portfolio/Quizzes) 30 %
3. Quarterly Assessment (prelim, midterm, pre-final and final) 40___%
Total 100 %
Course Requirements
1. Read the module content and answer all exercises
2. Submit all research outputs/assignments
3. Submit the required portfolio
4. Pass the quarterly examinations

Topics: I. You, The Teacher, as a Person in Society

II. The Teacher in the Classroom and Community
III. On Becoming a Global Teacher
IV. The Professionalization of Teaching
V. Becoming a Professional Teacher
VI. Other Education and Teacher-Related Laws
VII. Historical Perspective of the Philippine Educational System

References:
 Revised School-Based Management Assessment Tool
 The Teaching Profession by Purita P. Bilbao, PhD, et al. 2015

Module 1: You, the Teacher, as a Person in Society

Lesson 1: Your Philosophical Heritage

Objectives:
 Summarize at least seven (7) philosophies of education and draw their
implications to teaching-learning.
 Formulate your own philosophy of education.
 Discuss and internalize the foundational principles of morality.
 Accept continuing values formation as an integral part of your personal and
professional life.
 Clarify if you truly value teaching.
 Explain teaching as a vocation, mission, and profession.
 Embrace teaching as a vocation, mission, and profession.

References:
Corpuz, B. (2015) The Teaching Profession

Introduction: The word philosophy is derived from two Greek words. The first word, philo,
means “love.” The second, sophy, means “wisdom.” Literally, then, philosophy means “love
of wisdom” (Power, 1982).  Each individual has an attitude toward life, children, politics,
learning, and previous personal experiences that informs and shapes their set of beliefs.
Although you may not be conscious of it, this set of beliefs, or personal philosophy, informs
how you live, work, and interact with others. What you believe is directly reflected in both
your teaching and learning processes. This article explores the various philosophical views
influence the teaching profession.
It is important to understand how philosophy and education are interrelated. In order to
become the most effective teacher you can be, you must understand your own beliefs, while
at the same time empathizing with others. In this chapter we will examine the study of
philosophy, the major branches of philosophy, and the major philosophical schools of
thought in education. You will have a chance to examine how these schools of thought can
help you define your personal educational philosophy. Developing your own educational
philosophy is a key part of your journey to becoming a teacher. In this article, we will
discuss the 5 things that educators should know about the philosophy of education.
What are the major branches of philosophy? The four main branches of philosophy are
metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and logic. Metaphysics considers questions about the
physical universe and the nature of ultimate reality. Epistemology examines how people
come to learn what they know. Axiology is the study of fundamental principles or values.
Logic pursues the organization of the reasoning process. Logic can be divided into two main
components: deductive reasoning, which takes general principles and relates them to a
specific case; and inductive reasoning, which builds up an argument based on specific
examples.
What are the major schools of thought in philosophy? Idealism can be divided into
three categories: classical, religious, and modern. Classical idealism, the philosophy of the
Greeks Socrates and Plato, searches for an absolute truth. Religious idealism tries to
reconcile God and humanity. Modern idealism, stemming from the ideas of Descartes, links
perception and existence.
Realism, the school of thought founded by Aristotle, believes that the world of matter is
separate from human perceptions. Modern realist thought has led to the “blank slate”
notion of human capabilities. Pragmatism believes that we should select the ideas, actions,
and consequences with the most desirable outcome, as well as learning from previous
experiences to achieve desirable consequences. John Dewey’s Experimentalism brought the
scientific method of inductive reasoning to the educational sphere.
Postmodernism and existentialism focus on intricate readings of texts and social and
political conventions, examining existing structures for flaws. Essentially, they focus
heavily on the present, and on understanding life as we know it. Jacques Derrida’s
deconstruction methods of reading texts suggests that universal rationality is not found in
objective reality, but in the text. Michel Foucault, another postmodern philosopher,
examined the relationship between truth and power.
What are the major philosophies of education? The major philosophies of education can
be broken down into three main types: teacher-centered philosophies, student-centered
philosophies, and society-centered philosophies. These include Essentialism, Perennialism,
Progressivism, Social Reconstructionism, Existentialism, Behaviorism, Constructivism,
Conservatism, and Humanism.
Essentialism and Perennialism are the two types of teacher-centered philosophies of
education. Essentialism is currently the leading style of public education in the United
States. It is the teaching of basic skills that have been proven over time to be needed in
society. Perennialism focuses on the teaching of great works.
There are three types of student-centered philosophies of education. Progressivism focuses
on developing the student’s moral compass. Humanism is about fostering each student to
his or her fullest potential. Constructivism focuses on using education to shape a student’s
world view.
There are two types of socially-centered philosophies of education. Reconstructionism is the
perspective that education is the means to solve social problems. Behaviorism focuses on
cultivating behaviors that are beneficial to society.
What additional ideologies of educational philosophy exist? Other notable ideologies of
educational philosophy include Nationalism, American Exceptionalism, Ethno-nationalism,
Liberalism, Conservatism, and Marxism. Nationalism is a national spirit, or love of country,
that ties the interests of a nation to the symbols that represent it. American Exceptionalism
is a form of Nationalism that implies that the United States is a special country that is
privileged to have a manifest destiny. Ethno-nationalism is similar to nationalism, but
rather than the loyalty lying with one’s nation, it lies with one’s ethnic or racial group.
Liberalism is the ideology that people should enjoy the greatest possible individual
freedoms and that it should be guaranteed by due process of law. The opposite of liberalism
is conservatism. Conservatism is the belief that institutions should function according to
their intended original purpose and any concepts that have not been maintained should be
restored. Finally, Marxism is an ideological and political movement that focuses on the
class system as a form of conflict within the social, political, and educational realms.
How is an educator’s educational philosophy determined? It is important to identify
your own philosophy of education in order to understand your own system of values and
beliefs so that you are easily able to describe your teaching style to potential employers.
While writing your own personal philosophy of education statement, it is vital to address
several key components: How do I think? What is the purpose of education? What is the
role of the teacher? How should the teacher teach? What is the role of the student? What
should be taught? Additionally, make sure that you be yourself and are clear and concise.
Do some research about the school you are applying for and address their missions and
goals in your statement. Remember that education is about the students and also
remember to focus on your discipline. Think of the great teachers you have had in your life.
Remember to get feedback. Additionally, don’t make it long and don’t ramble. Don’t rehash
your resume, be a know-it-all, or use strong statements.

Seven (7) Philosophies of Education

Essentialism: Educational essentialism is an educational philosophy whose

adherents believe that children should learn the traditional basic subjects thoroughly. In
this philosophical school of thought, the aim is to instill students with the "essentials" of
academic knowledge, enacting a back-to-basics approach. Essentialism ensures that the
accumulated wisdom of our civilization as taught in the traditional academic disciplines is
passed on from teacher to student. Such disciplines might
include Reading, Writing, Literature, Foreign
Languages, History, Mathematics, Science, Art, and Music. Moreover, this traditional
approach is meant to train the mind, promote reasoning, and ensure a common culture.
Essentialism is a relatively conservative stance to education that strives to teach students
the knowledge of a society and civilization through a core curriculum. This core curriculum
involves such areas that include the study of the surrounding environment, basic natural
laws, and the disciplines that promote a happier, more educated living. Other non-
traditional areas are also integrated as well in moderation to balance the education.
Essentialists' goals are to instill students with the "essentials" of academic
knowledge, patriotism, and character development through traditional (or back-to-basic)
approaches. This is to promote reasoning, train the mind, and ensure a common culture for
all citizens.
Essentialism is the most typically enacted philosophy in American classrooms today.
Traces of this can be found in the organized learning centered on teachers and textbooks,
in addition to the regular assignments and evaluations.
The role of the teacher as the leader of the classroom is a very important tenet of
Educational essentialism. The teacher is the center of the classroom, so they should be
rigid and disciplinary. Establishing order in the classroom is crucial for student learning;
effective teaching cannot take place in a loud and disorganized environment. It is the
teacher's responsibility to keep order in the classroom.[3] The teacher must interpret
essentials of the learning process, take the leadership position and set the tone of the
classroom. These needs require an educator who is academically well-qualified with an
appreciation for learning and development. The teacher must control the students with
distributions of rewards and penalties.
Essentialism contends that teachers teach for learners to acquire basic knowledge, skills
and values. Teachers teach “not to radically reshape society” but rather “to transmit the
traditional moral values and intellectual knowledge that students need to become model
citizens.”
Essentialist programs are academically rigorous. The emphasis is on academic content for
students to learn the basic skills or the fundamental r’s – reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic, right
conduct – as these are essential to the acquisition of higher or more complex skills needed
in preparation for adult life. The essentialist curriculum includes the “traditional disciplines
such as math, natural science, history, foreign language, and literature. Essentialists frown
upon vocational courses… or other courses with “watered down’ academic content…
Essentialist teachers emphasize mastery of subject matter. They are expected to be
intellectual and moral models of their students. They are seen as “fountain” of information
and as “paragon of virtue”, if ever there is such a person.
Progressivism: Progressive education is a pedagogical movement that began in the late
nineteenth century and has persisted in various forms to the present. The
term progressive was engaged to distinguish this education from the traditional curricula of
the 19th century, which was rooted in classical preparation for the university and strongly
differentiated by social class. By contrast, progressive education finds its roots in
modern experience. Most progressive education programs have these qualities in common

 Emphasis on learning by doing – hands-on projects, expeditionary

learning, experiential learning

 Integrated curriculum focused on thematic units

 Strong emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking

 Group work and development of social skills

 Understanding and action as the goals of learning as opposed to rote knowledge

 Collaborative and cooperative learning projects

 Education for social responsibility and democracy

 Integration of community service and service learning projects into the daily
curriculum[2]

 Selection of subject content by looking forward to ask what skills will be needed in
future society[3]

 De-emphasis on textbooks in favor of varied learning resources

 Emphasis on lifelong learning and social skills

 Assessment by evaluation of child's projects and productions

Progressivists accept the impermanence of life and the inevitability of change. For the
progressivists, everything else changes. Change is the only thing that does not change.
Perennialism: Educational perennialism also infrequently referred to as Universal
Curriculum is a normative educational philosophy. Perennialists believe that one should
teach the things that are of everlasting pertinence to all people everywhere, and that the
emphasis should be on principles, not facts. Since people are human, one should teach
first about humans, rather than machines or techniques, and about liberal, rather than
vocational, topics.
Although perennialism may appear similar to essentialism, perennialism focuses first on
personal development, while essentialism focuses first on essential skills. Essentialist
curricula thus tend to be much more vocational and fact-based, and far less liberal and
principle-based. Both philosophies are typically considered to be teacher-centered, as
opposed to student-centered philosophies of education such as progressivism. However,
since the teachers associated with perennialism are in a sense the authors of the Western
masterpieces themselves, these teachers may be open to student criticism through the
associated Socratic method, which, if carried out as true dialogue, involves a balance
between teacher activity and student activity, with the teacher promoting discussion.
Existentialism: Existentialism is a way of thinking that focuses on what it means for
people to exist. It is a philosophical movement. It became well-known in books and movies
of the 19th and 20th centuries.[1] Existentialism is known for dealing
with nihilistic problems, but is generally still a kind of anti-nihilism. It says that humans
have will and consciousness, but they live in a world that does not. The premise that
people must make choices about their life while knowing they are mortal is what
existentialism is all about.
It was started by the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855). Kierkegaard was
a very religious man, but existentialism in the 20th century became more and
more atheistic.[3] Most of its main thinkers and writers were in mainland Europe. For
example, Jean-Paul Sartre spent most of the Second World War in a German prison camp,
reading the philosophy of Martin Heidegger.[4] When he came out he gave a lecture
called Existentialism and Humanism. This early lecture may be easier to read than his later
work.
Many religions and philosophies (ways of thinking about the world) say that human life has
a meaning (or a purpose). But people who believe in existentialism think that the world and
human life have no meaning unless people give them meaning: ‘existence precedes [is before]
essence’. This means that we find ourselves existing in the world, and then we give
ourselves meaning, or 'essence'. As Sartre said, "We are condemned to be free". This means
that we have no choice but to choose, and that we have full responsibility for our choices.
Another way to put it is that we are always making choices even if we don't realize it.
Existentialists believe that our human 'essence' or 'nature' (way of being in the world) is
simply our 'existence' (being in the world). More simply put, the 'essence' of a human, or
what makes a human a 'human', is not due to nature or uncontrollable circumstances;
rather, human essence is really just what we choose to make it. This means that the only
nature we as humans have is the nature we make for ourselves. As a result of this,
existentialists think that the actions or choices that a person makes are very important.
They believe that every person has to decide for themselves what is right and wrong, and
what is good and bad.
People who believe in existentialism ask questions like ’what is it like to be a human (a
person) in the world?’ and ’how can we understand human freedom (what it means for a
person to be free)?’ Existentialism is often connected with negative emotions, such
as anxiety (worrying), dread (a very strong fear), and mortality (awareness of our own
death). Some existentialists, like Sartre and Heidegger, think that thinking about these
emotions helps people to choose the way that they want to live their lives.
Existentialism is sometimes confused with nihilism. It is different from nihilism, but there
is a similarity. Nihilists believe that human life does not have a meaning (or a purpose) at
all; existentialism says that people must choose their own purpose.
Behaviorism: Behaviorism is a systematic approach to understanding the behavior of
humans and other animals. It assumes that behavior is either a reflex evoked by the
pairing of certain antecedent stimuli in the environment, or a consequence of that
individual's history, including especially reinforcement and punishment contingencies,
together with the individual's current motivational state and controlling stimuli. Although
behaviorists generally accept the important role of heredity in determining behavior, they
focus primarily on environmental events.
It combines elements of philosophy, methodology, and theory. Behaviorism emerged in the
early 1900s as a reaction to depth psychology and other traditional forms of psychology,
which often had difficulty making predictions that could be tested experimentally, but
derived from earlier research in the late nineteenth century, such as when Edward
Thorndike pioneered the law of effect, a procedure that involved the use of consequences to
strengthen or weaken behavior.
With a 1924 publication, John B. Watson devised methodological behaviorism, which
rejected introspective methods and sought to understand behavior by only measuring
observable behaviors and events. It was not until the 1930s that B. F. Skinner suggested
that covert behavior—including cognition and emotions—is subject to the same controlling
variables as observable behavior, which became the basis for his philosophy
called radical behaviorism.[2][3] While Watson and Ivan Pavlov investigated how (conditioned)
neutral stimuli elicit reflexes in respondent conditioning, Skinner assessed the
reinforcement histories of the discriminative (antecedent) stimuli that emits behavior; the
technique became known as operant conditioning.
The application of radical behaviorism—known as applied behavior analysis—is used in a
variety of contexts, including, for example, applied animal behavior and organizational
behavior management to treatment of mental disorders, such as autism and substance
abuse In addition, while behaviorism and cognitive schools of psychological thought do not
agree theoretically, they have complemented each other in the cognitive-behavior therapies,
which have demonstrated utility in treating certain pathologies, including
simple phobias, PTSD, and mood disorders.
Linguistic Philosophy: To develop the communication skills of the learner because the
ability to articulate, to voice out the meaning and values of things that one obtains from
his/her experience of life and the world is the very essence of man.
Learners should be taught to communicate clearly – how to send clear, concise messages
and how to receive and correctly understand messages sent. Communication takes place in
three (3 ways) – verbal, nonverbal, and paraverbal. Verbal component refers to the content
of our message, the choice and arrangement of our words. This can be oral or written.
Nonverbal component refers to the message we send through our body language while
paraverbal component refers to how we say what we say – the tone, pacing and volume of
our voices.
There is a need to teach learners to us language that is correct, precise, grammatical,
coherent, accurate so that they are able to communicate clearly and precisely their
thoughts and feelings.
The most effective way to teach language and communication is the experiential way. Make
them experience sending and receiving messages through verbal, non-verbal and para-
verbal manner. Teacher should make the classroom a place for the interplay of minds and
hearts.
Constructivism: Constructivism is a theory in education that recognizes
learners construct new understandings and knowledge, integrating with what they already
know. This includes knowledge gained prior to entering school. It is associated with various
philosophical positions, particularly in epistemology as well as ontology, politics,
and ethics. The origin of the theory is also linked to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive
development.
Constructivists sees to develop intrinsically motivated and independent learners adequately
equipped with learning skills for them to be able to construct knowledge and make meaning
of them.
The learners are taught how to learn. They are taught learning processes and skills such as
searching, critiquing and evaluating information, relating these pieces of information,
reflecting on the same, making meaning out of them, drawing insights, posing questions,
researching and constructing new knowledge out of these bits of information learned.
In the constructivist classroom, the teacher provides students with data or experiences that
allow them to hypothesize, predict, manipulate objects, pose questions, research,
investigate, imagine, and invent.

Activity 1: Test Your Understanding of the Philosophies

Direction: Answer each with YES or NO.
 Essentialism
_____1. Do essentialists aim to teach students to reconstruct society?
_____2. Is the model citizen of the essentialist the citizen who contributes to the re-
building of society?
_____3. Do the essentialist teachers give up teaching the basics if the students are
not interested?
_____4. Do the essentialist teachers frown on long academic calendar and core
requirements?
 Progressivism
_____1. Do the progressivist teacher look at education as a preparation for adult life?
_____2. Are the students’ interests and needs considered in a progressivist
curriculum?
_____3. Does the progressivist curriculum focus mainly on facts and concepts?
_____4. Do the progressivist teachers strive to stimulate in the classroom life in the
outside world?
 Perennialism
_____1. Are the perennialist teachers concerned with the students’ mastery of the
fundamental skills?
_____2. Do the perennialist teachers see the wisdom of ancient, medieval and modern
times?
_____3. Is the perennialist curriculum geared towards specialization?
_____4. Do the perennialist teachers sacrifice subject matter for the sake of students’
interests?
 Existentialism
_____1. Is the existentialist teacher after students becoming specialists in order to
contribute to society?
_____2. Is the existentialist concerned with the education of the whole person?
_____3. Is the course of study imposed on students in the existentialist classroom?
_____4. Does the existentialist teacher make heavy use of the individualized
approach?
 Behaviorism
_____1. Are behaviourists concerned with the modification of students’ behaviour?
_____2. Do behaviourist teachers spend their time teaching their students on hoe to
respond favourably to various environment stimuli?
_____3. Do behaviourist teachers believe they have control over some variables that
affect learning?
_____4. Do behaviourist teachers believe that students are a product of their
environment?
 Linguistic Philosophy
_____1. Do linguistic philosophers promote the study of language?
_____2. Is the communication that linguistic philosophers encourage limited to verbal
language only?
_____3. Do linguistic philosophers prefer the teacher who dominates discussion to
save time to a teacher who encourages dialogue?
_____4. Is the curriculum of the linguistic philosopher open to the learning of as
many languages, like Mother Tongue, as possible?
 Constructivism
_____1. Does the constructivist agree to a teaching methodology of “telling’?
_____2. Do constructivists believe that students can construct knowledge?
_____3. Do constructivists approve of teaching learners the skill to learn?
_____4. Do constructivists believe that meaning can be imposed?

Activity 2: Synapse Strengtheners

We are interested in what is true. Our teaching methodologies are based on our quest
for truth. Likewise, our teaching-learning goals are based on what we value or what
we cherish as good. Identify what each philosophy considers as good and valuable
and true. Complete the Table given below. The first one is done for you.

Philospohy Theory of Methodology to Theory of what Goal of

Truth arrive at the truth is teaching-
valuable/good learning
Progressivism The We must relate to Values differ To help
universe is the universe and from place to develop
real and is interact with others place, from time students who
in constant intelligently, to time, from can adjust to
change. scientifically and person to a changing
experientially. The person; what is world and live
curriculum considered good with others in
stresses on science for one may not harmony
and experiential be good for
learning such as another
“hands on-minds-
on-hearts-on”
learning.
Linguistic
Philosophy

Constructivis
m

Essentialism

Existentialism

Perennialism

Behaviorism
Activity 3: Research Work

Direction/s: Research on the following philosophies. Give at least 3-5 sentences

about the gist of each philosophy.

1. Christian philosophy
2. Rationalism
3. Empiricism
4. Pragmatism
5. Reconstructionism
6. Confucianism
7. Hindu philosophy
8. Buddhist philosophy
9. Paolo Freire’s philosophy
10. Socrates’s philosophy
11. Plato’s philosophy
12. Rousseasu’s philosophy
13. Stoic philosophy
14. Epicureanism
15. Philosophical Analysis
16. Phenomenology
17. Logical positivism

“To philosophize is so essentially human – and in a sense

To philosophize means living a truly human life.”
- J. Pieper