Philosophy of education
Ideology/philosophy guides curriculum designers and users on interpretation and use of
curriculum materials at the school or classroom level. The curriculum planners will design a
curriculum which is in line with the philosophy of the country. One must also consider the
broad philosophical issues such as the aims and purposes of education. The politics, the
ideology, of a country will have an influence on what is – or is not – included in the
curriculum. Curriculum decisions are thus not just about content or the most effective ways
of organizing the teaching and learning of subject matter. Curriculum decisions therefore
involve a complex mix of social, cultural, philosophical, moral, political and ideological
issues. A change in ideology normally results in curriculum change and innovation because
society is never static, it is ever-changing.
Philosophy provides educators especially curriculum workers, with a framework or
frameworks for organizing schools and classroom. It helps them determine the following;
-what schools are for,
-which subjects have value,
-how students learn,
- What methods and materials to use.
Philosophy clarifies goals, suitable content, teaching and learning processes, and experiences
and activities that schools should emphasize. Philosophy also provides a basis for deciding
which textbooks to use, how to use them, how much homework to assign, how to test
students and use test results, and what subject matter to emphasize.
Activity:
NB: read this philosophy of education carefully, ‘Social reconstructionism’ and then
evaluate the extent at which our education system applies this philosophy. Align with the
goals of the education sector. Note the its
Purpose
Curriculum
Role of the teacher
Teaching methods
Role of the student
SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTIONISM
Social Reconstructionism is a student-centered philosophy of education that is currently
relevant and beneficial. This philosophy prepares students for a future that is ever-changing.
Reeves (2013) says Social Reconstructionism focuses on educating students about issues
going on in their society. Its goal is to inform students, give them the skills they need to be
able to take action with what they learn, encourage them to improve society, and guide them
in improving society. With this philosophy, schools, teachers, and students unite with a
common purpose: to eliminate social problems and tackle social challenges.
The purpose of education, according to the philosophy of Social Reconstructionism, is to
reconstruct society. Sadker and Zittleman (2010) explain the purpose of education through
Social Reconstructionism is to encourage “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” Learning and all efforts that follow
should be for the common goal of eliminating injustices in society. Since “racism, sexism,
global warming and environmental pollution, homelessness, poverty, substance abuse,
homophobia, AIDS, and violence are rooted in misinformation and thrive in ignorance” the
school is an ideal place to begin alleviating these problems (Sadker and Zittleman, 2010).
The Nature of Curriculum
The curriculum should be made up of material that communicates knowledge to students.
This knowledge should then in turn provoke emotional responses from students. The
material will shed light upon social inequities/ injustice, which is what, should provoke
emotion within students. When students are presented with social challenges and problems
they should feel a desire to want things to be different. The nature of curriculum should be
used to improve student abilities to think critically about problems in society. When they are
being taught, for instance, about gender inequality in the past, they should be able to relate it
to gender issues that are still present today. When a teacher presents this material to his or her
students and then allows them to freely discuss it, the nature of the curriculum will
automatically cause students to formulate their own opinions towards such controversial or
important topics. As the minds of students dwell on information at hand the material should
be enlivening enough to get under one’s skin and inspire them to take actions within their
society that will eliminate social inequities. The essence of the curriculum needs to challenge
students to take some sort of action based upon what they have learned. The curriculum may
actually include assignments where the student is required to go ahead and take certain
actions. With the curriculum incorporating assignments that require students to take action
they are learning how to become responsible citizens and how to take matters into their own
hands. These types of tasks are preparing students to take issues at hand and find ways in
their community to bring awareness to them or demand changes. The nature of curriculum
should inform students, stir emotions within them, shed light upon social inequities,
improve student abilities to think critically, and charge students to take action.
The most important aspect of the method of instruction in this curriculum should be that it is
student-centered. Sadker and Zittleman (2010) describe student-centered philosophies as ones
that “are less authoritarian, less concerned with the past and ‘training the mind’ and more
focused on individual needs, contemporary relevance, and preparing students for a changing
future”. In order to best meet these goals, teachers and students work together in this student-
centered philosophy to choose what should be learned and how students should learn it. The
teacher spends less time lecturing and more time allowing students to work together in
groups, challenging one another and bouncing ideas off of one another. After all, being able
to work well with others is a very important skill, especially in the workforce. Teachers
should act as facilitators and help guide their students in the direction they need to go. This
method of teaching places more responsibility on students in that they cannot simply rely on
their teacher to tell them everything that they need to know. They have to dig for themselves
somewhat and form their own opinions based on what they think, not what they are told to
think. This student-centered method of instruction benefits students by preparing them to
become responsible citizens willing to determine their own futures for themselves and not by
society’s standards.
