by Bayla Maya

Created on: June 29, 2007   Last Updated: July 05, 2007

THE FIVE KEY EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES

There are many different forms of philosophy used in our education system today. It is not unusual too see more than one philosophy incorporated in a school or classroom setting. When incorporating the different educational philosophies in the classroom, one must consider the makeup of their classroom community. A good educator will always continue to expand their knowledge and adapt with the changing times. In the end this will help them create a more successful classroom.

ESSENTIALISM

The essentialism approach to education has been noted throughout history. It started back in the days of the Greek Philosophers, and has continued throughout American history. In the 1930's William Bagley helped popularize this philosophy with his writings and lectures. As interest in space grew, so did the interest in the essentialism way of education. Even in today's society we see President Bush pushing this form of educational philosophy with his "No Child Left Behind Act." All throughout education history, society has tended to go back to questioning the "traditional" approach of going "Back to the Basics."

Educators of the essentialism approach teach the basic skills of math, natural science, history, foreign language (ex. Latin & Greek), and literature. The teacher is responsible for installing moral values that will help the student on the road to becoming an ideal citizen. The students are taught factual information and are not offered any vocational training. The classroom setting is very rigid and disciplined. Students are rated academically by testing. Both the teacher and the administrators decide what is best for the student. This creates an atmosphere where students do not expand their minds creatively.

Schools that use the essentialism philosophy encourage academic competition. This type of educational approach tends to create longer academic days, school years, and the need for challenging textbooks. Today we may find this approach used in private, parochial, and some small town rural schools. I believe we may see an increase of the essentialism approach as school systems comply with state mandated testing requirements. It is my opinion that essentialism combined with other approaches can create a stronger academic day.

PERENNIALISM

The influence of Greek Philosophers Plato, and Aristotle still appear in education today. These two philosophers taught their students by influencing them to question the facts. In more recent time

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