—
Education
Philosophy
Inventory
RESULTS
EPI
Score
Sheet:
Below,
the
numbers
you
circled
for
each
statement
(1-36)
recorded
and
totalled
under
appropriate
perspective.
The
highest
total
indicates
your
educational
philosophy.
Essentialism
Essentialism
was
a
response
to
progressivism.
It
advocates
a
conservative
philosophic
perspective.
The
emphasis
is
on
intellectual
and
moral
standards
that
should
be
transmitted
by
schools.
The
core of
the
curriculum
should
be
essential
knowledge
and
skills.
Schooling
should
be
practical
and
not
influence
social
policy.
It
is
a
'back
to
basics'
movement,
which
emphasizes
facts.
Students
should
be
taught
discipline,
hard
work,
and
respect
for
authority.
Influential
essentialists:
William
Bagley,
H.G.
Rickover,
Arthur
Bestor,
William
Bennett;
E.D.
Hirsch's
Cultural Literacy
could
fit
this
category.
Total:
13
(Sum
of
Questions:
1,7,
13,
19,
25,
31)
Behaviorism
Behaviorists
deny
free will
and
maintain
that
behavior
is
the result
of
external
forces,
which
cause
humans
to
behave
in
predictable
ways.
Behaviorism
is
linked with
empiricism,
which
stresses
scientific
experiment
and
observation.
Behaviorists
are
skeptical
about
metaphysical
claims.
Behaviorists
look
for
laws
governing
human
behavior
the
way
natural
scientists
look
for
empirical
laws
governing
natural
events.
The
role
of
the
teacher
is
to
identify
behavioral
goals
and
establish
a
reward system
to
achieve
goals.
Influential
behaviorists:
BF,
Skinner,
Ivan
Pavlov,
J.B.
Watson,
Benjamin
Bloom.
Total:
12
(Sum
of
Questions:
2,
8,
14,
20,
26,
32)
Progressivism
Progressivism
focuses
more
on
the
child
than
the
subject
matter.
The
students’
interests
and
personal
growth
are
important.
Learners
should
be
active
and
learn
to
solve
problems
by
reflecting
upon
their
experience.
The
school
should
help
students
develop
democratic
personal
and
social
values.
Because
society
is
always
changing,
new
ideas
are
important
to
make
the
future better
than
the
past.
Influential
progressives:
John
Dewey,
William
Kilpatrick,
Francis
Parker.
Total:
22
(Sum
of Questions:
3,
9,
15,21,
27,
33)
Existenialism
Existentialism
is
a
highly
subjective
philosophy
that
stresses
the
importance
of
the
individual
and
emotional
commitment
to
living
authentically.
It
emphasizes
individual
choice
over
the
importance
of
rational
theories,
history,
and
social
institutions.
Jean
Paul
Sartre,
the
French
philosopher,
claimed
"Existence
precedes
essence.’
Sartre
meant
that
people
are
born
and must
define
themselves
through
personal
choices.
Influential
existentialists:
Jean
Paul
Sartre,
Soren
Kierkegaard,
Martin Buber,
Martin
Heidegger,
Gabriel
Marcel,
Friedrich
Nietzsche, Albert
Camus,
Carl
Rogers,
A.S.
Neill,
and
Maxine
Greene.
Total:
21
(Sum
of
Questions:
4,
10, 16,
22, 28,
34)
Perennialism
Perennialists
advocate
that
the
aim
of
education
is
to
ensure
that
students
acquire
knowledge
about
the
great ideas
of
Western
culture.
Human
beings
are
rational,
and
it
is
this
capacity
that
needs
to
be
developed.
Cultivation
of
the
intellect
is
the
highest
priority
of an
education
worth
having.
The
highest
level
of
knowledge
in
each
field
should
be
the
focus
of
curriculum.
Influential
perennialists
are:
Robert
Maynard
Hutchins,
Mortimer
Adler,
Allan
Bloom.
Total:
14
(Sum
of
Questions:
5,
11, 17,
23,29,
35)
Reconstructionism
Reconstructionists
advocate
that
schools
should
take
the
lead
to
reconstruct
society.
Schools
have
more
than
a
responsibility
to
transmit
knowledge
they
have
the
mission
to
transform
society
as
well.
Reconstructionists
go
beyond
progressivists in
advocating
social
activism.
Influential
reconstructionists:
Theodore
Brameld,
George
Counts,
Paulo
Friere,
Henry
Giroux.
Total:
13
(Sum
of Questions:
6,
12, 18,
24, 30,
36)
Conclusion:
Your
responses
to
the
Inventory
probably
favor
several
philosophic
perspectives.
Look
at
your
highest
and
lowest
scores.
The
high
scores
indicate
those
perspectives
most
consistent
with
your
views
about
teaching,
learning,
curriculum
and
governance:
the
four
commonplaces
of
educating.
For
example,
in
question
1,
if
you
believe
the
curriculum
should
emphasize
i;'4a
set
fixed
body
of
knowledge,i;#
you
probably
scored
high
in
essentialism.
If
you
believe
curriculum
should
emphasize
i;
4studentsiz
4
personal
interests
i,
you
probably
scored
high
in
progressivism.
2
Philosophy of Education: Survey and Reflection
3
Reflection
After assessing my philosophy of education survey results, I learned, that I scored the
highest in the category of progressivism. Progressivism focuses more on the child than the
subject matter. According to Gutek, the aim of progressivism is to educate students according to
their needs and interests including projects and hands on activities. (Gutek, 2013). My second
highest score was in existentialism which surprised me but in a good way. Existentialism is the
belief that a student’s emotional well-being and individuality is the most important part of their
education. In our text we read that Freire was influenced by existentialism and believed
“individuals were incomplete presences in the world who can construct their own projects for
making the world into a better place for humanity” (Gutek,2013).
The philosophy of education results has made me think about my future classroom and
students. I want to implement positive educational philosophy theories in my lesson planning,
instruction, and personal teaching pedagogy. Education is important and learning educational
core subjects is important however in the world we live in today students and children need to be
armed with more to survive and make a difference.
4
References
Education philosophy inventory. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2024, from
http://www.authenticeducating.com/education-philosophy-inventory/
Gutek, G. L. (2013).:Philosophical, Ideological, and Theoretical Perspectives on
Education:(2nd ed.). Pearson Education (US).
https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/books/9780133472448
