Running Head: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
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Philosophy of Education
By
MW
EDUC 703
Liberty University
Spring 2019
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
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Abstract
My objective in the classroom is to prepare students for their future careers. I believe in
imparting knowledge not just for the classroom level, but to help learners apply the information
and skills they get to create a positive impact in the society. In order to achieve this, I plan to
enrich the minds of my students and hearten the growth of thinking and reasoning. My students
ought to appreciate the prominence of education, and they will look up to me as a role model.
Teamwork is also essential in learning, and thus, I will help the students form cooperative
learning groups based on their skills and talents so that they can share different ideas. Lastly, I
will encourage active learning in my classroom by allowing my students to connect what they
acquire with real-life circumstances. This will be done by handing out problem-solving questions
to the different collective groups so that each group will discuss how they can resolve such a
problem in real life. All this will not be possible without a conducive environment, and therefore,
my classroom will be set in an organized manner that will encourage creativity from the students,
and also, it will be a haven for them physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.
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Philosophy of Education
Introduction
According to a renowned philosopher Noam Chomsky, education is targeted at
supporting learners reach a level where they can learn by themselves (Sarid, 2016). Many
scholars have different perceptions concerning the purpose of education, but the ultimate goal of
education is to get the minds of students ready by equipping them with sufficient knowledge so
that they can be able to face the world. It is not all about finishing school and getting a degree.
Education nurtures students into prosperous individuals and also enlarges their vision and builds
responsiveness that aids learners to live a well-ordered and productive life. My philosophy of
education is that all students should be equipped with rich knowledge that will help them in their
future careers so that they can have a positive impact on society.
Philosophy of Schools and Learning
My philosophy of education is inclined to essentialism and progressivism. Both of these
philosophies believe in the practicality of education, equipping students with knowledge that will
help them outside the class environment. Essentialism also states that students should be taught
self-control, reverence for power and diligence, all of which are essential for their growth.
Similarly, realism and idealism, the two philosophical perspectives in education, both have
similar tenets with my philosophy (Sarid, 2016). In idealism by Plato, the purpose of education is
to determine and advance every person’s skills and complete ethical excellence to serve society
in an enhanced way. The focused subject of the cognizance is the curricular importance, and this
includes; religion, literature, history, and philosophy. For pragmatists, such as Charles Sanders
and John Dewey the real things are only those which are practiced or perceived. They believe
that learning is most effective when applied to exist life issues since the universe is continuously
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shifting. As John Dewy believes, education is not getting ready for life, but it is life in itself
(Sarid, 2016). It is the most prevailing device that can be used to transform the world as former
South African President Nelson Mandela believed. In an individual’s life, it helps them get good
jobs and sustain themselves and their families financially as well as get respect. In society, it
helps to inculcate a productive culture that is valuable to every person. All these cannot be
achieved without appropriate methods and techniques of teaching as I shall highlight below.
Instructional Practice
Understanding the appropriate techniques and methods of teaching is essential for a
teacher so that they can equip learners with proper and adequate knowledge that will be helpful
to them. For something to be regarded as knowledge, it has to be factual. Learning occurs under
three main concepts; justification, truth, and belief. Belief includes the facts and all that we
consent to be realistic (Gill, 2013). Truth is something that has been proven as factual and
justification implies the validation of something as true. Therefore, knowledge is a justified true
belief. Some of the teaching approaches and methods I would implement in my class include;
metacognitive strategies. Here, I will ensure to give my students a chance to design, establish and
monitor their work, guide their learning and cogitate on what they have acquired. This enables
them to be own that knowledge; thus, its viability will be more effective. Another one is
formative valuations. This will allow me to know where the students have reached in terms of the
set goals in their learning to know if they are continuing on the right track. Feedback is also
important for students to know how they are performing and if any adjustments are necessary.
For the pedagogical approaches, I would use the collaborative approach to promote teamwork
among the students and sharing of ideas and talents (Gill, 2013). This will enhance their
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problem-solving skills and make their education more practical than theoretical. All these require
a good relationship between the learners and teachers as elucidated below.
Teacher-Learner Relationships
The relationship between the students and the teachers is very fundamental when it
comes to the understanding and general success of the student. From a Christian point of view,
the drive of education touch on two core bodies; God and man. In line with 2 Timothy 3:16-17
(Revised Standard Version), the definitive basis for each school’s principles and values is the
Bible. Education has a duty to first and foremost love and honors God, then work for its fellow
(Van Brummelen, 2009). The Bible does not give specific learning strategies that should be used
in the classroom, but it advocates that learners ought to react to what they acquire in a subjective
approach. Students are required to be devoted to Christ and to a Christian way of living. Such
understanding will make my relationship with students easy since we shall both perform our
roles as expected. For instance, some of my roles as a teacher include; consolidating students to
perform different tasks, supervising, and teaching. Students, on the other hand, have a role of
engaging aggressively in the learning process through some activities such as consultations and
interacting with teachers and their peers. A constructive teacher-learning affiliation is one where
teachers deliver structure, exhibit a positive outlook, treat students with esteem, and display
concern in the lives of their students beyond the classroom. Teachers also teach with desire and
zeal and create an innocuous and protected environment for the students. They also create a
gratifying learning atmosphere which will inspire the turnout and active involvement of students.
All these can be achieved by understanding and appreciating diversity as follows.
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Diversity
First and foremost, diversity concerning education refers to the uniqueness and individual
differences of students and even the teachers. In the classroom, some of the diverse factors that
need to be taken into account by the teachers include; gender, motivation to learn, socio-
economic background, talents, ethnicity, educational background, religious differences,
geographical location among others. Diversity is essential in the classroom since it enables
students to reason differently and also in their careers, it gets them ready them for the practical
world, and in their occupations and day-to-day lives, it helps them relate properly with different
cultures.
Parent-Teacher Relationships
The relationship between parents and teachers is most beneficial to the students. It helps
to promote their academic success by heartening their drive to learn, improving their outlook and
class attendance. Teachers can make available an environment that boosts the growth of
partnership actions in parents and likewise, parents can exercise certain features that can boost
this relationship and these include; sensitivity, ability to listen, nurturance and open-mindedness
(Comer J. and Haynes, 2013). My philosophy of helping students beyond the classroom can be
attained with a good partnership between me as the teacher and the parents of my students.
Conclusion
I believe in being devoted to Christ and adopting a Christian lifestyle, just as Paul
advocates that children should be raised in the wisdom and instructions of the Lord. Ephesians 6:
4 (Revised Standard Version). This is by helping students use their God-given talents and gifts to
grow their distinctive abilities and also serve society for the glory and honor of God. I will also
ensure that I establish a good relationship with my students by creating a suitable learning
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environment for them and guiding them in the appropriate ways they should follow. Christian
educators should acknowledge God above all in their teaching practices.
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References
Comer J. and Haynes, M. (2013). Parent Involvement in Schools. An Ecological Approach. The
Elementary School Journal, 271-278.
Gill, E. (2013, January 5). What is Your Teaching Style? Effective Teaching Methods for Your
Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching.../teaching.../teaching-
methods-approaches
Gutek, G. L. (2011). Historical and philosophical foundations of education: A biographical
approach (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.
Sarid, A. (2016). A Theory of Education. Cambridge journal of education, 479-494.
Van Brummelen, H. (2009). Walking with God in the Classroom: Christian approaches to
teaching and learning (3rd ed.). Colorado Springs: CO: Purposeful Design Publications.
