My personal philosophy in education combines several of the influential and psychological philosophies that exist nowadays. Each of the philosophies has a greater or less magnitude in my character, molded by the influence of great educators throughout history, and also my own experience with professors at school. My personal philosophy of education is mostly existentialist; then, it is progressive, reconstructionist, essentialist, and finally perennialist. Regarding the psychological aspect, my personal philosophy is more constructivist than behaviorist. Understanding these philosophies' development and characteristics will help me to discover who I am as a teacher and a person.
First, I should consider existentialism and constructivism because these are the most influential philosophies in my educational character. Existentialism is one of the classical philosophies in education, and it is student centered, which means that it prioritizes the interests of students. Existentialists believe that it is in the hands of students, no teachers or school, to define what students should learn. Existentialists believe that students should find their purpose in life through education. Professor Emeritus in the American University David Miller Sadker and Doctor Karen R. Zittleman (2010) explained that "[e]xistentialists do not believe that "truth" is objective and applicable to all. Instead, each of us must look within ourselves to discover our own truth, our own purpose in life" (p. 286). According to these authors, because this way to look at education is totally the opposite of essentialism, it is not popular in regular classrooms, and it is one of the most difficult to apply in education. Nietzsche, a German philosopher and existentialist, stated that "[t]here are no facts only interpretations" (cited in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 1997). Furthermore, my personal philosophy has a strong influence from constructivism, which "asserts that knowledge cannot be handed from a person to another (from a teacher to a learner) but must be constructed by each learner through interpreting and reinterpreting a constant flow of information" (Sadker and Zittleman, 2010, p. 293). Some of the most relevant contributors to constructivism were psychologists Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. As Piaget said, "Learning is no more than a sector of cognitive development that is facilitated by experience" (as cited in Papert, 1999).
Second, I would like to talk about those philosophies that are less likely to influence in my character and way of thinking. Perennialism, which is closely related to essentialism, is a teacher centered philosophy. According to Sadker and Zittleman (2010), "Both [perennialism and essentialism] tolerate little flexibility in the curriculum. Both implement rigorous standards. Both aim to sharpen students' intellectual powers and enhance their moral qualities" (p. 281). Most of the schools are inclined to these two philosophies. Some of the greatest figures of perennialism are the once president of the University of Chicago Robert M. Hutchins, and American philosopher Mortimer Adler. Perennialists believe that true knowledge is in the "Great Books—works by history's finest thinkers and writers" (Sadker and Zittleman, 2010, p. 281). In the words of Mortimer Adler, "The Great Books of ancient and medieval as well as modern times are a repository of knowledge and wisdom, a tradition of culture which must initiate each generation" (as cited in Sadker and Zittleman, 2010, p. 282). Also, my personal philosophy has little to do with behaviorism, which "is derived from the belief that free will is an illusion and that human beings are shaped entirely by their environment" (Sadker and Zittleman, 2010, p. 294). A primary supporter of behaviorism was Harvard professor B. F. Skinner.
In conclusion, the knowledge about these educational philosophies allows me to know myself as a teacher and at the same time honor all of those educators who, from a way or another, have aimed for a better prepared society.
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