Teaching Today: An Introduction to Education 7 th edition Part 4: Shapers of Todays Educational World Chapter 11: Social and Philosophical Perspectives

Teaching Today: An Introduction to Education 7th editionPart 4: Shapers of Today’s

Educational World

Chapter 11: Social and Philosophical Perspectives

Armstrong, Henson, & SavageTeaching Today, 7th Edition

Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.

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Sociological Questions to Consider:

What is the function of education in a pluralistic society?

Whose interests are schools serving? Should schools focus primarily on helping

learners adapt to the needs of society, or should they focus on helping them to improve and remake society?

How do the schools interact with other social institutions?

What roles do schools play in society?Armstrong, Henson, & SavageTeaching Today, 7th Edition



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Two Perspectives Functionalist Perspective

Is this change consistent with broadly held values?

Is it designed to benefit all? Conflict Perspective

Who are the potential “winners” and “losers” ?




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Roles of Schools in Society Transmission of the

General Culture Dissemination of

Academic Knowledge Preparation for the World

of Work Promotion of School and

Group Relationships Encouragement of Social

ChangeArmstrong, Henson, & SavageTeaching Today, 7th Edition



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The Power of the Neighborhood School

This segment illustrates a difficult choice between eliminating segregation in schools and facilitating academic achievement.

How could both of these ends be achieved?

What do you see as the advantages of neighborhood schools?




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The Power of the Neighborhood School (cont.)

What is the proper role of the state and of outside philanthropy in funding schools and bringing about change?

LINK: Should schools be a primary force in bringing about social change, or should schools be basically concerned with academic achievement? Armstrong, Henson, & Savage

Teaching Today, 7th EditionCopyright ©2005 by Pearson Education,

Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

All rights reserved.11-7

Philosophical Questions to Consider:

What is the nature of human beings? Are individuals inherently good or evil? Does truth consist of a set of constant and

unchanging principles? What is the nature of knowledge? What is worth knowing? What is right and wrong? What is the highest good?




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Categories of Philosophic Consideration: Ontology/Metaphysics deals with the

nature of reality. Epistemology considers the nature of

knowledge. Axiology focuses on “what ought to

be.” Logic is the science of exact thought.




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Philosophic Perspectives Progressivism Essentialism Perennialism Existentialism Reconstructionis

mArmstrong, Henson, & SavageTeaching Today, 7th Edition



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Employers “want to know how your beliefs correspond with the goals and purposes of the school district and the community.” (p. 306)




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Creating a Philosophy of EducationAsk yourself these questions: How did you answer the beginning of

the chapter questions? How sound are your arguments for

the positions with which you agree? What merit can you find in those

positions with which you disagree? What points do they make that you

consider valid?Armstrong, Henson, & SavageTeaching Today, 7th Edition



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Creating A Philosophy (cont.)

Also, be able to answer these: What does your philosophy

mean in terms of the content that you think is important?

How will it affect how you interact and treat learners?

How does it relate to the methods that you will select for use with the learners you will teach?




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Teaching Today: An Introduction to Education 7 th edition Part 4: Shapers of Todays Educational World Chapter 11: Social and Philosophical Perspectives