Philosophy Meets History
A sense and perspective of the major philosophies of teaching and learning allows for the building of a philosophical foundation upon which to construct deeper and larger perspectives of the teaching and learning process. Critical inquiry and the application of its elements allow for the synthesis of the components of teaching and learning philosophies. Building on these ideas creates the environment for analyzing and synthesizing the relationship between time periods, scientific discoveries, growth as a nation, and the implications for teaching and learning from all aspects. In this assignment, you will synthesize major philosophies of teaching and learning with the historical influences that nurtured those philosophies.
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Write a paper (1,500-1,750 words) that synthesizes major philosophies of teaching and learning with the historical influences that nurtured those philosophies. Include the following in your paper:
A description of three major philosophies of teaching and learning.
A discussion of the historical influences that nurtured each of the philosophies described.
A synthesis of the philosophies and the historical influences. How did history and philosophy interact in the development of teaching and learning?
Philosophies of Teaching/Learning and their Historical Influences
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Philosophies of Teaching/Learning and their Historical Influences
A deeper understanding of the philosophical tenets of learning or teaching instills a stronger platform for knowledge creation and dissemination. The building blocks of knowledge creation and dissemination stem from the tenets of multiple philosophical inputs. Like in all its other applied aspects, education philosophy is two-faced and tends to merge theory and practice elements into knowledge creation and dissemination. The practical and theoretical issues have combined to bear newer developments in philosophical and educational prospects, including learning, metaphysics, and epistemology. In this analysis, emphasis is anchored on three major educational philosophies and the historical influences that nurtured individual philosophies. Such insightful exploitation is vital in developing ideas creating the environment for analyzing and synthesizing the relationship between periods, scientific discoveries, growth as a nation, and the implications for teaching and learning from all aspects.
Perennialism
Perrenialism is one of the traditional educational philosophies whose influences are evident in multiple elements of contemporary learning settings. Perennial philosophists believe that certain aspects of knowledge and works transcend time (Pineda-Rivera, 2012). That is, some sources of knowledge are as important today as they were at their time of publication. Such sources of knowledge have often been referred to as the great books. Some of the great books in the history of perennials include Dante's Inferno, Dicken's Great Expectations, Shakespeare's Macbeth, and Melville's Moby Dick (Fisher & Tallant, 2015). All the above works bear the knowledge that perennials believe in transcending the scope of time.
The variations between perennials and other theoretical prospects are evident in their unique goals for educators and learners. Perennialism encourages learners to develop minds that can think critically and rationally (Fisher & Tallant, 2015). In this construct, students steer the learning process while educators facilitate the achievement of the goals. A perennial classroom is characterized by close organization and discipline. As such, it steers learners into a life-long quest for the truth. In a perennial view, education should epitomize ideas and thought processes to guide learners to retrieve knowledge while appreciating the great literature that transcends time. However, perennials have been criticized largely for their emphasis on traditionalism. Since it does not expose and advocate for technology, incorporate multiculturalism, and challenge gender stereotypes, this philosophy has been referred largely to as culturally conservative.
Perennialism marked its popularity through various historical influences. Perennialism stems from the philosophies of Aristotle, Plato, and Thomas Aquinas. At its onset, it was considered the most traditional or flexible philosophy in education. The philosophy was a major boost in instilling new thinking paradigms. The proponents of Perennialism were faced with challenges that included individual freedoms and human rights. As such, they advocated for individualistic insightful and critical thinking. Learners would also be encouraged through perennialist ideas to appreciate responsibilities through nature. Through Aquinas, Perennialism was heavily linked to religion in the 19th century (Fisher & Tallant, 2015). John Henry Newman defended religious Perennialism and emphasized a statement on contemporary Christian educational Perennialism. The epistemological options that have since been developed to the prospect include realistic fideism, realistic rationalism, idealistic rationalism, and idealistic fideism. Historical occurrences that constituted developments in religion and human rights, and environmental responsibilities shaped the development and growth of Perennialism.
Essentialism
Essentialism is the second educational philosophy that is perhaps the most influential in contemporary learning. Essentialism is a subject-centered philosophy and emphasizes teaching basic skills. Essentialists emphasize training the mind gradually to incorporate contemporary aspects of learning. Essentialists are strategic and emphasize progressive learning, where students develop from one level to the next upon gaining knowledge at each level. Also worth noting is that learning becomes more detailed and complex as one progresses through the different levels. At the onset, the subjects in essentialist learning emphasize the historical context of culture and material. The subject transforms sequentially to accommodate present-day issues. As opposed to Perennialism that emphasizes specific knowledge bases and rigidity in learning, essentialism is more flexible and ...