Philosophy of Education

EDUC-5113                                        Philosophy of Education                                    3(3+0)

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to gain philosophical perspective of theory and practice which help the prospective teachers to relate their educational experiences with different western philosophies as well as philosophical thoughts of Muslim philosophers. Philosophy revolves around logic and conceptual analysis. This course will provide students with an opportunity to consider a variety of educational issues from a philosophical perspective. The course will explore general questions such as: What is the ultimate goal of education? How is education different from social indoctrination? Should education limit itself to imparting literacy, numeracy, and various kinds of skill and information, or should teachers also strive to influence the character and values of their students? In addition to these, various specific topics of current interest in the philosophy of education may be explored, such as: academic freedom; access to education; social and moral values, the ethics of education; religious values in individual and social life.

Course Objectives

After completing this course students will be able to:

  1. Describe the scope of philosophy and branches of philosophy.
  2. Analyse the relationship of education and philosophy.
  3. Evaluate the role of philosophy in educational policy and practice.
  4. Discuss the main tenets of idealism and realism.
  5. Define naturalism, pragmatism and existentialism.
  6. Identify the similarities and differences among naturalism, pragmatism and existentialism.

Course Outline

  1. Introduction to Philosophy
    1. Definition and Scope of Philosophy
    2. Branches of Philosophy
    3. Relationship of Education
  2. Role of Philosophy in Education Policy and Practice
    1. Philosophy and Aims of Education
    2. Philosophy and the Curriculum
    3. Philosophy and Teacher
    4. Philosophy and Method of Teaching
  3. Four General Philosophies
    1. Idealism
    2. Realism
    3. Pragmatism
    4. Existentialism
  4. Educational Philosophies
    1. Perennialism
    2. Essentialism
    3. Progressivism
    4. Reconstructionism/Critical Theory

 

 

 

 

  1. Classical and Modern Philosophical Perspectives on Education
    1. Idealism: Its metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, educational implications. Proponents: Plato.
    2. Realism: Its metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, educational implications. Proponents: Aquinas, Aristotle, Bacon, Locke.
    3. Naturalism: Its metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology, educational implications Proponents: Rousseau.
    4. Pragmatism (Experimentalism: Its metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, educational implications. Proponents: Dewey
    5. Postmodernism: Its metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, educational implications. Proponents: Derrida, Foucault.
  2. Theories of Education:
    1. Progressivism (rooted in pragmatism): Aims, Curriculum, and Educational Implications. Proponents: Dewey, Kilpatrick,Parker, Washburne.
    2. Critical Theory rooted in neo Marxism and postmodernism): Aims, Curriculum, and Educational Implications. Proponents: McLaren, Giroux.
    3. Perennialism (rooted in realism): Aims, Curriculum, and Educational Implications. Proponents: Adler, Bloom, Hutchins, Maritain.
    4. Essentialism (rooted in idealism and realism): Aims, Curriculum, Educational implications. Proponents: Bagley,Bestor, Conant, Mor.
  3. Sources of Knowledge
    1. Revealed
    2. Intuition
    3. Authority
    4. Rational
    5. Empirical
  4. Muslim Philosophical Perspective on Education
    1. Imam Ghazali
    2. Ibne-Khaldun
    3. Shah waliullah
    4. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
    5. Allama Iqbal
  5. Greek Philosophers’ Perspective on Education
    1. Socrates
    2. Objectives of Greek Education
    3. The Socratic Method and The Dialectical Method
    4. Plato
    5. Aristotle
  6. Western Philosophers’ Perspective on Education
    1. John Lock
    2. John Dewey
    3. Herbart
  7. Role of Values in Education
    1. Definition, meaning, and kinds
    2. Identification and importance of social and moral values
    3. Teaching of social and moral values through education
    4. Role of religious values in individual and social life.

Recommended Texts:

1. Ornstein, Allan C. (2016). Foundations of Education. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company

2. Shami, P. (2015). Educational Philosophy. (Ed.). Sargodha: Ghazali Publisher..

 

 

 

 

Suggested Readings:

1. Gutek, Gerald L. (2015). Philosophical and Ideological Perspectives on Education, 2nd ed. Boston, Allyn and Bacon.

2. Dewey, John. (1916). The Child and the Curriculum. New York: Macmillan

3. Arthur Zilversmith (1993). Changing Schools: Progressive Education Theory and Practice, 1030- 1960. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

 

Course Material

Other Courses by Mr. Ghazanfar Ali