Philosophical bases of curriculum

Many sources consider philosophy to be “the

study of basic ideas about knowledge, truth,
right and wrong. . . and the nature of
meaning of life.” (Merriam-Webster
Dictionary). Locke defines philosophy as a
“process of liberation from ignorance and
prejudice”
• philosophy is a crucial determinant of
curriculum trends and the curriculum
development process by helping clarify our
thought process. And, because philosophy is a
process of the mind, there are a variety of
philosophical thoughts that need
consideration.
• There are two broad categories of philosophy:
The traditional and modern philosophies. In
each of those categories, there are major
philosophies such as idealism, realism,
pragmatism, and existentialism, as well as
educational philosophies arising from those
major philosophies. These include
perennialism and essentialism in the traditional
category, while progressivism and
reconstructionism fall under the modern
philosophies.
 Idealism
• Idealism is considered one of the oldest
philosophical systems, whose main proponent
was the Greek philosopher, Plato. Idealism
advocates that ideas constitute what is real
and permanent, i.e. ideas are the only true
reality. Idealism also emphasizes the spiritual
component of man, i.e., man is a spiritual
being.
• According to this philosophy, education is the
process of development of a person, his/her
conscious and spiritual self. The ultimate
responsibility for learning rests with learners.
The school exists to develop character,
increase knowledge, and cultivate aesthetic
taste. The teacher is expected to be a model,
friend, and guide to the learners.
• Realism
• The realist’s school of thought is traced back to
Aristotle, another main, Greek philosopher.
According to this philosophy, matter or objects that
we see exist by themselves, i.e., they exist absolutely
with or without man. In other words, matter is not a
construct of the human mind. The following
principles are therefore upheld:
• the principle of independence of matter,
• the principle of orderliness of the world behind its
organization, this means that law and order prevail in
the universe,
• the principle of the world as real as discovered by the
scientist.
• educational implication of realism
• The ultimate educational aim is achievement of
knowledge of nature and inner workings of the
universe.
• Education is essentially transmission of inherited
culture from one generation to another.
• Disciplines of curriculum should contain certain
elements of culture.
• Students should learn disciplines to develop
intellectual skills to discover important principles
and theoretical insights.
• Based on this philosophy, there should be a core
curriculum for every learner.
• Pragmatism
• The main proponent of pragmatism was John
Dewey (1859 -1952). The proponents of pragmatism
were reacting against what they considered as
failures or shortcomings of the traditional school
system, supported by idealism and realism. Some of
the criticisms included:
• Traditional curriculum content included a lot of
meaningless and needless content.
• Traditional curriculum did not give a “utility
education.”
• The curriculum was rigid and did not cater to
individual needs of particular learners.
• Pragmatists, therefore, advocated for reality
being considered as instrumental, i.e., used as
an instrument to solve problems.
• Philosophy is therefore built on practical
usefulness, i.e., “cash value of ideas.” Hence,
truth is what works, what turns out all night.
Truth also should be the idea that has been
tested, verified, and found effective in solving
problems.
• Educational implications of pragmatism
• Learning from Experience
• If experience is the source of knowledge, it is
also a source of education. We learn by doing.
However, not every experience is educative;
experience must be productive, i.e., produce
growth.
• Educational Aim: Develop Learners’ Ability to
Deal with Future Problems
• That is, to develop intelligence to solve
problems. According to Dewey, the process
involves:
• identifying the problem,
• formatting a hypothesis(es),
• gathering or collecting data and tools to solve
the problem,
• testing each hypothesis, and
• storing the unity of knowledge for use in some
similar situations.
• Curriculum
• Pragmatists propose a curriculum based on
problems that arise out of daily living. School
is therefore an extension of home and
community.
• Methods of Study
• These should include:
• problem-solving,
• activity,
• projects, and
• group involvement.
• Teachers should be a resource and guide;
thus a motivator. Teaching must be child-
centered.
• For pragmatists, all subjects are vital.
However, sciences are favored because the
child is able to explore new knowledge.
• Existentialism
• According to Akinpelu (1981), existentialism is
defined as “the philosophy of existence.” Sartre
(1957) also states that “man is nothing else but
what he makes of himself.” A person is
therefore free to choose the type of life to live
and is in control of his/her destiny. An
individual is thus free to make choices and be
responsible for them.
• Reality, therefore, is subjective. Values
emphasized are those that the individual
chooses freely according to his/her perception.
• Implications of Existentialism on Education and
Curriculum
• The main implication is an emphasis on knowledge
and abilities for personal choice. Hence, the need
to acquire knowledge and principles of the human
condition and acts of choice-making.
• Curriculum should have a broad range of subject
matter from which learners can choose, i.e.,
electives, and an inclusion of subjects that involve:
• human emotions,
• aesthetics, and also,
• philosophical subjects.
• Most important is that philosophy can free
learners to expand their learning and what
they believe. Thus, there should be no
standard guides for teachers to follow, given
that learners are unique.