Educational Philosophies: Idealism, Realism, Existentialism, Pragmatism
IDEALISM
Idealism holds the belief that the role of education is to search for true ideas that are recorded in
bodies of subjects/knowledge, and school is the place where discovery of ideas happens. Moreover, ideas
according to this philosophical approach are the only true reality. This reality is unchanging and is mental. As
reality is unchanging, knowledge is the recall of latent ideas. Hence, teacher, according to this approach should
present these ideas and ask questions that would make students aware of these ideas. Hence, it a teacher-
centred approaches where students are passive receiver of information”.
From this summary of Idealism, we could say that idealist not only stresses development of the mind
but also encourage students to focus on all things of lasting value. They, the idealist, place less stress on
physical and material studies than they do on physical, abstract and universal. Hence, the important things for
the idealist is to arrive at truth, and it is not “ truth” per se that is important, but the search for the truth. Based
on this statements, I could see that Idealist put great emphasis on individuals in terms of their intellectual
development in various educational settings. As such, self-realization is the ultimate aim of education for the
Idealist.
Another powerful notion from the idealist point of view is the relationship of the part to the whole. For
the idealist, education is an account of people finding themselves as an integral part of a universe of mind. As a
learner therefore, for the idealist, I am growing into the likeness of my teachers. Hence for the idealist, my
teacher’s role is to guide the me, his/her learners along the correct path toward the infinite. This calls for my
idealist teacher then, assuming that I am a learner of an idealist, to be a well-informed person, a person who
has the knowledge and personal qualities necessary to accomplish this feat.
Idealistic education is very much theory heavy and practice light.It emphasizes theoretical education
and not very much interested in practical education.
ROLE OF THE TEACHER
The idealist emphasize the importance of teacher. The teacher should not only understand the various
stages of learning but also maintain constant concern about the purpose of learning.
They believe that teachers should be the kind of person we want our children to become and use
SOCRATES as a prototype of learning.
In questioning and discussion sessions during which the dialectic operates, the teachers can help see
alternatives they might have otherwise have missed.
Idealist favour the teacher who is philosophically oriented , one who can assist students in choosing
important material and infuse them with a desire to improve their thinking in the deepest possible way.
Idealist is concerned with character development, which they believe should be one of the foremost
goals of education, and they believe that teachers should have a good character as well.
Idealist philosophy believes that students have the potential to develop cognitively and morally and
that these two should be considered and developed by school activities.
The school has an obligation to present students with ideal models for development. Hence, ideas
should be presented in ways that students can use for both knowledge and guidance.
From the idealist perspective, teacher is a unique and important position that has a duty to encourage
students to ask questions and to provide a suitable learning environment.
Teaching is a highly moral calling, and teachers should serve as exemplary models- person after whom
students can pattern their lives.
Idealist see people as possessor of “inner light” a mind or a soul.
-Strengths of Idealism in Education
The high cognitive level of education that idealist promote.
Their concern for safeguarding and promoting cultural learning.
Their great concern for morality and character development.
Their view of the teacher as a revered person central to educational process.
Their belief in the importance of self- actualization process.
Their stress on the human and personal side of life.
Their comprehensive, systematic and holistic approach.
-Critics about IDEALISM
If one accepts the concept of absolute ideas, it is not possible to go beyond those ideas without questioning or
doubting their absoluteness.
The historical decline of the influence of traditional religion in contemporary affairs, cause the weakening of
idealism because idealism has been linked intimately with traditional religion.
Although idealist emphasized both the spiritual and cognitive side of life, charges are that it has tended toward
intellectualism to the detriment of the affective and physical sides of life.
It also has ignored the belief that many people who finds its cognitive side narrow and pedantic. This led to the
charge that idealism lean toward a narrow, provincial view of life or toward intellectual .
Characteristic of Idealist education.
Idealistic education is very much theory heavy and practice light.
Educational Philosophies: Idealism, Realism, Existentialism, Pragmatism
REALISM
“According to this philosophical approach, reality is objective and knowledge concerns the material
world. The role of education then is to equip students with knowledge that they need to make rational
decisions and to equip them with knowledge about the objective world. This knowledge can be acquired
through sensation and abstraction, and through the Scientific Method proposed by Aristotle. Moreover, as this
philosophical approach believes that truth is objective, the curriculum of Realist centres on the subject matter
of the physical world. The teacher works as an organizer and presenter of the curriculum. As such, this
philosophical approach is centred on teachers and learners are passive. “
From this summary of the tenets of Realism, we could say that education looks different for the realist
than it does for the idealist. Realist takes the natural world as a primary focus, epistemologically it is much
more focus on observation as it acknowledges the use of senses.
For the Realist, traditionally, is it is important for the students to get a good solid foundation in
reading, writing and arithmetic because of practical value of these three. righ. Reading is a practical value. As
such, for the Realist, having a solid practical foundational practical education is of paramount importance. This
notion of practical foundation education then drives the decision of my Realist teacher, assuming that I am a
learner of a Realist, that will make my curriculum as a learner.
Other subjects that I will be studying if my teacher is a Realist, would be History as it can teach me
how human beings in the past solved or failed to solve the certain sorts of problems I continue to grapple with
in the modern world. I would also be needing to be politically engaged in my culture, so I would be learning
about civics. I would also be studying about Literature and Arts and Physical Education, both enjoyment and
character development. Moreover, as my teacher ( again, assuming that I am a learner of a Realist), thinks that
learning through sensation and abstraction is important, he/she will teach me careful observation skills as well
and memory skills as it would help me deal with logic, math, rhetoric and grammar.
Looking at this, I would say correlation of subjects and utilization of audio-visual aids can be found in
Realist curriculum. Knowledge of content and knowledge of learners, particularly learners’ needs is important.
-Realism Based on Hicks (2010)
-Nature: Science Approach
Senses are very important as it provides us knowledge.
Integrationism: In realist, body and find are integrated and should function together.
We found a more optimistic raw material of humanity in the form of:
Tabularasa: we are born as blank slates. Focusing in the moral issue, we are not born bad, neither
good. Instead, morally speaking a human being is born with the capacities and then depending on the choices
of the human, depending on the kind of influences he/she is exposed to those capacities then will develop in
good direction or ina bad direction. But the emphasis is on the claim that the human beings , particularly moral
identity is something that is acquired rather than acquired by birth.
One of the implication of tabularasa thesis Cognitive Tabularasa or skills tabularasa claims that every human
being if she or he is born normal and healthy has a set of capacities, brain capacity and that capacity is
potentially unlimited in any given direction depending on the choices he makes or depending on the influences
he exposed to could be proficient in music or foreign language or mathematics or whatever it is.
It is not the case that cognitively we are preset and locked into a developmental path and so we are
tabularasa in that respect.
There is an original goodness in us.
Most important values in life are things that are both mental and physical and the value is a joint value
as well.
There is much more of an emphasis on the pursuit of happiness or the living of a flourishing life as the
human birth right and the one that one should do things in one’s life should be structured so that living the
good life does lead to true happiness.
There is an emphasis on liberty: person making their own choices, being self-motivated as opposed to
doing what is expected of them
-Educational Implications of Realism
Within a realist educational philosophy, the curricular focus is on scientific research and development
as Realists’ consider education a matter of reality rather than speculation. The teacher role is to teach students
about the world they live in. Realists view the subject expert as the source and authority for determining the
curriculum.
Outcomes of this thinking in classrooms today include the appearance of standardized tests, serialized
textbooks, and specialized curriculum (Johnson et. al., 2011). Teaching methods used in realism include:
Demonstration
Recitation
Critical thinking
Observation
Experimentation
Conclusion:
Hence, Realism contributed to the field in education in the sense that it emphasized practicality,
reminds us that proven facts should be passed and the structural frameworks of these proven facts ,it opened
the window for vocationalism and individual education and systematic presentation of educational curricula.
Educational Philosophies: Idealism, Realism, Existentialism, Pragmatism
EXISTENTIALISM
“Existentialism holds the belief that reality is subjective. For the existentialist, the role of education is
to help the learners discover and explore their purpose in life. Hence, in this philosophical approach, the
curricular emphasis is on the subject matter of personal choice. Teachers in this approach are facilitators of
learning, maintain a learning environment where learners could help formulate and discover themselves
through discussions, creative projects and choice of study. Learners in this approach are actively constructing
and acquiring knowledge”.
From the summary of the educational implication of this philosophical approach, we could say that
this Philosophy is a philosophy of subject rather than object. It is a study that pursues meaning in existence and
seeks value for the existing individual. It sees questions about the meaning of life and subjective experience as
being paramount of importance. In this approach existence precedes essence: A ma will be what he makes
himself. As such, he nothing without a purpose. Hence , unlike Idealist, this approach claims that it is the
existence that is real, not the essence.
In my analysis then, in this approach, truth is subjective. We can discover the truth about us as we
probe into our owns subjectivity, and that our basic feature as human is freedom.
As an implication then, in this approach, the most important kind of knowledge is knowledge about
human condition and each choices each person has to make. Hence, developing consciousness about the
freedom to choose and the meaning of responsibility for one’s choices is the teacher’s aim or educational aim.
Moreover,character formation and self-realization should then also be the aim of education. To do that helping
the students understand and appreciate themselves as unique people who accept complete responsibility for
their thoughts, feelings and action should be prioritized over subjects.
Conclusion:
Hence, this approach contributed to education by showing us that as a role teachers could help
students define their own essence by exposing them to various paths they take in life and creating an
environment in which they may freely choose their own preferred way.
Learning is self-paced, self-directed and includes a great deal of individual contact with the teacher,
who relates to each student openly and honestly.
THE STUDENT
The student should feel completely free for realizing his “ self”. The students accept the discipline
prescribe by the teacher and does not become irresponsible. By giving the learner freedom, he would have the
ability to develop his individuality.Education then should be child-centered. Hence, education should be
according to the needs and abilities of the child, and relationship of the child to himself should be
strengthened by education.
-Educational Implications of Existentialism
Within an existentialist classroom, subject matter takes second place to helping the students
understand and appreciate themselves for who they are as individuals. The teacher’s role is to help students
accept individual responsibility for their personal thoughts, feelings, and actions. To do this, the teacher is
responsible for creating an environment in which student may freely choose their own preferred way of
learning by giving students latitude in their choice of subject matter.
Furthermore, answers come from within the individual in an existential classroom, not from the
teacher. For this reason, Existentialists strongly oppose standardized assessments which measure or track
student learning. Instead, they want the educational experience of the student to focus on creating
opportunities for self-direction and self-actualization of the whole person, not just the mind (Cohen, 1999).
In an Existentialist classroom, curriculum is structured to provide students with experiences that will
help unleash their own creativity and self-expression through an emphasis on teaching humanities. For
example, rather than emphasizing historical events, existentialists focus upon the actions of historical
individuals, each of whom provides possible models for the students’ own behavior. Math and science may be
de-emphasized because their subject matter would be considered “cold,” “dry,” “objective,” and therefore less
fruitful to self-awareness. In teaching art, existentialism encourages individual creativity and imagination
more than copying and imitating established models.
As described above, Existentialist methods focus on the individual. Learning is self-paced, self
directed, and includes a great deal of individual contact with the teacher, who relates to each student openly
and honestly. Although elements of existentialism occasionally appear in public schools, this philosophy has
found wider acceptance in private schools and in alternative public schools founded in the late 1960s and early
1970s.
Educational Philosophies: Idealism, Realism, Existentialism, Pragmatism
PRAGMATISM
“From this philosophical approach, human creates his own values and that his reality is still making.
Hence, knowledge acquisition involves a person in an environment, and that there is no permanent realities.
The emphasis of education therefore based on this approach should be “on practicality”. As such, testing
ideas by acting on those ideas is at the core of Pragmatism.
As an implication, if we are to based our philosophy of education on pragmatism, the role of education
then is to develop and encourage among children or learners the exploration and discovery of the environment
in order to grasp the ability to make necessary adjustments and adaptations needed in life. Therefore, subject
matter of social experiences is at the core of this philosophical approach. As the subject matter is about social
experiences, the connection of the subject matters to other subject matter is also important. As such,
pragmatism advocates for an interdisciplinary approach to education as opposed to the idea of carving up the
curriculum into subject matter that may not be connected.
As an implication, educators should be emphasizing practicality, hands on approach to education
rather than a book centred approach to education. It should be an education that is practical and that which
prepares students for life.
John Dewey linked pragmatism to evolution by explaining that “human beings are creatures who
have to adapt to one another and to their environment” (Johnson et. al., 2011, p. 93). Therefore, learners within
the classroom need to adapt to one another and their learning community.
Dewey also believed that the application of the “scientific method” could solve an array of problems.
He saw ideas as the instruments to solving problems and advocated for the application of the following steps to
meet this goal:
Recognize that the problem exists.
Clearly define the problem.
Suggest possible solutions.
Consider the potential consequences of the possible solutions.
Carry out further observation and experiment leading to the solution’s acceptance or rejection. (Timm,
2020)
-Educational Implications of Pragmatism
According to a Pragmatic school of thought, curriculum should be so planned in such a way that it
teaches the learner how to think critically rather than what to think. Teaching should, therefore, be more
exploratory in nature than explanatory. To promote this approach to teaching, students should be actively
engaged in the learning process and be challenged to solve problems. The teachers job is to help support
students learning by promoting questioning and problem-solving during the natural course of lesson delivery.
The curriculum is also interdisciplinary. Teaching methods used in pragmatism include:
Hands-on problem solving
Experimenting
Projects
Cooperative Learnings
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