Category: Philosophy of Education

During the course of my life as a student, I have experienced with diverse philosophies of education and styles of learning and teaching. Philosophy of education is the branch of applied or practical philosophy involved with the nature and purposes of education and the philosophical difficulties resulting from educational theory and practice (Siegel, 2018). The key philosophies of education can be divided into three main categories: teacher-centered philosophies, student-centered philosophies, and society-centered philosophies. These consist of Essentialism, Perennialism, Progressivism, Social Reconstructionism, Existentialism, Behaviorism, Constructivism, Conservatism, and Humanism (Sadker, 1997). As a student, I have been in classrooms that have influenced my life positively and negatively. By discerning difference between the two, I have been able to make a distinction among the make-up attributes of a good teacher and those that do rather the opposite.

When combing my life experiences as a student with what I have learned thus far in this class, I have a better understanding of what a good educator is. A good teacher to me is one who can impart lessons that are helpful in both inside and outside of their classroom, one who can creates an individual rapport with his or her pupils, and one whose past students think of well into adulthood. When considering characteristics of past teachers in my life, my strengths, and my personal views on teaching, I have gathered one remarkable educator in my lifetime. My 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Orihuela

Mrs. Orihuela’s philosophy of education was student-centered, perhaps a combination of Progressivism, Humanism, and Constructivism. She cultivated our ethical compass, nurtured each one of us to reach our fullest potential, and used teaching to form our view of the world. To not be limited by the fact we are all immigrants and did not know the language but to become students who not only excel in her classroom but in life.

Prior to taking some assessments as part of my lessons this semester, I was unaware of the different styles of learning. For very long time, I struggled with the idea that there might be something wrong with me when compared to my siblings. As they seem to have a better grasp of things when being taught. After taking the Learning Style Assessment, I was surprise to learn that I am a kinesthetic learner. Therefore, I learn by doing. Now, what I thought was a problem it is not anymore, because it only means that I learn differently. If only my teachers in elementary school would have taken the time to get to know the best way for me to learn, it would have made my life so much easier. When my family and I move to this country, I not only struggled with the culture shock but with fact that teachers did not want to take the time to teach me in a corner of the room apart from my peers and have do activities to keep me busy. However, Mrs. Orihuela looked passed my limitation of language barrier but she took the time to include me and teach me in my own learning style.

My educational philosophy is one in the same with that of my favorite teacher, as I am a vivid testimony of what a student-centered education does for the pupils, and the impact it has over them throughout their lives. Although, when completed my philosophy of education survey, I was surprised to learn that I am compatible with Essentialism, Progressivism, Existentialism, Perennialism, and Social Reconstructivism. Gearing more towards a teacher-center philosophy of education. A teacher-centered philosophy of education is presently the leading style of public education in the United States (Siegel, 2018). It is the teaching of basic skills that have been proven over time to be needed in society (Thayer-Bacon, 2012).

Regardless of what the survey shows, my personal philosophy of education is that I believe that every individual has the capability to learn. As teachers, we cannot view education as a one-way street. We should not think of students as unintelligent beings just waiting to be filled with information by us, their teachers. In the contrary, we should see them as people who can weigh in to the classroom, contributing and acquiring knowledge from each other. Through experience, I learned that each student learn at a different speed, with a variety of approaches and tools that make it is possible. My personal philosophy is that we do not only need to lecture our students but provide them with the guidance they need to succeed.

Many theorists and philosophers made great contributions to our education system with their research, which proves the importance our personal philosophy of education. Amongst them John Dewey, Friedrich Froebel, and Maria Montessori. John Dewey (1859 – 1952) was an American philosopher and educator who strongly believed that the best education involves learning through doing (Reese, 2011). He is the Modern Father of Experiential Education. (Siegel, 2018). His philosophy of learning through experience went against both old-style and gradual education and concentrated on empirical education, inspiring teachers to deliver excellence instructive encounters that would affect students future decision making (Thayer-Bacon, 2012).This hands-on learning approach meant that students’ need to interact with their setting in order to acclimate and learn. Dewey executed this belief by setting up the University of Chicago Laboratory School (Reese, 2011). His ideas have been crucial in founding practices of progressive education. For example, the learn-by-doing theory was adopted by Richard DuFour and applied to the development of professional learning communities (Reese, 2011).

Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel (1782 – 1852) was a German educationalist who pioneered early childhood education. Froebel was associated with Progressive education (Muelle, 2005). His philosophy of education was student-centered, as he considered that education should be tailored to the needs and requirements of each stage developing stage of a child. He is best recognized as the creator of the ‘kindergarten system’ (Muelle, 2005). Froebel transformed the way we think about early childhood education. He designed balls, wooden blocks, tiles, sticks and rings to prove that children learn by playing (Eugene F. Provenzo, 2009). Acknowledged around the world as the Froebel Gifts or Gaben, these objects were a vital part of his Kindergarten. The Froebel Gifts have been comprehensively replicated and modified by instructors and toys manufacturers (Eugene F. Provenzo, 2009).

Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952) was an Italian educator and architect of the Montessori method, which is grounded on idea of the imaginative capability of children, their desire to learn, and the right of each child to be regarded as an individual (Thayer-Bacon, 2012). Her educational philosophy was child-centered, as she belied in encouraging each student to his or her fullest potential (Reese, 2011). During her research, she found that some simple items stimulated young children’s curiosity and attentiveness not formerly thought likely. Disruptive children settled down through such voluntary work. The items that were used were intended precisely to encourage individual instead of collaborative effort (Muelle, 2005). Today there are many Montessori schools around the world. Teachers help students to make improvements to reach the specified knowledge and skills in each of the curricular areas (Thayer-Bacon, 2012).

My personal philosophy of education is to not only depend on theory but to instruct my students by teaching those skills they will need in life to solve problems; by teaching them skills they will need to interact and work professionally with others. It is our job as educators to teach our students to be able to perform in the life, which not only entails academic material but social skills too. I am a strong believer that it takes a village to raise a child. Therefore, it is not only our jobs as teachers to educate our children, but also that of parents, families and communities working together to reinforce and enhance the lives of our future, who are our children.

Introduction

Teaching is a tool where people can learn from a variety of information, knowledge, and wisdom that can be applied to their daily lives. I’ve decided to become a teacher for many reasons. One of the experiences in my life that inspired me to become a teacher was when I did volunteer work for a few years, and also being away from my family and social media. This event led me to appreciate the value of teaching and inspiring people to reach their potentials. This volunteer service also led me to have my meaningful purpose of being a future educator.

I have many purposes as an educator that I believe would help my students learn a lot, not just from what I’m teaching them, but also for the things they feel and the inspiration they get from listening to me. My purpose as a teacher is for them to discover their talents, abilities and great potentials while we are all learning together differently. I believe that everyone has a unique gift that they can develop and master in order to accomplish their goals in life and define themselves as a successful individual. I want them to realize their worth as human beings and also to help them realize that they can do something valuable to themselves, families, relatives, or the community around them.

It is important to develop an educational philosophy because this is the standard or guiding principle that educators will hold upon in order to incorporate the lessons for their students. These students are the future parents and leaders of society. As a teacher, establishing your own educational philosophy will help you accomplish your purpose as an educator. Having these principles is like having your own values in life that remind you of your purpose and it is also like a map that guides you throughout your career. Thus, this will help you remain on the right track of your profession and career progression.

According to my inventory of the five major philosophies, I am closely aligned with Progressivism which “organizes schools around the concerns, curiosity, and real-world experiences of students.” (Sadker & Zittleman, 2013, p.160) Basically, students are learning through real experiences and also they are exposed to questions that provoke them to discover new knowledge. The reason why my result was Progressivism because I like to discover knowledge through doing and experiencing it. I also enjoy learning through the sharing of ideas and answering meaningful questions.

Learners and Teachers

In my educational philosophy, the roles and responsibilities of student learners play a big role. Students have the responsibility to interact, experiment, and share ideas with their group or classmates. For instance, putting them into small groups and putting them into work that will require their ideas to be shared or discussed. In this way, they are getting new ideas and knowledge from each other, and the more they share what they know, the more they will get different inspiration from different people around them. I have a testimony of how important it is to share your ideas because sometimes people can make another idea out of your own idea which helps them get to the right answer or knowledge. Thus, if you put them into groups, they will love and enjoy learning together as a group or class.

The roles and responsibilities of teachers are mainly to facilitate their students by creating meaningful questions. They are not the center of learning, rather they are the support for their learnings. They do this to focus on the student’s ability to learn than what the teacher or district wants them to learn. The textbook says that in a classroom setting, it is very seldom that you the instructor or teacher talking in front of the class. It was also discussed in the book how the teachers walk around to ask questions or give suggestions to them. I believe that they learn best not from the teacher but more from their groups or students with similar abilities.

Classroom management

The first thing that I want my students to know and understand is the principle of respect not just to the teacher nor classmates, but also to the people who they meet or encounter every day. Another principle that I want them to know and understand is the importance of unity and love whenever they are assigned in small groups, or even as a whole class. I emphasized these principles because establishing this kind of atmosphere will lessen the misbehavior of students because their groupmates will remind them if they are doing too much or not. Another approach that I will be using is putting them into groups every day. For instance, each group will receive a specific situation that would let them think of moral values or actions that would help them solve the situation. This principle is aligned to the character education which programs “which aim to teach core attributes of a moral individual directly to children in school.” (Sadker & Zittleman, 2013, p.239) Thus, it would be easier for me to manage student behaviors because we’ve already established that environment of respect, love, and unity. As a teacher, I will also let them feel that they are loved and that their ideas are valuable to me as a listener and advisor to them. This will make their atmosphere conducive to learn and confident to share their ideas. As a future educator, it is important for me to know how to convey information and facilitate the learning process to my students. Like what I said, the power of putting them into groups with students who have similar abilities to them. For example, that likes to do art would be on the group while others who like science experiments will be on the other group. Another technique is to let everyone share their ideas with the class so everyone can learn from each other’s point of view.

Partnering with parents in the educational process is very important for me. Parents are the best partners that teachers can have in order to help the students in the learning process. Parents and teachers are both important to the lives of students, so it is very crucial to involve parents in the process. If we involve parents in their educational progression, we will be able to know who they are and how best to help them; the more we know them, the more inspiration and ideas will help us to inspire them. I grew up in a different country and culture, so I learn most of the important things in life in the Philippines. Moving here to the United States was very hard at first, but one thing that I enjoy going to school is when every time my teacher asks about where I come from or what cultural background do I have that the class can learn from. This boosts my confidence and excitement to learn and share what I know. According to a study, “ When you tie a lesson to students’ experiences, their interest skyrockets and they connect more deeply with the material.” (Kaufman, 2019)

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize to the readers how important it is to establish that respect, love, unity to everyone. You can be the smartest teacher but if students don’t respect and love you, it will be hard for you to convey the information they need as learners. Another essential element that I want to emphasize is the importance of letting them share and explore their ideas through small groups. I stress the importance of this because this is what progressivism is all about. I think teaching is a good “fit” for me because I find joy in conveying the knowledge to everyone and especially if I see their face that they are getting what I am trying to say. I also love it when people are progressing their knowledge because of the things they learn inside our classroom. I believe that teaching is one of the most important principles that will exist throughout our lives. Overall, the administrator or parent should hire me because

I think beyond what students can learn while still holding the principles and philosophies that I have. I also believe that I have the gift to discern their needs and give them the best knowledge that would help them not just to be smart, but also to be good future parents and leaders in our society. To end my research, I just want to share what the founder of the Microsoft Company said about the importance of teachers in the student’s lives. He said, “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.” (Bill Gates)

References

1. Kaufman, T. (2019, October 17). Research Says: Partnering With Families Leads to Success. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/for-educators/partnering-with-families/research-says-partnering-with-families-leads-to-success.
2. Sadker, D. M., & Zittleman, K. R. (2013). Teachers, schools, and society (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Question: Compare and contrast the idealist and realist conception of reality, relating this to the teaching and learning process in the 21 century.

In order to be able to compare and contrast the idealist and realist’s conception of reality in relation to teaching and learning process, the concepts must be thoroughly understood. Idealist are those philosophers associated with the theory or philosophy of idealism which states that our reality or knowledge is shaped by our thoughts and ideas Ceciliod (2006).They believe that ideas are only true reality. Idealism is the school of educational thoughts promoted by a prolific writer Plato in 400 B.C and his thoughts was that humans could be improved from within, by correcting their thoughts and discovering knowledge they have since birth. Bali (1997) explains idealism saying that it is a philosophy which view God as the source of all knowledge and that values are absolute and unchanging. Idealism focuses on reasoning and how a person can bring knowledge up from insight of himself. According to idealist, reality or knowledge is fundamentally mental, mental constructed or otherwise immaterial.

Realist, on the other hand, are the philosophers who are associated with the theory of realism which deals with the fact that reality has an absolute existence independent from our thoughts, ideas, and even consciousness Bali (1997). Realism is the school of educational thoughts promoted by Plato’s student Aristotle. Marlow and Bhakara (2010) stated that realists holds the view that the only reality is the material world that is, studying of the outer world is the only reliable way to find the truth. Akinpelu (1981) added that realist tend to believe that whatever we believe now is only an approximation of reality and that every new observation brings us closer to understanding of reality. From the online notes by Dr Makoni(2019), realists also advocate sense training because they suggest that it is the senses which are gateway of knowledge.

Before going into detail, it is necessary to clearly illustrate that for any education system to be meaningful and effective, it has to be based on a clearly thoughtful philosophy as stated by Ankipelu (1981). This means that it has to rest on a set of beliefs about nature of human and his universe, a system of values of both individuals and the society and a scheme of knowledge that is considered most desirable to have. In this writing l will focus on only two schools of philosophy which are idealism and realism. Realism and Idealism are two competing philosophies in the field of education because they influence both teaching and learning process in a number of ways. According to Bali (1997), the difference between the two philosophies will be clearer by considering them in terms of the aims of education, the curriculum, the role of the teacher and the methods of teaching. These four parameters will enable one to get the full concept of the two different philosophies in relation to teaching and learning process.

The first parameter that will help us to compare and contrast the idealist and realist conception of reality in relation to education is their viewpoints on the aims of education. Powell (1974) states that, for Aristotle a realist, education was considered to be means of helping human beings in their pursuit of happiness and he also believed that the curriculum should conform to the patterns of human growth and development. From realist point of view aims of education include, to cultivate human rationally through the study of organized bodies of knowledge, to encourage human beings to define themselves by framing their potentiality for excellence to the fullest and to integrate themselves by ordering the various roles and claims of life according to a rational and hierarchical order. According to realist education must give learners a complete knowledge and understanding of human society nature, motives and institutions as stated by Farrant (2011).In other words realists asserts that education must explain to the learner how he or she is related to the world of man and world of nature. The realist view clearly shows that education in twenty first century must be based on preparationism that is is its main aim must be to prepare learners for their life.

In terms of the goals of education, idealist and realists agree at some point although there are some difference in their aims of education. They both agree that self-realization or exhalation of personality is the first aim of education that is education must involves knowledge of self thus making actual or real personality of the self as outlined by Ozmon (2014). However idealist have their aims of education which are different from those of realist outlined by Duka(2006) as to ensure spiritual development, intellectual development and character development. Idealist give greater importance to spiritual values in comparison with idealist which emphasizes with material attainment. According to idealist education in the twenty first century must aim to develop the learners mentally, morally and above all spiritually. In addition education must also aim for preservation and transmission of culture.

The second parameter that differentiates idealist and realist is the curriculum. According to the idealists, education must concentrates on the mental development of the learner and their curriculum emphasizes the study of the humanities outlined by Curren (2003). Idealist asserts a fairly normal curriculum with a heavy emphasizes on subjects like history, religious studies and literature. Botor and Ortinero (1994) add that idealistic viewpoints are found in subjects such as fine arts, classic humanities, theology, philosophy and history. This clearly shows that idealist deals with subjects that emphasizes intellectual process and acuity of the mind. The proper study of mankind, history and literature are the center of the idealist curriculum. Pure mathematics is also included in the curriculum as it is based upon universal or prior principles and provide methods of dealing with abstractions Duka (2006). The library is the center of the activity in the idealist school. The last point about idealist’s curriculum is that there cannot be change or innovation in the curriculum and the reason was given by Farrant (2011) by stating that idealist holds that certain truths are universal and permanent. From idealist point of view, twenty first century curriculum must emphasizes inner discipline, moral and religious instructions.

Again the idealist curriculum does not deal adequately with social policy, self-contentedness is paramount. The teacher applies a crucial position in the idealist school and serves as a living example of what the student can became intellectually, socially and ethically outlined by Ediger and Dingumati (2010). The teacher’s role is to pass on the knowledge of reality as they stands closer to the absolute than the students do, but the realists disagree to this curriculum as illustrated below.

Realist on the other hand think that the primary aim of education is to teach children laws of nature and those values that will lead to good life which conforms to the natural law as stated by Ozmon (2014). The realist views the curriculum as reducible to knowledge that can be measured. According to realists, science is above the liberal arts because of its engagement with the real world in a concrete manner. Bali(1997) states that, realist curriculum includes sciences in all its branches and it included the subjects such as mathematics and social sciences. Botor and Ortinero(1994), to the realist, mathematics represents a precise abstract symbolic system for describing the laws of the universe and the social sciences are seen as dealing with the mechanical and natural forces which bear on human behavior. In the idealist school a teacher occupies a vantage point and his role is that of a guide and also teachers role is to introduce the students to the regularities and rhythm of nature so that they may comprehend the natural law. But the realist asserts that knowledge transmitted by the teacher should be free of bias and his or her personality. To remove teacher bias from factual presentations, the realist recommends the use of teaching machines. Teaching is best when it is most objective and dehumanized.

The third parameter that help in comparing and contrasting the idealist and realist conception of reality in relation to teaching and learning is the role of teacher in education as stated by Curren(2003). According to Powell(1974), the teacher in the idealistic approach is autocratic who has more knowledge and pedagogical strength than a learner. Idealists emphasizes the importance of the teacher and states that the teacher should not only understand the various stages of learning but also maintain a constant concern about the ultimate purpose of learning. Dhawan (2005) added that idealist stress the importance of emulation in learning because they believe that the teacher should be the kind of person we want our children to become.

In addition, Ellen (1903) referenced in Ozmon (2017), is of the view that idealists holds that the teacher is the center of the educational process and a person closest to absolute reality. From this viewpoint a teacher is seen as a facilitator that is the teacher takes the role of absolute authority, but as a gentle guide for the learners. Idealist see a teacher as the highest authority, a figure to which learners must answer rather than a guide who can be questioned Joseph (2017). They prefer alternative ways of approaching learning but they still like to see at least an informal dialectic in operation. In questioning and discussions during which the dialectic operates, the teacher can help learners to see alternatives they might otherwise have missed and the teacher should participate fully in order to maintain the integrity of the process. Also idealists asserts that the teacher select the content and learning experiences for whatever he or she thinks is suitable and effective for the learners Duka(2006). According to idealist in twenty first century, the role of a teacher must be that of facilitator guiding students towards truth and spiritual guide.

While the teacher, for the realist, is simply a guide. According to Bali (1997), realists has of the view that the real world exists, therefore the teacher is responsible for introducing the student to it. To do this he uses lectures, demonstrations, and sensory experiences. The teacher does not do this in a random or haphazard way; he must not only introduce the student to nature, but show him the regularities, the “rhythm” of nature so that he may come to understand natural law. Both the teacher and the student are spectators, but while the student looks at the world through innocent eyes, the teacher must explain it to him, as well as he is able, from his vantage point of increased sophistication CHAND(2017). For this reason, the teacher’s own biases and personality should be as muted as possible. In order to give the student as much accurate information as quickly and effectively as possible, the realist may advocate the use of teaching machines to remove the teacher’s bias from factual presentation. The whole concept to teaching machines is compatible with the picture or reality as a mechanistic universe in which man is simply one of the cogs in the machine Akinpelu(1981).

Again, according to realists a teacher should be educated and well versed with the customs of belief and rights and duties of people, and the trends of all ages and places Dhawan (2005). This means that a teacher must have full mastery of the knowledge of present life. Powell (1974) stated that a teacher must guide the learner towards the hard realities of life. A teacher must be able to expose children to the problems of life and the world around. That is to the realist a teacher is seen as an arranger of experience and help learners to discover facts rather than contemporize facts.

Lastly, teaching methods also helps us to compare and contrast the idealist and realist conception of reality in relation to teaching and learning process. According to Bali(1997), idealist merely rely on lectures and group discussions as their method of instruction. Dhawan (2005) add that according to idealists, learners also learn by imitating the teacher or some other persons who is closely attuned with the absolute reality. Idealist rely heavily on deductive logic and they have little uses for field trips and sensory data. Other method of instruction used by idealists include storytelling, question and answer and debate. According to idealist in twenty first century, teaching methods must focus on handling ideas through lectures, discussion and Socratic dialogue.

Realists on the other hand involves teaching for the mastery of facts in order to develop an understanding of natural law and this is best accomplished by using drills and exercises as stated by CHAND(2017). According to Powell(1974), realists asserts that learning is enhanced through direct or indirect sensory experiences such as field trips, the use of films, records and filmstrips. Realist favor the use of inductive logic. Other methods of education advocated by realist include critical observation, exploration, self-study and experimentation. Realist point of view enables twenty first century teachers to use teaching methods that focus on mastery of facts and basic skills through demonstration and recitation. Students must also demonstrate the ability to think critically and scientifically using observation and experimentation.

As illustrated above there is evidence that both idealist and realist conception of reality have implication to the teaching and learning process in the twenty first century. It is necessary to sound a note of warning here that no one school of educational thoughts can be regarded as sufficient to guide a teachers classroom activities. A teacher have to adopt ideas from a number of schools of educational thoughts and employ them in what is called eclectic fashion in teaching.

References

1. Ankipelu, J.A.(1981).An Introduction to philosophy of education. London: Macmillan.
2. Bali.D.R (19997).Introduction to Philosophy. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers.
3. BHARATI CHAND, 2017, Advance Philosophy of Education, Notion Press: Chetprt Chennai
4. Ceciliod. Duka, 2006, Philosophy of Education (revised), Rex Book Store.
5. Celeste O.Botor and Aniceta M.Ortinero, 1994, Philosophy of Education concerns: Purposes, content and methods of education, Rex Book Store
6. Howard A.Ozmon, 2014, Philosophical Foundation of Education (ninth edition), Virginia Commonwealth University.
7. J.S.Farrant, 2011, Principles and Practice of Education (twenty-fourth impression), Longman Group UK Limited 1964&1980, printed in Malaysia.
8. John Powell, 1974, Philosophy of Education (third edition), Manchester university Press Oxford Road, Manchester M139PL.
9. Marlow Ediger and Bhakara Rao Digumarti, 2010, Effective School Curriculum, Discovery Publishing House Pvt. Ltd: NEWDELHI-110002.
10. M.L.Dhawan, 2005, Philosophy of Education, published by Isha books in India.
11. Randall Curren, 2003, A Companion to the Philosophy of Education, Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

In education, it is imperative to develop students who are equipped to succeed in the future. The vocational, academic and humanist philosophies all have diverse perspectives upon the purpose of education. This paper will discuss the strengths and weakness of all three philosophies in relation to the challenges for education described by the World Economic Forum (WEF). It will conclude by arguing which philosophy is the most appropriate approach to guide the education of today’s young people.

It is critical that contemporary education systems think carefully about what they are doing to prepare young people for the future. Due to a rapidly changing world, the most sought-after jobs across the globe are currently those that have only existed in the last decade (WEF, 2016). The challenge that education faces today is that 65% of primary school students will find themselves undertaking employment in occupations that still do not exist (WEF, 2016). Due to this uncertainty, education must prepare students with future skills that equips them to undertake the unknown jobs of the future. Analysing the vocational, academic and humanist philosophies in relation to these challenges is imperative to understand what the best educational approach in today’s society may be.

A vocational approach has strengths when addressing the issues identified by the WEF. According to learning guide 2, (p. 1) the vocational philosophy argues that “education is for preparing young people for adult roles”. A vocational approach aims to persevere society by providing students with hands-on, practical experience of existing vocations which prepares them to gain employment in these particular occupations (Kennedy, 2011). Through hands-on, practical experience of existing jobs, students gain transferable 21st century skills which, as iterated by WEF (2016) are essential for individuals to take full advantage of the opportunities described by the current employment trends. Existing vocations present plenty of opportunities to solve problems (Learning Guide 2, p. 4). Problem-solving skills are expected to become even more significant in future workplaces as these skills are not likely to be replaced computers (Tytler et al., 2019). Additionally, the transmission of the knowledge and skills relevant to specific existing vocations occurs through communication from adults to young people (Dewey, 1916). Thus, students gain interpersonal skills such as communication and active listening which Tytler et al. (2019) explains will be demanded by future workplaces as machines have difficulty with social intelligence.

A vocational approach has weaknesses when addressing the challenges identified by the WEF. The vocational philosophy preserves society by handing down ‘adult knowledge’ to young people (learning guide 2, p. 2). This becomes an issue when trying to prepare students for an uncertain future as the ‘adult knowledge’ that is beneficial to undertake jobs in today’s society may not be relevant to the 65% of students who will undertake the unknown jobs of the future. If students are only learning enough to become proficient in existing jobs, then their vocational choices and chances to gain knowledge are restricted (learning guide 2, p. 3).

Students are more likely to be prepared for existing vocations rather than being equipped for entirely new job types. Additionally, a major characteristic of the vocational approach is learning how to do a specific kind of work through hands-on experience (learning guide 2, p. 2). If 65% of primary students will work in jobs that are currently non-existent then it is impossible to provide these students will hands-on, practical experience.

An academic approach also has strengths that attend to the challenges identified by the WEF. Unlike the vocational philosophy, the academic philosophy focuses upon improving society by developing one’s mind and promoting the search for truth. Additionally, specific ‘academic’ subjects, such as maths and science, are perceived to be suitable for developing the mind (learning guide 3, p. 1). Engaging with these ‘academic’ subjects support students’ to be prepared for the future as they provide the basis which new knowledge is built upon (OECD, 2018). Furthermore, students develop various cognitive skills when they apply distinct knowledge and skills from these academic subjects to new situations and scenarios (OECD, 2018). Such cognitive skills including critical and creative thinking and problem-solving skills are all referred to as 21st century skills and will be demanded by the future workplace (Tytler et al., 2019). Essentially, the academic approach equips students with the cognitive tools to be able to think and act appropriately in uncertain situations. This is necessary for students to be able successfully enter a dramatically changing employment landscape (WEF, 2016).

There are also limitations when addressing the challenges identified by the WEF through an academic approach. Although it is evident that the academic philosophy develops essential 21st century skills, not all of the skills that will be demanded by future workplaces are purely cognitive type skills. Essential 21st century skills also include such skills as care, empathy, curiosity and self-efficacy (OECD, 2018). As the academic approach is ‘teacher-centred’ and focuses upon learning specific academic subjects, the learning process is clearly structured to directs students’ attention towards what is required to be learnt (learning guide 4, p. 5). Thus, young people are not supported to act upon their own curiosity. Additionally, as the academic approach focuses upon achieving proficiency in academic subjects, it can affect the self-concept of young people who are not achieving as well as their peers. As a result, these young people may lack the self-efficacy required to confidently undertake these new job types. The academic approach therefore does not develop some specific future skills which, (WEF, 2016) explains would help reduce undesirable consequences in the anticipated workforce.

The humanist philosophy has strengths when addressing the issues identified by the WEF. The humanist philosophy believes young people are born good and education should let them thrive with as little intervention as possible (learning Guide 4, p 1). Through a humanist approach, young people develop curiosity as they are encouraged to explore and learn about subjects that interest them whether they be vocational or academic (learning Guide 4, p 3).

Students become independent, self-regulated learners as teachers facilitate student-centred experiences where students discover knowledge for themselves. Being curious and self-regulated learners will be essential for individuals to navigate through such an uncertain future and independently acquire the knowledge they need to learn (OECD, 2018). These future skills will be critical to the current primary school students who will move into new job types where the roles and responsibilities are totally unknown (WEF, 2016). Finally, a significant aspect of the humanistic philosophy is the nurturing of student’s feelings and emotions (Khatib, Sarem, & Hamidi, 2013). When individuals have an adequate level of self-love, they can comprehend the complex needs of others (Learning Guide 4, p 3). The ability to understand and empathise with others are skills that will be required to succeed in future workplaces (Tytler et al., 2019).

A humanist approach also has weaknesses when addressing the challenges identified by the WEF. Students may miss out on learning important knowledge and skills as teachers only introduce specific subjects once students show an expression of interest (learning Guide 4, p 3). Additionally, if there is no content structure, issues will arise when learning about complex subject matter such as in maths. Basic knowledge and skills must be learnt first as they provide the basis to more complex knowledge (learning Guide 4, p 4). If students do not show interest in these academic subjects, they then miss the opportunity to gain essential 21st century skills that are developed through the engagement of these subjects, as discussed earlier in this paper.

In coclusion, unlike the academic philosophies which impose education upon young people to develop them into something worthwhile, the humanist philosophy believes young people are already good and education should allow them to thrive with as little intervention as possible.

References

1. Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and Education. New York, NY: The Free Press.
2. Kennedy, O. O. (2011). Philosophical and sociological overview of vocational technical education in Nigeria. American-Eurasian Journal of Scientific Research, 6(1), 52-57. Retrieved from https://go-galegroup-com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/ps/i.dop=AONE&u=griffith&id=GALE|A297135946&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon
3. Khatib, M., Sarem, S. N., & Hamidi, H. (2013). Humanistic Education: Concerns, Implications and Applications. Journal of Language Teaching & Research, 4(1), 45-51. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e989/d5a4f4fd764065de2358c4265ab72b2110bb.pdf
4. OECD. (2018). The future of education and skills. Education 2030. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/education/2030/E2030%20Position%20Paper%20(05.04.2018).pdf
5. Tytler, R., Bridgstock, R., White, P., Mather, D., McCandless, T., Grant-Iramu, M. (2019). 100 jobs of the future. Retrieved from https://learn-ap-southeast-2-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/5bb70f08ac35e/5077450?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27100%2520Jobs%2520of%2520the%2520Future.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20190825T225337Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAIW5OVFIUOTV36DNA%2F20190825%2Fap-southeast-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=1b8a02b0a2cd2387bc8d01d6c0b21d157475aab49c9a1cd16d0170ec5af135e3
6. World Economic Forum (2016). The Future of Jobs. Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Geneva, Switzerland: World Economic Forum.

The term ‘curriculum’ is typically used to define the content being taught in a learning environment (‘The Glossary of Education Reform’, 2020). Though this is the general definition, there is no one way to establish a curriculum for schools, as it has been evolving over the years to suit different classrooms and students (Brady & Kennedy, 2014). To further investigate the educational philosophy that revolves around developing a curriculum, one will specifically look at Narre Warren South P-12 College and how they maintain their values and resolve student’s needs within their schooling system.

Narre Warren South P-12 College (NWSC) is a government school that recently started catering for both primary and secondary students in the same location since 2009. Because the students will be spending their 12 years of schooling in a familiar space, there is a strong focus on community (‘Profile – Narre Warren South P-12 College’, 2020).

NWSC’s Curriculum and Philosophy

The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (Education Services Australia, 2008) gives two goals of an Australian Curriculum’s policy; promoting equity and that all Australians are encouraged to learn to become confident and creative individuals. The Shape of the Australian Curriculum Version 4.0 (ACARA, 2012) further outlines the background beliefs that the curriculum is founded upon. These include:

• Equal learning opportunities for each student;
• Each students’ entitlement to knowledge and skills for success and life-long learning;
• High, yet appropriate expectations depending on an individual student’s learning abilities;
• Planning ahead for the needs and interests of different students.

In response, NWSC actively promotes the values of P.R.I.D.E in learning which stands for: perseverance, respect, integrity, dedicated teamwork, and excellence. These values act as reminders and motivators for students to “recognising and celebrating diversity, high aspirations and positive relations” to pursue their ambition after schooling years. They base importance in life-long learning as there they emphasise nurturing youths into members and leaders of society so that the goal of their schooling experience is not only their academic success but the ability to be responsible, inspiring adults (‘Profile – Narre Warren South P-12 College’, 2020). The reason behind these values and aim for the school leans towards NWSC’s focus on life-long learning and their belief in all students’ capabilities in achieving their highest, with their diversity in ethnic background, learning abilities, and social groups in mind.

Analysis and Critique of the School Curriculum and Philosophy

First, philosophy in the context of education could be defined by the method of thinking, questioning, and responding to how education affects life and the quality of life. Thus in this section, we will be discussing the attitudes towards learning and teaching within the school’s curriculum (Talawar & Kumar, 2010).

Talaway & Kumar (2010) suggest that values are key to adopting a certain lifestyle. It is important to understand different natures of values as all schools have a different value that they promote, and which they integrate into their curriculum. One of the theories as mentioned in ‘Philosophical & Sociological Foundations of Education’ is the experimental theory is the ‘experimental theory’. It acknowledges the achievements of the present, but mostly emphasise the promised success of the future. This aligns with the values of NWSC, as they greatly stress the future success and life-long learning outside of the school of their students. The ‘experimental theory’ is also seen as the pragmatic theory as it recognises that there are no permanent values, and highlights the differences in time between the present (while the student is in school) and the future (when the student leaves school to join society as an adult). This is also to be in consideration during deciphering the orientation of a school’s educational philosophy.

Because the school curriculum and the philosophy of NWSC stem from the background of which their students and their family are based off, we will be looking at how the curriculum specifically cater to their certain demographic. In this analysis, we will specifically be addressing:

• The ‘low’ category in terms of their socio-economic status;
• The cultural diversity of the school; including 50 ethnic groups from 64 language backgrounds where 50% qualify for the English as an Additional Language (EAL) program (‘Profile – Narre Warren South P-12 College’, 2020).

Low Socio-Economic Status (SES)

The four main philosophical approaches from ‘Philosophical Perspectives in Education’ (Leo, M.C & G, 1999) include: perennialism, essentialism, progressivism, and reconstructionism. The philosophy we will be focusing on is social reconstructivism. The root of social reconstructivism is social justice and ultimately answering social questions to provide a better education system to the students who may be suffering from inequity. Specific issues that can be addressed are problems faced in real life such as: violence, hunger, international terrorism, and inflation. In ‘What Teachers Need to Know about Teaching Methods’, Westwood (2008) recommends community-based learning as an effective strategy to combat inequality in classrooms.

During my placement, I have observed a close teacher-student relationship such as students coming to a teacher they trust to discuss their home situation. Most of the time, the teachers were aware of any hardship or financial difficulties that the student is experiencing and has been transparent with them with their fellow teachers to make sure that the student is getting the required treatment according to their ability or disability. This can also be observed during career counseling, where the students are encouraged to take VCE if their academic performances and interests match – though also, NWSC has a very strong, supportive VET program.

According to research, students growing up in a low SES area are less likely to complete year 12 compared to the more affluent neighbourhood (Curtis, Drummond, Halsey, & Lawson, 2012). This is significant to the NWSC’s low SES demographic, but at the same time, they have managed to challenge the expected through their philosophy in looking at the career path of students rather than their immediate future.

I believe the trust system between the teacher and the student is a response to Smyth (2013)’s quote, “The core issue is really around students’ sense of justice and their sense of feeling included”. The tight-knit community has not only helped the student staying motivated for their studies, but also in finding an identity in their school.

Diversity in Culture and Language

Out of the philosophical approaches (perennialism, essentialism, progressivism, and reconstructionism) NWSC’s response to their culturally diverse student again has social reconstructionist approaches. Because the cultural diversity affects the dynamics of students within a classroom (for instance, name-calling and bullying stemming from their differences in race), social reconstructionism is incorporated into EAL classes as well to promote equality. On the other hand, there are elements of essentialism in the curriculum in terms of basing importance in literacy and numeracy. Leo, M.C & G (1999) suggest essentialism is an answer to practical schooling, preparing students to become valuable members of society. Since the purpose of EAL is to teach the non-English speaking students to become proficient in writing, speaking, and overall expressing themselves in English, one can see that there is some essentialist basis on the curriculum. However, not to be confused with the fact that the EAL curriculum is for academic excellence – but rather so that the students can use their English skills as tools to enrich their lives as members of society after school.

There was a distinct difference between younger secondary year’s EAL class and an older secondary year’s EAL class. The classes I have observed were year 8 and year 12 (VCE) EAL respectively. The year 12 students were less fluent in English as most of them were international students who have come to Australia for about a year or two for quality education. On the other hand, the year 8 students were able to speak confidently because they were as young as in primary school when they first started learning English. Research has found that younger brains are more effective in learning a different language from their primary one, compared to an older brain (Pliatsikas, Moschopoulou & Saddy, 2015). This has contributed to the different structure of the classes.

Though VCE is much more assessment-based and rigid in curriculum structure compared to a year 8’s EAL curriculum (‘Learning areas’, 2020; ‘English and English as an Additional Language Study Guide’, 2017) and understandably, there would be differences in teaching approaches. However, year 8 classes allowed for more discussion exploring their background compared to the ‘essentialist’ year 12 class that was mostly focused on learning key vocabulary and practising worksheets.

Overall, from observing NWSC’s curriculum and its interaction with students, one can see that the focus has moved away from a traditional school’s ideal of academic excellence, to an emphasis on building communities and empowering marginalised group of youths. Though I wasn’t able to learn much about the few students who suffer from learning disabilities from a physical, mental, or developmental level, or students of Indigenous descent, NWSC is maintaining a progressive point of view to cater to their large population of ‘minority’ students.

Implications on Teaching and Learning and Other Curriculum Stakeholders

Since low SES group students and ethnically diverse students, who especially undertake the EAL course, were mentioned in the earlier section, the same demographic and the challenges they bring will be further discussed.

Often in the case of low SES students, they may have reduced vocabulary or literacy and numeracy levels because of their lacking academic and disciplinary language. The reason could be the less literate family environment and the parents who have had less opportunity to engage with a learning environment (Baker et al., 2008; Baydar, Brooks-Gunn, & Furstenberg, 1993; Guevara et al., 2008; Morrison, Rimm-Kau, & Pianta, 2003 – as referenced by Rojas Rojas, Meneses & Sánchez Miguel, 2019). This could be resolved by teachers’ support and effective scaffolding. ‘Teachers’ Scaffolding Science Reading Comprehension in Low-Income Schools: How to Improve Achievement in Science’ has found that when students struggling with low academic abilities were provided with separate material and guidance from the mainstream classrooms, they found improvement in not only their cognitive, critical thinking abilities but also in their confidence levels.

In the case of EAL students, there’s a common assumption that if the students performed well in the subject English during schooling years, they will continue to do so in their post-schooling years. Unfortunately, this is not the case as Evans, Anderson & Eggington (2015) found that “many students’ writing skills plateau once they complete their first-year English courses”. This will be a challenge especially schools like NWSC that value life-long learning.

One of the methods introduced in ESL readers and writers in higher education: understanding challenges, providing support is to emphasise the importance of self-regulated learning. When the students understand that learning isn’t only during school years but can also be a method of self-improvement, they will continue to challenge themselves with taking risks. The key to self-regulated learning is time management. Case studies have found that giving a lesson on time management has led the students to consider and separate their hobbies and leisurely activities from their studies. This is significant to those who are high-achievers as they tend to not take on any difficult tasks to maintain their good grades. This attitude is not good for language-learners, since risk-taking, making mistakes, and being able to give themselves constructive criticism on weaknesses and limitations are crucial to maintaining good language skills. Thus it has been proven that implementing a lesson on time management allow both EAL and non-EAL students who leave school, continue to pursue challenges.

Education should be about bringing equality to the classroom so that the students who leave school, can continue to reduce inequality and spread awareness and positivity in embracing individual differences in the society (Fredman, Campbell & Taylor, 2018). And so, I believe that the philosophy of social reconstructivism incorporated into NWSC’s curriculum will further focus on closing the gaps between nations, racial, or religious groups and offering understanding and friendship. My personal belief is that the world will grow closer than ever as our future advances make other cultures more accessible. With globalisation, there will be a growth of students in their diversity and there will be a bigger demand for capable teachers who are educated in the differences in those students (Kodama, 2015). Increasing cultural sensitivity for awareness is already becoming a part of a teacher education program, and I believe that teachers should further work to provide students with equal freedom to learn.

Conclusion

Despite the debate on a fundamental definition of curriculum and what is needed to develop one, from my research, all educators agree that high-quality learning for students is not a luxury but a necessity in the modern world. I have learned that the philosophy of teaching and building a curriculum based on human rights will promote a healthy living of a student, with the promise of a life-long learning opportunities (Fredman, Campbell & Taylor, 2018). This reflection of my previous placement has provided me with a teacher’s lens to find equity for students while I also learn, and strive to overcome the possible challenges in the future.

References

1. Brady, L., & Kennedy, K. (2019). Curriculum construction (6th ed.). Frenchs Forest: Pearson Australia.
2. Capel, S., Leask, M., & Turner, T. (2013). Learning to teach in the secondary school : a companion to school experience (6th ed.). Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon : Routledge.
3. Cultural and Linguistic Diversity. (2020). Retrieved 23 April 2020, from https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/documents/cultural-diversity-policy.pdf
4. English and English as an Additional Language Study Guide. (2017). Retrieved 24 April 2020, from https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/english/2016EnglishEALSD.pdf
5. English as an Additional Language (EAL) – Rationale and Aims – Victorian Curriculum. (2020). Retrieved 22 April 2020, from https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/english/english-as-an-additional-language-eal/introduction/rationale-and-aims
6. Evans, N., Anderson, N., & Eggington, W. (2015). ESL readers and writers in higher education : understanding challenges, providing support. New York: Routledge.
7. Fredman, S., Campbell, M., & Taylor, H. (2018). Human rights and equality in education: Introduction. In Human rights and equality in education: Comparative perspectives on the right to education for minorities and disadvantaged groups. Bristol University Press.
8. Kodama, N. (2015). Teacher Education and Culturally Diverse Classrooms. In Revitalizing Minority Voices. Rotterdam: SensePublishers.
9. Learning areas. (2020). Retrieved 23 April 2020, from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/
10. Learning Vision – Narre Warren South P-12 College. (2020). Retrieved 23 April 2020, from https://www.nwsc.vic.edu.au/learning/learning-vision.html
11. Leo, N., M.C, & G, J. (1999). Philosophical Perspectives in Education. School of Education.
12. Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. (2008). Retrieved 24 April 2020, from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf
13. Pliatsikas, C., Moschopoulou, E., & Saddy, J. (2015). The effects of bilingualism on the white matter structure of the brain. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences, 112(5), 1334-1337. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1414183112
14. Profile – Narre Warren South P-12 College. (2020). Retrieved 24 April 2020, from https://www.nwsc.vic.edu.au/about/profile.html
15. Rojas Rojas, S., Meneses, A., & Sánchez Miguel, E. (2019). Teachers’ Scaffolding Science Reading Comprehension in Low-Income Schools: How to Improve Achievement in Science. International Journal Of Science Education, 41(13), 1827-1847. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2019.1641855
16. Smyth, J. (2013). Losing our way? Challenging the direction of teacher education in Australia by reframing it around the Socially Just School. Asia-Pacific Journal Of Teacher Education, 41(1), 111-122. doi: 10.1080/1359866x.2012.753990
17. Student diversity. (2020). Retrieved 24 April 2020, from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/student-diversity/
18. Talawar, M., & Kumar, T. (2010). Philosophical & Sociological Foundations of Education. Himalaya Publishing House.
19. The Glossary of Education Reform. (2020). Retrieved 24 April 2020, from https://www.edglossary.org/
20. The Shape of the Australian Curriculum Version 4.0. (2012). Retrieved 23 April 2020, from https://docs.acara.edu.au/resources/The_Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum_v4_file.pdf
21. Victoria’s School System. (2020). Retrieved 22 April 2020, from https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/study-in-victoria/victoria%27s-school-system/Pages/curriculum-and-assessment.aspx
22. Westwood, P. (2008). What teachers need to know about Teaching methods. Camberwell, VIC: ACER Press.

Today, many people think that the way of study in the universities is quite different now from the idea that uses in, for example, epicurean or stoics schools. I believe that the background of today’s education was laid definitely at the time of Ancient Greece.

Epicurus divides philosophy into three interconnected parts — canonic (theory of knowledge), physic (theory of nature), and ethic, while ethics is of paramount importance for the Epicurus. That is why we can say that epicureanism serves quite specific needs: looking for a way to rid humanity of suffering. The only benefit for man is a pleasure, which Epicurus understood as the absence of pain. To gain such pleasure, it is necessary to get rid of all anxieties, government activities, and dangers. For the Epicureans, the outside world was a source of heightened danger and fear, and fame, wealth, power did not deserve to devote their lives to them. They considered science and art secondary to the good of the individual. It is also worth noting that the school taught people to understand that they should not be afraid of death. For the Epicureans, the material world consists of atoms moving chaotically. The human soul is also composed of atoms. Since the world is based on immortal atoms, death does not exist. The main point of such education was to convey that more important than feelings there is nothing, and you need to enjoy moments here and now.

Against the philosophy of Epicurus were the Stoics. If we talk about Stoics way of education we can see that it has some similarities with epicurean, but epicureans and stoics held different views on life. The Stoics said that philosophy is like an orchard, where logic is a fence, physics is trees, and ethics are fruits. They were convinced that a man must live courageously, heroically and hopelessly. The Stoics adhered to the principle of ‘passive heroism’ – the principle of indifference to the vicissitudes of fate, you need to live vigorously and carefully carry out everything that you have written (above, the emperor). Despite the well-known similarities between the Stoic and the Epicurean ethics, the difference between them is very significant: the Stoics ideal is more severe, they adhere to the altruistic principle of duty and fearlessness before the blows of fate; the ideal of the Epicurean sage is not so much a moral as an aesthetic, it is based on self-enjoyment.

How is this way of educating people connected, for example, with the way of education people in the University of New York in Prague? Not depending on the subjects and majors for which the students are studying, they get a background for the values of a country, in my case it is America. When we are teaching subjects, we also teach Western values, for example, how to behave with people, and this also means ethics. It is important that people communicate with each other at university. I think that education in Ancient Greece served as the background for today’s universities. For what people go to the universities? Furthermore, most of the students prefer to study in prestigious universities if there is an opportunity for this. First, of course, for knowledge to be knowledgeable in one area or another.

Education has for quite some time been considered as having an influence on the development or formation of self and character. The cycles of education and self-formation, being historically and socially formed, show the worries and highlights of time and spot. This essay will think about the job that customary types of education that may keep on playing a role in establishing self-formation and personality in a genuine, epitomized world.

Education can be perceived as an interaction of self-formation or self-development, drenched in complex information, that empowers the students to turn out to be more capable and more self-governing and self-deciding. Education as self-formation lays on the final actuality that while learning is adapted by outer elements, by the student’s experience and assets, the foundation, the curriculum, teaching, and different circumstances, just the student does the learning. Historically, Autonomous agency is ‘the critical idea of innovation (Giddens). Agency opportunity as means and end Standardizing. Education, especially higher education can be perceived as ‘self-formation and the extension of opportunity’ and esteemed for its commitment to the development of self-deciding people in social settings, by means of submersion in information.

As a philosophy and practice of education, self-formation has its first predecessor in Confucian learning as self-formation. Self-formation in Kant’s meaning of the Enlightenment meant the arrival of people from their ‘self-brought tutelage’ through the activity of their ‘own understanding’. Here the job of education is to develop the internal identity in both scholarly and moral terms, to shape residents in open discernment who will comprise arising common society. Kant underlined that Bildung would not happen by itself, it required education. The point of education is ‘the dynamic independent individual inside the structure of social life’, a sane subject who utilizes reason in a public manner and ‘lives in the open arena among other individual creatures.’

Bildung suggests the educational cycle committed to being and turning out to be, to the open-finished advancement of human potential, not static proportions of abilities and information. Its thought of perfectibility looks like Confucian self-development: the objective is rarely accomplished. Self-formation, a ceaseless obligation, opens new ideas as it continues. The educability of oneself framing student is not fixed yet is consistently growing.

Compared to Bildung, Dewey, and Confucian self-development, the market-purchaser worldview radically recoils the worth of education to students and societies. It is significantly mediocre as a clarification of advanced education! But a few students do put resources into themselves as human capital, figuring their lifetime profit, some in any event, seeing themselves as purchasers (more in high charge UK). Nearly all future graduates want to be employed straight after college, and numerous desires to accomplish social situations through education. So, the financial worldview is not entirely off-base The fact of the matter is that there are additionally alternate manners by which students extend themselves, their assets, and their undertakings. Some fall in love with the subjects they study. Some seriously participate in social or political activity nearby. Some consideration about the benefit of all and the need to work on worldwide issues. Some need to get married. Many are simply getting themselves while moving into grown-up life. There is no vital clash between ‘instrumental’ objectives (education for work, profession and profit, social position, and so forth), what is more, individuals who select in light of the fact that they love learning or need to get themselves. Numerous students need every one of these things at the same time. Students choose the harmony between objectives, which can change after some time The basic component is shaping students. This incorporates every one of the various ways that students fabricate organization, and by enlarging themselves broaden their opportunities. Arguably, Higher Education as Self-Formation is a general hypothesis, though (like all social hypotheses) ready to be perceived as shifting by public provincial social settings.

Education in these terms is a connection (or a bunch of relations), not a foundation a style of self-formation, that includes a principal re-connotation of the classes of student and teacher, and their collaborations, purposes, and relations. As such, this is simply the consideration of the, crafted by the ‘legislative issues of oneself’, a consistent act of contemplation, which is simultaneously receptive to a study of the world outside: This is not something we can do alone and not something that comes without any problem. Instruction should turn into a site of training and a space in which to procure the abilities and sensibilities of self-creation. As a system for instructive practice, this recommends the need to take care of:

1. A climate that empowers experimentation
2. A consciousness of one’s present condition as characterized by the given culture and recorded second. That is; parentage as an educational plan (question of truth)
3. A mentality or attitude to investigate; an emphasis on the creation of specific kinds of miens that would be esteemed and encouraged, made express (inquiries of subjectivity) like incredulity, separation, shock, narrow-mindedness, and resistance.

In the entirety of this, education, the physical education teacher, and teaching method are explained not as abilities and familiarities but rather as the development of good subjectivity, a type of governmental issue, and a connection to morals instead of to truth. This is not freedom yet enactment, a suffering commitment in the struggles and disappointments of self-forming, exploring different avenues regarding and picking what we may be and how we may identify with others, not finding who we truly are. Here teaching method turns into the act of scrutinizing, learning by resistance, an ongoing basic defiance pointed toward destabilizing truth, instead of learning it, a historizing of greatness and magnificence as opposed to liking it. This should lay on and add to a type of force relations that are empowering, innovative, and positive.

The teacher turns into a ‘veritable conversationalist’ and should support truth-telling, hazard, and relish difficulties, and make a public space where daring discourse is energized. That is, ‘Instructors and different experts have moral work to do on themselves, to try not to utilize insight as ‘psychological oppression’ on those without it while likewise working with their students’ moral work’ (Julie Allen). The teachers’ student’s relationship thereupon turns into an unpredictable association, a discourse, and a progression of examinations dependent on regard and common consideration and shared turn of events an organization that is available to consistent investigation and amendment with every one of the perils and dangers that that may imply. education self-formation.

Introduction

Teaching is a tool where people can learn from a variety of information, knowledge, and wisdom that can be applied to their daily lives. I’ve decided to become a teacher for many reasons. One of the experiences in my life that inspired me to become a teacher was when I did volunteer work for a few years, and also being away from my family and social media. This event led me to appreciate the value of teaching and inspiring people to reach their potentials. This volunteer service also led me to have my meaningful purpose of being a future educator.

I have many purposes as an educator that I believe would help my students learn a lot, not just from what I’m teaching them, but also for the things they feel and the inspiration they get from listening to me. My purpose as a teacher is for them to discover their talents, abilities and great potentials while we are all learning together differently. I believe that everyone has a unique gift that they can develop and master in order to accomplish their goals in life and define themselves as a successful individual. I want them to realize their worth as human beings and also to help them realize that they can do something valuable to themselves, families, relatives, or the community around them.

It is important to develop an educational philosophy because this is the standard or guiding principle that educators will hold upon in order to incorporate the lessons for their students. These students are the future parents and leaders of society. As a teacher, establishing your own educational philosophy will help you accomplish your purpose as an educator. Having these principles is like having your own values in life that remind you of your purpose and it is also like a map that guides you throughout your career. Thus, this will help you remain on the right track of your profession and career progression.

According to my inventory of the five major philosophies, I am closely aligned with Progressivism which “organizes schools around the concerns, curiosity, and real-world experiences of students.” (Sadker & Zittleman, 2013, p.160) Basically, students are learning through real experiences and also they are exposed to questions that provoke them to discover new knowledge. The reason why my result was Progressivism because I like to discover knowledge through doing and experiencing it. I also enjoy learning through the sharing of ideas and answering meaningful questions.

Learners and Teachers

In my educational philosophy, the roles and responsibilities of student learners play a big role. Students have the responsibility to interact, experiment, and share ideas with their group or classmates. For instance, putting them into small groups and putting them into work that will require their ideas to be shared or discussed. In this way, they are getting new ideas and knowledge from each other, and the more they share what they know, the more they will get different inspiration from different people around them. I have a testimony of how important it is to share your ideas because sometimes people can make another idea out of your own idea which helps them get to the right answer or knowledge. Thus, if you put them into groups, they will love and enjoy learning together as a group or class.

The roles and responsibilities of teachers are mainly to facilitate their students by creating meaningful questions. They are not the center of learning, rather they are the support for their learnings. They do this to focus on the student’s ability to learn than what the teacher or district wants them to learn. The textbook says that in a classroom setting, it is very seldom that you the instructor or teacher talking in front of the class. It was also discussed in the book how the teachers walk around to ask questions or give suggestions to them. I believe that they learn best not from the teacher but more from their groups or students with similar abilities.

Classroom management

The first thing that I want my students to know and understand is the principle of respect not just to the teacher nor classmates, but also to the people who they meet or encounter every day. Another principle that I want them to know and understand is the importance of unity and love whenever they are assigned in small groups, or even as a whole class. I emphasized these principles because establishing this kind of atmosphere will lessen the misbehavior of students because their groupmates will remind them if they are doing too much or not. Another approach that I will be using is putting them into groups every day. For instance, each group will receive a specific situation that would let them think of moral values or actions that would help them solve the situation. This principle is aligned to the character education which programs “which aim to teach core attributes of a moral individual directly to children in school.” (Sadker & Zittleman, 2013, p.239) Thus, it would be easier for me to manage student behaviors because we’ve already established that environment of respect, love, and unity. As a teacher, I will also let them feel that they are loved and that their ideas are valuable to me as a listener and advisor to them. This will make their atmosphere conducive to learn and confident to share their ideas. As a future educator, it is important for me to know how to convey information and facilitate the learning process to my students. Like what I said, the power of putting them into groups with students who have similar abilities to them. For example, that likes to do art would be on the group while others who like science experiments will be on the other group. Another technique is to let everyone share their ideas with the class so everyone can learn from each other’s point of view.

Partnering with parents in the educational process is very important for me. Parents are the best partners that teachers can have in order to help the students in the learning process. Parents and teachers are both important to the lives of students, so it is very crucial to involve parents in the process. If we involve parents in their educational progression, we will be able to know who they are and how best to help them; the more we know them, the more inspiration and ideas will help us to inspire them. I grew up in a different country and culture, so I learn most of the important things in life in the Philippines. Moving here to the United States was very hard at first, but one thing that I enjoy going to school is when every time my teacher asks about where I come from or what cultural background do I have that the class can learn from. This boosts my confidence and excitement to learn and share what I know. According to a study, “ When you tie a lesson to students’ experiences, their interest skyrockets and they connect more deeply with the material.” (Kaufman, 2019)

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize to the readers how important it is to establish that respect, love, unity to everyone. You can be the smartest teacher but if students don’t respect and love you, it will be hard for you to convey the information they need as learners. Another essential element that I want to emphasize is the importance of letting them share and explore their ideas through small groups. I stress the importance of this because this is what progressivism is all about. I think teaching is a good “fit” for me because I find joy in conveying the knowledge to everyone and especially if I see their face that they are getting what I am trying to say. I also love it when people are progressing their knowledge because of the things they learn inside our classroom. I believe that teaching is one of the most important principles that will exist throughout our lives. Overall, the administrator or parent should hire me because

I think beyond what students can learn while still holding the principles and philosophies that I have. I also believe that I have the gift to discern their needs and give them the best knowledge that would help them not just to be smart, but also to be good future parents and leaders in our society. To end my research, I just want to share what the founder of the Microsoft Company said about the importance of teachers in the student’s lives. He said, “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.” (Bill Gates)

References

1. Kaufman, T. (2019, October 17). Research Says: Partnering With Families Leads to Success. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/for-educators/partnering-with-families/research-says-partnering-with-families-leads-to-success.
2. Sadker, D. M., & Zittleman, K. R. (2013). Teachers, schools, and society (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Question: Compare and contrast the idealist and realist conception of reality, relating this to the teaching and learning process in the 21 century.

In order to be able to compare and contrast the idealist and realist’s conception of reality in relation to teaching and learning process, the concepts must be thoroughly understood. Idealist are those philosophers associated with the theory or philosophy of idealism which states that our reality or knowledge is shaped by our thoughts and ideas Ceciliod (2006).They believe that ideas are only true reality. Idealism is the school of educational thoughts promoted by a prolific writer Plato in 400 B.C and his thoughts was that humans could be improved from within, by correcting their thoughts and discovering knowledge they have since birth. Bali (1997) explains idealism saying that it is a philosophy which view God as the source of all knowledge and that values are absolute and unchanging. Idealism focuses on reasoning and how a person can bring knowledge up from insight of himself. According to idealist, reality or knowledge is fundamentally mental, mental constructed or otherwise immaterial.

Realist, on the other hand, are the philosophers who are associated with the theory of realism which deals with the fact that reality has an absolute existence independent from our thoughts, ideas, and even consciousness Bali (1997). Realism is the school of educational thoughts promoted by Plato’s student Aristotle. Marlow and Bhakara (2010) stated that realists holds the view that the only reality is the material world that is, studying of the outer world is the only reliable way to find the truth. Akinpelu (1981) added that realist tend to believe that whatever we believe now is only an approximation of reality and that every new observation brings us closer to understanding of reality. From the online notes by Dr Makoni(2019), realists also advocate sense training because they suggest that it is the senses which are gateway of knowledge.

Before going into detail, it is necessary to clearly illustrate that for any education system to be meaningful and effective, it has to be based on a clearly thoughtful philosophy as stated by Ankipelu (1981). This means that it has to rest on a set of beliefs about nature of human and his universe, a system of values of both individuals and the society and a scheme of knowledge that is considered most desirable to have. In this writing l will focus on only two schools of philosophy which are idealism and realism. Realism and Idealism are two competing philosophies in the field of education because they influence both teaching and learning process in a number of ways. According to Bali (1997), the difference between the two philosophies will be clearer by considering them in terms of the aims of education, the curriculum, the role of the teacher and the methods of teaching. These four parameters will enable one to get the full concept of the two different philosophies in relation to teaching and learning process.

The first parameter that will help us to compare and contrast the idealist and realist conception of reality in relation to education is their viewpoints on the aims of education. Powell (1974) states that, for Aristotle a realist, education was considered to be means of helping human beings in their pursuit of happiness and he also believed that the curriculum should conform to the patterns of human growth and development. From realist point of view aims of education include, to cultivate human rationally through the study of organized bodies of knowledge, to encourage human beings to define themselves by framing their potentiality for excellence to the fullest and to integrate themselves by ordering the various roles and claims of life according to a rational and hierarchical order. According to realist education must give learners a complete knowledge and understanding of human society nature, motives and institutions as stated by Farrant (2011).In other words realists asserts that education must explain to the learner how he or she is related to the world of man and world of nature. The realist view clearly shows that education in twenty first century must be based on preparationism that is is its main aim must be to prepare learners for their life.

In terms of the goals of education, idealist and realists agree at some point although there are some difference in their aims of education. They both agree that self-realization or exhalation of personality is the first aim of education that is education must involves knowledge of self thus making actual or real personality of the self as outlined by Ozmon (2014). However idealist have their aims of education which are different from those of realist outlined by Duka(2006) as to ensure spiritual development, intellectual development and character development. Idealist give greater importance to spiritual values in comparison with idealist which emphasizes with material attainment. According to idealist education in the twenty first century must aim to develop the learners mentally, morally and above all spiritually. In addition education must also aim for preservation and transmission of culture.

The second parameter that differentiates idealist and realist is the curriculum. According to the idealists, education must concentrates on the mental development of the learner and their curriculum emphasizes the study of the humanities outlined by Curren (2003). Idealist asserts a fairly normal curriculum with a heavy emphasizes on subjects like history, religious studies and literature. Botor and Ortinero (1994) add that idealistic viewpoints are found in subjects such as fine arts, classic humanities, theology, philosophy and history. This clearly shows that idealist deals with subjects that emphasizes intellectual process and acuity of the mind. The proper study of mankind, history and literature are the center of the idealist curriculum. Pure mathematics is also included in the curriculum as it is based upon universal or prior principles and provide methods of dealing with abstractions Duka (2006). The library is the center of the activity in the idealist school. The last point about idealist’s curriculum is that there cannot be change or innovation in the curriculum and the reason was given by Farrant (2011) by stating that idealist holds that certain truths are universal and permanent. From idealist point of view, twenty first century curriculum must emphasizes inner discipline, moral and religious instructions.

Again the idealist curriculum does not deal adequately with social policy, self-contentedness is paramount. The teacher applies a crucial position in the idealist school and serves as a living example of what the student can became intellectually, socially and ethically outlined by Ediger and Dingumati (2010). The teacher’s role is to pass on the knowledge of reality as they stands closer to the absolute than the students do, but the realists disagree to this curriculum as illustrated below.

Realist on the other hand think that the primary aim of education is to teach children laws of nature and those values that will lead to good life which conforms to the natural law as stated by Ozmon (2014). The realist views the curriculum as reducible to knowledge that can be measured. According to realists, science is above the liberal arts because of its engagement with the real world in a concrete manner. Bali(1997) states that, realist curriculum includes sciences in all its branches and it included the subjects such as mathematics and social sciences. Botor and Ortinero(1994), to the realist, mathematics represents a precise abstract symbolic system for describing the laws of the universe and the social sciences are seen as dealing with the mechanical and natural forces which bear on human behavior. In the idealist school a teacher occupies a vantage point and his role is that of a guide and also teachers role is to introduce the students to the regularities and rhythm of nature so that they may comprehend the natural law. But the realist asserts that knowledge transmitted by the teacher should be free of bias and his or her personality. To remove teacher bias from factual presentations, the realist recommends the use of teaching machines. Teaching is best when it is most objective and dehumanized.

The third parameter that help in comparing and contrasting the idealist and realist conception of reality in relation to teaching and learning is the role of teacher in education as stated by Curren(2003). According to Powell(1974), the teacher in the idealistic approach is autocratic who has more knowledge and pedagogical strength than a learner. Idealists emphasizes the importance of the teacher and states that the teacher should not only understand the various stages of learning but also maintain a constant concern about the ultimate purpose of learning. Dhawan (2005) added that idealist stress the importance of emulation in learning because they believe that the teacher should be the kind of person we want our children to become.

In addition, Ellen (1903) referenced in Ozmon (2017), is of the view that idealists holds that the teacher is the center of the educational process and a person closest to absolute reality. From this viewpoint a teacher is seen as a facilitator that is the teacher takes the role of absolute authority, but as a gentle guide for the learners. Idealist see a teacher as the highest authority, a figure to which learners must answer rather than a guide who can be questioned Joseph (2017). They prefer alternative ways of approaching learning but they still like to see at least an informal dialectic in operation. In questioning and discussions during which the dialectic operates, the teacher can help learners to see alternatives they might otherwise have missed and the teacher should participate fully in order to maintain the integrity of the process. Also idealists asserts that the teacher select the content and learning experiences for whatever he or she thinks is suitable and effective for the learners Duka(2006). According to idealist in twenty first century, the role of a teacher must be that of facilitator guiding students towards truth and spiritual guide.

While the teacher, for the realist, is simply a guide. According to Bali (1997), realists has of the view that the real world exists, therefore the teacher is responsible for introducing the student to it. To do this he uses lectures, demonstrations, and sensory experiences. The teacher does not do this in a random or haphazard way; he must not only introduce the student to nature, but show him the regularities, the “rhythm” of nature so that he may come to understand natural law. Both the teacher and the student are spectators, but while the student looks at the world through innocent eyes, the teacher must explain it to him, as well as he is able, from his vantage point of increased sophistication CHAND(2017). For this reason, the teacher’s own biases and personality should be as muted as possible. In order to give the student as much accurate information as quickly and effectively as possible, the realist may advocate the use of teaching machines to remove the teacher’s bias from factual presentation. The whole concept to teaching machines is compatible with the picture or reality as a mechanistic universe in which man is simply one of the cogs in the machine Akinpelu(1981).

Again, according to realists a teacher should be educated and well versed with the customs of belief and rights and duties of people, and the trends of all ages and places Dhawan (2005). This means that a teacher must have full mastery of the knowledge of present life. Powell (1974) stated that a teacher must guide the learner towards the hard realities of life. A teacher must be able to expose children to the problems of life and the world around. That is to the realist a teacher is seen as an arranger of experience and help learners to discover facts rather than contemporize facts.

Lastly, teaching methods also helps us to compare and contrast the idealist and realist conception of reality in relation to teaching and learning process. According to Bali(1997), idealist merely rely on lectures and group discussions as their method of instruction. Dhawan (2005) add that according to idealists, learners also learn by imitating the teacher or some other persons who is closely attuned with the absolute reality. Idealist rely heavily on deductive logic and they have little uses for field trips and sensory data. Other method of instruction used by idealists include storytelling, question and answer and debate. According to idealist in twenty first century, teaching methods must focus on handling ideas through lectures, discussion and Socratic dialogue.

Realists on the other hand involves teaching for the mastery of facts in order to develop an understanding of natural law and this is best accomplished by using drills and exercises as stated by CHAND(2017). According to Powell(1974), realists asserts that learning is enhanced through direct or indirect sensory experiences such as field trips, the use of films, records and filmstrips. Realist favor the use of inductive logic. Other methods of education advocated by realist include critical observation, exploration, self-study and experimentation. Realist point of view enables twenty first century teachers to use teaching methods that focus on mastery of facts and basic skills through demonstration and recitation. Students must also demonstrate the ability to think critically and scientifically using observation and experimentation.

As illustrated above there is evidence that both idealist and realist conception of reality have implication to the teaching and learning process in the twenty first century. It is necessary to sound a note of warning here that no one school of educational thoughts can be regarded as sufficient to guide a teachers classroom activities. A teacher have to adopt ideas from a number of schools of educational thoughts and employ them in what is called eclectic fashion in teaching.

References

1. Ankipelu, J.A.(1981).An Introduction to philosophy of education. London: Macmillan.
2. Bali.D.R (19997).Introduction to Philosophy. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers.
3. BHARATI CHAND, 2017, Advance Philosophy of Education, Notion Press: Chetprt Chennai
4. Ceciliod. Duka, 2006, Philosophy of Education (revised), Rex Book Store.
5. Celeste O.Botor and Aniceta M.Ortinero, 1994, Philosophy of Education concerns: Purposes, content and methods of education, Rex Book Store
6. Howard A.Ozmon, 2014, Philosophical Foundation of Education (ninth edition), Virginia Commonwealth University.
7. J.S.Farrant, 2011, Principles and Practice of Education (twenty-fourth impression), Longman Group UK Limited 1964&1980, printed in Malaysia.
8. John Powell, 1974, Philosophy of Education (third edition), Manchester university Press Oxford Road, Manchester M139PL.
9. Marlow Ediger and Bhakara Rao Digumarti, 2010, Effective School Curriculum, Discovery Publishing House Pvt. Ltd: NEWDELHI-110002.
10. M.L.Dhawan, 2005, Philosophy of Education, published by Isha books in India.
11. Randall Curren, 2003, A Companion to the Philosophy of Education, Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

In education, it is imperative to develop students who are equipped to succeed in the future. The vocational, academic and humanist philosophies all have diverse perspectives upon the purpose of education. This paper will discuss the strengths and weakness of all three philosophies in relation to the challenges for education described by the World Economic Forum (WEF). It will conclude by arguing which philosophy is the most appropriate approach to guide the education of today’s young people.

It is critical that contemporary education systems think carefully about what they are doing to prepare young people for the future. Due to a rapidly changing world, the most sought-after jobs across the globe are currently those that have only existed in the last decade (WEF, 2016). The challenge that education faces today is that 65% of primary school students will find themselves undertaking employment in occupations that still do not exist (WEF, 2016). Due to this uncertainty, education must prepare students with future skills that equips them to undertake the unknown jobs of the future. Analysing the vocational, academic and humanist philosophies in relation to these challenges is imperative to understand what the best educational approach in today’s society may be.

A vocational approach has strengths when addressing the issues identified by the WEF. According to learning guide 2, (p. 1) the vocational philosophy argues that “education is for preparing young people for adult roles”. A vocational approach aims to persevere society by providing students with hands-on, practical experience of existing vocations which prepares them to gain employment in these particular occupations (Kennedy, 2011). Through hands-on, practical experience of existing jobs, students gain transferable 21st century skills which, as iterated by WEF (2016) are essential for individuals to take full advantage of the opportunities described by the current employment trends. Existing vocations present plenty of opportunities to solve problems (Learning Guide 2, p. 4). Problem-solving skills are expected to become even more significant in future workplaces as these skills are not likely to be replaced computers (Tytler et al., 2019). Additionally, the transmission of the knowledge and skills relevant to specific existing vocations occurs through communication from adults to young people (Dewey, 1916). Thus, students gain interpersonal skills such as communication and active listening which Tytler et al. (2019) explains will be demanded by future workplaces as machines have difficulty with social intelligence.

A vocational approach has weaknesses when addressing the challenges identified by the WEF. The vocational philosophy preserves society by handing down ‘adult knowledge’ to young people (learning guide 2, p. 2). This becomes an issue when trying to prepare students for an uncertain future as the ‘adult knowledge’ that is beneficial to undertake jobs in today’s society may not be relevant to the 65% of students who will undertake the unknown jobs of the future. If students are only learning enough to become proficient in existing jobs, then their vocational choices and chances to gain knowledge are restricted (learning guide 2, p. 3).

Students are more likely to be prepared for existing vocations rather than being equipped for entirely new job types. Additionally, a major characteristic of the vocational approach is learning how to do a specific kind of work through hands-on experience (learning guide 2, p. 2). If 65% of primary students will work in jobs that are currently non-existent then it is impossible to provide these students will hands-on, practical experience.

An academic approach also has strengths that attend to the challenges identified by the WEF. Unlike the vocational philosophy, the academic philosophy focuses upon improving society by developing one’s mind and promoting the search for truth. Additionally, specific ‘academic’ subjects, such as maths and science, are perceived to be suitable for developing the mind (learning guide 3, p. 1). Engaging with these ‘academic’ subjects support students’ to be prepared for the future as they provide the basis which new knowledge is built upon (OECD, 2018). Furthermore, students develop various cognitive skills when they apply distinct knowledge and skills from these academic subjects to new situations and scenarios (OECD, 2018). Such cognitive skills including critical and creative thinking and problem-solving skills are all referred to as 21st century skills and will be demanded by the future workplace (Tytler et al., 2019). Essentially, the academic approach equips students with the cognitive tools to be able to think and act appropriately in uncertain situations. This is necessary for students to be able successfully enter a dramatically changing employment landscape (WEF, 2016).

There are also limitations when addressing the challenges identified by the WEF through an academic approach. Although it is evident that the academic philosophy develops essential 21st century skills, not all of the skills that will be demanded by future workplaces are purely cognitive type skills. Essential 21st century skills also include such skills as care, empathy, curiosity and self-efficacy (OECD, 2018). As the academic approach is ‘teacher-centred’ and focuses upon learning specific academic subjects, the learning process is clearly structured to directs students’ attention towards what is required to be learnt (learning guide 4, p. 5). Thus, young people are not supported to act upon their own curiosity. Additionally, as the academic approach focuses upon achieving proficiency in academic subjects, it can affect the self-concept of young people who are not achieving as well as their peers. As a result, these young people may lack the self-efficacy required to confidently undertake these new job types. The academic approach therefore does not develop some specific future skills which, (WEF, 2016) explains would help reduce undesirable consequences in the anticipated workforce.

The humanist philosophy has strengths when addressing the issues identified by the WEF. The humanist philosophy believes young people are born good and education should let them thrive with as little intervention as possible (learning Guide 4, p 1). Through a humanist approach, young people develop curiosity as they are encouraged to explore and learn about subjects that interest them whether they be vocational or academic (learning Guide 4, p 3).

Students become independent, self-regulated learners as teachers facilitate student-centred experiences where students discover knowledge for themselves. Being curious and self-regulated learners will be essential for individuals to navigate through such an uncertain future and independently acquire the knowledge they need to learn (OECD, 2018). These future skills will be critical to the current primary school students who will move into new job types where the roles and responsibilities are totally unknown (WEF, 2016). Finally, a significant aspect of the humanistic philosophy is the nurturing of student’s feelings and emotions (Khatib, Sarem, & Hamidi, 2013). When individuals have an adequate level of self-love, they can comprehend the complex needs of others (Learning Guide 4, p 3). The ability to understand and empathise with others are skills that will be required to succeed in future workplaces (Tytler et al., 2019).

A humanist approach also has weaknesses when addressing the challenges identified by the WEF. Students may miss out on learning important knowledge and skills as teachers only introduce specific subjects once students show an expression of interest (learning Guide 4, p 3). Additionally, if there is no content structure, issues will arise when learning about complex subject matter such as in maths. Basic knowledge and skills must be learnt first as they provide the basis to more complex knowledge (learning Guide 4, p 4). If students do not show interest in these academic subjects, they then miss the opportunity to gain essential 21st century skills that are developed through the engagement of these subjects, as discussed earlier in this paper.

In coclusion, unlike the academic philosophies which impose education upon young people to develop them into something worthwhile, the humanist philosophy believes young people are already good and education should allow them to thrive with as little intervention as possible.

References

1. Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and Education. New York, NY: The Free Press.
2. Kennedy, O. O. (2011). Philosophical and sociological overview of vocational technical education in Nigeria. American-Eurasian Journal of Scientific Research, 6(1), 52-57. Retrieved from https://go-galegroup-com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/ps/i.dop=AONE&u=griffith&id=GALE|A297135946&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon
3. Khatib, M., Sarem, S. N., & Hamidi, H. (2013). Humanistic Education: Concerns, Implications and Applications. Journal of Language Teaching & Research, 4(1), 45-51. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e989/d5a4f4fd764065de2358c4265ab72b2110bb.pdf
4. OECD. (2018). The future of education and skills. Education 2030. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/education/2030/E2030%20Position%20Paper%20(05.04.2018).pdf
5. Tytler, R., Bridgstock, R., White, P., Mather, D., McCandless, T., Grant-Iramu, M. (2019). 100 jobs of the future. Retrieved from https://learn-ap-southeast-2-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/5bb70f08ac35e/5077450?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27100%2520Jobs%2520of%2520the%2520Future.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20190825T225337Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAIW5OVFIUOTV36DNA%2F20190825%2Fap-southeast-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=1b8a02b0a2cd2387bc8d01d6c0b21d157475aab49c9a1cd16d0170ec5af135e3
6. World Economic Forum (2016). The Future of Jobs. Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Geneva, Switzerland: World Economic Forum.