Essentialism In Education

Chapter six examines five general philosophies linked to the more specific theories of education, for instance, the theory of essentialism is much related to the philosophy of realism and similarly, progressivism originates from pragmatism. There are four basic terms used in philosophy of education: metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and logic. Metaphysics studies the extreme reality. It discusses the nature of reality, its origin and its structure. Metaphysical beliefs are concerned with knowledge which is most worth such as the curriculum. It asks what is real and what is not real? Or whether we learn about the natural world or concentrate on spiritual or ideal forms. Epistemology deals with the nature and origin of knowledge it influences

Realists assert that the scientific method is the best way used to provide an exact description of the nature of the world and how it works. Therefore, theories must be constructed in order to explain and use the scientific findings. According to realists, sensation and abstraction are two related stages that are beneficial in acquiring knowledge. Similar to idealists, realists believe that an organized curriculum with separate subjects provides the most delicate and effective way to know more about reality, especially science, language and mathematics that tell us about the world in which we live. Realist instructors often use logic in a deductive and inductive way. For instance, students when studying about roses might explore various colours, size and scent but they will conclude by induction that they belong to the same genus. Hence, the teacher role is to relate students’ ideas to reality through various teaching strategies, and subjects that depend on an authoritative and expert knowledge. Realist teachers are against teaching non-academic activities like art or music but they are with the use of technology. According to them, the content of the subject matter is the most essential, however, the methodology is important but it is a subordinate tool used to reach that

In contrast to idealism and realism, pragmatists emphasize that reality is changing and that we construct knowledge through experiences and thoughts to solve problems as they arise. They believe that students must work cooperatively and become adapted to their environment and to each other. In addition to that, the teaching strategies applied by pragmatists include hands-on activities, projects and investigations. For pragmatists, teaching is a method of solving problems by using scientific methods. It challenges people as they interact with their world. Moreover, pragmatists encourage interdisciplinary education rather than memorizing curriculum. Opposite to idealists and realists who believe that students should first acquire knowledge before using interdisciplinary approaches, pragmatic students know how to investigate and apply information to the problem. In spite of the multicultural society, pragmatists ensure that all children must learn to use the scientific method in solving