Since Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, philosophical musings about education have always had some significance. The approach educator favors will affect how they teach and, ultimately, how their students learn. When they finish their training, teachers will no longer think, “What is an educational philosophy?” Instead, they’ll have opinions about this, which may change as their experience grows. Ideally, a teacher’s educational philosophy will align with the school they work at, which is important because these core beliefs and values will shape how they educate their students.
Philosophy of Education or an Education Philosophy?
Despite the same content words, the philosophy of education and an education philosophy are two separate things, albeit related. Let’s briefly have a look at each phrase.
What is the philosophy of education?
The philosophy of education can be viewed from a philosophical perspective and educational practice. Early philosophers, like Socrates and Aristotle, presented and discussed theories for evaluating and delivering education. In recent years, this has veered towards the foundations of education, including its history, psychology, and sociology.
Discussing the aims and purposes of education is considered integral when it comes to the intelligent structure and guidance of educational activities. There are vital academic concepts covering various topics, such as teaching, learning, schooling, and indoctrination. With each one, there are different arguments for educational philosophy and its application. Because of these different perspectives, some argue the philosophy of education doesn’t exist simply because there are several philosophies about it.
What is an educational philosophy?
An educational philosophy is a set of educational beliefs and core values of a person and organization. It focuses on the purpose and objectives of academic planning, programs, and processes regarding teaching and inspiring students to learn.
An educational philosophy for a place of education may influence what and how subjects are taught. Additionally, it can impact the beliefs and values taught in the national curriculum. As a result, it could be used to identify and elucidate the principles and themes that align with them when it comes to the aspirations of an educational organization.
With this in mind, when a teacher develops their educational philosophy, they’ll consider many things, including:
- the purpose of education
- how students learn
- their role as a teacher
Having an educational philosophy with a similar approach to the school they work at would imply that teachers have the same general ideals regarding teaching and education. However, this could be subject to change as their experiences in the classroom grow, meaning that a teacher’s educational philosophy is often a subjective and dynamic approach to teaching and education.
