philosophy of education

Philosophy of Education

Fusing Humanistic and Progressive Philosophies in the Practice of Education

My personal philosophy on education and its practice is primarily derived and developed from my ideals as an education student, and eventually, from my conceptions as a practicing teacher. I call my personal philosophy a 'derived' one because it stems from extant education philosophies, which have influenced me most as a teacher: the humanistic and progressive philosophies of education.

Humanistic philosophy takes into account the "human potential for growth" (Campbell, 2006:39). This means that the individual's -- in this discussion's case, the student's -- level of learning and knowledge is assessed based not only on his/her aptitude in studying, but also on the holistic development of the student as an individual. The student has free rein on the kind of learning that s/he will receive; the teacher acts as the student's "helper" in this responsibility. It cannot be construed, though, that the student solely takes the active role in the process of learning, while the teacher assumes a passive role in the whole process. This is not the case in humanistic philosophy. Both teacher and student have active roles in ensuring that the process of learning is accomplished. Thus, in humanistic philosophy, there exists a cooperative relationship between teacher and student.

Progressive philosophy, meanwhile, has a more socially-relevant position when it comes to education in general, as well as the practice of teaching and purpose of education. This kind of philosophy centers on learning from actual, hands-on, activities and tasks that lets the student experience first-hand the process s/he is undergoing. While in humanistic philosophy, the teacher assumes the role of a "helper," the teacher in progressive philosophy is the organizer, preparing the student for the task/s to be accomplished. By being the organizer, the teacher involves the student with activities that develops the student's knowledge and skill, most especially the development of his/her critical thinking skills. All of these activities and dynamics in the process of learning under the progressive philosophy all point to a greater purpose: the creation of an individual who will one day become instrumental or at least contribute to "social order" (39).

Influenced by these philosophies, I taught students and practiced teaching guided by the principles of humanism and progressivism. Eventually, as these philosophies begin to gain its relevance to me, I began developing my own opinion and personal philosophy about education and teaching. Although not altogether an original philosophy, I can say that my philosophy of education provides a balance between the humanistic and progressive philosophies, providing a middle ground wherein both student and teacher can cooperate with each other as members of the institution of education, while at the same time recognizing each other's capacity (most particularly the student), to induce change and progress in society, as a higher goal and purpose of education.

As stated above, my personal philosophy fuses the principles of humanism and progressivism. To state definitively, my personal philosophy of education is: "Education should allow the individual to achieve goals that are personal and social in nature, achieving these goals through an interactive and cooperative relationship between student and teacher."

My discussion on the two philosophies of education I subsist to is reflected in the first statement of my personal philosophy, which pertained to education being the medium through which the individual can achieve both personal and social goals. By "personal" and "social" goals, I meant the achievement of ideals set by the individual for himself/herself and for the society in general, respectively. Education and learning gained from it is meaningless if the individual cannot enjoy and optimize it to achieve his/her own needs and aspirations in life. However, similarly, one's success in achieving his/her aspirations becomes irrelevant if these achievements do not benefit society.

A recognize the need to balance an individual's need to favor one's self and accepting the responsibility of being a productive member of the society. I have seen this equilibrium in both the humanistic and progressive philosophies. On one hand, it is in humanistic philosophy that I was able to develop my thoughts on the student being a rational individual, pursuing education for his/her eventual success in life (which is mainly motivated financially and socially (i.e., prestige and renown)). On the other hand, I found in progressive philosophy the significance of the student as a potential productive individual who will help in creating social order and progress (Higgins, 2005:457). Interestingly, humanism for me embodies the relevance of the individual as a member of the society, wherein his/her being a student is already an identity that creates a social status unequaled by one's wealth. I see in progressive philosophy a student's significance to his/her society, as s/he attempts to find out the degree or level of importance society puts on him/her as a contributor to the welfare of the society s/he lives in.

My personal philosophy of education reflects also my position on other issues pertaining to learning and teaching. More than anything, I believe in the usefulness of all models, theories, and philosophies about and of education, because I consider them complements or supplements of each other rather than contradictions or oppositions of each other.