Realism
'Matter is the ultimate reality: hills, trees, cities, and starts are not simply ideas in the mind of observing individuals ... "This quote assumes that an objective reality is not impacted by the observer; that there is a reality "out there" that is completely independent. It is up to us, the observer, to learn about and interpret that reality. We can therefore be mistaken about the fundamental nature of reality: as when the earth was believed to be flat. Similarly, when change occurs in nature, it always does so in accordance with the laws of nature. If human beings are surprised, they should not attribute such anomalies to supernatural forces. Rather, they should acknowledge that they need only learn more about the physical universe.
Similarly, realists believe that values, as well as reality, are "permanent and objective." The purpose of education is to ensure that each student becomes an integral part of his or her social universe. Students are not taught so that they become superior or unique individuals. The aim is to create students that are "tolerant and well-adjusted," in harmony with their physical environments and social realities. A teacher is entrusted with the responsibility to impart the tools required for such psycho-social and mental adjustments.
The student, in turn, is responsible for doing his or her part in mastering the tolls of education. Both in academic advancement and in social adaptation, the student must rise to the expectations of the teacher. The ideas the teacher imparts are time-tested and true. All human beings are rational beings, capable of critical thought and reason. Science, reading, writing, and math are the key subjects in early childhood education. In a realistic classroom, the student also learns the material within a proscribed time frame according to the historical norms of the society. Absorption refers to retaining the subject matter; the "traditional method" refers to the Socratic method of lecture-based instruction. The school serves as a sort of training ground; while not necessarily an atmosphere a student will always appreciate, the work of the school in a "necessary but unattractive task." Especially in early childhood, such methods work in lieu of the student being unable to truly exercise the muscles of educated free will.
