Teaching Philosophy: Progressivism and Core Education Values
This paper examines the author's personal teaching philosophy alongside four major philosophical frameworks in education: essentialism, perennialism, progressivism, and social reconstructionism. Beginning with the qualities that define great teachers—kindness, compassion, empathy, optimism, and community building—the paper surveys how each educational philosophy shapes classroom practice, curriculum, and the teacher's role. The author ultimately argues that progressivism resonates most strongly, emphasizing student-centered instruction, active experimentation, and learning grounded in real-world experience. An annotated bibliography documents the four sources used to support these positions.
- Introduction: What Great Teachers Do: Personal values defining great teaching practice
- Major Philosophies of Education: Four major educational philosophies compared
- The Philosophy That Resonates Most: Progressivism: Author's case for student-centered progressivism
- Annotated Bibliography: Summaries of four supporting sources
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds abstract philosophical frameworks in personal teaching values, giving theoretical content a clear human anchor before introducing formal terminology.
- Each educational philosophy is treated consistently—covering its core premises, classroom implications, and view of the teacher's role—making comparison straightforward for the reader.
- The author's explicit preference for progressivism is supported with a reasoned explanation tied to earlier values (student experience, active learning, democratic community), creating internal coherence across the paper.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative analysis of competing theoretical frameworks. Rather than describing each philosophy in isolation, the author implicitly evaluates them against a set of values established at the outset, then arrives at a defensible conclusion. This technique—setting evaluative criteria early and applying them systematically—is a reliable strategy for philosophy and education essays at the undergraduate level.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a discussion of essential teacher qualities drawn from personal experience (kindness, compassion, empathy, optimism, community). It then surveys four named educational philosophies in turn. A brief synthesis section identifies progressivism as the author's preferred framework and explains why. The paper closes with an annotated bibliography that contextualizes each source used.
Introduction: What Great Teachers Do
Traditionally, the focus of education has been the primary "3Rs"—writing, reading, and arithmetic. But with ever-growing technological innovation driving universal change, educators need to reconsider whether the skills taught in schools truly offer learners the best chance to enjoy success in life, at school, and in the workplace (Sledd, 2015).
From my personal experiences in the roles of student and teacher, several qualities stand out as vital to effective education.
Kindness. Great teachers are kind to everyone around them—students, parents, coworkers, and others. Kindness has a profound impact on the school and classroom environment, with students feeling loved, welcomed, and cared for.
Compassion. The profession of teaching is fundamentally humanistic. Compassion represents the deepest form of understanding and signals to others that they matter. Compassionate teachers instill this quality in their pupils through their actions, and consequently, pupils show increased receptiveness to the world around them.
Empathy. Empathy is an essential attribute, and every teacher must strive to cultivate it in themselves and their students. The ability to place oneself in others' shoes and view situations from their perspective has the potential to strongly influence one's actions and decisions.
Optimism. Being optimistic is never easy. In the teaching profession, it is even more difficult when one constantly faces problems that have very few solutions. Yet remaining optimistic under such difficult circumstances goes a long way toward positively impacting not just students, but everyone around the teacher. Optimism consistently tends to make difficult situations better.
Community building. Great teachers forge bonds and friendships by bridging gaps and establishing a sense of community. They always endeavor to improve conditions for students both inside and outside of class. Community building is something great teachers work toward in their classrooms, and this commitment extends to the whole school and broader community.
Inspiration. Anyone who observes a great teacher feels motivated to model that person—to become a better student, a better teacher, and ultimately a better individual. A great teacher unearths hidden possibilities and talents, and makes meaningful things happen (Alrubail, 2015).
Major Philosophies of Education
Educational philosophy is an element that every educator, administrator, and school adapts to, both intentionally and unintentionally. Philosophy in this area provides educators and students a basis for knowledge-building (Erkilic, 2008, p. 1).
Essentialism
This philosophy focuses on traditional education, a core curriculum, teacher-centered learning, intellectual development, and appreciation of literary and artistic masterworks. Its main premises are that the basis of reality is the physical world, that democratic societies require critical thinking ability, and that civic values take precedence over individual values in a democratic society. Essentialism is generally regarded as a conservative philosophy that engages with society's ever-evolving social, technological, and educational dimensions. It highlights the significance of teachers as authoritative classroom figures, with subject matter forming the heart of the curriculum (Erkilic, 2008, p. 3).
Perennialism
This educational philosophy is regarded as the most traditional, rigid, or orthodox, drawing heavily on the classical definition of education. According to Perennialists, individual development occurs through engagement with the most enduring and critical topics. Because factual details are continuously changing, they cannot be considered most critical; therefore, one must teach principles rather than facts. An important premise is that, despite different environments, human nature is essentially the same everywhere, and therefore everyone should receive the same education. Education, in this view, is preparation for life—not an imitation of it (Erkilic, 2008, p. 2).
Progressivism
According to Progressivists, the focus of education must be the whole student—not the teacher or the subject matter. This philosophy stresses the idea that pupils must be given the opportunity to test ideas through active experimentation. Learning is not passive but active, and it is grounded in learners' questions, which vary with their experiences in the world. An effective teacher provides experiences through which students learn by actually doing things. Curricular content emerges from student questions and interests (Erkilic, 2008, p. 3).
Social Reconstructionism
This critical theory can be regarded as revolutionary in nature. Its chief feature is a vision of education whose main purpose is to create a new social order capable of fulfilling fundamental cultural values while simultaneously harmonizing with contemporary economic and social forces. Reconstructionist teachers concentrate on curricula that emphasize social reform as the goal of education. They recognize that education is the means by which individuals are prepared to help build a more just social order (Erkilic, 2008, p. 4).
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