Sam Jones

Dr. Doran

Philosophy of Curriculum

Part I:

8
7
6 6.2 6
5 5
4 4.8 4.6
3
2
1
Perennialism Idealism Realism Experimentalism Existentialism

My chart most resembles that of a structured. I lean more towards the Perennialist. I

believe that I lean more towards this view because I appreciate structure and respect. I do not

believe that students know what they need to learn. There should be some change in curriculum

to adapt it to the time but not much. There should be clear rewards and consequences for actions

in the classroom. I value the classical education and think literature, mathematics, history, and

science are subjects that should be taught. I also believe there is universal truth that can be found

in the world.

I most strongly disagree with the Existentialist (which is funny because I was

homeschooled). I see this system not working in a public-school environment. It does not have

enough structure to keep the learning process smooth. I also do not believe that truth is flexible

or relative for the individual. Although I am not an existentialist, I do think they have some

things right. Teachers should be constant questioners. We need to ask students questions that

gages comprehension and to ourselves to see if we could have taught a lesson better. Questions

also force students to become critical thinkers. This is very important for reflective action.
 I always knew that I leaned more towards structure. I was surprised at the way I

responded to some questions. I put down a 5 for both questions 23 and 37. Question 23 reflects a

realist philosophy and 37 is perennialist. Both these questions ask if there are some things

everyone should know. This is something I agree strongly with. I believe that everyone should

learn how to read, write, and do basic mathematics. I believe that if you learn nothing else you

should know the basics of these subjects to function in our society.

I would say that while I lean more towards the perennialist, I am more flexible as to

teaching strategies. I like the high degree of structure that the perennialist offers but I want to be

relational towards my students and have the freedom to differentiate my instruction. I also

believe that math and science are very important subjects. Taking all this into consideration, I

would say that I am an Idealist with influences from both perennilist and realist philosophies.

Part II:

The school I choose was Rhea County Christian School (RCA). It is a small private

school which is mostly made up of conservative Christians. This school as is unique because of

its size and background. This school has a high degree of flexibility partly because of the size.

The community involvement is usually strong and very flexible. The principal knows most (if

not all) the students and their families. The teachers have a high degree of flexibility in how they

teach. Since the school is small the teachers get to know their students very well. I would say that

RCA leans more towards the realist while valuing some aspects of other philosophies.

On the chart, the two areas that RCA has a high degree of flexibility is in community

involvement and teaching strategies. RCA was founded by several families that wanted an

alternative to public school in Rhea County. The school grew as others saw this as a good

alternative. This explains the reason why the school has such a large community involvement. It
was founded by families and so student’s families play a larger role in the school than in other

schools. The parents send their kids to RCA because they care about their education so they are

more willing to be involved. The school has had to become slightly more structured with parental

involvement because the school is growing but they still maintain a high degree of flexibility.

The teachers have a high degree of flexibility in their strategies. The class sizes range

anywhere from 4 to 20. Teachers are more likely to teach the same subject but to several

different grades. A teacher at RCA often has the same students move from Algebra I to

Geometry. Because of the class sizes and the relationships, teachers have a high degree of

freedom in how they teach. They can try different techniques that other schools could not. They

have the flexibility use their class time in more creative ways. RCA is more flexible to teach

beliefs and religion then other schools as well. They can teach the students about God and the

Bible in every class. This is very flexible when compared to a public-school system.

The most structured area is the reporting of the student progress. The way the students are

given grades is very structured. The students often get numerical grades. There are some

assignments that are ungraded but for the most part every teacher is required to show numerical

grades for each student.

 School Assessment Worksheet

Using the descriptors found in this chapter, pick a school you have either attended as a student or one in which you have
observed and mark an X on the description that most nearly describes the school. Upon completion of the 15 items,
connect the Xs vertically, thereby developing a profile of consistency.
S=high degree of structure; F= high degree of flexibility

1 2 3 4 5
1. Community Involvement S X F
(p.32)
2. School buildings and S X F
grounds (p.34)
3. Classroom space (p.38) S X F
4. Organization of knowledge S X F
(p.42)
5. Uses of learning materials S X F
(p. 45)
6. Philosophy of education S X F
(p.47)
7. Teaching strategies (p.48) S X F
8. Staffing patterns (p.49) S X F
9. Organization of students S X F
(p.50)
10. Rules and regulations S X F
(p.51)
11. Disciplinary measures S X F
(p.51)
12. Reporting of student S X F
progress (p.51)
13. Administrative attitudes S X F
(p. 52)
14. Teacher roles (p.53) S X F
15. Student roles (p.53) S X F
1 2 3 4 5

Part III:

I believe that I would be able to work at RCA because they give teachers the flexibility

for teaching, a high degree of discipline, and relationships are encouraged. At whatever school I

work at, I want to have some decision on what teaching method I use to instruct the class. I want

to have the freedom to change methods from day to day to help keep student interest. I would
like the ability to work on mathematical projects together as a class. It would be nice to have the

freedom to influence curriculum choices. I would enjoy the freedom that this school provides.

I value discipline and respect from students. RCA enforces the teacher as the authority in

the classroom. I think this system would work best for me in the classroom because I believe that

the teacher knows what the students need to learn. To learn, the students need to give the teacher

respect in the classroom. RCA has very clearly laid out disciplinary system that is easy to work

with if a student needs a certain disciplinary measure. The parents are also involved in the

process which helps keep the students in line.

Finally, I value the relationships I can build with the students. These relationships are

very important to me because I want to not only teach math but be a positive role model for the

students. At RCA, I would be able to get to know and talk with the students for several years. I

would be able to help shape their beliefs and values. I could pray with my students daily. This

freedom is not found at most schools.

Overall, I would like to work RCA. The only thing that would be a con is that RCA does

not have a pressing need for good teachers. While some public schools are less suited to my

philosophy, they are in more desperate need of good teachers. I would be able to influence more

students that need the help. The pay would also be a factor because RCA does not pay very well.

Setting those cons aside, my philosophy and RCA’s philosophy are close and would allow me to

work there.