Seven Philosophies

1. Essentialism
· Why Teach – this philosophy contends that teachers teach for learners to acquire basic knowledge, skills and
values. Teachers teach “not to radically reshape society but rather to transmit the traditional moral values and
intellectual knowledge that students need to become model citizen.”
· What to Teach? – Essentialist program are academically rigorous. The emphasis is on academic content for
student to learn the basic skill or the fundamental r’s – reading, writing, arithmetic, right conduct – as these are
essential to the acquisition of higher or more complex skills needed in preparation for adult life. The essentialist
curriculum includes the “traditional disciplines such as math, natural science, history, foreign language, and
literature. Essentialist frown upon vocational courses. Or other courses with watered down academic content.
The teachers and administrator decide what is most important for the student to learn and place little emphasis
on student interests, particularly when they divert time and attention from the academic curriculum.”
· How to Teach – Essentialist teachers emphasize mastery of subject matter. They are expected to be
intellectual and moral models of their students. They are seen as “fountain” of information and as ‘Paragon of
virtue”, if ever there is such a person, to gain mastery of basic skills, teachers have to observe “core
requirements, longer school day, a longer academic year”.

2. Progressivism
· Why Teach – progressivist teachers teach to develop learners into becoming enlightened and intelligent
citizens of a democratic society. This group of teachers teaches learners so they may live life fully NOW not to
prepare them for adult life.
· What to teach – the progressivists are identified with need – based and relevant curriculum. This is a
curriculum that “responds to students” needs and that relates to students’ personal lives and experiences.”
Progressivists accept the impermanence of life and inevitability of change. For the progressivists, everything
else changes. Change is the only thing that does not change. Hence, progressivists teachers are more
concerned with teaching facts or bits of information that are true today but become obsolete tomorrow, they
would rather focus their teaching on the teaching of skills or processes in gathering and evaluating information
and in problem – solving. The subjects that are given emphasis in progressivist’s schools are the “natural and
Social sciences. Teachers expose students to many new scientific, technological, and social development,
reflecting the progressivists option that progress and change are fundamental.
How to Teach
Progressivist teachers employ experiential methods. They believe that one learns by doing. For John Dewey,
the most popular advocate of progressivism, book learning is no substitute for actual experience. One
experiential teaching method that progressivist teachers heavily rely on is the problem-solving method. This
makes use of the scientific method. Other hands-on-minds-on-hearts-on teaching methods used are field trips
during which students interact with nature or society. Teachers also stimulate students through thought-
provoking games and puzzles.

3. Perennialism
· Why Teach – We are all rational animals. Schools should, therefore, develop the students’ rational and moral
powers. According to Aristotle, if we neglect the students’ reasoning skills, we deprive them of the ability to use
their higher faculties to control their passions and appetites.
· What to Teach – the Perennialist curriculum is a universal one on the view that all human beings possess the
same essential nature. It is heavy on the humanities, on general education. It is not a specialist curriculum but
rather a general one. There is less emphasis on vocational and technical education. Philosopher Mortimer
Adler claims that the “Great Books of ancient and medieval as well as modern times are a repository of
knowledge and wisdom, a tradition of culture which must initiate each generation”. What the Perennialist
teachers teach are lifted from the Great Books.
· How to Teach – the Perennialist classroom are “centered around Teacher”. The teachers do not allow the
students’ interest or experiences to substantially dictate what they teach. They apply whatever creative
techniques and other tried and true methods which are believed to be most conducive to disciplining the
students’ minds. Students engaged in Socratic dialogues, or mutual inquiry sessions to develop an
understanding of history’s most timeless concepts.”
4. Existentialism
· Why Teach – the main concern of the existentialists is “to help students understand and appreciate
themselves as unique individuals who accept complete responsibility for their thoughts, feelings and actions”
Since existence precedes essence “the existentialist teacher’s role is to help students define their own essence
by exposing them to various paths they take in life and by creating an environment in which they freely choose
their own preferred way. Since feeling is not divorced from reason in decision making, the existentialist
demands the education of the whole person, not just the mind.”
· What to Teach – “In an existentialist curriculum, students are given a wide variety of options from which to
choose.” Students are afforded great latitude in their choice of subject matter. The humanities, however are
given tremendous emphasis to “provide students with vicarious experiences that will help unleash their own
creativity and self-expression. For example, rather than emphasizing historical events, existentialist focus upon
the actions of historical individuals, each of whom provide possible models for the students’ own behavior.
· How to Teach – existentialist methods focus on the individual. Learning is self-paced, self-directed. It includes
a great deal of individual contact with the teacher, who relates to each student openly and honestly. To help
students known themselves and their place in society, teachers employ values clarification strategy. In the use
of such strategy, teachers remain non-judgmental and take care not to impose their values on their students
since values are persona.

5. Behaviorism
· Why Teach – Behaviorist school are concerned with the modification and shaping of students’ behavior by
providing for a favorable environment, since they believe that they are a product of their environment. They are
after students’ who exhibit desirable behavior in society.
· What to Teach – Because behaviorists look at “people and other animals… as complex combinations of
matter that act only in response to internally or externally generated physical stimuli”, behaviorist teachers
teach students to respond favorably to various stimuli in the environment.
· How to Teach – behaviorists teachers “ought to arrange environmental conditions so that students can make
the responses to stimuli. Physical variables like light, temperature, arrangement of furniture, size and quantity
of visual aids have to be controlled to get the desired responses from the learners. Teachers ought to make the
stimuli clear and interesting to capture and hold the learners’ attention. They ought to provide appropriate
incentives to reinforce positive responses and weaken or eliminate negatives ones.” (Trespeces, 1995)

6. Linguistic Philosophy
· Why Teach – to develop the communication skills of the learner because the ability to articulate, to voice out
the meaning and values of things that one obtains from his/her experiences of life and the world is the very
essence of man. It is through his/her ability to express himself/herself clearly, to get his/her ideas across, to
make known to others the values that he/she has imbibed, the beauty that he/she has seen, the ugliness that
he rejects and the truth that he/she has discovered. Teachers in the learner the skill to send messages clearly
and receive messages correctly.
· What to Teach – Learners should be taught to communicate clearly – how to send clear – concise messages
and how to receive and correctly understand messages sent. Communication takes place in three (3) ways –
verbal nonverbal, and para verbal. Verbal component refers to the content of our message, the choice and
arrangement of our words. This can be oral or written. Nonverbal component refers to the message we send
through our body languages while para verbal component refers to how we say what we say – the tone, pacing
and volume of our voices.
There is need to teach learners to use language that is correct, precise, grammatical, coherent, and accurate
so that they are able to communicate clearly and precisely their thoughts and feelings. There is need to help
students expand their vocabularies to enhance their communication skills. There is need to teach the learners
how to communicate clearly through non-verbal means and consistently though para-verbal means.
· How to Teach – the most effective way to teach language and communication is the experiential way. Make
them experience sending and receiving messages through verbal, non-verbal and para verbal manner.
Teacher should make the classroom a place for the interplay of minds and hearts. The teacher facilities
dialogue among learners and between him/her and his/her students because in the exchange of words there is
also an exchange of ideas.
7. Constructivism
· Why Teach – to develop intrinsically motivated and independent learners adequately equipped with learning
skills for them to be able to construct knowledge and make meaning of them.
· What to Teach – the learners are taught how to learn. They are taught learning processes and skill such as
searching, critiquing and evaluating information, relating these pieces of information, reflecting on the same,
making meaning out of them, drawing insights, posing questions, researching and constructing new knowledge
out of these bits of information learned.
· How to Teach – in the constructivist classroom, the teacher provides students with data or experiences that
allow them to hypothesize, predict, manipulate objects, pose questions, research, investigate, imagine, and
invent. The constructivist classroom is interactive. It promotes dialogical exchange of ideas among learners and
between teachers and learners. The teacher’s role is to facilitate this process.