Pacapat, Mechelle Kris C.

Educ 201 (Foundation of Education) 10:00-1:00 pm

Prof Savino Juan A. Nagtalon

“Distillations, Insights and Contextualization of my learning in Foundation of

Education”

Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a

preparation for life; education is life itself. -John Dewey

Foundations of Education refers to a broadly-conceived field of

educational study that derives its character and methods from a number of
academic disciplines, combinations of disciplines, and area studies, including:
history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, religion, political science,
economics, psychology, cultural studies, gender studies, comparative and
international education, educational studies, and educational policy studies.
These disciplines assist in constructing the meaning we make of schools and
teaching-learning practices in schools. Schools and schooling practices are
affected by several factors, including the everyday conditions of society,
prevalent ideologies, current content and pedagogical practices, key social
issues, and the knowledge and attitudes of professional educators and other
participants in schools. Teachers will be helped to use and understand the
relationships between material conditions, ideologies, schooling conditions,
curriculum, and pedagogy to address issues that they may face in the teaching
field. This course will broaden their thinking on how the characteristics of the
larger community in which the school is placed have a direct impact on the
school’s conditions, administration, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment
practice. One of the primary aims is to enable teachers to establish their own
philosophy of education, first by looking at classical, modern, and post-modern
philosophies and then by critically reflecting on education today.

In this course, I learned how education starts in the past and how it strives
and continues to stand and improve in the present and how it moves forward
and develops towards in the future. I learned a lot, because this course equips
me with the necessary knowledge and understanding of foundations of
education. Foundations of Education employ a number of different disciplinary
perspectives to discern how schools equip young people to assume adult
positions in the society. I learned that I must look back in the origins of human, its
society and cultures for me to understand what my learners are capable of and
there limitat. As I was looking back in the past I was able to connect and learn
how primitive education works before to the modern education. As, the time
passes by legal basis was made as basis and guidelines of education and how it
works. Thus, I understand now where our legal basis today came from. As, I
continue my journey in my teaching career I’ve realized that as a teacher I must
have my own philosophy. Philosophy is the study of ideas, knowledge, the
nature and the meaning of life.it is important to have it as I shared my time daily
with my students. I try to promote the value of education. School life is my life,
and my daily mission is not a job but a calling. It is an opportunity to have a
positive impact on students and their futures. Pouring quality information into my
students in most cases is the only positive affirmation some of them may receive.
My ability to breathe positivity into my students’ spirit may be the only spark that
ignites the spirit and assist the students in moving forward within this world. It also
helped in forming my personal philosophies and beliefs that will help to guide
me during my decision making and actions in educational arena.

As, I take the role of being a teacher it is my privilege to meet different

kind of individual with different personalities and intelligences. Hence,
Psychology is the most important of the foundations of education. It plays
pivotal role in the process of teaching and learning. The psychology used
specifically in education is called educational psychology. We can say that
both psychology and education are interrelated. Education is the shaping of
behaviour, whereas psychology is the study of how, when and why to shape
these behaviours. As, I understand that learners are unique I believe it is
because of the foundation of their home within their families and community.
The social foundations of education are a critical yet all too often overlooked
component of teacher preparation. The teachers almost always have the
"opportunity to learn" and the "opportunity to practice": the opportunity to learn
is the chance to gain pedagogical and pedagogical content knowledge
(above and beyond one's specific content area); the opportunity to practice is
the chance to use such knowledge in clinical field-based experiences. Yet far
too few teachers are given the "opportunity to change": the opportunity for
future teachers to be exposed to and to grapple with counterintuitive ways of
thinking about and engaging with our educational system. There are many
ways one can talk about this, such as "teaching against the grain" or "learning to
think otherwise." Ultimately, though, it's about helping students to see the deeper
issues and dilemmas within education through distinct perspectives
philosophical, sociological, historical, anthropological, and political and giving
them the chance to reflect on how this impacts their perspective of themselves
as teachers and the role of schools in society..

With all this information’s, I was able to understand how the foundation of
education started and moulds through anthropological, historical, legal,
philosophical, psychological and sociological foundation. And I learn how to
appreciate and understand the Anthropological, Historical and Legal influences
in education. I was enlightened on how education starts and how the people
are being taught before by knowing the different kind of education that are
being given with the other places. In the Primitive Education the domestic,
vocational, physical, moral, and military training are more on the content of
their learning. The Egyptian Education I learned that boys were sent to a formal
school at the age of eight. Schools were basically an attachment of religious
temples or government buildings. The priest and government officials acted as
teachers. There was no official teacher. Prince’s School exclusive only for sons of
Pharaohs and nobles but education were discriminatory. In Islam and Arabic
Education I system is hardwired on religion of Islam. Its content of education is
based on Shariah and Haddith. The Integrated curriculum provides an Islamic
perspective to all disciplines and subject matter fields. Their education gives
emphasis on memorization of the teachings of the Quran (preservation of the
Muslim culture). The Muslim people live up until this moment with their system.
The main goal of education is to actualize and perfect all dimensions of man.
While in Greek Education the good citizenship was the foremost aim of Athenian
education. There was a stress on individual excellence in wisdom, beauty, and
strength for public usefulness. Athens was the first states where there was
freedom to develop all human capacities through the Olympic Games were the
outstanding contributions of Athens. Until now, we still practice their way of
teaching as we promote the holistic development of our learners. The Roman
Education started the civilization as their methods of organization, management
and administration. They had constructed a carefully organized education
ladder which probably became the forerunner of many ladderized educational
system of today. Another was the Romans organized body of civil law which
became the basis of the legal systems in many countries including the
Philippines. The Romans believed that there should be empathy in the teacher-
pupil relations, and that teachers should be properly selected, even setting forth
the qualities that a teacher should have. The validity of these educational
principles is recognized in the present time. The Japanese have a standardized
and demanding curriculum, teaching approaches that encourages student
engagement, they give importance on school-home communication, long
schooling hours and additional schooling, teacher quality, carefully targeted
financial resources, and focus on equity. The Spanish have a great influence to
our education since they colonized us for how many years. The priest during this
time is also the teachers and only people who belong to upper society who are
able to have the privilege to go to the school. The Medieval, Renaissance,
American, Post liberation, and etc. also have some of the ways of teaching that
we are using and adapted as we teach our learners. We are moulded and
guided with the experiences of different time that passed down to us as our
foundation of what we have today to continue to develop and sustain the
quality of education that we give to our learners.

As we understand this influences of education, we are also reminded how

the philosophical foundations is important for us to know more its scope,
function and importance to have our own educational philosophy. I also
learned more a lot about the philosophical foundations such as Idealism in
which it involves more on ideas. So as an educator, I must be idealistic in dealing
with my learners in which I must believe that my learners can live according to
very high standards of behaviour and honesty. If I wanted to my learner to have
a quality of a person who understands what is real and possible in particular
situation is what realism is. And if I wanted my learners to learn more by doing
practical experience is suited for their learning which applied by the pragmatist.
The existentialist on the other hand help students understand and appreciate
themselves as unique individuals who accept complete responsibility for their
thoughts, feelings and actions. While post modernism taught us to go beyond
our capacities to be more globally competitive. With these different
philosophical foundations I was able to identify and develop what kind of
teacher I am when I am teaching with my diverse learners that suit their needs.
I’ve come to realize my own educational philosophy guided by the different
educational philosophical theories such as Essentialism where an educational
theory that ideas and skills basic to culture should be taught all alike. As an
educator, I must be mindful in teaching my learners of what are the essentials to
their life for them to use and hone their skills. In perennialism, perennialists believe
that one should teach the things that are everlasting pertinence of all people
everywhere and that emphasis should be in principles and not on facts. As an
educator I must believe that “there are unchanging values from changing
times.” Progressivism also taught us that learning by doing. As an educator, it is
important that my learner will be hands’ on to their activities for them to discover
and learn by their own. And as an educator I must teach my pupils to learn how
to assess and critique something so that they can apply the learning that they
have acquired. The Linguistic philosophy aims to develop communication skills in
different languages. As an educator, it is my duty to teach my learner the
learners in different language for them to be able to be a globally competitive
citizen someday. With all of this, it will be my guide to make decision making and
actions as I enter the educational battle arena.

In this subject, I also learn how to recognize the Psychological influences in

education. Psychology explains the changes that take place in individuals in
their various stages of development. It explains the effect of the environment on
the child. It also studies the child’s inborn emotions like anger and fear as they
play pivotal role in learning and teachings influences as I learned from this, I will
be able to understand how to handle and deal my learners. Psychology, as a
foundation discipline, has a significant bearing on education because of its
influence on the various factors related to teaching, learning, and assessment. I
have come to realize that building positive relationships is the connection
between school and learning. Students come to school with various experiences
and unclaimed baggage. As educators, it is important that we recognize and
attend and teach the whole child while leaving no stone unturned. Today’s
educational system and its students does not allow for antiquated and
traditional settings and behaviors. The structural settings no longer require
students to stay seated in straight rows while the teacher lectures. Because
today’s students are different, the learning must be different and presented in a
manner at the students’ present level of understanding. Teachers must utilize
various pedagogical methods to meet the varying needs of the learners. The
learners must be able to actively engage in the process of learning, which
includes but not limited to developing critical thinking skills through open
dialogue and peer interaction. In addition, teachers should ask thought
provoking, deep, probing questions, which extend the learners’ thinking
because the learner has various learning styles, it is imperative the teacher is
equipped with a multitude of instructional practices in order to differentiate the
instruction to meet students at their present level of understanding. Active
engagement and the promotion of meaningful technology usage assist in
bridging the deficit gap and critical understanding. Teachers must educate
themselves to become familiar with today’s students and their learning styles.
Understanding learning styles assists the teacher with the improvement of
instructional delivery and overall classroom management. Regarding improved
instructional practices, teachers can assist the various learners by creating
learning centers that involves active engagement in order to successfully
complete an assigned task. Positive peer interaction can motivate each student
to do their best. Pestalozzi and Froebel’s educational philosophies closely relates
to what I believe about education students. Johann Pestalozzi believed that
every individual could learn and individuals should have a right to an education.
He believed that as a society we had a duty to put these things into practice
(Bowers and Gehring, 2004).It is very important for teachers to know their
learners and how they learn. As stated earlier, life experiences vary and that
must be taken into account when educating our youth. Understanding your
learners and appreciating their differences is crucial to both their success and
the success of the teacher. Being willing to explore those differences give the
teacher a concrete understanding of instructional practices that would be
benefit their learner. Teachers should be able to utilize various instructional
practices to reach their learners and allow them to be successful. It is extremely
important to meet the learner at their present level of understanding and grow
their knowledge base. The learners’ life experience has an impact on their
instructional understanding whether positive or negative. As it relates to diversity,
Ruby Payne (2001) noted that student’ experiences and their ability to attain
resources plays an intricate part of the learners’ success. Payne noted that
emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical resources are vital learners’ of diverse
background.

As distinct from Psychological Foundations of Education, which rely on the

behavioral sciences, the Social Foundations of Education rely heavily on the
disciplines and methodologies of the humanities, particularly history and
philosophy, and the social sciences, such as sociology and political science. The
purpose of foundations study is to bring these disciplinary resources to bear in
developing interpretive, normative, and critical perspectives on education, both
inside and outside of schools. The interpretive perspectives use concepts and
theories developed within the humanities and the social sciences to assist
students in examining, understanding, and explaining education within different
contexts. Foundational studies promote analysis of the intent, meaning, and
effects of educational institutions, including schools. The normative perspectives
assist students in examining and explaining education in light of value
orientations. Foundational studies promote understanding of normative and
ethical behaviour in educational development and recognition of the inevitable
presence of normative influences in educational thought and practice. I
learned that it is important to understand our learners by the different social units
and institutions such as understanding their family, the church they are
connected, the school they are studying, the government that we have the
different race and social class. It is important for me because it easy for me to
teach if I know and understand them better. The different cultures that vary
greatly influence the education since we are living in the diverse society. I also
learned how the Filipino values can be a counterproductive culture. And with
the latest educational issues to our society, the LGBTQ+ on how they relate the
present education. As the population of the grow, many people change their
preferences of gender as they come to realized on what really they are despite
being born as man or a woman. The LGBTQ+ community often neglected
because we are still starting to accept them. They wanted to take part in the
diverse society as a community also with all the benefits that favoured to them.
The case of the building four types of comfort rooms, same-sex marriage, cross
dressing, and reproductive transplant garnered many comments and reactions
in the society. But despite of all of the issues, I learned that being a teacher I
must embrace the diversity of my learners and teach them equally because
they deserved it.

As I teacher, it is great honour for me to be in this class for me to be

reminded of what is really education is and to inspire me more on how will I deal
and teach my learners. I always heard that you must go back to the place
where you have started. Indeed, I look back to the past to learn from it as I
continue to strive and race my journey with the present and with all the
knowledge , skills that I was equipped with I will be able to use it to continue to
strive a I move forward to the future. I have come to realize the result of your
daily life is the efforts that put forth into the universe. Understanding that people
are complicated and hold various experiences are the key to maturity and
adult growth. Recognizing this can be a difficult task if the individual is not
conscientious in the moment. We are human beings and continuously deal in
the flesh. Our emotions can sometimes overtake our conscientiousness which
causes the head to lead as opposed to the heart. Choosing to become a
teacher is a big decision that I made but i did not regret it. The life-long learning
continues to stand with us as we keep our journey as a teacher or even as a
learner.