Foreign Philosophic Influences on Philippine Education Systems (1st Draft) PDF

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SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, THE PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES Foreign Philosophic Influences on Philippine Education Systems A Research Paper in Advanced Comparative Educational Systems Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Academic Requirements for the Degree Ph. D. English By Jaime Cabre...

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Foreign Philosophic Influences on Philippine Education Systems (1st Dra ) Jaime Alfredo Cabrera

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SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, THE PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

Foreign Philosophic Influences on Philippine Education Systems A Research Paper in Advanced Comparative Educational Systems

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Academic Requirements for the Degree Ph. D. English

By Jaime Cabrera 24 October 2015

This paper presents and discusses the foreign educational philosophies that influence the Philippine educational system and its future undertakings as well on the researcher’s professional life.

Research Paper in Advanced Philosophy of Education by Jaime Cabrera

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Contents ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... 1 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 2 2. RELEVANCE TO THE PRESENT EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ..................................... 4 2.1.

Perennialism ................................................................................................................ 5

2.2.

Existentialism .............................................................................................................. 6

2.3.

Idealism ....................................................................................................................... 6

2.4.

Realism ........................................................................................................................ 7

2.5.

Experimentalism.......................................................................................................... 7

2.6.

Theoretical Eclecticism ............................................................................................... 8

3. FUTURE UNDERTAKINGS OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM .............................. 10 3.1.

Philippine EFA 2015 ................................................................................................. 11

3.2.

ECCD ........................................................................................................................ 11

3.3.

BESRA ...................................................................................................................... 12

3.4.

Multigrade Program .................................................................................................. 12

3.5.

K to 12 Curriculum Reform ...................................................................................... 13

3.6.

HERA ........................................................................................................................ 13

3.7.

Perennialism .............................................................................................................. 14

3.8.

Existentialism ............................................................................................................ 14

3.9.

Idealism ..................................................................................................................... 14

3.10. Experimentalism........................................................................................................ 15 4. INFLUENCES ON PROFESSIONAL LIFE .................................................................... 16 4.1.

Introduction ............................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

4.2.

Ignorance Can Hurt ................................................................................................... 16

5. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 18 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 20 SUGGESTED READINGS ..................................................................................................... 21

List of Tables Table 1: Five Educational Philosophies..................................................................................... 3 Table 2: Relevance of Educational Philosophies to the Educational System ............................ 4 Table 3: Key Elements of each Educational Philosophy ......................................................... 17

Research Paper in Advanced Philosophy of Education by Jaime Cabrera

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ABSTRACT The Philippines is said to have the highest literacy rates in Asia; a significant portion of the annual national revenue comes from cash remittances of overseas Filipino workers. Despite this, the country’s public education system is beset by challenges that can be traced ultimately to government corruption, abuse of power, and some cultural mindsets that – like the national education system, are rooted in its colonial history; first as foreign constructs from Spain, then as modified by North Americans. Since its independence, the Philippine educational system has undergone restructuring, changes in contents, methodologies, and philosophies. However, the system’s ills continue: overpopulated classrooms; overworked and demotivated teachers and students; severe lack of schools, books, and materials; deteriorating instructional results; and a constitutionally-mandated national education budget that has never been implemented. Findings include a) current government corruption and abuse of power in the Philippines can be related to its colonial past; b) similar problems can be found in the current educational systems of the Philippines, Spain, and North America; c) cultural and educational philosophies in the Philippines, Spain, and the USA have similar elements; and d) cultural and educational philosophies of countries with the best performing schools differ from those of the Philippines, Spain, and the USA. The research is organized in five chapters. Chapter 1 summarizes the colonial history of education in the Philippines, the current state of education, and effects of government corruption and abuse of power. Chapter 2 presents the research questions, the cultural philosophies and educational systems of the Philippines, America, and Spain and their continuing influences today. Chapter 3 presents the best educational systems of the world and their cultural and educational philosophies. Chapter 4 discusses the relevance of these cultural-educational philosophies in the future undertakings of the Philippine educational system. Chapter 5 discusses the influences of cultural-educational philosophies on the writer’s professional life. Chapter 6 recapitulates key concepts, answers the research questions, and concludes the paper.

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1. INTRODUCTION Philosophies of education are useful references not only for academic planning but also for answering core questions about teaching and learning processes, such as: Why do we do it this way? What’s the evidence supporting the validity of this idea? Although educational philosophy has been defined as a system of basic beliefs that clarify the why of ideas such as the purpose of education, the roles of teachers, what should be taught, and methods of teaching (Anon. [a]), there are other ways of looking at it. For instance, philosophical knowledge can serve as a bridge that connects disparate phenomena. This unfolding of new mental connections – also known as the light bulb effect – is what learning is all about. An understanding of the educational philosophies of key thinkers in the western tradition of teaching and learning can include an array of ancient to modern thinkers such as Plato, John Dewey, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Bertrand Russell, Howard Gardner, Friedrich Froebel, Jean Piaget, and Paulo Freire. However, rather than focusing on individual philosophers, this paper discusses five of the major educational philosophies. Why present five educational philosophies? One reason is that no single educational philosophy can answer all concerns or meet all needs. Most schools today combine educational philosophies to shape instructional content and guide planning, teaching and assessment practices by asking: What’s a better way to do this? Why is it better? The why part of the second question indicates how theoretical evidence is a key factor in the study of philosophy. As Krikorian 1962) says, philosophies differ in theoretical evidence. “The major modern schools of philosophy – the rationalistic, the empirical, and the critical – are based on the theory of evidence that is peculiar to each of them.” Another reason is to point out that, though these philosophies differ in terms of evidence, all are built on structured reasoning, and all are concerned with the improvement of education. The following table summarizes the five philosophies of education (Apps, 1973) presented in this paper.

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Table 1: Five Educational Philosophies

Philosophies

General Definitions

Perennialism

Perennialism believes that (1) the basic beliefs and knowledge of the

(Basic education,

ancient culture are as useful today as they were thousands of years ago;

time-tested

(2) reality comes from fixed truths; and that (3) goodness can be found in

contents)

rational thinking.

Idealism

Idealism is based on the view that reality and truth are in the consistency

(Ideas-based, spiritual emphasis)

of one's ideas. Education serves to sharpen one's intellect. Idealism relates to refined wisdom. This theory holds the view that the end is fixed and established by authorities; the person is free to choose how to achieve that end (Apps, 1973; from Stone and Schneider, 1971)

Realism

Also called Materialism or Naturalism, the theory of Realism relates to

(Nature-based,

reality and truth as we observe them. Realism believes in the world as it

materialistic)

is. Realism relates to logic and practical reasoning. Like idealism, the end is fixed and established by authorities; the person is free to choose how to achieve that end

Experimentalism Also called Progressivism, the theory of Experimentalism is the view (Individualistic, experience-based)

that everything is changing. Reality is what one experiences. This theory relates to social problems and societal discovery. This theory contends that means and ends are equally valuable, and the person is free to choose the ends and the means to achieve those ends. Experimentalism includes notions of Pragmatism, Instrumentalism, and Empiricism.

Existentialism

The core notion of the theory of Existentialism is that man is free to

(Realistic)

choose and decide what is significant for him. This theory holds that (1) reality, the world, truth and goodness are personal interpretations; (2) that education should be directed toward individual self-fulfillment; (3) that schools should encourage maximum individual choice and autonomy; and that (4) a person’s ability to know and experience is more important than knowledge.

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2. RELEVANCE TO THE PRESENT EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Accidentally or by design, philosophical influences can be found in almost all aspects of teaching and learning processes today, including the goals, contents, methods, and roles of teachers and students in the various learning processes. Current educational systems range from traditional, teacher-centered beliefs to modern, student-centered notions. The following table presents relevant points of five educational philosophies to the educational system. Table 2: Relevance of Educational Philosophies to the Educational System

Philosophy Perennialism (Basic education, time-tested contents)

Relevance

 Relevant in disciplinary and doctrinal subjects such as Religion, Ethics, Philosophy, Personal Development, Health and Hygiene, Sports, and Physical Education  Focus on developing reasoning and critical thinking  The mind and body are disciplined via structured lessons and drills and practice  Values are taught via rational thinking and behavioral discipline  Authoritarian teachers in class develop dependent followers.  Education is done as inexpensively and as efficiently as possible

Idealism (Ideas-based, spiritual emphasis)

    

Realism (Nature-based, materialistic)

   

Relevant in literary, philosophical, and religious subjects Focus on developing the ideal self Ideas are taught via lectures and discussions Students learn values through imitation of heroes and other exemplars Faith, authoritarianism, and intuition (without reason) are instruments of knowledge. (Apps, 1973; from Daley, L. C. 1966, p. 50). Relevant in subjects of the physical world: Math, Science, etc. Focus on learning from the laws of nature Students master knowledge and skills through demonstration and recitation Students learn values through training in rules of conduct

Experimentalism  Relevant in subjects of social experience (Social Studies, Citizenship, Government, History, Organizational Psychology) and services (Individualistic, (Management, Penology, Education, Business, Engineering, Law, Public experience-based) Relations)  Focus on notions relating to the public test  Students learn values by making group decisions in light of consequences  No mechanical memorization of content: practice and learning from errors are important.  Experience from completing projects, problem-solving and social skills are important Existentialism (Realistic)

 Relevant in subjects of choice: Art, Ethics, Philosophy  Focus on developing freedom, autonomy, individual choices, and responsibilities  Students learn to understand themselves and their situations by questioning and personal responses  Students learn values by awakening the self to duties and responsibilities  Does not automatically follow public norms or popular trends

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The use of educational philosophies when examining teaching and learning is not “how one can change the world with education, but rather how education works, i.e. what is or is not achieved with it” so, if educational research uses theories to support ideas of how education should be, then there should be clear viability embedded in such concepts. There must be “a connection to action: if someone wants to follow them, he must see that there is a chance that they can be realized and how to do so” (Oelkers, 2013). Philosophy and education would appear to be two sides of the same coin. While philosophy seems to define the goals and essentials of a good life, education appears to offer the means to achieve those goals. Today, the purer forms of classical philosophies have been reshaped by the exigencies of modern living. Thus, under each educational philosophy used in educational systems today is a blend of elements from various philosophies. This indicates that philosophies are tools that are used in the context of time and life’s challenges. Educational philosophies overlap but differ markedly according to instructional level. For instance, at the pre-elementary level, current educational systems include developmental, progressive, and cooperative educational systems, as well as Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Steiner, and Waldorf systems (Anon. [c], 2011; Anon. [d], 2013). This paper will, however, focus on philosophies that are more commonly utilized in higher levels of education.

2.1.

Perennialism

To a large extent, the core Perennialist beliefs that students should learn for the sake of learning, and that they should study time-tested principles of reality, truth, and value (Anon. [d]) would appear to be standard concepts in today’s educational systems, particularly in toptier traditional Philippine universities such as the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Centro Escolar University, and Ateneo University. Such courses are not only offered at the university level, but also at the high school and elementary school levels, particularly in pilot schools and in international schools. On the other hand, the theory of Perennialism emphasizes the teaching of universal truths that have stood the tests of time. This can be seen in programs that urge students to read great books, to study heroes and models of society, and to understand concepts that underlie human knowledge. In addition, elements of this theory can also be seen in those elements of school curriculums that remain constant from past to present, surviving many curricular revisions that dictated by political winds or fiscal limitations.

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2.2. Existentialism Public basic education in the Philippines seems to combine elements of Perennialism and Existentialism. A cornerstone concept held by the theory of Existentialism is that education’s main goal is to “develop authentic individuals who exercise freedom of choice and take responsibility for their actions” (Anon. [d]). In practice, however, this is tempered by the Perennialist concept of teachers as authoritarian figures in class who develop dependent followers. Being a democracy, the Philippines offers a range of courses after basic education, but even basic education comes in many forms such as home-schooling, Kumon, and Montessori. This allows for free choice and free will, the grounding tenet of the philosophy of existentialism. In Existentialism, free will is important and individuals shape their own futures. Under this theory, students are in control of their learning experiences and assume responsibility for their actions. The proliferation of online courses and independent learning proves that many subscribe to this philosophy, perhaps even without knowing it.

2.3.

Idealism

Although the two preceding theories seem to oppose in the degree of learner freedom, the theory of Idealism balances the concept by stating that the goals of education are “fixed and established by authorities” but students are free to choose how to achieve that end. A few private pre-elementary schools and some traditional tertiary-level schools would appear to subscribe to this tenet. In practice, however, the fiscal, social, and political realities have increased classroom populations; there are at least 50 students per class and a teacher would teach at least five such classes a day. This scenario would appear to be a living example of that Idealist notion: teachers tell students what to do, and students find ways to do it – which often includes shortcuts such as academic dishonesty. The study of national heroes and stock characters in fable or mythology (e. g., Malakas and Maganda, Juan Tamad) has long be...