EDU601 Final Term Past Papers

EDU601 Philosophy of Education

PAST SOLVED PAPERS FINAL TERM

Define philosophy of education?

Philosophy is a combination of two Greek words ‘Philo’ meaning love and ‘Sophia’ meaning wisdom. So, love for wisdom is the meaning of philosophy.

Educational Philosophy: The philosophical study of education and its problems, its central subject matter is education, and its methods are those of philosophy.

What is Bloom's philosophy of education?

Blooms educational philosophy stems from his need to define the nature of education, democratic education & its implications, and the importance of liberal education.

Nature of Education:

For Bloom, education is not real or meaningful, if it does not respond to a felt need.

Education must be in response to a need of humanity.

Blooms educational philosophy promotes liberal education.

Human Completeness

For Bloom, the goal of education must be human completeness.

Higher Education

The focus of Bloom’s educational philosophy was higher education, as he believed the university education had vastly deteriorated owing to certain social and political issues of the time.

Criticism on Bloom's philosophy?

Bloom was often called vengeful, reactionary and antidemocratic, talking against the American students and the American universities.

Bloom’s choice of title was vastly criticized. Critics were outraged that Bloom labelled young Americans to be close minded.

Bloom’s status as a philosopher was often criticized by critics who maintained that his writings were only focused on a study of classics and there was no philosophy in it.

Great Books

The Great Books course of Bloom was often criticized due to its restricted and narrow conception of classics. Chomsky criticized Blooms emphasis on a Great Books curriculum, maintaining that its effect would be: ‘Students will end up knowing and understanding virtually nothing’ Critics point out that Bloom discussed all major social and political issues in the lives of students of his time but was silent on gay rights despite the rapid spread of the concept at that time.

Characteristics of curriculum According to John Dewey?

Dewey believed that curriculum should be ultimately producing students who would be able to deal effectively with the modern world.

Child based:

Curriculum should include the child’s own preconceptions and should incorporate how the child views his own world.

Curriculum should build an orderly sense of the world where the child lives.

Activities of Life in Classroom:

Dewey combined subject areas and materials, and by doing this, he made connections between subjects and the child’s life.

Characterization of Children's Behavior:

Dewey uses four instinct or impulses to characterize children’s behavior:

Social

Constructive

Expressive

Artistic

Things to learn counting 0-10, According to Maria Montessori?

Number Rods

Painted in red and blue divisions measuring 10 cm. from 1 to 10

Spindle Box

The spindle box was used to place the correct number of spindles placed in compartments 0 to

Small Cubes & Number Cards

Small cubes and number cards marked 1 to 10 would be set out in an orderly manner.

Sandpaper Numerals

Sandpaper numerals were used in preparation for written examples and a brief explanation of how to use the number rods.

Do you agree home schooling is important and why?

No, I don’t think so that homeschooling is important. Because the main and most prominent drawback of homeschooling is isolation and no social interaction. Although in some cases homeschooling is fruitful too. Where there are the following issues:

Transportation & convenience

Inaccessibility of schools

Behavior problems of children

Concerns over safety

What is home Schooling?

Homeschooling is the oldest and most ancient educational philosophy. In times before formal schooling started, some children were sent away to study with great philosophers and thinkers, however, most children learned life skills from their parents, while staying at home.

What is pragmatism?

Pragmatism is a contemporary educational theory. Pragmatists believe that reality is actually what is experienced is subjective and is also changing. Pragmatics maintains that practical consequences are the criteria of knowledge, meaning and value.

Criticism on classical education?

Joy of Learning

Many critics believe classical education to be too formal.

They believe it makes learning a chore rather than a joyous activity.

Knowledge Transmission

Classical education is often seen as transference of the accumulated knowledge of the society to its youth.

Critics believe that education should be more than just the transmission of knowledge.

They question whether classical education imparts wisdom.

Individuality

Classical education is criticized because it fails to satisfy the individual needs, interests and capabilities of students.

Education for Virtue

Most classical educationalists or philosophers focused on education as a way to make the student virtuous.

Critics point out that education should be for the mental development of a person and that the soul or its virtue should have nothing to do with education.

Liberal education?

Trains individuals in liberal arts that are arts of learning.

It is preparatory.

Liberally trained students acquire the skill to go on learning after they have graduated, but unless they continue their education, they would never become generally educated humans.

Closing of the American mind?

• 1987
• Criticism of contemporary American higher education
• Spiritual disintegration of students
• Blamed the post-modern and multicultural trends in education
• Nietzschean relativism
• Sexual revolution