1. Educational Philosophies:
Humanism and Realism
By: Sarah Sell, Brianna Schuehler, Valeri Mocciola

2. Contents
• Overview and Contrast of Philosophies
• Major Characteristics and Goals of
Philosophy
• Roles of Teachers within Philosophy
• Roles of Students within Philosophies
• Teaching Methods for Philosophy
• History of Philosophy
• Philosophers Associated with Philosophy

3. Humanism Vs. Realism
Humanism Realism
• A school of thought that believes • Started in the 1800’s
humans must be aware of and
focus on the whole individual’s • Aristotle
growth and development • Scientific method
• Areas of particular interest in • Wasn’t about ideas
humanism:
- inquiry of the self
• Things that were real and
- motivation
factual
– Proven and backed up by
- establishing goals
facts
• Self- Actualization, a theory by
Abraham Maslow, is most
relevant topic within the study of
humanism

4. Characteristics and Goals of Humanism
Characteristics Goals
• Maslow’s self- actualization • Development of emotions
theory • Shaping of desires
• Expression of aesthetic qualities
• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,
• Enhancement of self direction and
especially those concerning the control.
theory of self-actualization and • Learn what must know be known,
motivation common knowledge.
• Client centered therapy for • Understand how one learns as opposed to
just acquiring knowledge.
enlightenment of self direction
• Practice self- evaluation as it is an
• Empathy, understanding, respect, effective assessment of a students work,
acceptance, authenticity, • Generate feelings that are as important as
gentility, freedom, dignity, and content,
potential • Create a healthy and safe environment to
attain optimal learning.

5. Characteristics and Goals of Realism
Characteristics Goals
• Highly organized and • To teach the students about
specific, practical and useful the world
• Understand the world • Be realistic with the
through questioning information being displayed
• Study of science and
scientific method are
important

6. Role of Teachers in Humanism
• Self- actualize to better perceive and appreciate the whole child.
• Be open-minded
• Encourage more self- directed learning
• Appear more concerned and humane with students
• Respond to student’s feelings
• Engage in dialogues
• Utilize student’s ideas in instructions
• Praise students as often as possible.
• Modify contents to fit an individual’s needs
• Help students set realistic goals
• Assign group work to develop pupil’s social skills.
• Be a role model
• Teachers should refrain from neglecting connecting the learning to the learner
and their experience of personal growth

7. Role of Teachers in Realism
• Must be very knowledgeable and well educated
• Cannot be a pessimist or optimist
• Much teach realities in life whether it is hard or not
• Expose the children to problems in life and around
the world
• Question the media

8. Role of Students in Humanism
• Engage in more cooperative, creative, and independent
activities
• Prepare for futures by practicing practical problem solving
skills and drawing on previous experiences for future
learning
• Take presidency over educations
• Self-guide through self-assessment and performing at an
individualized and appropriate pace
• Self- actualize to foster honesty, openness with peers,
empathy, and trust
• Students continue learning throughout their lives in a way
that is self- directed

9. Teaching Methods for Humanism
• Exercise students reasoning skills through Kohlberg’s moral dilemmas
(establish their own values while improving their moral reasoning)
• Teach self- concept lessons because they stimulate the growth and development
of the whole person
• self-concept lessons: bibliotherapy, creative drama, contract grading,
individualized education, and journal writing
• Make students aware of multiculturalism to eliminate prejudice thinking and/or
improve their outlooks of different ethnicities, races, religions, backgrounds,
cultures, etc.
• Instruct on global education allowing students to self actualize when they
consider more global perspectives and establish a sense of world citizenship.
• Students and teachers should work together to develop lessons and activities
that work with the abilities of the students

10. Teaching Methods for Realism
• Learn simple to more complex
• Concrete to abstract thinking
• Repetition is key
• More emphasis on questioning and understating
rather than knowing specific dates and information
• Put no pressure on the students

11. History of Philosophies
Humanism Realism
• Humanism became popular The age of Enlightenment
in education when strictly • 17th-18th century
structured and overly • Questioned the government,
mechanistic approaches to different values and beliefs,
morals and traditions
teaching and learning
• Became strong in science and
became less popular and rationality
schools were looking for a • The founders of the Declaration
new alternative. of Independence and the Bill of
Rights were driven by this idea
and philosophy

12. Philosophers
Jean- Jacques Rousseau Abraham Maslow

13. Jean- Jacques Rousseau
• Born in 1712 and died in 1778
• Strongly emphasized that students should be taught as
individuals rather than teaching them in a group or classroom.
• Considered society evil and that society made people evil, so he
thought students should be educated away from society.
• Thought learning should come from nature and natural learning
experiences.
• Wrote "Emile" - a story about his ideal was to educate students.
• In his philosophy of thinking it was central for students to be
strong in there decision making skills.
• He also thought that teachers and single students should work
and learn together based on the students personal interests.

14. Maslow
• Theorized the idea of self- actualization: innate human needs and
intrinsic or extrinsic motivation.
• Measurable by a Personal Orientation Inventory (POI)
• further developed Self actualization with a hierarchy of needs.
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: eight internal requirements for self-
actualizing
• Types of needs
- needs 1-4: primitive needs,
- needs 5-6: growth needs
- needs 7- 8: continual needs
• Pyramid

15. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Action