the philosophical foundation of education realism idealism for more information kindly leave a comment in the comment section existential pragmatism

1. Foundation of
curriculum
Philosophical
foundation
Tasneem Ahmed
B.Ed 5th
44881
tasneemkhokhar1280@gmail.com

2. What is a foundation?
 1. The basis or ground work of any thing
 2. The natural or prepared ground on which some
structure rests
 3. The lowest and supporting layer of a structure

3. Curriculum foundation
• The curriculum foundation may be defined as those basic forces that
influence and shape the minds of curriculum developers and enhance the
content and structure of the subsequent curriculum.

4. Foundation of curriculum
•Philosophical
•Psychological
•Sociological

5. What is philosophy?
Al kind:
“Philosophy helps the Muslim to understand the truth
using different techniques from those directly provided through
Islam.”
Marx, Karl ( Theses on Feuerbach, #11)
“The philosophers have only interpreted
the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change It.”

6. Philosophical foundations
• Every society is held together by a common faith
or philosophy which serve as a guide for living a
good life
• Philosophy provides systematic procedure for
clarifying issues and making decision on critical
point o curriculum development

7. Philosophy and curriculum
• Philosophy provides educators, teachers and curriculum makers with
framework for planning, implementing and evaluating curriculum
• It helps in answering what educational institutions are for,
 what subjects are important,
 how students should learn and
 what materials and
 methods should be used.

8. Four Major Philosophical Categories
Four major philosophical categories that have, influenced curriculum
development:
I) Idealism
ii) Realism
iii) Pragmatism
iv) Existentialism

9. Idealism
• Chief Representatives:
Socrates, Plato, Fitche, Hegel, Hume, Kant Nunn and Ross
• Kant ( Kant's idealism, pg:5)
“ Idealism may be defined as the view that
reality or “the world” is a product of the mind”
• Features:
The doctrine of idealism suggests that matter is an illusion and
that reality is that which
exists mentally
2. Reality exists as it is experienced
3. Truth is same today as it was yesterdays

10. Implications for Curriculum
• Teachers are expected to act as role models of enduring values.
• And the school must be highly structured and should advocate only those
ideas that demonstrate enduring values.
• The materials used for instructions, therefore, would center on broad ideas
particularly
those contained in great works of literature and/or scriptures.
• Since it is based on broad ideas and concepts, idealism is not in line with the
beliefs of those who equate learning with acquisition of specific facts.
• Curriculum should aim at inculcation of three spiritual values: Truth,
Beauty and Goodness, theses three values determine three types of
activities- intellectual, aesthetic and moral.

11. Realism
Features:
1. Concerned with world of ideas and things that are fixed within established subject matter.
2. Theory and principles come first in learning experience , application and practice follow.
Implications for Curriculum:
o The paramount responsibility of the teacher is to impart to learners the knowledge about the world they live in.
o What scholars of various disciplines have discovered about the world constitutes this knowledge.
o However, like the idealists, the realists too stress that education should reflect permanent and
enduring values that have been handed down through generations, but only to the extent that they do not interfere
with the study of particular disciplines.
o Unlike the idealists, who consider classics ideal as subject matter for studies, the realists view the
subject expert as the source and authority for determining the curriculum.
o Text books and other written materials prepared by experts are important media for helping
children learn what they should learn.
o Curriculum should include essential knowledge, not the ‘fads and frills’

12. Pragmatism
Profounder : John Dewey
Features:
Unlike, i.e., idealism and realism, Pragmatism gives
importance to change, processes and relativity
• It suggests that the value of an idea lies in its actual consequences
• Considers learning as an active process, rather than a passive acceptance
of facts and has no absolute values
• Knowledge is not at all undeniable in a changing world: what is valid
today may not be valid tomorrow
• Analyses the interests of the child into four groups: communication,
enquiry, construction, expression.

13. Implications for curriculum
o Curriculum should teach the learners how to think critically rather than
what to think.
o It should be child centered.
o What is to be included must have practical effect on students.
o Teaching should, therefore, be more exploratory in nature than
explanatory.
o The role of the teacher should simply be to spread information but to
construct situations that involve both direct experience with the world of
the learner and opportunities to understand these experiences.
o Curriculum should be based on: Utility, Natural interests of children,
Child’s own experiences, and integration.

14. Existentialism
o
Features:
o Existentialism has gained greater popularity in recent years.
o Today, many educationists talk about focusing on the individual, promoting diversity in
the curriculum and
emphasizing the personal needs and interests of learners.
o This philosophy emphasizes that there are no values outside human beings, and thus,
suggests that human
beings should have the freedom to make choices and then be responsible for the
consequences of those
choices.
o Existentialists suggest complete autonomy of learner. According to this philosophy,
learners should be put into
a number of choice-making situations, i.e., learners should be given freedom to choose
what to study.
o It emphasizes that education must center on the perceptions and feelings of the
individual in order to facilitate
understanding of personal reactions or responses to life situations.

15. o What might have been relevant in a particular situation need not
necessarily always be so. In essence, social
changes demand changes in the existing pattern of education.
o To plug the gap between the needs of the learner, the society and the
curriculum content, rethinking in the area
of curriculum development appears to be unavoidable
o To plug the gap between the needs of the learner, the society and the
curriculum content, rethinking in the area
of curriculum development appears to be unavoidable
o Chief concern is to free the child so that he/she can do his/her own
thinking/things.
o Want children to find their own identities and set their own standards.
o Tries to free children to choose for themselves what they are to learn and
to believe

16. Implications for Curriculum:
Individual learners should not be forced into pre-determined programmed of study.
o Whatever the learner feels he/she must learn should be respected and facilitated by
the system.
o An existentialist curriculum, therefore, would consist of experiences and subjects
that lend themselves to philosophical dialogue and acts of making choices, stressing,
self-expressive activities and media that illustrate emotions and insights.
o The teacher should have a non-directive role.
o The teacher should view himself/herself as a partner in the process of learning
o As a professional, the teacher should serve as a resource facilitator, rather than
imposing some predetermined values or interests on learners.