Educational Philosophies: Comparison of Attributes

Categories Traditional Contemporary

Philosophical Realism Idealism & Realism Pragmatism Pragmatism
- orientation

Theoretical- Perennialism Essentialism Progressivism Reconstructionism

orientation

Direction in  preserving the past (knowledge,  growth, reconstruct present,

time values) change society, shape future

Educational  fixed, absolute, objective  changeable, subjective, relative

value

Educational  focuses on teaching  focuses on active self-learning

process

Intellectual  train, discipline the mind  engage in problem-solving, social

focus tasks

Subject-  for its own self-importance  all have similar value

matter

Curriculum  composed of three Rs  three Rs, arts, sciences, vocational

Learning  cognitive learning, disciplines  exploratory, discovery

Grouping  homogeneous  heterogeneous, culturally diverse

Teacher  disseminates, lectures, dominates  facilitates, coaches, change agent

instruction
Student  receptacle, receives knowledge,  engages discoverer, constructs
passive knowledge
Social  direction, control, restraint  Individualism

Citizenship  cognitive, personal development  personal, social development

Freedom  conformity, compliance with  creativeness, self-actualization,

and authority, knowledge and discipline direct experiences
Democracy

Excellence  excellence in education, academic,  equality of education, equal

vs. Equality rewards and jobs based on merit change to disadvantaged

Society  group values, acceptance of norms,  individual growth, individual ability,

cooperative and conforming importance of individual
behavior

Adapted from Ornstein’s and Oliva’s Educational Philosophies. From the dissertation of Dr. David E.
Diehl entitled “A Study of Faculty-Related Variables and Competence in Integrating Instructional
Technologies into Pedagogical Practices.” ©2005-06. Revised 2006. Reprinted by permission.