WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION?(Based on Sadker and Sadker, 1998

Teachers Schools and Society, 2nd Ed)

Teacher:____________________________ School: Date:_________

Each of us has a philosophy of education or asset of fundamental beliefs regarding how we think schools should be run. What is your philosophy of education? To find out, read each of the following statements about the nature of education. Decide whether you agree or disagree with each statement. Use the following numbers to express your response:

4- Agree Strongly 2- Disagree3- Agree 1- Disagree strong

_______1. The student learning should be centered on basic subjects as reading, writing, history, math, and science.

_______2. The school should focus on the great thinkers of the past._______3. Many students learn best by engaging in the real-world activities rather than reading._______4. The students should be permitted to determine their own curriculum._______5. Subject matter is taught effectively when it is broken down into small parts._______6. The school subjects should be determined by information that is essential for all

students to know._______7. Schools, above all, should develop student’s abilities to think deeply, analytically, and

creatively; than develop their social skills or provide them with a useful body of knowledge about the ever-changing world.

_______8. Teaching should prepare students for analyzing and solving the types of problems they will face outside the classroom.

_______9. Reality is determined by each individual’s perceptions. There is no objective and universal reality.

_______10. People are shaped much more by their environment than by their genetics dispositions or the exercise of their free will.

_______11. Students should not be promoted from one grade to the next until they have read and mastered certain key material.

_______12. An effective education is not aimed at the immediate needs of the students or society._______13. The curriculum of a school should be built around the personal experiences and needs of

the students._______14. Students, who do not want to study much, should not be required to do so._______15. Programmed learning is an effective method of teaching information_______16. Academic rigor is an essential component of education. _______17. All students, regardless of ability, should study more or less the same curriculum._______18. Art classes should focus primarily on individual expression and creativity._______19. Effective learning is unstructured and informal._______20. Students learn best through reinforcement._______21. Effective schools assign a substantial amount of homework.

_______22. Education should focus on the discussion of timeless questions such as “What isBeauty?” or what is Truth?”

_______23. Since students learn effectively through social interaction, school should plan for substantial social interaction in their curricula.

_______24. The purpose of the school is to help students understand themselves and find the meaning of their existence.

_______25. Frequent objective testing is the best way to determine what students know._______26. Countries must become more competitive economically with other countries hence

schools must bolster their academic requirements to facilitate such competition._______27. Students must be taught to appreciate learning primarily for its own sake because it will

help them in their careers._______28. Schools must place more emphasis on teaching about the concerns of minorities and

women._______29. Each person has free will to develop as he or she sees fit._______30. Reward students well for learning and they will remember and be able to apply what they

learned, even if do not understand why the information worth of knowing._______31. Philippine schools should attempt to instill traditional Filipino values in students._______32. Teacher guided discovery of profound truth is a key method of teaching students._______33. Students should be active participants in the learning process._______34. There are no external standards of beauty. Beauty is what an individual decides it to be._______35. We can place a lot of faith in our schools and teachers to determine which student’s

behaviors are acceptable and which are not._______36. Schools must provide students with a firm grasp of basic facts regarding the books,

people, and events that have shaped the Filipino heritage._______37. Philosophy is ultimately at least as practical a subject to study as is computer science._______38. Teachers must stress for students the relevance of what they are learning for their lives

outside, as well as inside, the classroom._______39. It is more important for a student to develop a positive self concept then to learn specific

concept._______40. Learning is more effective when students are given frequent tests to determine what they

have learned.