COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Principles and Theories of Language

Acquisition
First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025

CHAPTER 2
Teaching Philosophies in Education

What is a teaching philosophy?

A teaching philosophy is a set of beliefs concerning the practice of pedagogy and the process of learning. The
expression of a teaching philosophy often takes the form of an essay or a verbal response, usually in the context
of a cover letter or response to an interview question. In it, an educator states their core education principles,
discusses a rationale for each and provides practical examples to support their beliefs. Though specific beliefs
are often unique in some way to the educator, teaching philosophies tend to include some common elements:

❖ Concept of learning: The educator defines what it means for a person to learn or master a concept and
describes an ideal learning situation.
❖ Concept of teaching: The educator expounds on their educational values and aspirations, defines their
understanding of the teacher's role in education and describes ideal teaching scenarios.
❖ Student goals: The educator discusses the ideal learning outcomes and what improvements they hope to
produce in their students.
❖ Teaching methods and strategies: The educator describes the various ways in which they intend to achieve
their student goals, often explaining how each method can facilitate their implementation of teaching and learning
concepts.
❖ Teacher–student interactions: The educator describes what they believe is the ideal dynamic between a
teacher and their students and explains why they wish to work with their preferred level of learners.
❖ Assessment: The educator's statement about assessment relates to their methods for measuring improvement,
the types of assessment they use and their beliefs about the accuracy or efficacy of grading, particularly in certain
contexts.
❖ Professional development: The educator's statement on professional development addresses their personal
and professional goals, how they plan to keep pace or grow as a teacher and how they believe they can measure
their own development.
"What Is Your Teaching Philosophy?"
12 types of teaching philosophies
Though the particulars of a teaching philosophy may be unique to a specific educator, most philosophies fall under a
particular school of thought, or a combination thereof. To help develop your own ideas about education, consider the
following broad categories of teaching philosophies:
1. Behaviorism
The behaviorist school of thought states that students learn behaviors through their
interactions. According to behaviorists, an individual's intrinsic qualities have little bearing on how
they behave within an environment. Rather, the teacher can directly and intentionally influence the
quality and consistency of student behaviors with various strategies. An example of behaviorist
thought in practice is positive reinforcement, in which a learner receives a reward for positive
actions. In time, they come to associate these actions with rewards and so prefer to behave well
rather than poorly.
2. Conservatism
In pedagogy, conservatism refers to the belief that the original intended purpose of education was to prepare
learners for entry into an established culture, with its traditional values and social pathways. An educational conservative
is likely to believe teaching to be an act of data transmission and learning to be the combined acts of obedience and data
acceptance. This school of thought may also deny any nonacademic functions of education, such as the belief that
schools also function as environments where young people learn about social interactions and the value of the individual.

3. Constructivism
The constructivist philosophy states that learners develop knowledge by building on the
foundations of previous learning. Constructivists acknowledge that learners come from different
backgrounds, so they carry their unique set of circumstances and experiences into the shared
environment of the classroom. Moreover, the experiences and knowledge specific to a learner can
affect how they receive new information. Aside from these ideas concerning unique foundations and
learning outcomes, constructivism includes the following precepts:
Social interactions, such as those experienced through discussion and group work, are essential to the construction of
knowledge. It is necessary for learners to engage actively in learning activities not only to gain knowledge but also to
retain it and build meaningfully on top of it.

It is also necessary for individuals to reflect actively on their learning so that they achieve a more complete
understanding of new ideas. Learning happens when people can connect new information with what they
already know or thought they knew.
Motivation and a willingness to reflect on previous learning are crucial to the learning process. As learners develop, they
become better and identifying relevant information, classifying it mentally and weaving it into sophisticated systems of
thought that incorporate multiple simultaneous ideas.
4. Essentialism
Essentialism focuses primarily or entirely on the teaching and mastery of core basic
subjects and skills. In an essentialist approach, the topics and competencies covered are
commensurate with the learners' level of development. A student at the earliest stage of learning
practices simple skills and concepts, which increase in complexity as the student advances in
their learning trajectory. Typically, the subjects or skills that essentialists emphasize are reading,
writing, mathematics, science, history, art, music, and foreign languages, with technology being a
common modern addition to the repertoire. Essentialist teaching methods often rely on rote
practice and standardized assessment.
5. Humanism
Humanism is a teaching philosophy that centers on the needs of the student. According to this approach, students learn
best under self-direction, when they have input in what they learn, so it is the goal of the educator to facilitate a love of and
competency for learning. To that end, humanistic educators aim to establish a safe, nonthreatening environment for
learners and openly validate students' feelings as part of the learning process. Grades play little to no role in a humanistic
learning environment since self-evaluation is the only meaningful form of assessment.
6. Idealism
Idealism, as a teaching philosophy, posits that ideas are the only true reality, and the objective of the learner is to seek
the truth. In this understanding of the world, true ideas are ongoing universal constants, so learners can discover
knowledge but not necessarily create it. Some idealists also state that the goal of education is to develop the sort of mind
and skills that can better serve society. An important facet of the idealist approach is awareness of a role model whose
example can guide the learner to an understanding of their place in and contributions to society.
7. Liberalism
Liberalism refers to a philosophy aimed at cultivating free human beings through exposure to a broad array of
subjects and skills and the development of civic values tested via engagement with important ideas and issues. A liberalist
approach to education is necessarily multidisciplinary, allowing learners some freedom to choose their path while allowing
them the opportunity to develop knowledge in a wide range of subjects. Thus, this philosophy tends to result in what
people commonly call a "well-rounded education."
8. Perennialism
The perennialist teaching philosophy centers on the subject. This approach focuses on the
teaching of ideas that have everlasting and universal value and truth. The teaching focus, then, is on
principles such as reasoning and critical thinking in addition to time-tested concepts from well-known
figures such as Plato and Einstein. The educator is responsible for guiding students in their efforts to
think critically and logically and showing them how to appreciate great everlasting works.
9. Positivism
Positivism — stemming from the Latin "a posteriori," meaning "based on reasoning and facts" — is a teaching
philosophy based on evidence-based learning and verifiable notions. It is a teacher-oriented philosophy that relies on
concrete data and knowledge gained through experiments. Owing to these characteristics, positivism tends to feature in
the sciences and engineering disciplines.
10. Pragmatism
The pragmatist approach posits that the goal of education is to teach learners the knowledge and skills that are
likely to be of practical use to them. To that end, pragmatist educators tend to implement such methods as project- and
play-based learning, experiential learning, experimentation, and excursions. What qualifies as pragmatic is often
dependent on the circumstances of the learner, their environment, and their time. As societies evolve
in response to changing technologies and lifestyles, the pragmatic teaching philosophy adapts to
provide learners with relevant education.
11. Progressivism
The progressivist teaching philosophy is a student-oriented approach that considers the
significance of individuality and its connection to active learning. Progressivism states that the ideal
learning situation is when the subject matter is relevant to the life of the learner and their abilities.
Progressivist educators, therefore, often try to reveal the relevance of academic topics to stoke the
curiosity and engagement of their students. This approach also emphasizes interaction, cooperation, and consideration of
other viewpoints as essential elements of learning.

12. Realism
The realist teaching philosophy states that reality and the mind's perception of it are separate phenomena. There
are objective truths and values, and it is the goal of education to promote rational modes of thought to uncover what truth
is. Educators who the realist philosophy tend to focus on teaching critical thinking and the scientific method. By these
means can learners overcome their preconceptions and biases and approach a more logical perception.
Why is having a teaching philosophy important?
Having a teaching philosophy is important because it demonstrates that you have an established framework for
instructing students. It reveals that you draw on common principles while infusing unique elements to provide a
comprehensive education. Employers often consult your teaching philosophy to determine whether to offer you an
instructor position.
13. RECONSTRUCTIONISM
Reconstructionism is an educational philosophy that uses education as a means to change
society and create a better world. It's based on pragmatism and is also known as social
reconstructionism. It emphasizes the addressing of social questions and a quest to create a better
society and worldwide democracy. Reconstructionist educators focus on a curriculum that highlights
social reform as the aim of education.
14. EXISTENTIALISM
Existentialism is a philosophy of education that focuses on the individual, their unique
qualities, and their freedom to make their own choices. Existentialist educators believe that education
should help students develop their potential and harness their individualities. It advocates an
education that helps the individual living an existential life. Existentialistic aims of education include
development of authenticity, self-realization, choice making power, responsibility, ability to face tragic
situations, social adjustability, and uniqueness in child.