Teachers' Curricular and Philosophical Frameworks

Vocabulary flashcards covering the core concepts, historical theories, and pedagogical approaches across major educational philosophies: Essentialism, Perennialism, Progressivism, Pragmatism, Naturalism, Social Reconstructionism, and Existentialism.

Philosophy of Education

A philosophical process of solving educational problems that influences what and how students are taught, represents answers about the purpose of schooling, reflects personal values, connects educators to the larger teaching community, and informs evolving classroom practices.

Essentialism

A teacher-centered educational framework focused on teaching the basics, implementing discipline, and instilling essential knowledge and moral standards.

Perennialism

A teacher-centered philosophy centered on universal truths and everlasting ideas that have withstood the test of time, emphasizing the classics, the Great Books, and cultural literacy in enduring disciplines.

Progressivism

A learner-centered educational philosophy emphasizing process, progression, and learning by doing, focusing on the whole child and using active experimentation to test ideas.

The Learner in Progressivism

A problem solver and thinker who constructs meaning through individual experiences rather than passive reception of information.

Progressivist Curriculum

A curriculum built around the personal experiences, interests, and needs of students, utilizing the scientific method to study matter and events systematically.

Pragmatism

An educational philosophy asserting that education should be about life and growth, focusing on practical actions that achieve results and teaching lessons of practical value to learners' lives.

John Dewey and Charles S. Pierce

Key pragmatist theorists whose educational framework supports project-based learning, play-based learning, experimentation, and experiential learning.

Naturalism

An educational philosophy that revolts against traditional education by giving maximum freedom and a central position to the child, adhering to the doctrine of 'follow nature' and holding that reality lives in the nature of matter.

Social Reconstructionism

A learner-centered philosophy that views education and literacy as vehicles for social change, combining academic study and social action to address societal ills and reconstruct a better society.

Change Agents

The role assumed by students in social reconstructionism who take direct social action on real-world problems such as violence, hunger, and inequality to help reinvent the world.

Existentialism

A learner-centered philosophy holding that existence precedes essence, emphasizing human free will, individual choice, self-direction, self-actualization, and personal responsibility for decisions.