Deck 6: Philosophical Roots of Education

Question 1

________________focuses on the knowledge of knowing and what we base our knowledge of the world on.

A) Epistemology
C) Ethics
B) Metaphysics
D) Logic

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following groups of terms best describes the philosophy of realism?

A) objectivity, sensation, natural laws
C) individuality, subjectivity, abstraction
B) reality, subjectivity, essence
D) spirituality, change, relativity

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Because of the seriousness of violence in schools, many state departments of education are requiring school districts to develop a course of study for secondary students on violence reduction and conflict resolution.Select three educational theories or philosophies, and describe how educators representing each of the three positions would respond to this mandate.

Answer 3

Overviews 6.1 and 6.2 will be useful when examining student answers concerning the metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and instructional implications of the educational philosophies and theories

Question 4

Curriculum guides for the subjects taught in elementary and secondary schools were developed by teachers and others who first considered the philosophical basis of the curriculum.Think about the subjects you had in high school, and identify the philosophy or theory of education that served as the basis for the curriculum.Provide the rationale for your selection.

Question 5

Which of the following groups of terms best describes the philosophy of idealism?

A) environment, experience, subjectivity
C) relativity, situation, emotion
B) spirituality, intellect, absolutes
D) individuality, change, reality

Question 6

Axiology is focused on appropriate and inappropriate behavior and evaluates what subdivision(s)?

A) ethics
C) aesthetics
B) idealism
D) A and C

Question 7

A curriculum that reflects the philosophy of idealism would be certain to include

A) consumer education.
C) vocational education.
B) mathematics.
D) all of the above.

Question 8

The essence of the idealist approaches to education is to help students

A) come to an understanding of their social and cultural environment.
B) learn how to understand the lessons that are taught through their own experiences as human beings.
C) come to an understanding of the knowledge and truths that are inherent in them as human beings.
D) understand how their own subjectivity determines the definitions of knowledge, value, and reality.

Question 9

Teacher education classes that deal with methods of instruction focus primarily on

A) axiology.
C) logic.
B) epistemology.
D) metaphysics.

Question 10

Who developed the concept of realism, which asserts that reality is outside of our minds?

A) Plato
C) Newton
B) Aristotle
D) Dewey

Question 11

Philosophy is tied to education through the attempt to answer which of the following questions?

A) What is truth, and how do we teach it?
B) How do we know what is right and wrong?
C) How does teaching reflect one's beliefs about truth and values?
D) All of the above

Question 12

______________ is the most general way of thinking about a person's life in the world and reflecting deeply on that role.

A) An ideal
C) A goal
B) Vision
D) Philosophy

Question 13

Curriculum development committees that consider the nature of reality and existence focus primarily on

A) axiology.
C) logic.
B) epistemology.
D) metaphysics.

Question 14

The philosophy of realism would suggest

A) competency testing for both teachers and students.
B) classroom dialogues designed to build a person's self-concept by enabling him or her to make significant choices.
C) instruction organized around solving society's problems by applying the scientific method.
D) instruction using language analysis to clarify communication and to establish meaning.

Question 15

What are the key components of a "conceptual framework" and how might you as a student begin to develop yours?

Question 16

The philosophy that would support a subject-matter curriculum emphasizing the great and enduring ideas is

A) existentialism.
C) pragmatism.
B) idealism.
D) realism.

Question 17

The _____________standards refer to a "conceptual framework," which contributes to a sense of professional coherence that helps teachers reach their goals.

A) INTASC
C) NCATE
B) NAEYC
D) NTA

Question 18

Compare deductive and inductive logic as pertains to the presentation of hypotheses and arguments of critical thinking.Provide a short example of each

Question 19

The process of problem solving is stressed in

A) idealism.
C) pragmatism.
B) perennialism.
D) realism.

Question 20

A course examining the moral values and rules of right conduct deals with

A) aesthetics.
C) ethics.
B) epistemology.
D) logic.

Question 21

Pragmatists such as Dewey see the school as a local community of _______________ connected to the larger society.

A) educators and decision makers
C) pragmatist and realists
B) learners and teachers
D) educators and politicians

Question 22

Progressive educators focus their attention primarily on the

A) instructional approach.
C) subject.
B) learner.
D) teacher.

Question 23

The aim of perennialism is to

A) foster a student's intellectual development.
B) educate the useful and competent person.
C) educate the individual according to her or his own interests.
D) educate for the world of work.

Question 24

For the existentialist educator, values are

A) absolute and eternal.
C) regarded as emotional preferences.
B) freely chosen.
D) culturally determined.

Question 25

Critical theory contends that schools

A) are receptive to social change.
C) are a liberating force.
B) facilitate pluralistic harmony.
D) control those who lack power.

Question 26

Postmodernist critics who attack the perennialist notions of education, such as the "Great Books" approach, do so on the grounds that

A) not all children will be able to understand such complex literature.
B) perennialist approaches to education are restricted to unchanging knowledge from certain times and contexts only.
C) the "Great Books" approach to education leaves little time for anything beyond reading.
D) only a small minority of schools will be able to afford the wealth of literature necessary for an effective perennialist education.

Question 27

Mortimer Adler's Paideia Proposal advocated

A) activities and projects as the focus of the curriculum.
B) utilitarian education.
C) heavy emphasis on social sciences.
D) one high-quality curriculum for all students.

Question 28

Progressive educators stress that all learning should center on

A) courses to develop the rational person.
B) promoting the useful and competent person.
C) the child's interests and needs.
D) all of the above.

Question 29

Of the following, who were pragmatists?

A) Peirce, James, Mead, and Dewey
C) Darwin, Montessori and Dewey
B) Piaget, Dewey and Mead
D) Peirce, Mead and Montessori

Question 30

Karen sees the world and everything in it as a laboratory for learning.She believes her students learn best when she poses problems they have to solve by interacting with a real-world setting.Which of the following views is closest to Karen's beliefs?

A) idealism
C) pragmatism
B) realism
D) essentialism

Question 31

Existentialism represents a break with idealism and realism, as well as with practices based on them, in its suggestion that

A) the sources for ultimate truth are both eternal and relative.
B) definitions of concepts such as truth and value are ultimately personal and subjective.
C) it is absolutely impossible to define a word such as truth either objectively or subjectively.
D) to focus our philosophical attention on ourselves is to deny the very meaning of the universe.

Question 32

Which educational theory views education as part of a larger effort to reform American society and politics?

A) essentialism
C) perennialism
B) existentialism
D) progressivism

Question 33

The postmodernist educator focuses on

A) raising consciousness about social inequalities.
B) providing experiences in making personal choices.
C) cultivating the intellectual virtues.
D) helping students understand the structure of the disciplines.

Question 34

Teachers who use critical theory select instructional activities that enable students to

A) study the great works.
C) learn through contrived experiences.
B) connect education to political issues.
D) pass basic skills tests.

Question 35

Which of the following statements demonstrates that the ideas of Marietta Johnson are consistent with modern-day constructivists?

A) Teachers should encourage the imposition of standards from outside the school.
B) Lessons should be structured around enduring human concerns explored in the great works.
C) Children should be engaged in active exploration of their environment.
D) Schools should be used as a tool to reform society.

Question 36

Which instructional strategy is consistent with progressive ideals?

A) cooperative learning groups
C) library research projects
B) homework
D) spelling contests

Question 37

Viewing the school as an agent of society and as a means for developing collaborative learning communities is a fundamental position of

A) existentialism.
C) pragmatism.
B) idealism.
D) realism.

Question 38

Perennialists maintain that the effect of cultural relativism is

A) better student understanding of the fine arts.
B) increased interdisciplinary study.
C) a lack of standards for right and wrong.
D) limited study in the natural sciences.

Question 39

Perennialist teachers would structure lessons around the enduring human concerns that are explored in

A) history only.
C) philosophy only.
B) literature only.
D) all of the above.

Question 40

A pragmatist approach to education would embody which of the following sets of concepts?

A) absolutes, objectivity, constancy
B) experience, experiment, environment
C) eternal truth, intellect, spirituality
D) change, scientific disciplines, absolute truths

Question 41

Reflect on the success of the A.S.Neill's Summerhill School.

Question 42

What criticism might an essentialist have for the philosophy of existentialism?

Question 43

Which of the following would an essentialist teacher at the elementary level consider most appropriate?

A) creative play time
C) history classes
B) fine arts classes
D) interdisciplinary science classes

Question 44

How would you encourage students to develop their own authentic modes of self-expression?

Question 45

Lisa, who teaches literature, almost never uses contemporary fiction in her class.Instead, she emphasizes classics.She believes that because these works have stood the test of time, they help teach important ideas vital to anyone living in any era.Which of the following is most closely related to Lisa's beliefs?

A) perennialism
C) essentialism
B) progressivism
D) existentialism

Question 46

What is the goal of education in the essentialist theory, and how can schools accomplish this goal, according to an essentialist?

Question 47

What instructional approaches are consistent with the progressive position?

Question 48

The educational theory that emphasizes the authority of the teacher and the value of the subject-matter curriculum is

A) essentialism.
C) progressivism.
B) perennialism.
D) critical theory.

Question 49

According to the philosophy of idealism, which subjects are especially important in stimulating thinking and promoting identification with the cultural heritage? Why are these subjects useful?

Question 50

One of the fundamental differences between pragmatic approaches to education, such as that suggested by Dewey, and perennialist and essentialist approaches is

A) Dewey's increased focus on learning and doing beyond simply knowing.
B) Dewey's complete disregard for traditional subject-matter disciplines.
C) the perennialist and essentialist rejection of reason and rationality as important goals of education.
D) none of these; there are no major differences among pragmatism, perennialism, and essentialism.

Question 51

What are the differences between the social-centered progressives and the child-centered progressives?

Question 52

Why would the No Child Left Behind Act be associated with essentialism?

Question 53

In an approach based on realism, why is the subject-matter competence of the teacher such an important concern?

Question 54

What are the major educational principles of the perennialist theory?