Educational Research Paper: Philosophy of Education

Philosophy of Educationi

The goal of early childhood education is to ensure the access to academics that allows children to explore their potential and optimize their capabilities, whatever they are. The educational philosophy I have adopted toward early childhood education is one of educational progressivism informed by human development, and supported by scholarly practice. The knowledge and tools used in this paradigm include a strong reliance on pragmatic empiricism, often closely related to the widely known scientific method of inquiry. John Dewey was a proponent of this method of inquiry. To review this framework, one makes an observation about some problem or question, and then defines the concepts associated with the problem. Hypotheses are proposed to solve the problem. Past experience (existing evidence) helps inform the correct path of action to take, from which the most likely successful solution is tested, then the second likeliest, and so on.

Knowledge evolves in this fashion of observation, beginning at a very early age in the brain development of a child. The child engages in questioning, proposing hypotheses (what they think they see and how it works), and testing solutions (the child tests their own assumptions by engaging in creative play). Experience informs future action, which is what Dewey also espoused. Tools that have evolved along with the progressive trend in inquiry include a true scientific method involving widely accepted methods of research. The application of evidence-based practice in applying educational instructional strategies is harmonious with the underlying principles of educational progressivism.

Beliefs on How Young Students Learn and Develop

Students learn through first desire. Without a desire to know, there is no basis for learning. Trust, therefore, is of paramount importance in the student and teacher dyad. Trust must be built in the relationship, or the student will not explore to their best ability, any interest; moreover, the teacher will not be able to build interest in the student about a subject without having a trust relationship with the student. Therefore trust is first needed, then desire, and then the incorporation of material into the experiential referencing system of the student's inner psyche.

Dewey wrote that the experiences of the self are informed by previous experiences of the self. This can be interpreted in a holistic fashion; what has gone before in terms of learning, determines the 'how' of future learning practices. A positive early learning experience provides the foundation for the development of an engaged learner throughout a student's academic life. Also, the environmental experiences outside of the academic environment, such as home life and social life, shape the perceptions of the world that the student brings to the classroom. The teacher has to be able to identify students who are at risk of not engaging and determine how to build trust and a desire for learning and knowledge in the student's perception.

Therefore, the responsibility of providing early childhood education in terms of academics is the eduators; the role of providing a nurturing environment where the child can flourish and grow is the responsibility of the child's home care providers (parents, family, guardians). This can be a very difficult thing to accomplish, yet through understanding how students learn from an educational progressivism perspective and human development theory, the teacher has more tools to utilize in terms of pedagogical understanding in creating conducive learning environments.

Role of the Teacher

Dewey held that the role of the teacher was one that supported outcomes, which being the lifelong learning experience of the student even after they left school. Additionally, teachers were not there to lecture, they were there to develop thinking in the students mind so that they would ultimately benefit not only their own lives, but of larger society as well. "What nutrition and reproduction are to physiological life, education is to social life" (Dewey, Democracy and education: an introduction to the philosophy of education, p. 11). Therefore in keeping with Dewey's thought on the larger meaning of teaching to learning, and learning to benefit society, I believe the role of the teacher is with the ultimate end in mind of creating a life-long learner who gives back to society through sharing resources and skills gained from experience; experience is informed by knowledge. Knowledge is not a set of facts, it is a process. The role of the teacher is to facilitate this process by engaging the learning processes of the young child in terms of what we know about human development and how children cognize their world and experiences.

Creation of a Conducive Learning Environment - Example

Cremin, Burnard, and Craft discussed the theory of 'possibility thinking'. They examined how the pedagogical environment influences the young student's learning experiences, with specific focus on the idea of possibility thinking. Possibility thinking has creativity at its center, where it is utilized in the learning process by young students, as children interact with their environment. The teacher uses a pedagogical framework which influences the possibility thinking of the student. The researchers posited that teachers use a 'standing back' strategy with students, where they allowed the young students to explore during the learning process. The approaches of teachers that used creative play-based learning strategies supported possibility thinking in children. The primary point of this research finding is the perception of the teacher toward employing a pedagogical approach that supports creativity and learning exploration. The type of setting in which this could occur is reflective of that general framework, wherein children can engage their intrinsic possibility thinking various outdoor activities to build vestibular (and hence thinking) skills, and in indoor activities such as that deal more with the discipline subject matter.

Montessori educational theory would support the theory of possibility thinking. Therefore, the type of environment that I would provide, regardless of the age of the student, would be one that allows for a highly conceptual approach to learning by the student. This would entail a stripping of the typical ideas that are associated with a structured classroom, such as rows of desks, industrial colored walls, poor lighting, and institutional feel. This is the type of classroom I would structure in terms of teaching style and 'freedom with limit' idea borrowed from Montessori, informed by progressivist educational thought.

References

Cremin, T., Burnard, P., & Craft, A.. Pedagogy and possibility thinking in the early years. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 108-119.
Dewey, J.. How We Think. Boston: D.C. Heath and Company Publishers.
Dewey, J.. Democracy and education: an introduction to the philosophy of education. New York: Macmillan Company.