Historical and Philosophical Education
Question
There are four prompt options for your initial thread. Read all four-thread options, select one prompt that is most applicable to you and respond. Ensure your thread fully answers and explains the one prompt you selected.
Thread Options:
1. Do you think schools should emphasize that truth and values are certain, as in the case of idealists and realists, or that truths and values are probabilities, as asserted by pragmatists? Explain your answer.
2. Do you think American schools have been influenced more by essentialism or by progressivism? Support your answer with examples and evidence.
3. Which education theory is most evident in your current teacher preparation program? Support your answer with examples and evidence.
4. Do you agree with the realists' argument that conceptual knowledge of subjects such as language, history, mathematics, science, literature, and art is needed to make rational choices or with the pragmatist contention that the most important decisions are made by solving problems? Explain your answer.
In addition, the candidate is encouraged to support each reply with
scholarly citations in APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last
five years. Acceptable sources include Ornstein, A. C., Levine, D.U., Gutek, G., & Vocke, D.E. (2017). Foundations of education (13th ed.) the textbook, the Bible, and journal articles.
Solution
Historical and Philosophical Education
Do you think American schools have been influenced more by essentialism or by progressivism?
I believe that American schools have been influenced more by essentialism and progressivism. Essentialism is a situation where students are provided with the most basic or essential academic skills and knowledge. For example, they are taught traditional moral virtues and values, including considering others, fidelity to duty, perseverance, and respecting authority (Kimonen & Nevalainen, 2022). This is the primary reason the current American Academic curriculum has subjects such as mathematics, literature, foreign language, history, and natural science, which are all based on traditional disciplines. In addition, students are also supposed to master basic techniques and information to qualify to move to the next level, and every level has different complex skills. Students should also learn from their teachers as they move from one academic grade to another. Therefore, it is true that essentialism has affected American education because students are only taught about institutions, people, ideas, and events that have shaped the current American society.
On the other hand, progressivism is a situation where it is believed that change, individuality, and progress are essential to a person’s education. For example, American teachers try to make education useful and interesting by planning lessons stimulate curiosity (Orenstain et al., 2017). In addition, students are allowed to interact with each other to develop essential social qualities, including cooperation and tolerance. In most cases, teachers ensure that students are involved in group discussions where they interact and learn different ideas. Furthermore, some of the problems they solve in class directly relate to those they will encounter in real life after school. Therefore, progressivism has affected American schools because teachers believe that students are supposed to learn things that prepare them for the future instead of just becoming adults.
References
Kimonen, E., & Nevalainen, R. (2022). Ideals for Learning in Communities in the United States of America. In Students Learning in Communities (pp. 28-79). Brill. https://brill.com/view/book/9789004517790/BP000009.xml
Ornstein, A. C., Levine, D. U., Gutek, G., & Vocke, D. E. (2017). Foundations of education. Cengage learning.
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