CHAPTER SIX

 

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY;  THE INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN EDUCATION

Knowledge-Level Items

 

  1. At a most basic level, philosophy is often described as

a.           a search for wisdom.

b.           a set of fundamental principles.

c.           a guide for action in our daily lives.

d.           a system of beliefs about how the world works.

 

  1. Which of the following best states a formal description of philosophy?

a.        The study of the universe and the place of humanity within it

b.       The study of the moral principles of truth, justice, and honor

c.        The study of the big questions in life, such as the origin of the universe

d.       The study of theories of knowledge, truth, existence, and good

 

  1. “A framework for thinking about educational issues and a guide for professional practice” best describes which of the following?

a.        An epistemology of education

b.       An ontology of education

c.        An axiology of education

d.       A philosophy of education

 

  1. Which of the following best states the role of philosophy in teacher professionalism?

a.        It helps ensure that professional teachers will be ethical in their dealings with students.

b.       It is an essential part of the knowledge base teachers use to make decisions.

c.        It is an essential part of teachers’ classroom strategies.

d.       It ensures that students who are members of cultural minorities will be instructed without cultural bias.

 

  1. Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between theory and philosophy?

a.        Theories explain observations in the world, and philosophy explains people’s thoughts and emotions.

b.       Philosophy is used to analyze ideas, but theories go beyond philosophy to explain observations and events.

c.        Theories explain observations in the world, but philosophy goes beyond theory to describe how things ought to be.

d.       Theories are based on principles, and philosophy is used to form the principles.

 

  1. A description of the way education, architecture, and any other profession ought to practice is called

a.        professional theory.

b.       normative philosophy.

c.        character education.

d.       values clarification.

 

  1. Which of the following is not a branch of philosophy?

a.        Paleontology

b.       Epistemology

c.        Ontology

d.       Axiology

 

  1. The branch of philosophy that deals with questions of how we came to know what we know is

a.        axiology.

b.       ontology.

c.        epistemology.

d.       ethics.

  1. “We’re never sure an idea is true until it’s tested with factual evidence” is a statement that reflects

a.        epistemology

b.       ontology.

c.        axiology.

d.       logic.

 

  1. The branch of philosophy that considers the nature of reality is

a.        epistemology.

b.       ontology.

c.        axiology.

d.       logic.

 

  1. The branch of philosophy that considers values and ethics is

a.        epistemology.

b.       ontology.

c.        psychology.

d.       axiology.

 

  1. The debate between character education, a view suggesting that values such as honesty should be emphasized, taught, and rewarded, and moral education, a view emphasizing the development of moral reasoning, most closely relates to

a.        epistemology.

b.       ontology.

c.        axiology.

d.       logic.

 

  1. One person argues that reality is objective and observable, and another argues that reality is actually perceived since our behavior depends on our perceptions.  This debate is most closely related to

a.        epistemology.

b.       ontology.

c.        axiology.

d.       logic.

 

  1. A teacher who says, “I’m getting paid to help kids learn, and I’m not earning my salary if don’t give it my very best” is making a statement most closely related to

a.        epistemology.

b.       ontology.

c.        axiology.

d.       logic.

 

  1. The statement “the physical world is constantly changing, so ideas are the only reliable form of reality” best describes

a.           idealism.

b.           realism.

c.           pragmatism.

d.           existentialism.

 

  1. The argument that “a real world exists regardless of whether or not a human being is there to perceive it” best describes

a.           idealism.

b.           realism.

c.           pragmatism.

d.           existentialism.


  1. Which traditional philosophy rejects the idea of absolute, unchanging truth?

a.        Idealism

b.       Realism

c.        Pragmatism

d.       Existentialism

 

  1. Which traditional philosophy is based on the view that humanity isn’t part of an orderly universe and that individuals create their own realities in their own unique ways?

a.        Idealism

b.       Realism

c.        Pragmatism

d.       Existentialism

 

  1. of the traditional philosophies the one that would advocate the most learner-centered curriculum and instruction would most likely be

a.           idealism.

b.           realism.

c.           pragmatism.

d.           existentialism.

 

  1. Some schools strongly emphasize basic skills, such as reading, writing, math, and perhaps now computer literacy.  The educational philosophy most closely associated with this emphasis is

a.        perennialism.

b.       essentialism.

c.        progressivism.

d.       postmodernism.

 

  1. Reforms aimed at improving teacher training have emphasized that teachers have stronger backgrounds in the content areas in which they’ll be teaching (such as people preparing to be math teachers having stronger backgrounds in math).  This position is most strongly grounded in

a.        perennialism.

b.       essentialism.

c.        progressivism.

d.       postmodernism.

 

  1. Which of the following statements best describes the primary differences between perennialism and essentialism?

a.        Essentialism is more strongly grounded in idealism and realism than is perennialism.

b.       Essentialism more strongly emphasizes the importance of knowledge and skills that are useful in today’s world than does perennialism.

c.        Essentialism emphasizes learner-centered instruction, wheeras perennialism emphasizes teacher-centered instruction.

d.       Essentialism emphasizes epistemology (how we know), whereas perennialism emphasizes ontology (what we know).

 

  1. A teacher who believes that students are best educated when they study the ideas that have endured through history, such as math science, and great literature, is most strongly guided by

a.        perennialism.

b.       essentialism.

c.        progressivism.

d.       postmodernism.


  1. Which of the following statements best describes essentialists’ and perennialists’ positions with respect to learner-centered instruction and the development of learner self-esteem?

a.        Both philosophies strongly emphasize learner-centered instruction, and the development of self-esteem is a primary goal for both.

b.       Essentialism strongly emphasizes learner-centered instruction and the development of self-esteem, whereas perennialism does not.

c.        Perennialism strongly emphasizes learner-centered instruction and the development of self-esteem, whereas essentialism does not.

d.       Both philophies are very wary of learner-centered instruction, and the development of self-esteem is not a goal for either.

 

  1. The educational philosophy emphasizing curriculum that focuses on real-world problem solving and individual development best describes

a.           perennialism.

b.           essentialism.

c.           progressivism.

d.           postmodernism.

 

  1. Of the following what is the most commonly voiced criticism of perennialism?

a.        It is elitist and places too much emphasis on ideas that are unrelated to students’ lives.

b.       It places too much emphasis on individual growth and students’ self-esteem.

c.        It is too strongly influenced by an emphasis on basic skills.

d.       It is not appropriately grounded in one of the traditional philosophies.

 

  1. Progressivism is most strongly grounded in which of the traditional philosophies?

a.        Idealism

b.       Realism

c.        Pragmatism

d.       Existentialism

 

  1. Constructivism is a learning theory that says that learners don’t behave like tape recorders, that is, they don’t’ store information I their memories in the same form in which they heard or read it.  Rather, they create understanding that makes sense to them by relating what they hear or read to what they already know, and they store in memory the understanding they have created for themselves.  This view of learning is most strongly grounded in

a.           idealism and perennialism.

b.           realism and essentialism.

c.           pragmatism and progressivism.

d.           existentialism and postmodernism.

 

  1. Of the following which sit eh most commonly voiced criticism of progressivism?

a.        It too strongly emphasizes content that isn’t relevant to students’ present-day world.

b.       It places too much emphasis on students’ interest and self-esteem at the expense of understanding.

c.        It places too much emphasis on basic skills, such as reading, writing, and math, and doesn’t place enough emphasis on other content areas, such as science and social studies.

d.       It is too teacher-centered, and as a result it detracts from student motivation.

 

  1. Of the following the most commonly voiced criticism of postmodernism is that

a.           it is elitist and places too much emphasis on historical ideas irrelevant to students’ lives.

b.           it has abandoned schools as places for learning, instead using schools for political purposes.

c.           it places too much emphasis on the individual and self-esteem.

d.           it places too much emphasis on basic skills at the expense of other parts of the curriculum.


  1. The explanation and rationale you provide for your educational goals—what you want to accomplish in your classroom—will most strongly depend on

a.        your personal philosophy.

b.       your personal needs.

c.        your self-esteem.

d.       your work ethic and sense of responsibility.

 

  1. Of the following the most important factor in critically examining your beliefs is likely to be

a.        epistemology.

b.       ontology.

c.        axiology.

d.       logic.

 

Items for Analysis and Critical Thinking

 

Use the following information for Items 33 and 34.

 

Claire Gonzales and Antonio Rivera, two middle school teachers, are involved in a discussion.  “This ‘feel good’ stuff has set education back 30 years,” Claire asserts.  “We know that people are motivated by the extent to which they expect to succeed on challenging tasks.  So what we should be doing is challenging them and helping them to succeed.  There is information everyone needs in order to function in today’s world, and we need to hold kids’ feet to the fire to be sure that they learn it.”

     “That’s all well and good,’ Antonio responds, “but how do you know what knowledge is the most important for them to learn?  Who is going to decide what is most important?  I think kids need to learn how to get information on their own.  Then they’ll be better equipped to function in today’s world.”

 

  1. Which of the following statements best describes Claire’s comments?

a.           Her comments include explanations based on theory but not statements that reflect philosophy.

b.           Her comments include statements that reflect philosophy but not explanations that are based on theory.

c.           Her statements include both explanations based on theory and statements that reflect philosophy.

d.           Her statements reflect neither explanations based on theory nor statements that reflect philosophy.

 

  1. Which of the following statements best describes Antonio’s comments?

a.           His comments include explanations based on theory but not statements that reflect philosophy.

b.           His comments include statements that reflect philosophy but not explanations that are based on theory.

c.           His statements include both explanations based on theory and statements that reflect philosophy.

d.           His statements reflect neither explanations based on theory nor statements that reflect philosophy.

 

  1. A person decides that Japanese-built cars are more reliable than American-built cars, saying he looked in a consumer rating magazine that cited the average incidents of repair for Toyotas, Nissans, Hondas, Chevrolets, Fords, and Chryslers.  Which of the following best describes his decision?

a.        It is primarily based on deductive reasoning.

b.       It is primarily based on inductive reasoning.

c.        It is primarily based on epistemological reasoning.

d.       It is primarily based on metaphysical reasoning.

 

  1. Bra Gilbert believes that learners construct their own understanding of the topics they study.  He provides a variety of experiences for learners and leads discussions intended to help them construct valid understandings of the way the world works.  Ann Wilson believes that authority is the most important way of knowing, and she presents carefully organized lectures that cover the topics she wants her students to understand.  The differences in the two teachers’ beliefs are most nearly suggested by which of the following?

a.        Ethics

b.       Ontology

c.        Axiology

d.       Epistemology

Use the following information for Items 37-40:

 

“I’m eating too much,” Jennifer complains.  “How do you know?” Louanne wonders.  “When you take in more calories than you burn, you gain weight, and I’ve gained 5 pounds in the last 6 months,” Jennifer responds.

 

  1. Jennifer’s statement “I’m eating too much” is best described as a

a.        major premise.

b.       minor premise.

c.        conclusion.

d.       result of inductive reasoning.

 

  1. Jennifer’s statement “When you take in more calories than you burn, you gain weight” is best described as a

a.        major premise.

b.       minor premise.

c.        conclusion.

d.       result of deductive reasoning.

 

  1. Jennifer’s statement “I’ve gained 5 pounds in the last 6 months” is best described as a

a.        major premise.

b.       minor premise.

c.        conclusion.

d.       result of deductive reasoning.

 

  1. Jennifer’s comments are best described as

a.           deductive reasoning but not inductive reasoning.

b.           inductive reasoning but not deductive reasoning.

c.           both inductive and deductive reasoning.

d.           both inductive and epistemological reasoning.

 

  1. A teacher has her seventh graders study the novel The Yearling because she believes students should examine moral dilemmas, which have existed throughout history.  This teacher’s philosophy is most likely to be

a.        idealism.

b.       postmodernism.

c.        pragmatism.

d.       existentialism.

 

  1. Davis Elementary School places particular emphasis on reading, writing, math, and science because “if the kids become good in these areas, they have the tools needed to understand the world around them.”  The philosophy of Davis Elementary School is most likely grounded in

a.           idealism.

b.           postmodernism.

c.           pragmatism.

d.           existentialism.

 

  1. Juan Nagales is a strong proponent of problem-based learning, an approach to instruction in which students are given an ill-defined, real-world problem that requires an extended period of time to solve.  As the students work, Juan provides only enough guidance to keep the students from going too far down blind alleys and wasting time.  Juan’s philosophy is most likely grounded in

a.        idealism.

b.       postmodernism.

c.        pragmatism.

d.       existentialism.


  1. Karen Ravitch has her fifth graders working on activities in which they determine the densities of different liquids—such as water, alcohol, cooking oil, and glycerin—by putting equal volumes on balances and seeing which ones are heavier.  They also see which ones will float on others by pouring them together.  “This is the only way they get to where they really understand the ideas,” Karen contends.  Karen’s approach to science is most strongly grounded in

a.           perennialism.

b.           essentialism.

c.           progressivism.

d.           pos