Who Should Be Acquainted With Educational Philosophy and Theories?

To be clear, anyone who makes decisions about teaching students should be able to discuss what they believe to be the end goal of education. In addition, they should have some understanding of how people learn.

Homeschooling Parents

Homeschooling is a diverse catch-phrase. There is certainly not a one-size-fits-all definition. Homeschooling parents make the decision to assume the educational responsibilities for their own children outside the confines of traditional schools. And there is a growing system of support for these parents. Some choose to un-school, others subscribe to a more traditional but on-line setting. Many adopt the route of an educational co-op. Others select a hybrid program combining public and homeschool resources. And there are parents who choose to do it all themselves.

Regardless of the route chosen to educate their children, homeschool parents need to know what the end goal of education is for their child. That is their philosophy. In addition they want to understand how children learn so they can create optimal learning opportunities for them.

There are many philosophies and theories to become acquainted with. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds with pseudo-academic jargon from important sounding sources.

The meat of philosophy and theory is actually straight forward. This site presents educational philosophy and theory in a very easy to understand format. Parents may even realize that they pick a little from several philosophies and theories when deciding how they want to educate their children.

The most successful homeschooling parents have a goal (philosophy) and a plan (theory).

School Teachers and School Administrators

Classroom teachers bear an immense responsibility for the education of children drawn from across a given community. And to facilitate quality teacher development, school administrators must have a strong grasp on educational philosophy and theory.

Public school teachers are tasked with educating a diverse grouping of children. Children in one classroom come with dissimilar cultural, economic, social, and religious backgrounds. If any individuals need to understand basic human learning theory it is the public school classroom teacher. Given the heterogeneity of these groups of children, a solid understand of human learning theory is invaluable. It allows the classroom teacher to cut through implicit divides, and present a learning environment physiologically and psychologically appropriate for everyone in their learning group.

Most (but not all) private and charter schools originate with a philosophy of education. And the parents of students understand these end goals when they voluntarily enroll their children. But in each individual classroom, teachers are presented with children who are different in many ways. And, like their public school counterparts, they must understand learning theory so they can better address the learning needs of all.

The Big Ideas in this site provide teachers and school administrators with basic educational philosophy and theory.

State and Local School Boards of Education

Elected and appointed, state and local boards of education set policy for states and local school districts. Boards make curriculum decisions, set budgets, and decide school policy. Their decisions have financial impacts on communities. These people decide what’s taught in the classroom and the resources that will be available to the educator. Despite the far reaching impact they have on children’s lives, a large percentage school board members ironically don’t have any kind of degree in education or come from an educational background. The positions are often filled through general elections or direct appointments. Often having little to no understanding of educational philosophy and theory, their decisions are influenced by sales consultants, internal specialists, political leverage, employee and parent concerns, just to name a few.

Because decisions made by boards of directors can have profound effects on learners in their states and districts, anyone who is on a board of education must familiarize themselves with educational philosophies and theories. Anyone on any board of education must be able to clearly explain to anyone the educational goal of their district or state. That is the district/state educational philosophy. And they should also be able to articulate why they have chosen specific tools, methods, and curriculum to implement their goals. That is the theory.

This site presents educational philosophy and theory in sound, understandable segments. The latest educational fad may or may not fit in with your own philosophy of education. And there is a chance that board members also may not share a unified philosophy of education.

It’s not possible to maneuver a ship with eleven different steering wheels. Nor would one to begin an oceanic crossing without a a destination. The most successful boards of education always have a goal (philosophy) and a plan (theory).

School Parents and Guardians

A parent or guardian who has their own educational philosophy and theory, is in a good position to seek out a private or charter school that shares their educational goals for their children. A school being private or charter is not a guarantee of quality or a good fit for a child.

When interviewing an administrator at a potential school, parents want to specifically ask about school philosophy, and how they apply theory in their classrooms. If a classical education (perennialism philosophy) is important to a parent, then a school that prides itself on progressivism, in philosophy and in practice, might not produce the learning results a parent wants. The only way to know what a schools philosophy is, and how learning theory is carried out in the classroom, is to ask.

Parents with children in publicly funded schools (public schools) have an equal duty to understand from their school boards and school administrators their philosophy of education. Parents of school children need to know what the end goal of their education is (philosophy), and how the district and school plan to achieve that goal. It is important for good classroom teachers to have autonomy in how they teach. But they must be able to explain to parents why they teach the way they do (learning theory).

Parents who have a casual understanding of educational philosophy and theory can ask the important questions that affect their children in the classroom. They are in a position to question the philosophies and theories that are being used. And they can better determine if the district or school doesn’t actually have a guiding educational philosophy.

This site will acquaint parents with the main educational philosophies and learning theories.