This paper considers the role of realism, idealism, experimentalism, and existentialism in the teaching of reading. The paper first discusses realism, noting that reading specialists who are realists desire to have objectives stated in measurable terms--in state mandated tests the tests are to be aligned with the stated objectives. In idealism,…

Distance education has numerous inherent philosophies to utilize in teaching-learning situation. The problem solving aspect of distance learning encourages active involvement by students in teaching-learning situations; student selection of content; teachers as guides and motivators of student learning; ordering of learning experiences in terms of…

Listening is a skill that permeates all curriculum areas at both elementary and secondary levels. Definite philosophies are in evidence pertaining to listening. The testing and measurement movement has stressed using precise, behaviorally stated objectives in teaching-learning situations. Learning opportunities are selected which harmonize with…

Mathematics as a curriculum area might be taught from the point of view of several philosophies of education. This paper discusses philosophical considerations in teaching mathematics such as the philosophy of experimentalism, philosophy of decision making, and measurement driven philosophy. It is concluded that the philosophy or philosophies…

Discusses the philosophies of kindergarten education: (1) activity centered, (2) skills centered, and (3) measurement driven instruction. Synthesizes the three philosophies and states that students must have opportunities to choose interesting and stimulating sequential learning experiences that are motivational and appropriate for their cognitive…

This paper lists and dates important historical happenings related to reading instruction. John Locke (1632-1704) was an early advocate that school should be a pleasant place to learn. He believed in the "tabula rasa" theory whereby a student had a mind like a blank sheet with nothing printed initially. Starting from the conception that…

The mathematics teacher has the major responsibility of assisting pupils to learn in ongoing lessons and units of study. Motivating pupils to achieve optimally is a concern of conscientious teachers. This paper discusses the major educational theories emphasizing motivation and presents guidelines for teaching mathematics. (ASK)

Recent theories of student learning have changed how education is viewed by educators and the public. One current concern is assessing the objectives of instruction. To be successful, state mandated standards must represent what students should achieve. Constructivism, a currently popular theory, stresses helping students do well in school and…

The strengths and weaknesses of five highly publicized ideas in education are noted. The first is the idea of heterogeneous grouping. Advocates seem to think that there is no room for homogeneous grouping of students by ability, but both plans should be used because in society, individuals interact with others regardless of ability but they also…

Presents the positions of educators John Goodlad, who emphasizes an open-ended curriculum, and James Popham, who believes in structured curriculum development, with an emphasis on behaviorism. Concludes that although these opposing philosophies complement each other in some ways, Popham's view is criticized for emphasizing lower cognitive…

Because state mandated testing has become so important in indicating student achievement in mathematics, measurement has become equally important in indicating student achievement. At the other end of the continuum of assessment, constructivists advocate assessing student achievement within an ongoing lesson or unit of study. The everyday…

In light of the amount of violence reported in public media and increasing rudeness of public behavior, it is imperative that elementary school students learn to care for other human beings. This paper makes recommendations for developing an elementary school curriculum of caring. The paper recommends three categories of objectives--knowledge,…

This paper lays out the characteristics of effective leadership in education, particularly science education. Teachers should be aware of different theories of instruction and apply them as student needs warrant. Quality supervisors and principals support teacher professional development, are effective communicators, encourage positive curriculum…

Four philosophies of computer use in the social studies field are discussed, each representing a unique school of thought in teaching and learning. They are idealism, realism, experimentation, and existentialism. Idealists believe in an idea-centered social studies curriculum. Tutorial programs, carefully selected to achieve relevant goals, may…

Part 1 of this paper discusses contributions made by diverse schools of thought in the philosophy of education to the development of a relevant social studies curriculum. The relevance of major philosophical approaches to teaching and learning is considered in light of the approaches' influences on instructors' teaching styles and students'…