Implementing Philosophy in Education for Growth and Development

Now, it is inevitably expected of all of us to think of philosophy in education as a subject matter and not an aspect when we read it firsthand, philosophy in itself constitutes a huge spectrum of ideologies induced in it; similar to a brain cell with many sprouting roots. Philosophy deals with the study of nature, reality, existence in its entirety and it also includes the beliefs that act as a guiding principle for behaviour. Therefore, in this article we will be discussing the ideology of philosophy as a theory and attitude to function as a guiding principle for behaviour in students.

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What is Philosophy?

Philosophy has a vast spectrum of study; it ranges immensely due to its beliefs and ideologies. The fundamental questions of the world, reason, knowledge, mind and language form the main bases of study and within these aspects includes numerous other relating ideologies and beliefs. The vast expanse of philosophy is due to its function in the workings of another subject matter like science and education.

It is important to note that philosophy of education is different from educational philosophy, so to understand these terms better, we will define them clearly below.

Philosophy of Education

The Philosophy of Education is a branch of philosophy which deals with the nature of education with its aims and problems. Essentially, this branch of philosophy is concerned with the educational theories and the practicality prevalent in education; therefore several philosophical issues arise giving birth to arguments against it. However, this analysis on the philosophy of education includes both basic philosophical issues such as the nature of knowledge that is worth teaching and learning and state of educational justice; other subject matters include the problems concerning practical educational policies and practice.

Philosophers and  theorists have concluded that the aim of philosophy of education is to foster creativity, cultivation of curiosity, procurement of knowledgeable students and improvement in understanding, promotion of moral thinking and feeling.

Educational Philosophy/ Philosophy in Education

Educational philosophy is a set of educational beliefs and core values of a person. This concept is vitally important for it deals with the behavioural pattern of a student, what he/she learns at school, how the students grasp and understand concepts and topics and the role of the teacher. Educational philosophy basically deals with philosophy in education as a guiding principle in a student’s behaviour for a fruitful development in their growth. Many educational institutes focus on imparting holistic education to their students with spiritual development being an important aspect in the progressive growth of the students. Therefore, schools integrate the importance of educational philosophy in their curriculum for it can influence and bring about an impact in the beliefs and values of the students in every positive way.

When imparting educational philosophy, the teachers recognises their role as the medium through which a concept is taught, and the purpose of education and how the students learn are the important aspects of educational philosophy. Students have an active part to play in receiving the right education too; teachers do their utmost to impart education and knowledge. Now, the main purpose of educational philosophy when imparted to students serves as a guiding norm for them. Following the ideology of educational philosophy:

• Students need to be attentive in class and be active participants in classroom activities so that they can learn how to build their confidence; to talk in a crowd, voice their opinion, to agree to a concept and to give feedback when asked.
• Teachers impart knowledge to students; teachers serve as a relevant source of information and similarly, educators prepare their lectures and introduce certain approaches how to make the students best understand the concepts. Therefore, approaches integrated and information handed down to students is of utmost importance on the part of the teachers.
• Why consistency is important; when students are taught to follow routines and keep up with schedules right from a young age, this creates a sense of responsibility as learners to study and thereby a structure of integrated learning experience in endured throughout, they become more enthusiastic about learning and are more open-minded.

To understand this concept more deeply, we shall have a look at an educational institute which focuses its educational system on imparting sound knowledge through a philosophical outlook, i.e., BGS Vijnatham School.

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Location: Techzone VII, Greater Noida West
Affiliation: CBSE
Co-ed: Coed
School Format: Day school
Established in: 2018

BGS Vijnatham School is an English medium school which has a history of 1800 years to its credit. The school has its roots deep in upholding a spiritual ideology in imparting education ever since Lord Shiva initiated its humble beginnings. The school focused in propagating education, research and service to humanity at large. The central philosophy of the school is to encourage the pursuit of right knowledge which would help liberate from ignorance and pain.  The learning community at the school is inclusive and seeks to foster understanding of personal differences and to be supportive of the diverse cultures all around. Through this the school aims to promote the ability to understand and value the strengths of diversity.

The school focuses on imparting knowledge to every student into cohesive learning paradigm by gaining knowledge in the field of science and technology. The school aims to nurture every student to be an independent learner with sound moral and ethical values; to prepare their students for future endeavours. The usage of integrated approach to education in their curriculum is efficiently effective.

In conclusion, Philosophy in education means a different altogether and which is why, to understand the purpose of philosophical ideals in education; we should tend to study it under educational philosophy, for this concept here shows philosophy as a guiding principle which is the learning guide to students and it shows and teaches the students what they did need to uphold on their part as learners.

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