All students are different with each other. Each has their own interests and each has their own skills. Surely, these students will learn differently as well. Some may be interested in science because they lived with their doctor parents. Some may be interested in arts and music as he may grow up drawing and listening. Some may even be interested in agriculture as he experienced farming as a child.
The philosophy of pragmatism tells us that education should focus on encouraging learners and teaching them practical life skills to become better individuals. We teach them lessons that will help them pursue their interests instead of lessons that will not be utilized in real life. There are a lot of pragmatists educators who believe that Philippine education should be pushed toward pragmatism as they believe that this will produce individuals who will strive in the very complex world. For an instance, according to Jumawan (2016), children come to school to survive. They don’t go to school to learn how to count their food on the table; they go to school because they wanted to put food in their table. He believes that learners should not be taught with “boring lessons” instead they should be taught with “positive values and life-skills” to survive the very harsh world we live in.
The education system of the Philippines is still not completely inclined with the philosophy of pragmatism. It may not be, but still it is important for educators to know the idea and incorporate it with lessons they teach to their students. As summarized by Drew (2022), there are 4 principles of pragmatism that teachers should know:
First is the principle of utility. Everything students learn should be useful. It follows that everything must benefit the student. A student is not interested in learning theoretical concepts that are abstract and never apply to their lives outside of school. A learner likes to learn things that are useful in their daily lives. Students will be more engaged and motivated to learn if you make the material relevant and practical.
Second is the principle of interest. As to John Dewey, a prominent pragmatist, students have four interests which are conversation, investigation, construction and creative expression. In relation to this, instructors must incorporate experiments, creating, drawing, art and many more with their lessons which will incline to the interests of their students.
Third one is the principle of experience. Learning complex theories are helpful but students may not fully absorb the learning if they are not experiencing it themselves. Experience is the best teacher. Learning by doing is another idea by Dewey; therefore teachers should design a lot of project-based, experimental, and experiential classes.
Last, the principle of integration. There are different subjects, but lessons should not be divided based on the subject itself. Science, math, and the arts are not just taught as separate subjects. Instead, a teacher may do “integration” of these subjects by showing their connection with one another. The instructor will help the class develop a comprehensive grasp of the topics they are studying by demonstrating how ideas from many courses are related to one another.
Works Cited
Drew, C. (2022, July 06). The 4 Principles Of Pragmatism In Education. Retrieved 2022, from HelpfulProffesor.com: https://helpfulprofessor.com/pragmatism-in-education/
Jumawan, R. (2016, September 21). Pragmatism and Philippine Education. Retrieved from Philosophical Essays: http://roeljumawan.blogspot.com/2016/09/pragmatism-and-philippine-education.html
