Schools of Educational Philosophy

There are five primary schools of educational philosophy. They are Liberal (or Traditional or Classical), Behaviorist, Progressive, Humanistic, and Radical. Each has its place in modern education, and they have pros and cons depending on one's personal philosophy. Here's a quick summary of each:

• The Liberal school's purpose is to form the modern "Renaissance Person." Liberal education focuses on having a broad conceptual, theoretical, and somewhat practical knowledge of most of the major branches of knowledge - philosophy, reading, writing, chemistry, physics, mathematics, art, etc. In this school, students are receptacles to be filled with knowledge. Teachers are expert sources of information, and they use teaching methods such as lecture, study groups, and memorization. An example of this is Fort Lewis College, which is known as "Colorado's Liberal Arts College," which focuses on having students get a substantive, broad general education in addition to their major.

• The Behaviorist school's purpose is to guide the behavior of its students. This school focuses on creating good members of society by shaping their behaviors through controlled situations. Teachers in this school are like designers - they plan out the progression of lessons and activities to direct students in one way or another. Students take an active role in their learning, and as they act, they receive feedback. An example of behaviorist belief would be an attendance policy in a classroom - a situation is created that, through positive or negative reinforcement, influences the behaviors its students take.

• The Progressive school's purpose is to create global citizens who are capable of critical thinking and problem-solving. In this school, the teacher acts as an organizer and stimulus, while the student uses the context of their life and knowledge so far to guide new learning. Projects, team activities, and practical application of knowledge are all common for this school. This school is the primary one to influence adventure education, and though it has some roots in 16th century Europe, it became a defined movement with John Dewey's influence.

• The Humanistic school's purpose is to enhance personal growth and development. This school is one of the most self-directed schools, in that students are the primary drivers and motivators of their learning. Teachers are facilitators, who focus on supporting their students needs and helping to direct their efforts, without interfering with the student's own motivators. Personal, self-directed projects are common in this school. 

• Last but not least, the Radical school's purpose is to create fundamental social, political, and economic change. It focuses on breaking boundaries, solving social problems, and questioning the status quo. It has been heavily influenced by the writing of Paulo Freire, a philosopher in Brazil who pushed for autonomous education systems so that those in extreme poverty could be educated. In this school, teachers and learners are equal, and the teacher is often merely a provocateur, someone who stimulates and ignites action.

These summaries are based on a chart by Lee Frazer, Assistant Professor at Fort Lewis College. Here is a link to the chart itself for specific reference: http://tinyurl.com/adulteducationtable

Other links to philosophies of education and the outdoors:
http://wilderdom.com/Philosophy.html - Wilderdom's page on "Philosophy of Outdoor Education"
http://wilderdom.com/philosophy/SampleEducationPhilosophies.html - Wilderdom's page on individual philosophies from educators and philosophers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_education - Wikipedia page on "Philosophy of Education," which has good basic information about philosophers and concepts.