Foundations of Education

The 'education for social continuity' philosophy aims to instill in students a deep commitment to a set of shared values rooted in societal traditions.

Below is a summary of the social continuity philosophy (reproduced from Week 20's 'Five Philosophies of Education Compared' chart) plus an example teaching philosophy.

Fall Term Correspondence: Week 9 (offers a contrary position)

Root Metaphors: Nation / Patriotism

Aim: To instill in students a deep commitment to a set of shared values rooted in societal traditions.

Knowledge Acquisition: Follows a transmission path. Knowledge is inculcated. A strong societal focus.

Values: Values are absolute. Patriotism and nationalism are promoted. Tradition and individual responsibility to society are emphasized.

Curriculum: A core curriculum that can be explicitly communicated to students.

Subject Focus (Geography): A strong focus on national/state geography and the structure of government. Character education is emphasized (e.g., singing the national anthem and team sports.)

Instructional Path: Inculcation of national knowledge and values.

Sean is a teacher who believes that schools have a critical role to play to preserving the social order, especially in a society where there are few institutions other than schools that can bring young people together for the common good. He believes that schools have an important socializing function in society. They play a key role in imparting a set of shared values that all people should be committed to. Hence, Sean's classroom has a strict set of rules that he and he students have collectively brainstormed and committed to. Sean wants his students to be proud Canadians, to know their history, and to be proud of time honoured Canadian values (such as showing mutual respect for one another).