University Essay: Reflection on Philosophy of Education EDU-525

This essay provides a reflective account of the philosophy of education, exploring its purpose, diverse learning needs, and the role of teachers. The author believes that education is crucial for personal development, promoting autonomy, cultural identity, and career paths. The essay discusses the importance of addressing diverse learning needs through inclusive teaching strategies and curriculum modifications. It also highlights the teacher's role as an advocate for students, promoting their interests and encouraging their success. Furthermore, the essay emphasizes the value of reflective practice in teaching, enabling educators to understand classroom dynamics and formulate effective strategies. The author concludes by emphasizing the various educational methods, including discussion, teaching, and directed research, conducted under the guidance of educators.

Running head: ESSAY
Reflection
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ESSAY
Introduction
Education is an umbrella term and refers to the procedure that facilitates learning of
an individual, thus providing assistance in acquisition of skills, knowledge, values, habits and
beliefs. The term philosophy of education, in relation to academic domain refers to the study
of education and its associated problems. This essay will contain a reflective account on the
philosophy of education.
The purpose of education
I hold the opinion that the primary purpose of imparting and gaining individual is
associated with the positive impact that it creates on our personal development. My
statements are in accordance to the fact that education is considered imperative for promoting
autonomy of the students, besides fostering their cultural identity and providing them to
embark on a successful career path (Noddings, 2018). However, at times I also feel that
gaining education helps us to contribute positively to the wider society, and also enhances our
sense of citizenship, while shaping us to become productive members of the community.
Education has also been found to promote to the economic and social development of a
society, and plays an essential role in the preservation of cultural and traditional values and
beliefs (Biesta, 2015). There is mounting evidence for the fact that in present day scenario,
most developed nations consider education as an aspect of positional good (Triventi,
Panichella, Ballarino, Barone & Bernardi, 2016). However, I often get anxious and
overwhelmed on observing the competitive attitude among parents who want their children
be more educated that the marginalized sections of the society.
Diverse learning needs
I hold the belief that with the aim of meeting the need of diverse students, the
educators must formulate their teaching strategies in a manner that eliminates the potential

2ESSAY
barriers to accessing the curriculum and provide a scaffold for fostering enhancement of skill
acquisition among the learners. Diverse learning needs can be addressed by providing
numerous representations of the information that is intended to be conveyed, in the form of
spoken or printed text, vocabulary provision, and policies to support transfer of information.
Furthermore, the educators must create the provision of several means of acting and
expressing on learning, with the use of software and assistive technology (Alammary, Sheard
& Carbone, 2014). I also consider it imperative to analyze the already existing curriculum, in
order to make changes, based on the individual preferences and learning needs of the
students. The U.S. Department of Education also identifies the great effort of educators
throughout the nation and support their work through resources or initiatives that boost the
profession and support the students to succeed. While the No Child Left Behind Act states
that formulating great standards and launching measurable objectives for institutes would
expand outcomes for students, the Race to the Top Fund endorses modernization for
enhancing accomplishment in local and state K-12 education (U.S. Department of Education,
2018).
Teachers as advocates
Philosophy of education encompasses the vision of a teacher for a majestic
determination of education and its influence on the society. The Perennialists have the
philosophy that educators must teach things that are considered to be of perpetual prominence
to all students, across the globe (Wain, 2016). However, I also have the idea that the
philosophy of educational essentialism believe that all children must be provided with the
opportunity to acquire adequate knowledge on conventional basic subjects that should be
learned methodically and rigorously. My prior experience as a student and knowledge gained
over the years has helped me realize that teachers play the role of student advocates by
promoting the interests of the children, while engaging them and their parents in learning-

3ESSAY
focused and positive classroom community. It is a well-established fact that while acting as
an advocate, teachers play an important role promoting cause for children that at as an
impediment to their process of teaching (Clarke, Triggs & Nielsen, 2014). In addition, I also
believe all teachers must share their expertise and knowledge with the students and need to
take a personal interest. In addition, they also adorn the role of an advocate by motivating and
encouraging their students to acquire necessary proficiencies.
Reflective practice in teaching
Furthermore, I have the perception that reflecting on the teaching experience is an
essential prerequisite for gaining a sound understanding of the different situations that arise in
a classroom setting, which in turn helps the teachers to formulate necessary strategies for
addressing them in near future. In other words, undertaking reflective practice is also crucial
while imparting education since it allows the teachers to appreciate and assess the potential
barriers in the classrooms, thus creating confident students (Mann & Walsh, 2017).
Conclusion
To conclude, educational methods commonly encompass discussion, teaching,
storytelling, and directed research, and are frequently conducted under the supervision and
guidance of educators. Thus, all educators should take into consideration how their profession
associates to larger rational or sociocultural settings.

4ESSAY
References
Alammary, A., Sheard, J., & Carbone, A. (2014). Blended learning in higher education:
Three different design approaches. Australasian Journal of Educational
Technology, 30(4). https://www.learntechlib.org/p/148495/
Biesta, G. (2015). What is education for? On good education, teacher judgement, and
educational professionalism. European Journal of Education, 50(1), 75-87.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315634319
Clarke, A., Triggs, V., & Nielsen, W. (2014). Cooperating teacher participation in teacher
education: A review of the literature. Review of educational research, 84(2), 163-202.
https://doi.org/10.3102%2F0034654313499618
Mann, S., & Walsh, S. (2017). Reflective practice in English language teaching: Research-
based principles and practices. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315733395
Noddings, N. (2018). Philosophy of education. Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429494864
Triventi, M., Panichella, N., Ballarino, G., Barone, C., & Bernardi, F. (2016). Education as a
positional good: Implications for social inequalities in educational attainment in
Italy. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 43, 39-52.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2015.04.002
U.S. Department of Education. (2018). No Child Left Behind. Retrieved from
https://www2.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml
U.S. Department of Education. (2018). Race to the Top Fund. Retrieved from
https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html

5ESSAY
Wain, K. (2016). Philosophy of lifelong education. Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315733395