Realism----Idealism----Pragmatism

The following attitude test has been designed to enable the reader to determine for himself which of the three main types of philosophy best characterizes his own educational thinking. The reader is directed to read carefully each of the three numbered statements grouped under the letter A, and then to check that ONE of the three which most nearly coincides with his own opinion. He then proceeds to the three statements grouped under the letter B, then to C, and so on, always checking that ONE of each group of three which most nearly expresses his own view.

  1. 1. The external world of physical reality is the most fundamental thing in experience. It is objective and factual, something I have to accept and conform to, whether I want to, or not; what I want or feel is merely subjective and secondary.

2. The self is primary, and ‘things’ are secondary. Mind and self, rather than things or matter, are the essential factors in experience, and furnish the standards and ideals which give to experience its structure and aims.

3. We should take experience as we find it, and not construct theories, which transcend the obvious realities of the human situation. We are essentially biosocial organisms, responding to biological and social stimulations, and trying to solve the problems set for us by our environment.

  1. 4. There are basic, self-evident certainties, upon which may be built a body of systematic knowledge about physical reality; a knowledge certain, objective, and in accord with the teachings of physical science.

5. Human beings, in interactivity with their biological and social environment, act rather than contemplate, and produce overt results rather than sit and think and merely understand.

6. What we really know is the inferred consequences of our own hypotheses, hypotheses which the mind has itself created and systematized, and consequences which we seek to use to explain the behavior of things.

  1. 7. Learning is a process of growth, in which a self projects itself imaginatively into the experience of another self, effecting a spiritual merger, and so making the other experience its own.

8. Learning is a process of social interaction resulting in the discovery of new techniques, which can be applied to modern biosocial problems.

9. Learning is a process of physical interaction between (1) an organism with a brain and (2) the physical environment; a process which gradually impresses upon the nervous system the reaction-patterns which are found to lead to success.

  1. 10. It does not matter so much what we study, as long as we study deeply and develop our personalities.

11. It is important to select the right subjects, especially subjects falling within the field of natural science, with a little mathematics and language-study to help us understand the sciences.

12. We should emphasize the social sciences, not so much for their content, as in order to acquire mastery over social techniques for solving the new problems of our own time.

  1. 13. Learning by doing should be the universal method. Laboratory work is more important that systematic lectures, more important, even, than interpretative discussion.

14. Primarily by the method of discussion, supplemented by lectures and experiments, the teacher should share his experience with his pupils, inviting them to seek, in his company, progressively deeper insights and thus to develop their own personalities to the utmost.

15. Objective lecturing, factual, and analyzing the subject matter into its elements and their inter-relations, is nature’s way. Its clear-cut distinctions represent the authority of facts, speaking their own language and using their own logic.

  1. 16. Rather than attempt to cover the subject in a systematic way, the teacher should investigate outstanding problems by the experimental method, his pupils joining in the investigation and so acquiring a zest for cooperative research and a grasp of techniques which comes from doing rather than listening.

17. Classroom teaching is primarily a meeting of personalities; intercourse in which the less mature self is stimulated to participate in the experience of the more mature self and, in that sharing, to become a broader and more interesting self.

18. The teacher should be an impersonal channel of communication, and teaching consists in those who know telling those who do not know.

  1. 19. The pupil is primarily a plastic nervous system to be molded, in interactivity with the physical environment, along lines set by the scientifically ascertained nature of reality.

20. The pupil is essentially a transcendental self, needing assistance in setting himself free from the fetters imposed by the physical and social world.

21. The pupil is a social-vocal phenomenon, who should be so stimulated as to become a functioning member of the modern social community.

  1. 22. As a teacher, my aim is to be the voice of science; clear, distinct, systematic, factual, and impersonal.

23. As a teacher, my function is to suggest problems, and to stimulate my pupils to find for themselves solutions which will "work.”

24. To me as a teacher, education means inner spiritual growth to my students; the development of their inner impulse toward self-hood, self-consciousness, and self-direction.

  1. 25. As an administrator, my decisions are dictated by the impersonal results of objective experimentation. My buildings and equipment are in accord with the latest experimental results, and every detail of the work done in my schools is governed by regard for scientifically demonstrated fact.

26. As an administrator, I expect from both pupils and their parents vigorous personality, and I want to assist the rising generation to its full growth, everyone making the best of himself.

27. As an administrator, I am in thorough sympathy with the wants and desires of both pupils and teachers, and I try to keep in close touch with the larger community. I am here to solve problems as they arise, rather than to apply some theory of what a school should or should not do.

  1. 28. In spite of grumbling about the absence of thoroughness, as a parent I am satisfied with a school that emphasizes the development of personality above all else.

29. As a parent, I desire that my son be trained in modern techniques so that he will be able to solve his problems successfully in the present-day world.

30. As a parent, I want my child to get from the school training in the methods of acquiring knowledge, as well as knowledge itself acquired by scientific methods.

  1. 31. As a student, I expect my teachers to provide me with opportunities for doing things and distinguishing myself, for acquiring scientific techniques, and for making contacts of a practical kind with the social-industrial world around.

32. As a student, I seek objective information objectively expressed by teachers who keep their feelings out of the picture.

33. As a student, I seek contact with vigorous personalities, both in the teachers and in the subject matter studied.

  1. 34. Education is “liberal” when it preserves the open-mindedness and curiosity of youth, and keeps alive the willingness to try things out experimentally, especially when tackling actual bio-social problems.

35. Education is “liberal” if it forms us upon the objective reality of scientifically ascertained physical law. The thrill of discovery, the serenity of full acceptance of the physically real world, liberate us from everyday backgrounds and petty outlooks.

36. All education is “liberal” which proceeds by spiritual inter-activity, by mingling personalities so as to stimulate to further growth from within, to further insight into the laws and ideals which can make of our experience a thing of beauty and joy.

Scoring:

Encircle the numbers which you have checked on the test (only one number to each letter). Then indicate the sum of your responses in each column by a number at the foot of the column.

Realism / Idealism / Pragmatism
A / 1 / 2 / 3
B / 4 / 6 / 5
C / 9 / 7 / 8
D / 11 / 10 / 12
E / 15 / 14 / 13
F / 18 / 17 / 16
G / 19 / 20 / 21
H / 22 / 24 / 23
I / 25 / 26 / 27
J / 30 / 28 / 29
K / 32 / 33 / 31
L / 35 / 36 / 34

Total:

Your dominant educational philosophy is indicted by the heading of the column in which the majority of numbers are encircled. If you answers are fairly well distributed around the three types of educational philosophy, you may be developing a “balanced” philosophy.