gender differential paper IJCRB

ijcrb.webs.com
JUNE 2011
INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS VOL 3, NO 2
wrestling with many of the same questions: What is most real _ the physical world or the realm
of mind and spirit? What is the basis of human knowledge? What is the nature of the just
society? These and other philosophical questions influence education. Educators must take
stances on such questions before they can determine what and how students should be taught.
Since educators do not agree on the answers to these questions, different philosophies of
education have emerged. Although there are similarities, there are also profound differences in
the way leading educators define the purpose of education, the role of the teacher, the nature of
curriculum and the method of instruction.
According to Allya the main fields of philosophy are (1) metaphysics, including
cosmology and ontology (2) epistemology; (3) axiology, including ethics and aesthetics.
Metaphysics is the area of philosophy that is concerned with questions about the nature of
reality. Latterly metaphysics means” beyond the physical”. It deals with questions like: What is
reality? What is existence? Is the universe rationally designed or ultimately meaningless?
Metaphysics is a search for order and wholeness, applied not to particular items or experiences,
but to all reality and to all existence. Metaphysics is the attempt to find coherence in the whole
realm of thought and experience. Metaphysics also involves questions concerning the nature of
humans. Is human nature physical or spiritual? Does a person make free choices to or do events
and conditions force one determined decisions? The question in metaphysics, especially those
about humanity and the universe, are extremely relevant to teachers and students of education
(Allya et al, 1996). Metaphysics is concerned with the nature of reality. As such it includes
cosmology, which deals with the universe as an orderly system, and ontology, which focuses on
the nature of being. Metaphysics seeks to answer such questions as: What is the self ? Is
existence only a physical reality, or does existence transcend the physical world? How “real” are
trees, the sky, and so on? (William.F,1981). Metaphysics examines the nature of ultimate reality.
In speculating about the nature of reality and existence, metaphysicians have not developed a
single agreed – upon conclusions. Idealists see reality in nonmaterial or spiritual terms. Realist
sees it as an objective order that exists independently of humankind. For pragmatists reality is a
result of human experiences with the social and physical environment. In educational
philosophy, metaphysics relates to the particular conception of reality reflected in the subjects,
experiences, and skills of the curriculum. Much school learning represents the efforts of
curriculum makers, teachers, and textbook writers to describe reality to students. (Allan.
C,1980). Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that examines questions about how and what
we know. What knowledge is true and how does knowledge take place? The epistemologist
attempts to discover what is involved in the process of knowing. Is knowing a special sort of
mental act; is there a difference between knowledge and belief; can we know anything beyond
the objects with which our senses acquaint us? Does knowing make any difference to the object
that is known? Because epistemological questions deal with the essence of knowledge, they are
central to education. Teachers must be able to assess what is knowledge to determine if a
particular piece of information should be included in the curriculum. How we know is of
paramount importance to teachers because their beliefs about learning influence their classroom
methods. Should teachers train students in the scientific methods, deductive reasoning, or both?
Should students study logic and fallacies or follow intuition? Teachers’ knowledge of how
students learn influences how they will teach. (Allya et al, 1996). Epistemology, which deals
with knowledge and knowing, is closely related to methods of teaching and learning. Again,
different philosophies hold different epistemological conceptions. Idealists see knowing, or
cognition, as the recall of ideas that are latent in the mind. For them the Socratic dialogue is the
COPY RIGHT © 2011 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 1922