Philosophy Statements Billings, Ch' 7

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Philosophy StatementsBillings, Ch. 7

• An educational philosophy has the primary purpose
  of providing a framework for developing mission,
  philosophy, goals and objectives, curricular
  framework,evaluation methods, and the environment
  in which the educative process takes place

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Common Elements in Most Nursing Philosophy
Statements

• Client/person
• Nursing
• Environment
• Health
• Teaching and learning environment
• Nursing education

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Three domains of philosophy

• Metaphysics
• The study of reality vs. what is fantasy
• Epistemology
• The study of what is truth (how one arrive at
  truth and how truth differs from opinion)
• Axiology
• The study of values. What is good?

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Historical Role of Philosophy in Nursing Education

• Begins with Nightingales writings and continues
  to the present
• 1960s NLN promoted discussion about curriculum
  design and provided education for nurse educators
  on how to develop curricula.
• Establishes relationship of philosophy to
  educational practice and curriculum development

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Educational Philosophies

• Idealism
• Truth is universal values are unchanging
• Realism
• Reality is found in physical world, truth is an
  observable fact (positivism)

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Educational Philosophies

• Pragmatism
• Sought to combine the dualism of Idealism and
  Realism through testing of ideas and scientific
  methods
• Existentialism
• Reality is in the individual freedom to choose
  is of the essence

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Traditional Philosophers

• Classical philosophers influenced educational
  philosophy, especially in the area of liberal
  arts and the role of humanities in higher
  education
• The way in which faculty view the role of society
  and education is reflected in the differences of
  the two main schools of traditional philosophy,
  idealism and realism

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Idealism and Realism

• Idealism views the individual as wanting to live
  in a perfect world of high ideals, beauty, and
  art. Focuses on truth as universal
• Realism viewed the world as composed of natural
  laws that provide regulation to all of nature

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Educational Theory Essentialism

• Encompasses both idealism and realism
• View knowledge as essential and desire teacher
  to possess truth and pass it on to the student

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Educational Theory Behaviorism

• Profound influence on nursing education
• Publication by Tyler (1949) on goals, objectives,
  and curriculum has provided a framework for
  nursing education
• Goal of behaviorism has been to develop mental
  discipline through an efficient educational
  process

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Educational Theory Behaviorism

• Behaviorism provided a step-by-step process from
  philosophy through evaluation
• Holmquist (1960) saw behaviorism as a necessity
  to provide the structure needed to move nursing
  education toward a professional model

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Modern Philosophers

• Moved discussion of philosophy away from
  metaphysical or relativist point of view
• Focused on epistemology and axiology as having
  more relevance for society
• Pragmatism
• A uniquely American philosophy
• Attempt to combine dualism of idealism and realism

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Educational Theory Reconstructionism

• Viewed the role of the school as the major
  vehicle social change
• Embraced the social ideal of a democratic life,
  the political as a means to provide the learner
  with everything necessary for life

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Educational Theory Progressivism

• Carried Deweys work further into relative truth
  and away from the absolutism of the early Greek
  philosophers.
• Saw student as able to make choices about what is
  important
• Relegated the teacher to the role of facilitator
  of learning

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Educational Theory Existentialism

• Seek to find personal meaning in a world of
  impersonal rational though
• Believe the function of education is to help the
  individual explore the reason for existence
• Benner and Wrubel (1989) apply work of
  Heideggers hermeneutical analysis to
  implications for nursing theory and practice

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Educational Theory Humanism

• Natural outgrowth of the existentialist view of
  the rights of the individual
• Primary concern of humanism as an educational
  theory is the autonomy and dignity of human
  beings
• Humanism has continued in a modified movement to
  promote many of the progressive principles of
  student-centered education and the role of the
  teacher as guide

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Development of a Mission and Philosophy Statement

• A thoughtful, introspective process that must
  include a basic understanding of the components
  of philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Epistemology
• Axiology
• Ideally, the philosophy statement will proceed
  from the philosophical beliefs and educational
  practices of all persons on the faculty

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Mission Statement Development

• Mission Statement Development for a program can
  take place after the institutions statement is
  completed
• Context within which the institution and program
  are placed must be carefully considered
• Important to design a mission statement that
  clearly reflects the uniqueness of the
  institution and program and provides direction to
  curriculum development

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Philosophy Statement Development

• Useful for guiding curriculum activities
• Designed by faculty
• Flows out of the institutional initiatives placed
  in the mission statement

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Development Strategies

• Critical Incident/Role Play
• Delphi Process
• Story Boarding