FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION

Name: JAMES PONCE Course: AB-PHILO 2

THE RELEVANCE OF SOCIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION IN

INTRODUCTION

The first educators of a child, student or man’s lives is primarily from family and

secondarily gained a gradual shape of personality from the social environment or society. And by

understanding the lives of a child, student or man it is necessary to evaluate its social

environment in educating itself. However, by doing so, teachers or professors must be grounded

and knowledgeable in the sociological foundations of education to perform such approach of

teaching and for the students to gain a wide learning in a way of socializing. But how is this

relevant in teaching and learning? Let us first evaluate the meaning itself, the sociological or

social foundations of education “refer to some of the principles of sociology that are relevant to

the theory and practice of education.”1 Man involve through aspects that influence him in his

social environment, and they in turn shape the society itself. Nevertheless, “sociology is the

study of man and his environment in their interaction. In a nutshell, sociology is the study of man

as he interacts with his environment.”2

Moreover, by the connection with family, friends, relatives, and loved ones, the student

or teacher is filled with social and total living. Through this encounter, he/she learns

fundamentals about reciprocal conduct. If a person is left alone without any friends or society,

he/she would not learn; consequently, the presence of other people, which implies society, is

highly important for education. Thus, cultivating the pertinence of the sociological foundations

1
Alexis Deodato S. Itao, "The Need to Study the Foundations of Education," (Private Lecture Note).
Unpublished article: 12.
2
Ibid.
of education necessitate sociological evaluation, for it is in the society that education is molded.

Then, how?

Furthermore, “education and society are interrelated and complementary, no educational

system can be understood without considering the larger picture of society.” 3 Thus, without a

solid educational system, society will never grow and shaped. Further, education should prepare

students to be contributing members or leaders of society. Intrinsically, sociological approach in

education must be recognized and studied particularly in education so that students are molded

equipped for future endeavors in the society. Sociology therefore, is relevant which helps

teachers and professors to understand various aspects in sociology; political, economic, and

cultural in which students are socially surrounded and thus will able to thoroughly execute their

teaching. However, in deepening the ideas of the relevance of the sociological foundations of

education. What is the connection of these aspects of sociology to education? What are the other

areas in teaching and learning that the sociological foundations of education is relevant?

EDUCATION AND SOCIOLOGY

“Education and sociology are indeed mutually interrelated and interdependent

disciplines.”4 As mentioned above, “sociology is the study of man and his environment in their

interaction” (Itao). Likewise, “education refers to the discipline that is concerned with methods

of teaching and learning in schools or school-like environments, as opposed to various non-

formal and informal means of socialization.”5 Hence, the interrelation of education and sociology

3
Alexis Deodato S. Itao, "The Need to Study the Foundations of Education," (Private Lecture Note).
Unpublished article: 12.
4
Dr. Sujata Pattanaik & Swarnalata Harichandan Principal, Sociological Foundation of Education, 5.

5
Meyer, A. Erich, "education." Encyclopedia Britannica, August 23, 2022.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/education
in education exemplifies a relevant role the specializes group’s behavior and socialization in

learning and teaching. It evaluates the sociological aspects that understands the student’s

surroundings which will provide an idea on how student must be taught in accord to its social

situation. Thus, the students are also given attention in which he/she lacks that teaches him/her

through the teacher’s sociological foundation of education. Furthermore, Education is intended

to aid in the restoration of our patterns of living as well as convey prior cultural legacy. It may

aid in the development of new social patterns in areas such as health, leisure, vocation, and

family life. Reconstruction and adaptation are required, yet scientific advances, industrialization,

and technology breakthroughs are disrupting both urban and rural life patterns. Education,

according to Dewey, is “a social process that teaches the group's younger members, particularly

youngsters, how to engage in group activities. Children may access their cultural legacy via

schooling and learn to apply it to solve problems.”6

Accordingly, sociology has these aspects in education; political, cultural, and economic.

These major social aspects that mold education and in which the pertinence of the sociological

foundations of education grounds.

Initially, politics refers to “the process of wielding power.” Power is defined “as

increasing influence over people's ideas and conduct.” Politics is” the collection of interactions

that forms and impacts the authoritative allocation of values.”7 The relationship of this particular

aspect to education is that, “all educational policies and programmes are for the spread of

ideology of socialism.”8 It is the amount to which parties outside of the school system direct or

6
Allan C. Ornstein and Daniel U. Levine, “Chapter 4 – Pioneers of Modern Teaching: Dewey’s Learning by
Experience," Foundations of Education, 10th ed. (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008), 108.
7
Dr. Sujata Pattanaik & Swarnalata Harichandan Principal, Sociological Foundation of Education, 32.

8
Dr. Sujata Pattanaik & Swarnalata Harichandan Principal, Sociological Foundation of Education, 32.
influence the educational processes. Moreover, political aspect in sociology imparts structure to

the way teaching is activated and this would also mold the way students learns systematically as

it anchored and legitimated by the “politicians” 9 or administrators. This aspect involves social

control, structure, legitimacy, and rule and regulations of education in teaching. Therefore, the

relevance of political aspect of sociology, influence education in regularizing and systematizing

on the teaching processes and students’ reciprocity learning.

Secondly, the group's traditions, memories, and written records, as well as its common

laws and concepts, as well as its collected beliefs, habits, and values, all make up its culture.

“Culture is a way of thinking and acting. No individual, group, or entire society can be

understood without reference to culture.”10 Therefore, the cultural aspect of sociology is indeed a

need in performing such education for it is where students’ personality is shaped and rooted.

According to The National Policy on Education (1986), "the educational curriculum and

procedure will be complemented by cultural material in as many forms as possible," it added,

"education can and must bring about a delicate synthesis between change-oriented and change-

resistant individuals technologies and the continuity of cultural traditions in the country.” Thus,

teachers indeed must inculcate students’ culture heritage for it is one of the primary aims of

education in teaching in which the students learn thoroughly.

Thirdly and lastly, since education is a means towards knowing the world and the self. It

is also important to relate it to economic for it is in the economy that the world progressed

9
“Politicians” refers to a person/s who is professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder of or a
candidate for an elected office.
10
Allan C. Ornstein and Daniel U. Levine, “Chapter 10 – Culture, Socialization, and Education," Foundations of
Education, 10th ed. (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008), 291.
through educated persons. “Economy then is, society's management of its resources”. 11 To

further evaluate the sociology itself in connection to education as means. By the instillation of

formal education in society, economists do enable the society itself which determines and sustain

the economic needs of society. Therefore, economy is " the art of making decisions as well as the

science of managing a society's limited resources (Gümüş & Şişman, 2012). On the other hand,

the specific relation of the aspect of economy on education is “the education’s relationship of

productivity.”12 Without the animation of economy in teaching and learning the possibility of

deprivation of the material needs of education could occur. Furthermore, the sociological

foundations of education cover the aspect of economy which thus provides the necessary

materials in actualizing teaching towards the students for a progressive movement in the society.

Thus, it is undeniable to affirm the need to inculcate the sociological foundation of education

specifically the aspect of economy. Since it teaches students not just in rational development but

also the statistical approach.

Consequently, these aspects in sociology provide the students a wide understanding of

the environment around her/his. It promulgates the students’ needs to know particularly in reality

and to be equipped in the future endeavors. As what above-mentioned evaluated, these aspects

do structures the system of education in which society is understood thoroughly. Hence, through

the sociological disciplines in education, students are molded and will understand through the

needs of others.

TEACHING AND LEARNING AND SOCIOLOGY AS FOUNDATION IN EDUCATION

11
Sibel Pekkolay, “Relationship between Education and Economy,” International Journal of Science and
Research, Vol. 10 Issue 9, (September 2021).
12
Ibid.
 While learning is the process of acquiring information or skills through study, experience,

or being taught, teaching is the interaction with students that enables their understanding and

application of knowledge, concepts, and procedures. Since sociology as above-mentioned

defined as an interrelation of the individual and society and cultivated some aspects; the political,

cultural, economic in relation to education. Thus, the relationship of those aspects made

sociology relevant in education to be considered as a necessary ground to actualize such

teaching.

Subsequently, even sociology is an another branch of knowledge in the state of

education. It is a fact that sociology must be one of the ground in education. As above-mentioned

elucidated, it is in the ground of sociology that the teacher or professor understands the

personality and the individual’s perspective toward others. Furthermore, by the ground of

sociology, education thus, “aims to determine what would have the most impact on the child's

personality. Controlling the educational process to promote personality development of each

individual youngster.”13 Sociology as one of the foundations of education does not implies

theoretical approaches but also practical learnings. As one of the aspects in the sociology does

requires applied doings. As (John Dewey) proposed in curriculum, three layers of learning

activities and processes. In the first stage, "making and doing," kids work on projects that let

them learn about their surroundings and give their concepts a physical expression. These initial

actions through cooperative group tasks, sensory and motor skills are developed, and socializing

is encouraged. Through projects in geography and history, students' understanding of place and

time is expanded at the second level. Students are introduced to a variety of topics in the third

level, "science," including biology, chemistry, and social studies, which they may utilize as

resources for problem-solving. These three academic levels transition students from basic
13
Dr. Sujata Pattanaik & Swarnalata Harichandan Principal, Sociological Foundation of Education, 5.
impulses to rigorous environmental awareness, to deciding on course of action, then considering

and evaluating the effects of action. These three levels cultivate individuals’ social environment

which the teachers must look up an attention to.

Therefore, the applied approaches that John Dewey emphasized which up until now is

used concretized the relevance of sociology as a ground in education in performing such teaching

to the students.

CONCLUSION

The sociological foundations of education is indeed a need to be given a serious attention

to in actualizing teaching. It aids in comprehending social, political, economic, and cultural

tendencies in connection to official and informal educational institutions. The relevance of

sociological foundations of education in teaching and learning is to provide a curriculum that

socializes each student effectively.

The political, cultural, and economic aspects in sociology relates education in a way of

cultivating one’s environment and developing theoretical and practical ideas which equipped

students’ future contributors in the society. Likewise, the areas in teaching and learning that the

sociological foundations of education is relevant are the theoretical and the practical benefits that

the students could have. Sociological foundations in education made also a relevance not just in

understanding of the social context but also the doing which helps the students and teacher itself.

Therefore, the sociological foundations of education in teaching and learning is indeed

relevant to be grasp. Because “education should enable the pupil to be a useful member of

society. Such function, however, would not be possible if education is not grounded on the

established principles of sociology. Without sociology, education would not be fully informed
about how much a child’s social environment has influenced or shaped his/her life and

outlooks.”14

WORKS CITED:

Allan C. Ornstein and Daniel U. Levine, “Chapter 10 – Culture, Socialization, and Education,"
Foundations of Education, 10th ed. (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008).

Dr. Sujata Pattanaik & Swarnalata Harichandan Principal, Sociological Foundation of Education.

14
Alexis Deodato S. Itao, "The Need to Study the Foundations of Education," (Private Lecture Note).
Unpublished article: 12.