Philosophy of Education is one of the component disciplines of Foundations of Education, a core course in education studies in the Philippines. The ability to articulate and manifest an explicit philosophy of teaching is also a component strand of one of the domains in the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers, the rubric for teaching quality in the country. Despite these, philosophy remains on the periphery of Philippine teacher education and teaching practice. For example, education degree programs (at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels) typically only explicitly require a 3-unit course in philosophy of education.

In teaching practice, especially at the primary and (junior) high school levels, philosophy is also underrepresented. Despite some interest in certain quarters in Philosophy for Children (P4C), it is not a widespread practice and is not yet widely known. There is also some potential to incorporate more philosophical approaches in the new basic education curriculum, such as through Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao; however, this also remains underexplored in the classroom.

Part of the reason why philosophy remains peripheral in teacher education and teaching practice may be the perceived exclusivism of the discipline of philosophy itself, and its typical confinement to the ivory tower. In the Philippines, some philosophers may limit philosophical practice to academic discussion with other university-based philosophers. In contrast to this, philosophy of education is emerging worldwide as a discipline in its own right rather than a sub-discipline of philosophy; where it has emerged as such, it is characterized by a dynamic relationship between theory and practice. This is evident in the positioning of philosophers of education, not just in philosophy departments, but also in education departments, faculties, and institutes, as well as a growing interest among education researchers in philosophy.

In light of this, this conference aims to bring together philosophers of education, philosophers with an interest in educational questions, educational researchers with an interest in philosophy, teacher educators, and teaching practitioners to explore the role of philosophy in teacher training and teaching practice. We invite submissions of long abstracts, panel proposals, or workshop proposals on the theme, ‘the role of philosophy of education in teacher training and teaching practice’. We are also open to receiving submissions on any topic in philosophy of education, or any philosophical consideration of concerns that are relevant to education, broadly construed.