Which educational philosophy advocates viewing society as the primary subject matter and encouraging students to work toward social reform?

• A. Perennialist
• B. Progressivist
• C. Reconstructionist
• D. Existentialist

Answer: (C)

Reconstructionism teaches that education should address society's problems and prepare students to work toward social reform. This view treats society as the main subject matter of schooling and encourages learners to analyze social issues, understand root causes, and engage in actions or projects aimed at improving communities and policies. It envisions schools as engines of democratic participation and social change, not just places to acquire knowledge or skills in isolation from real-world issues.

That’s why this option fits best: it explicitly centers the goal of education on transforming society and guiding students to actively contribute to reform. In contrast, perennialist approaches focus on enduring, universal truths and classical works rather than current social change; progressivism highlights student-centered inquiry and real-world problem solving without an inherent mandate to reform society; existentialism concentrates on individual meaning and choice rather than collective social objectives.