The Spectrum of Educational Philosophy & Practise

There are a huge variety of educational philosophies and methodologies. People spend their lives exploring ideas about the best ways to teach, and the best ways to learn. Opinions are strong, and debate is often heated, with people arguing that their particular view is the only valid one. In reality, there are many ways to educate, and many ways to learn, and some approaches suit some learners better than others. (See Learning Styles)

The diagram below serves to illustrate the spectrum of educational philosophy and practise in home education. On the left hand side we have schools, flexi-schooling and school at home - corporate approaches to education. On the right we have unschooling - autonomous, individualised approaches to education. Between these two extremes, there is a plethora of different ways of doing things, and I have given some examples.