Unit 1: Education and Psychology

An Introduction: Education as a Discipline, Education & Schooling,

Contributions of Psychology to Education,‘

Child-centred’ and ‘progressive’ education.

PVQ-

Write short note on- Education as a Discipline, Contribution of psychology to education

Describe the key facets of education as a Discipline.

Differentiate between schooling and education citing relevant example

or

Describe child centered and progressive education. Giving suitable example describe the relevance of psychology in
education.

Discuss the importance of child child-centered and progressive education in the contemporary world.

CONTRIBUTIONS/RELEVANCE OF PSYCHOLOGY TO EDUCATION-

✓ educational psychology has contributed considerably to the creation of the modern system of education.
✓ In teaching, we are dealing with three elements – the teacher, the student, and the subject.
✓ It has helped teachers, headmasters, administrators, inspectors, guidance and counselling workers, social
workers to significantly develop an impartial and sympathetic attitude towards children and form them into
integrated personalities.

1.Defining aims of education.

• Educational Psychology contributes to a better understanding of the aims of education by defining them, making
them clearer; by limiting them, showing us what can be done and what cannot; and by suggesting new features
that should be made parts of them.
• Psychology helps us by putting their notions of the aims of education in terms of the exact changes that
education is to make, and by describing for us the changes which do actually occur in human beings.
• Psychology helps to measure the probability that an aim is attainable or not.

2. To understand the stages of development

• Psychology has clearly shown that human life passes through different stages of development before it reaches
adulthood.
• They are infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
• Psychologists have also thoroughly studied the characteristic behavior patterns in these different periods of life.
• Identification of these periods with different sets of characteristics and attributes as regards physical, mental
and emotional development help educationists to design curriculum and determine appropriate methods of
teaching for students at different stage of development.

3. To understand the individual differences

 • No two persons are exactly alike.
• Pupils differ in their level of intelligence, aptitudes, likes and dislikes and in other propensities and potentialities.
• There are gifted, backward, physically and mentally challenged children.
• Thus, psychology tells the teacher about the individual differences among the students in the class and the
procedure, methodology and techniques to be adopted for them.

4. To understand the influence of heredity and environment on the child.

• Educational psychology helps the teacher to know that the child is the product of heredity and environment.
• They are the two sides of a coin. Both play a prominent part in the all-round development of the child.
• While the child is born with a number of hereditary qualities, environment helps them to be modified according
to the requirements of the society

5. Enriching the teachers

• The main goal is to help teachers understand the theories behind how education works and how to use them
effectively in the classroom.
• This means giving them the tools to apply these theories in a scientific and fair way.
• It also involves using these theories to offer advice on how to handle problems that teachers or students might
encounter in different educational situations.

6. To understand the nature of class- room teaching

• Educational Psychology helps the teacher to adapt and adjust his teaching according to the level of the learners.
• A teacher is teaching in a class but a large number of students do not understand the subject-matter which is
being taught.
• To deal with the students effectively in the class the teacher must have the knowledge of the various
approaches to the learning process, principles, laws and factors affecting it then only he/she can apply remedial
measures in the learning situation.

7. Learning process

Educational psychology investigates that how information and knowledge be transferred and what kinds of
methodologies should be used for that purpose.

To help the teacher in determining the strengths and weaknesses in the mechanism of the work of the educational
process and its results, and thus highlights the importance of studying the factors affecting the success or failure of the
educational process and the achievement of its objectives.

• The most important of these factors:

✓ Methods and strategies of learning and suitability for the categories of students,
✓ The student's personality,
✓ Class room situation and
✓ Level of mental and cognitive maturity, as well as
✓ The amount of motivation for the learning process

8. Teaching methods
 • Educational psychology offers strategies and methods that will help the teacher to understand the effective
teaching methods for the students through the development of educational curricula in the light of the students'
abilities and aptitudes.
• Educational Psychology has discovered several new approaches, principles, methods and techniques of teaching
which are very helpful in today’s teaching-learning process.
• Educational psychology tells us how significant play and recreation are for the children and how play-way
methods turn learning into an interesting task.

9. Learning environment

• Educational Psychology studies the factors which are situational in nature that how environment like of
classroom be managed and how discipline be maintained. Besides it, it studies various Audio Video Aids & its
role in facilitating the teaching learning process.
• The general and emotional atmosphere of the classroom has a great impact on the functioning of the
educational process correctly and effectively.

10. Class room environment

• There are innumerable problems like truancy, bullying, peer pressure, ethnic tensions, cheating in tests etc.
• Educational Psychology helps to equip the teacher by studying the characteristics of the problem children, the
dynamics of the group, behavioural characteristics and adjustments.

11. Evaluation and assessment

• Educational psychology helps educators that what kinds of evaluation techniques should be used to test the
learner that to what extend information and concept have been transferred.
• Evaluation is an integral part of the teaching-learning process.
• How to test the potentialities of the child depends upon the evaluation techniques.
• The development of the different types of psychological tests for the evaluation of the individual is a distinct
contribution of educational psychology

12. Making positive and creative discipline

• The slogan of the traditional teachers was “spare the rod and spoil the child.” Flogging the child was the chief
instrument.
• Educational Psychology has replaced the repressive system with the preventive system.
• Now teachers adopt a cooperative and scientific approach to modify the behavior of the students.
• Emphasis is laid on self-discipline through creative and constructive activities.

13. Educational research

• Educational psychologists conduct research to improve the behaviour of human beings in the educational
situation.
• For this purpose it helps in developing tools and devices to measure the performance and suggest remedial
measures there
‘CHILD-CENTRED’ AND ‘PROGRESSIVE’ EDUCATION

Introduction

The Child-centered curriculum was the result of the research conducted by John Dewey.

According to this curriculum design, the child is the center of the educational processes and the curriculum should be
constructed upon his needs, interests, purpose and abilities.

DEVELOPMENT OF CHILD CENTERED EDUCATION (JOHN DEWEY)-

PROGRESSIVE CHILD-CENTERED
PRAGMATISM
EDUCATION EDUCATION

1-PRAGMATISM

The word pragmatism is a Greek word meaning Work.

PRINCIPLES OF PRAGMATISM-

1 .TRUTH –
• According to pragmatism, the truth or meaning of an idea or a proposition lies in its Observable Practical
Consequences rather than anything metaphysical.

2. REALITY IS CHANGING –
• It can be summarized by the phrase whatever works, is likely true. Because reality changes, whatever works will
also change - thus, truth must also be changeable and no one can claim to possess any final or ultimate truth.

3 PROCESS –
• In other word, pragmatism is the philosophy that encourages us to seek out the processes and do things that
work best to help us achieve desirable ends. Pragmatism is also a practical, matter-of-fact way of approaching or
assessing situations or of solving problems.

4. EMPHASIS ON CHANGE

• The pragmatists emphasize change. The world is a process, a constant flux. Truth is always in the making. The
world is ever progressing and evolving.
5. UTILITARIANISM

• Pragmatists are utility is the test of all truth and reality. A useful principle is true. Utility means fulfillment of
human purposes.
6. CHANGING AIM AND VALUES

• The aim and values of life change in different times and climes. The old aims and values, therefore, cannot be
accepted as they are. Human life and the world is a laboratory in which the aims and values are developed.
7. INDIVIDUALISM

• Pragmatists are individualists. They put maximum focus upon freedom in human life. Liberty goes with equality.
Everyone should adjust to his environment.
8. EMPHASIS ON SOCIAL ASPECTS
 • Since man is a social animal therefore, he develops in social circumstances. His success is success in society. The
aim of education is to make him successful by developing his social personality
9. EXPERIMENTALISM

• Pragmatists are experimentalists. They have give more importance to action than ideas. Activity is the means to
attain the end of knowledge.

2-PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION

John Dewey is probably most famous for his role in what is called progressive education.

Progressive education is essentially a view of education that emphasizes the need to learn by doing.

1. LEARNING BY DOING –

Dewey believed that human beings learn through a ‘HANDS ON APPROACH. This places Dewey in the educational
philosophy of Pragmatism.

2. EXPERIENCE –

Pragmatists believe that reality must be experienced.

3. INTERACTION –

From Dewey's educational point of view, this means that students must interact with their environment in order to
adapt and learn.

4. DEMOCRATIC IDEAS IN CLASSROOM

Dewey felt the same idea was true for teachers and that teachers and students must learn together. His view of the
classroom was deeply rooted in democratic ideals, which promoted equal voice among all participants in the learning
experience

5. EDUCATION AS GROWTH

Education will be useful if it brings the growth and development of the individual as well as the society in which he lives.
Education is meant for the child and child is not meant for education and child is not empty bottle to be filled up by
outside knowledge. Each child is born with inherent capacities, tendencies and aptitudes which are drawn out and
developed by education. One of the aims of education is to develop all the inherent capacities of the child to the fullest
extent.

6. EDUCATION : A CONTINUOUS RESTRUCTURING OF EXPERIENCE

Knowledge is gained by experiences and experiments, conducted by the learner himself. One exercise leads to another
and so on and the area of knowledge is widened by the child. The process of reconstruction of experience goes on and
leads to adjustment and development of personality.

3- CHILD CENTERED EDUCATION

Characterstics-

• RIGHT TO EDUCATION –
All children have a right to an education that helps them grow and develop to their fullest; this basic premise is
at the heart of our understanding of child-centered education.
 • UNIQUE –
Every child is a unique and special individual. Consequently, we have to teach individual children and be
respectful of and account for their individual uniqueness of age, gender, culture, temperament, and learning
style.
• ACTIVE PARTICIPANT –
Children are active participants in their own education and development. This means that they should be
mentally involved and physically active in learning what they need to know and do.
• CHILD’S INTEREST –
Children’s Ideas, preferences, learning styles, and interests are considered in the planning for and
implementation of instructional practices.
• OVERALL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT –
Education more interested in the whole child and efforts to address all of children’s needs, not just their
academic needs. Concern for the welfare of children in all areas of their growth and development is evident and
attests to the public’s growing awareness of their basic rights.
• BELIEVE IN GOODNESS OF CHILDREN –
All great educators have believed in the basic goodness of children; the teacher is to provide the environment
for this goodness to manifest itself. This indeed is the essence of child-centered education

IMPORTANT CONCEPTS OF CHILD CENTERED EDUCATION-

• AIMS OF EDUCATION
• CURRICULUM
• METHODS OF TEACHING
• TEACHER
• DISCIPLINE

1-CHILD CENTERED EDUCATION AND AIMS OF EDUCATION-

Aims are Dynamic –

Child centered education does not lay down any aims of education in advance. It believes that there can be no fixed
aims of education. Life is dynamic and subject to constant change, and hence the aims of education are bound to be
dynamic.

Fullest Development –
Education deals with human life. It must help the children to fulfill their biological and social needs. The pragmatist
educator aims at the harmonious development of the students— physical, intellectual, social and aesthetic.

Able to solve the Problems –

The children should be so trained that they may be able to solve their present-day problems efficiency and to adjust
themselves to their social environment. They should be creative and effective members of the society.

2- CURRICULUM

• In the field of curriculum development, the following principles have been prescribed by child centered
education.
1. PRINCIPLE OF UTILITY

2. PRINCIPLE OF INTEREST
 3. PRINCIPLE OF EXPERIENCE

4. PRINCIPLE OF INTEGRATION

3- METHODS OF TEACHING

• The principle of child centered education method of teaching is practical utility. The child is the central figure in
this method.
• ACTIVITY BASED LEARNING –
Pragmatic method is an activity-based method. The essence of pragmatic method is learning through personal
experience of the child. To a pragmatist education means preparation for practical life.
• EDUCATION ACCORDING TO PRAGMATISM —
“EDUCATION IS NOT SO MUCH TEACHING THE CHILD THINGS HE OUGHT TO KNOW, AS ENCOURAGING HIM TO
LEARN FOR HIMSELF THROUGH EXPERIMENTAL AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY”. LEARNING BY DOING MAKES A
PERSON CREATIVE, CONFIDENT AND COOPERATIVE.

• PURPOSIVE –
The pragmatic method is socialistic in nature. His learning should be thoroughly purposive. He should learn to
fulfill the purpose of his life.

• EXPERIMENTAL METHOD –
The method employed by the pragmatist teacher is experimental. The pupil is required to discover the truth for
himself. To facilitate this discovery the application of the inductive and heuristic methods of teaching is
necessary.

• Project method-

Experiences should, therefore, be planned to arouse the curiosity of children to acquire knowledge. Textbooks
and teachers are not so much important in pragmatic education. Their position is secondary in the teaching-
learning process. They are required to suggest and prompt only.

The teacher suggests problems, indicates the lines of active solution and then leaves the students to
experiment for themselves. The child learns for himself. Progressive education is thus AUTO - EDUCATION or

SELF - EDUCATION.

• Project method is a method which is of American origin. “A project is a whole-hearted purposeful activity,
proceeding in a social environment.” This definition is given by Kilpatrick, a follower of Dewey.

4- TEACHER

• Pragmatism regards teacher as a HELPER, GUIDE AND PHILOSOPHER. The chief function of progressive teacher is
to suggest problems to his pupils and to stimulate them to find by themselves, the solutions, which will work.
• The teacher must provide opportunities for the natural development of innate qualities of children. His main
task is to suggest problems to his pupils and to guide them to find out solutions

5- DISCIPLINE

• To utilize the interest of the pupil is the basis of discipline here. The teacher and pupils attack a problem jointly.
Teacher’s role is that of a guide and a director; it is the pupil who acts, learning this becomes a cooperative
venture- a joint enterprise. Pursuit of common purposes enforces it own order.
 • Education becomes a social process of sharing between the members of the various groups and all are equal
partners in the process.
• That is no rewards also there are no placing for the punishments. The discipline proceeds from the life of the
school as a whole.

Merits of child centered education-

1. CONSTRUCTION OF PROJECT METHOD

• In the field of methods of teaching, pragmatism has given birth to project method. This method, a child
indulging in various creative activities, is able to solve many problems which cater to his natural progress and
development.

2. IMPORTANCE OF CHILD

• Opposing bookish knowledge and formal education, pragmatism lays great stress upon the development of
child’s individuality by his own efforts.

3. EMPHASIS ON ACTIVITY

• Pragmatism emphasizes upon activity. The principle of learning by doing is the main contribution of pragmatism

4. FAITH IN APPLIED LIFE

Pragmatism emphasizes the practical life of child. Pragmatic education prepares the child for future life in a very
effective manner.

5. SOCIAL AND DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION

Pragmatism develops in the child love for democratic values and social efficiency which bring harmonious adjustment
and development of personality

Demerits of child -Centered education

1. Opposition of pre-determined ideas and values

This emphasizes that ideals and values are man-made and change according to changes in circumstances, times and places.
But all noble things have entered into this human world by the efforts of those great persons who were inspired by the
great ideals namely- truth, beauty and goodness.

2. No pre-determined aims of education

There are no set and pre-determined aims of education as well. In the absence of definite aims of education, all
educational plans and efforts may go astray and achieve nothing.

3. Negations of spiritual values

Pragmatists deny the existence of spiritual values. Negligence of spiritual value is a great blunder. Without developing
spiritual values achieving human welfare, peace and satisfaction is simply to cry for the moon.

4. Opposition of intellectuality

Pragmatists believe that a man’s intelligence is subservient to his innate tendencies. This makes him only an animal.

5. Negation of past
Child centered education emphasizing only the present and future, and neglects the past. Without the knowledge of past
one cannot understand the present and without knowing the present thoroughly nothing can be predicted for the future.

Conclusion

✓ The student-centered curriculum calls for team teaching and courses offered by different departments.
✓ Projects and hands-on experiences have definite advantages over lectures. According to pragmatists, this
methodology focuses on giving students a great deal of autonomy as well as alternatives to their current
learning circumstances.
✓ The learning environment turns into a methodical laboratory in which thoughts are experienced to determine
whether they can be authenticated.
✓ Pragmatic philosophy is a practical philosophy, having no fixed or absolute standards. Man always creates new
values and education should help him in doing so.
✓ Being practical and utilitarian school of philosophy, pragmatism has influenced education to the maximum
extent. It has tried overcoming the limitations of other schools like idealism and naturalism and has influenced
world in a great deal.