Erik EriksonHumanistic approach

Prepared by Fariba Chamani, 2015

Humanistic approach emphasizes the importance of the inner world of the learner and places the individual’s thought, emotions and feelings at the forefront of all human development (Lei ,2007).

Humanistic approach changed all aspects of language education, that is, the traditional roles of teachers and learners were redefined and the previously authoritarian teaching practices were replaced by learner-centered classrooms.

Humanistic approach to learning

A principal purpose of education is to provide learning and an environment that facilitate the achievement of the full potential of students.■ Personal growth as well as cognitive growth is a responsibility of the school. Therefore education should deal with both dimensions of humans—the cognitive and the affective■ Significant learning is discovered for oneself.■ Human beings want to actualize their potential.■ Having healthy relationships with other classmates is more conducive to learning.■ Learning about oneself is a motivating factor in learning.■ Increasing one's self-esteem is a motivating factor in learning.

Main Premises Underlying humanistic education, (Moskovitz, 1978)

Individualism (the Whole Person) Learner autonomy Learner-centeredness Learner empowerment (critical thinking &

decision making) Phenomenal learning (uniqueness of each

individual’s learning) Interpretive view of education (critical

thinking, discovery learning, and experiential learning)

Teacher as facilitator

Implications of Humanistic approach

Silent Way ( Gattengo , 1972): teacher remains as silent as he can when the learners are engaged in learning, but the teacher still stays the firm controller of the class.

Suggestopedia (Lozanov, 1979):people are able to learn more if their minds are clear of other things and likewise free of anxiety.

Community Language Learning (Curran ,1972): the learners sit in a circle as a community and determine what they want to say.

Applications of Humanistic Approach

German-born American developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst

Erik Erikson (1902-1994)

Erikson’s Life1902- Born in Frankfurt,

Germany1919- Travels throughout

Europe1927- Becomes a teacher

at Hietzing School in Vienna

1928- Studies child psychology with Anna Freud

1930- Marries Joan Serson, a dance teacher at school

1933- Emigrates to US1939- Becomes US citizen1960- Begins teaching at

Harvard1994- Dies in US

Erikson only received two certificates from the Montessori teachers association and from the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute.

When he moved to the United States in 1933 and, he was offered a teaching position at Harvard Medical School. In addition to his position at Harvard, he also had a private practice in child psychoanalysis.

Later, he held teaching positions at the University of California at Berkeley, Yale, the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute, Austen Riggs Center, and the Center for Advanced Studies of the Behavioral Sciences.

He published a number of books on his theories and research, including Childhood and Society and The Life Cycle Completed. His book Gandhi's Truth was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and a national Book Award.

Erikson’s Career

Psychosocial: Describing the relation of the individual’s emotional needs to the social environment.

According to this theory, at critical ages, people experience developmental crises, specific conflicts between two opposing forces whose resolution prepares the way for the next stage (e.g. Trust versus Mistrust).

Erikson emphasizes the emergence of the self, the search for identity, and the individual’s relationships with others throughout life.

Erikson’s Psychosocial theory

Erikson believed that personality develops in a series of eight stages, each with its particular goals, concerns, accomplishments, and dangers (Epigenetic principle).

Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development

This principle says that we develop through a predetermined unfolding of our personalities in eight stages.

Our progress through each stage is in part determined by our success, or lack of success, in all the previous stages.

EPIGENETIC PRINCIPLE

Epigenetic Principle

The unfolding of a rose bud...

Erikson Stages of Psychosocial Development

At this stage, with proper care and attention, the infant will develop a sense of trust. However, if this does not happen, it leads to mistrust in her/his life.

Infancy

Stage One: Trust vs. Mistrust

Child needs to develop a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense of self-confidence.

They begin to assume important responsibilities for self-care like feeding and going to toilet.

If parents fail to reinforce child’s efforts to master basic motor and cognitive skills at this age, s/he may begin to feel shame and s/he will lack self-confidence in future.

Toddler

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt

The quality of undertaking, planning, and attacking a task for the sake of being active and on the move.

If children are not allowed to do things on their own, they will come to believe whatever they want to do is wrong so a sense of guilt will develop.

Preschool

Stage Three: Initiative vs. guilt

The child’s ability to cope with the new social environments like school and neighborhood may give him a sense of competence or inferiority.

School age

Stage Four: Industry vs. Inferiority

the central issue at this stage is the development of an identity.

Identity: the organization of the individual’s drives, abilities, beliefs, and history into a consistent image of self. If one fails to do so and he fails to choose, role confusion will happen.

Teenager

Stage Five: Identity vs. Role confusion

The individual learns to make personal commitment to another as spouse or partner Or can become isolated and stay away from meaningful relationships.

Young adult

Stage Six: Intimacy vs. Isolation

Generativity refers to caring and guidance for next generation. It also refers to seeking satisfaction through productivity and creativity in career, family, and civic interests.

Stagnation means caring for no one.

Middle age

Stage Seven: Generativity vs. Stagnation

Integrity means consolidating your sense of self and fully accepting its unique and unalterable history. Those unable to attain a feeling of fulfillment and completeness sink into despair.

Old age

Is it okay to have been me?

Stage Eight: Integrity vs. Despair

Age Conflict Important Event VirtueInfancy(0-18 months)

Basic trust vs Mistrust Feeding Hope

Toddler(18 mnths-3 yrs)

Autonomy vs Shame Toilet Training Will

Preschooler(3-6 years)

Initiative vs Guilt Independence Purpose

School age(6-12 years)

Industry vs Inferiority School Competence

Teenager(12-19)

Identity vs Confusion Peer relationships Fidelity

Young adult(20-25)

Intimacy vs Isolation Love relationship Love

Middle-aged(26-64)

Generativity vs Stagnation

Parenting/Mentoring Care

Old age(65-death)

Integrity vs Despair Reflection on or acceptance of one’s life

Wisdom

Erikson’s theory is not systematic, it’s a loose connection of observations, empirical generalizations, and abstract theoretical claims.

It primarily describes the development of European American males

More attention is paid to infancy and childhood than to adult life, despite the claim to be a life-span theory.

Erikson did not explain in any detail how a child moves from stage to stage or even how he resolves the crisis within a stage.

Criticism of Erikson’s Theory

Erikson in the classroom Be aware of the stage(s) your students are in and offer opportunities to engage with aspects of that stage. Preschoolers need support for taking initiative. Elementary students need support for learning how to work effectively. Adolescents need opportunities to explore their own identities. Scaffold the opportunities you offer so students can experience success.

Give students many models for career choices and other adult roles

Help students find resources for working out personal problems

Be tolerant of teenage fads as long as they don’t offer others or interfere with learning

Give students realistic feedback about themselves

How to support identity formation in classroom

Woolfolk, A. E., Winne, P. H., & Perry, N. E. (2011). Educational Psychology (11th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Miller, P. H. (2011). Theories of Developmental psychology. New York: Worth Publishers.

Khatib, M., Najafi Sarem, S., & Hamidi, H. (2013). Humanistic education: concerns, implications and applications. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(1),45-51.

References

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