Philosophical Movements in Education

Renaissance- It is derived from the Latin word ‘renaistre’ meaning to be born again. It is considered as the revival of ancient learning brought about by the discovery of the ‘New World’ of Christopher Columbus, the fascinating of Marco Polo about the wealth and technology of the East. (i.e. China under Kublai Khan), the invention of the printing press and other events during the latter part of the medieval period.

Renaissance Period

Gutenburg Perfect Printing C. Columbus discovered America

HUMANISM

- it was one of the various philosophies that flourished during the renaissance period. It is the philosophy which holds the idea that education aims to liberate man from the oppressive and demanding Medieval institutions like the church and the state, so as to enable him to fully develop his potentials.

- It was caused by the massive corruption in the Roman Catholic Church and the sale of indulgences. The movement highlighted the protests of the people who were devastated by the policies of the Roman Catholic Church.

REFORMATION

Martin Luther (1483-1549)

Father of Reformation who wrote the 95 theses, denouncing the Catholic church and posted it in the doorpost of his Cathedral (Wittenburg) on October 31, 1517.

Philip Melanchthon

- Educational reformer. He published the “Report or Book of Visitation” which is considered as the first educational survey in history.

John Milton (1608-1674)

Believed that boys should studyformal grammar and formal

education must be emphasized. He

advocated the use of resource persons.

Francois Rabelais (1483-1553)

He suggested thateducation should bemade attractive

ratherthan compulsive.

All learning should be

made pleasant.

Education should begained through

books.

Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592)

He emphasize the

use of fieldtrips/

educationaltours in theteaching-

learningprocess.

Introduced theconcept offinishing

schools.

John Amos Comenius (1592-1670)

He wrote “OrbisPictus Sensualism”of the World ofSensible ThingsPictured which isconsidered as thefirst textbook onthe use of visualaids in classroomteaching.He organized aschool system frompre-school to theuniversity.He also advocatedthe ff:

- older children should stay longer in school, and younger ones should stay in school only for a short period a day.- morning hour should be devoted to for intellectual subjects while subject for physical and aesthetic development should be given in the afternoon.- the level of teaching should be suited to the understanding of children.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

He suggested the

use the inductive

method oflearning.

He believed that

all scientificprogress must

bebased on

nature.

Richard Mulcaster (1531-1611)

He argued thateducation should be

inaccordance with

matureof the child and its

aim isto secure the

expressionand development ofchildish tendencies

andnot to suppress

them.

He required to obtain

university training like

lawyers, minister, etc.

He developed teacher

training colleges(Normal School).

Wolfgang Ratke (1571-1635)

He advocated that

everything should

constantly berepeated to

ensuremastery.

He argued thateverything

shouldbe without

compulsion and rote

learning should be

by all means be avoided.

He believed that:• education must be democratic. The aim of

education is social efficiency; utilization rather than subordination for the capacity of the individual.

• public school is the chief means to achieve the above mentioned purpose of education.

• education is life and not just a preparation of life.

• he postulated the famous “Learning by Doing Dictum” which states that the learner learns best if he is an active participant in the teaching-learning process.

John Dewey (1856-1952)

NATURALISM

• is an educational philosophy which adheres to the belief that education should be in accordance with the nature of the child.

• all educational practices should be focused towards the natural development of all the innate talents and abilities of the child. The outstanding personality involved in naturalism in education was Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) who wrote several books on policies and education like the Social Contract, Emile, etc.

• Emile is considered as the “gospel of the child’s educational freedom”.

• Rousseau believed that man at birth is naturally good, societal influences make man evil and that the stronger the body, the more it obeys; the weaker the body, the more it commands.

• A philosophy is based on discipline. It advanced the idea based on Aristotle’s faculty psychology that the human mind is composed of several faculties such as memory, reason, will, judgment, etc. and the power in any faculty can be developed through training and proper discipline.

• It advocated that mastery of mathematics and linguistics ensures mastery of other subjects. The foremost exponent of this philosophy was John Locke (1632-1714) who believed that when the child is born his mind can be compared to a “tabula rasa”, or a blank tablet and experiences will be the ones to write on the tablet.

DISCIPLINISM

Based on the tenets of this movement, education is

looked upon as the process geared toward the

propagation, perpetuation and amelioration of

the society and the total development of an

individual.