3.Various Educational Approaches
3.0 Various Educational Approaches
Whole process of formal education deciding the aims and objectives, selection and implementation of the curriculum and the learning environment differ from country to country and even in the same country it changes from time to time. In this context there are manifold approaches in educating children:
1. Teacher centred education
2. Society centred education.
3. Student centred education.
4. Development centred education
3.1 Teacher Centred Education
Centred education is the education in which planning learning-teaching process, organizing and implementing, decision taking, etc are done by the teacher. This approach was used in the traditional education system and the education was emphasized as giving knowledge. It was accepted that the knowledge of the teacher should be delivered to the students by himself. The main teaching method was lecturing and the students were passive learners. The silent class was taken as the best class and no learning resources were used and the class was not active. Student skills and abilities were not given proper attention. Student freedom was limited. Motivational situations were very few. This approach has subjected to criticism.
3.2 Student Centred Education
This concept was influenced by the ideas of philosophers like .Rousseau, Pestalozzi, ~roebel, John Dewey, Montessori and the Ideas ot psychologists like Plaget, Maslaw, Sigmund Freud and sociologists like Margaret Mead.
Features of Student Centred Education
• Learner centred
• Needs/ abilities/ skills and interests of the learner are taken into consideration
• Learning is more important than teaching
• Individual differences of the learners are taken into consideration
• Use of different learning-teaching methods
• Variety in the learning environment
• Learning by doing is more important than teaching by words
• Teacher-student relationships are at a higher level
Some selected ideas emphasizing the student centred education
❖ Child is not a small man. How he sees, thinks, feels, acts is completely different from adult.
Rousseau
❖ Teaching methods should be used according to the interests and abilities of the student.
Pestalozzi
❖ Interest shown by students towards sports should be used in teaching. Froebed
❖ Opportunities should be given to learn through senses more than teaching through words.
Nature is the best teacher. Comenius
❖ If students are to be motivated for learning, an interest should be created in them about activities. John Dewey
❖ Freedom and environment needed by the students for auto-learning should be provided for the students. Montessori
3.3 Society Centred Education
Society Centred education is planning and implementing education to fulfill the social necessities and social expectations.
According to the Greek Philosophers the society is there to fulfill the necessities of the man. The whole society created by man should be protected, and maintained without conflicts for the man to live conveniently. The whole society should get united practicing generosity without being selfish.
The main feature of this education is training each individual for the best suitable employment for him aiming the needs of the society. As Plato has remarked the person belongs to the society and not to the family he was born.
Features of Society Centred Education.
Needs and goals of the society are more important. Emphasis on the vocational training. Solving problems in the society is a main objective. Training the individual based on his potential. The society is quantatively and qualitatively developed through education.
3.4 Development-Centred Education.
1. Education is treated as an investment.
2. Making a totally developed person.
3. Individual needs are taken into consideration.
4. Development of knowledge, skills and attitudes.
5. This approach became popular with the global village concept.
6. Education is not treated as consumption but as an investment.
7. Improving the professional skills of the individual through education.
8. Individual aims and aims of the society are equally important of the wastage of
resources
9. Development of professional skills.
10. An interesting concept about development centred education was the Chinese idea of a worker plus intellectual by education.
Goals and Objectives of Education
➢ Goals, objectives and expectations are concepts of the same family
➢ Goals are directions, a foresight in advance of the end.
➢ Educational goals are the final targets of the process of education
➢ Educational objectives are the targets to be achieved prior to the achievement of goals.
Aspects affecting in formulating Educational Goals in a Country
Language Aspect Political Aspect
Science &
Technology Aspect
Social Aspect
Global Aspect Economic Aspect
Geographical Aspect Religious Aspect
Cultural Aspect Philosophical Aspects
Goals should reflect the aspirations of a society. Goals of the education process change to time and country to country as they depend on the above factors.
Modern Concepts in Education
Various educational aspects changed in the field of education as a result of various educational philosophies, psychological and sociological factors and the ideas accepted learning and teaching. The result was education moving from the teacher centred approach to development-centred approach. Therefore, education is aimed at both personal development and social development. Education is treated not only as a welfare activity but as an investment done at present to make the future effective and efficient.
When considered education for social development, identification of various social tasks related to it are:
1. Education for Personal Development
2. Education for National Integration
3. Education for Economic Development
4. Education for Modernization
5. Education for Sustainable Development
6. Education for Excellence
3.1.1. Education for Personal Development
Presently education is not only taken as a medium of developing intelligence by giving knowledge. It should aim at the physical, mental, social, and emotional as well as the moral development of the person. .
Therefore, education should develop skills, talents and competencies of a person as well as the ability to overcome present and future challenges.
Educational
Goals
3.1.2. Education for National Integration
Many societies in the world have become multi-racial and multi-religious as a result of the scientific and technological developments, immigration and invasions, modernization arid
globalization. The result of this situation is that various ethnic groups living together,
speaking many languages, following various religions and different rituals are in a society.
These societies are called multi-cultural societies.
Due to various political, social and economic reasons some groups living in the same country are marginalized and cornered and sometimes these situations have developed into ethnic conflicts.
The education for national integration is the education implemented for developing equality,
interrelationships, acceptance and dignity among various groups of population in a country.
In our country there is an effort to build an active sense of national cohesion and national
unity.
Features of an education system for national integration.
1. A curriculum should be designed to make people accept, respect and understand other cultures.
2. Learn to accept and experience other cultures.
3. Learn to accept differences.
4. Learn the content of other cultures.
5. Learn how other people think, live and act.
6. Giving opportunities for different ethnic groups to study in their mother tongue and
learn other languages as second languages .
7. There should be policies for equal distribution of physical resources and deployment of
human resources .
8. Organization of programmes among various ethnic groups at rural level/ school level/
national level to create mutual friendship.
3.1.3 Education for Economic Development
There is a relationship between education and development and the common feature in
them is expecting the progress of the individual as well as the progress of the society.
Therefore, education is a process which shapes the behaviour of an individual and in turn
develops the society.
The results of treating education as an investment is that the investment made on an individual’s education influences the development of the individual, as well as the country.
When education is treated as an investment, scarce resources used should be used sparingly
wastage etc, should be avoided.
Many countries have planned education aiming the economic development as education
treated as an investment. According to economists, there is a strong relationship education and development.
1. Educated people are the central resource of a society.
2. More educated people are there. in developed countries
3. Economic development depends on three factors - capital, labour and education
4. Educated people earn more than the others
5. Skilled labourers are paid more than the unskilled labourers.
Features of an education system designed for economic development.
1. It should be based on a philosophy suitable for the country
2. Education should be planned not for competition but for co-operation
3. Learning opportunities for creative thinking.
3.1.4.Education for sustainable development
The strongest challenge faced by the world at present is developing the sustainably and maintaining it. Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Principles of the sustainable development
1. Developing quality basic education
2. Development of soft-skills as well as values and the skills related to participation
3. Re-orienting existing education programmes in such a way so that economic development, economic efficiency, social development is emphasized
4. Building public understanding and awareness through community education and
informal education.
5. Human resources should be trained.
6. Developing skills to earn a living as well as a sensitivity to the impact of economic
growth on society and on the environment.
Acts / Conventions / Agreements related to sustainable development
Eg: Rumsha Agreement (Iran - 1971)
Global Conferences on sustainable development
United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)
International Implementation Scheme, Paris
3.1.5 Education for Social Modernization
Today education is not taken as a process that transmits knowledge. Future, betterment and the well being of a country depend on its education. Therefore, education for the social modernization is a necessity.
Features of education for social modernization.
1. Providing opportunities to identify political, economic, cultural, communicative changes
taking place/ possible at national level and global level.
2. School education should provide skills to work co-operatively, without prejudice and
with changed attitudes regarding race and gender which create social problems.
3. Education should not be limited to school hours and school environment but open and
distance learning opportunities should be provided.
4. Educational institutions as well as other institutions should work together.
5. Contribution of the mass media and new technological equipments are very important.
6. School students, those who have finished schooling, drop-outs and employed people
etc. should be included in education.
Protection of Human Rights through Education.
1. Education is a human right.
2. Human rights are the rights of humans.
3. Human rights are equal to everyone and colour, race, gender are not taken into
consideration .
4. Human rights are commonly accepted by the international community.
5. The international law related to the human rights was published by the United Nations.
6. International human rights law is based on two main agreements
1. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2. International agreement on economic, social and cultural rights.
7. Internationally accepted Human Rights can be divided into 05 main parts.
1. Civil Rights -
2. Political Rights
3. Economic Rights
4. Social Rights
5. Cultural Rights
Child Rights and Education
The Convention ratified by the United Nations which includes Children's Right to physical, mental and social development.
1. The universal declaration on child rights is known as the convention on the rights of the child.
2. The convention on the rights of the child with 54 statements was adapted by the UN General Assembly on 20.11.1989.
3. This document got quick public responses.
4. This Convention presents common principles on child’s civil rights and freedom, family
environment and child protection, basic health and welfare, education, and special
- protection for children.
5. 28th and 29th articles of the Rights of the Child Convention read:
Article 28
1. States parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they shall, in particular.
(a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all;
(b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including
general and vocational education, make them available and accessible to every child,
and take appropriate measures such as the introduction of free education and offering
financial assistance in case of need.
(c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate
means.
(d) Make educational and vocational infom1ation and guidance available and accessible to
all children
(e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out
rates.
2. States parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered
in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity and in conformity With the present
convention.
3.States parties shall promote and encourage international co-operation in matters relating
to education, in particular with a view to contributing to the elimination of ignorance and
literacy throughout the world and facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and
modern teaching methods. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of
developing countries.
Article 29
1. States parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to :
1. The development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities
to their fullest potential;
2. The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for
the principles enshrined in the character of United Nations;
3. The development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity,
language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is
living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations
different from his or her own;
4. The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of
understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all people, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin;
5. The development of respect for the natural environment.
2. No part of the present article or article 28 shall be construed so as to interfere with the
liberty of individuals and bodies to establish and direct educational institutions, subject
of the observance of the principle set forth in paragraph 1 of the present article and to the requirements that the education given in such institutions shall conform to such minimum
standards as may be laid down by the state.
