Amir Mohammad Sayem
Education, which is usually the process of gaining knowledge and developing skills and capacities, mind, characters and other qualities, is very important for all across countries. Of course, education is given in all countries and is given at different tiers such as the early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary levels. It is very important for persons who are educated as well as for their families, communities and wider societies. Indeed, education helps human beings to not only gain knowledge on diverse sorts, become aware of the surroundings and get better jobs but also improve diverse problem-solving skills, improve and refine speech, differentiate between good and bad, become good citizens and responsible persons, and realize as human beings or foster human development.
This article is focused on education in relation to human development. In an earlier article on ‘Human development: what and how’ published in the Eastern Herald, I explained human development and its processes. In brief, human development means the development of a human being or the self of a human being to the highest possible extent by developing one’s identities with one dominant identity (for instance, philosopher X, musician X, or politician X) through the realization of diverse human potentials in economic, social, political, spiritual or other terms and surmounting animality. Notably, a human being or the self of a human being is primarily a body-soul composite and is a physical, emotional, rational, social, political and spiritual being. Human development, thus, also indicates the development of all such aspects of human beings in such a way that differentiates between animals and human beings.
Moreover, as I further noted, the human development process is both individualistic and societal since human development occurs with the interaction between human beings and overall society. But the process is primarily individualistic. The process consists of four stages such as consciousness, consciousness-based decision-making, making of plans and strategies for realizing decisions and the realization of consciousness-based decisions through actions. In the human development process, consciousness is the basis since it helps make decisions on what to do and what to be as a human being. Human beings need to be conscious of the inner self and the outer world which in combination helps develop diverse aspects including rational, social, political and spiritual. For consciousness, developing decision-making ability and plans and strategies making ability and realizing choices by actions through differentiating between animals and humans, education undoubtedly plays a very important role.
Of course, education is given importance by educational philosophers and education theorists from ancient Greece to date. Though there is no universal consensus on aims and what to teach or what deserves to be the contents of education, there is a number of schools of thought that put forth different aspects in philosophy of education such as idealism, realism, pragmatism, existentialism and post-modernism. In addition to these educational philosophies, there are a number of theoretical viewpoints such as perennialism, essentialism, behaviorism, progressivism, reconstructionism, constructivism and humanism. Since the scope is limited, it is important to broadly classify different educational theoretical viewpoints based on educational philosophies and then briefly discuss them. In this respect, the classification of educational philosophies and theories by Charlene Tan and Wayne Stewart can be somewhat useful. In this article, educational theories or viewpoints are rendered as idealism-based, realism-based, pragmatism-based and existentialism-based.
Perennialism and essentialism, which are usually based on idealism (but these are also somewhat rooted in realism) that indicates that ideas are true reality and truth and values are absolute and the aim of education is the development of intellectual capacity by helping learners to understand lasting ideas and principles, are important for determining what to be taught. Perennialism mainly aims at the development of students’ rational and moral powers and, hence, puts emphasis on the primacy of reason and human beings’ ability to make rational judgments. The focus is to teach ideas that are everlasting and seek enduring truths which are constant since perennialism believes that the natural and human worlds at their most essential level do not change. Essentialism usually aims at providing learners to acquire basic knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. Essentialists focus on the traditional disciplines such as math, natural sciences, history, foreign language, religion and literature. The function of schools for the essentialists is the transmission of cultural and historical heritage. Though there are some similarities between essentialism and perennialism, essentialists accept the idea that the core curriculum, which involves the study of the surrounding environment, basic natural laws and the disciplines that promote a happier and more educated living, may change.
Behaviourism and positivism, which are based on realism that indicates that knowledge lies in the physical world and knowledge gained from scientific research and discovery is useful and that believes that educational institutes need to develop the abilities of students in reasoning, observation and experimentation and their function is to train and prepare professionals and technicians with systematic, organized and classified curriculum, is to be noted here. Behaviorism assumes that each student needs to respond favorably to various stimuli in the environment. It puts emphasis on the mastery of facts and structured school environment and, according to behaviorists, scientific evidence is essential. Positivism focuses on the acquisition of facts based on empirical observation and on how to think rather than on what to think. Positivists put emphasis on empirical observation-centered contents and encourage students to develop their own skills of observation, classification and logical analysis.
Progressivism and reconstructionism are based on pragmatism, which is a philosophical school of thought that indicates that claims of knowledge and values are not enduring and absolute but are tentative and subject to be revised and that it is more practical to focus on the usage of the knowledge that helps achieve desired outcomes. Notably, progressivism, which beliefs in individuality, progress and change as fundamental to one’s education, focuses on the need and experience-based curricula and puts emphasis on the skills of learners to cope with changes and integrated subject matters. The aim of education is to develop students into becoming enlightened and intelligent citizens. Reconstructionism, which believes in students’ abilities in solving personal and social problems and considers schools as the center of reconstruction of society, aims at addressing social questions and a quest to create a better society/world. Reconstructionists, who promote critical pedagogy, focuses on controversial issues and world events for thinking process and critical analysis.
Educational humanism and constructivism are based on existentialism, which is a philosophical school of thought and an educational philosophy that aims at helping students understand and appreciate themselves as unique individuals, assumes that existence precedes essence and puts emphasis on the education of the whole person, not the mind alone. Educational humanism focuses on the autonomy and dignity of human beings and encourages divergent thinking. Its main goal is to assist the learners in becoming free persons and realizing and maximizing their true potential. The humanist curriculum is designed to meet the needs and preferences of students. Constructivism, which is also based on post-modernism, believes that the aim of education is empowerment and transformation. It considers students as active learners to construct their own frame of thoughts, puts emphasis on big ideas rather than the mastery of factual information and students’ construction of new understandings and ideas and encourages the development of critical thinking.
Of course, educational philosophies and theories not only take account of diverse aims and contents of education but also focuses on the roles of teachers in educating students and teaching methods (such as lecture, demonstration, individual exploration, group discussion or participatory education). Given the rich and diversified works, such educational philosophies and theories can be translated into human development-friendly education that requires focus on making all human beings not only conscious about their diverse aspects including physical, rational, social and political but also capable of making a rational decision and rational and effective plans and strategies and realizing decisions through actions in such ways which differ from those of animals. Along with science, emphasis is needed on arts, literature, ethics, social science, religion, history, culture, philosophy, politics and others for human development-friendly education that is facilitative to the development of the whole person. Also, such education should focus not only on ideas and values but also on diverse abilities and skills (such as critical thinking, logical analysis and solving educational and real life problems) and facts or evidence. Emphasis should be given to individualism but collectivism needs to be there. Moreover, human development-friendly education requires classical books, need and preference-based curriculum and content on world events for consciousness in a broad sense, and human development-friendly roles of educational institutes and teachers. Of course, students should be developed not only as theoretically enriched and moral persons but also as practically oriented persons and active agents.
But, as indicated already, there is no consensus on the aims and functions of education, educational curriculum and roles of educational institutes and teachers among different schools of thought. More importantly, the above noted educational philosophies and theories are not beyond criticism. For example, idealism and idealist educational theories put emphasis on ideas rather than facts or evidence and, as is criticized, idealism promotes intellectual elitism where only a gifted minority of intellectuals is valued in society over many others. Realism and realist educational theories put emphasis on facts and evidence-based education with limited focus on ideas, feelings or emotions. Moreover, realists do not promote higher education for all especially those who are weaker. It alternatively deprives weaker students who could be provided education with some extra care.
Of course, pragmatism and/or pragmatist educational theories focus on experimental and need-based education, but it puts less emphasis on in-depth exploration of specific disciplines, reasons and human imagination. Some even criticize the pragmatic claim that all knowledge claims and values are tentative and changeable. Moreover, it is criticized that through the focus on the individual experiences and emphasizing individualism at an extreme level, existentialism neglects the needs of community and society, leading to the development of selfishness and egoism among students. Of course, postmodernism’s rejection of universal knowledge, truth and values, as is criticized, opens the door for cultural and situational relativism and devalues academic and ethical standards in education.
Even if the above educational philosophies and theories in combination may be translated into human development-friendly education for all, no single educational philosophy or educational theory does thus seem to be able to do it. In this respect, the development of an overarching human development-based educational theory seems to be more relevant and very much important for human development-friendly education to all. Of course, such a theory can also help formulate a human development-friendly education policy and a broad-based national guideline for education focusing on the varied aims of education, curriculums, the roles of educational institutes and the roles of teachers that may facilitate to provide human development-friendly education at all tiers.
