Humanistic

Discussion of Theory/
Psychologists/ Emphasis on Values Education Contribution to Education
Philosophical contribution
Philosophers

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a

theory in psychology proposed
by Abraham Maslow in his 1943
paper "A Theory of Human
Motivation" in Psychological
Review.[2] Maslow subsequently Maslow's (1962) hierarchy of needs theory has
extended the idea to include his made a major contribution to teaching and
observations of humans' innate classroom management in schools. Rather than
curiosity. His theories parallel Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs reducing behavior to a response in the
many other theories of theory’s emphasis on values environment, Maslow (1970a) adopts a holistic
human developmental approach to education and learning. Maslow
education can be ultimately seen
psychology, some of which focus
on describing the stages of
in its highest level—the self- looks at the complete physical, emotional, social,
growth in humans. He then actualization, or the self- and intellectual qualities of an individual and how
1. Abraham decided to create a fulfillment. Behavior in this case is they impact on learning. Applications of Maslow's
Maslow classification system which not driven or motivated by hierarchy theory to the work of the classroom
reflected the universal needs of deficiencies but rather one’s desire teacher are obvious. Before a student's cognitive
society as its base and then for personal growth and the need needs can be met, they must first fulfill their basic
proceeding to more acquired physiological needs.
to become all the things that a
emotions.[3] Maslow's hierarchy of
needs is used to study how person is capable of becoming.
humans intrinsically partake in
behavioral motivation. Maslow
used the terms "physiological",
"safety", "belonging and love",
"social needs" or "esteem", and
"self-actualization" to describe
the pattern through which
human motivations generally
move. This means that in order for
motivation to occur at the next
 level, each level must be satisfied
within the individual themselves.

Piaget's theory of morality was By using Piaget's theory, educators focus on their students
radical when his book The Moral as learners. As a result of this focus, education is learner-
center and constructivist-based to an extent. Piaget's theory
Judgment of the Child was
Jean Piaget's theory of allows teachers to view students as individual learners who
published in 1932 for two reasons: add new concepts to prior knowledge to construct, or build,
cognitive development his use of philosophical criteria to understanding for themselves.[66] Teachers who use a
suggests that children move define morality (as universalizable, learner-centered approach as a basis for their professional
through four different stages generalizable, and obligatory) practices incorporate the several dispositions.[66] They provide
of mental development. His and his rejection of
experience-based educational opportunities. These teachers
also contemplate the learners’ individual qualities and
theory focuses not only on equating cultural norms with
2. Jean Piaget attitudes during curriculum planning. Educators allow
understanding how children moral norms. Piaget, drawing learners’ insights to alter the curriculum. They nourish and
acquire knowledge, but also on Kantian theory, proposed that support learners’ curiosity. They also involve learners’
on understanding the nature morality developed out of peer emotions and create a learning environment in which
of intelligence. students feel safe.[66]
interaction and that it was
autonomous from authority His theory of cognitive development can be used as a tool in
mandates. Peers, not parents, the early childhood classroom. According to Piaget, children
were a key source of moral developed best in a classroom with interaction.
concepts such as equality,
reciprocity, and justice.

3. Lawrence Moral Development Theory is The last comment refers to Kohlberg's moral
Kohlberg a theory that believes Kohlberg believed that individuals discussion approach. He saw this as one of the
morality starts from the early could only progress through these ways in which moral development can be
childhood years and can be stages one stage at a time. That is, promoted through formal education. Note that
affected by several factors. they could not "jump" stages. They
Kohlberg followed the development Kohlberg believed, as did Piaget, that most moral
of moral judgment beyond the ages could not, for example, move from development occurs through social interaction.
studied by Piaget, and determined an orientation of selfishness to the The discussion approach is based on the insight
that the process of attaining moral
 maturity took longer and was more law and order stage without that individuals develop as a result of cognitive
gradual than what Piaget had stated
passing through the good boy/girl conflicts at their current stage.
based on his studies.
stage. They could only come to a
comprehension of a moral
rationale one stage above their
own. Thus, according to Kohlberg,
it was important to present them
with moral dilemmas for discussion
which would help them to see the
reasonableness of a "higher stage"
morality and encourage their
development in that direction.
4. John Dewey a leading proponent of the John Dewey (1859-1952) believed Dewey proposed a new educational theory, which
American school of thought that learning was active and highlighted the role experience plays in education.
known as pragmatism, a view schooling unnecessarily long and According to Dewey, powerful educational
that rejected the dualistic restrictive. His idea was that children experiences are a result of two fundamental
epistemology and metaphysics came to school to do things and live principles: continuity and interaction.
of modern philosophy in favor in a community which gave them
Continuity refers to how experiences, both past and
of a naturalistic approach that real, guided experiences which
present, influence the future while interaction refers
viewed knowledge as arising fostered their capacity to contribute
to how one's current situation influences their
from an active adaptation of to society.
experiences. Dewey combined these two principles,
the human organism to its
stating that one's present experiences are a direct
environment. On this view,
result of how their previous experiences interact with
inquiry should not be
and influence their present situation. Simply put,
understood as consisting of a
Dewey stated that human experiences- past,
mind passively observing the
present, and future- influence the capacity to learn.
world and drawing from this
ideas that if true correspond to He once said that: 'Education is a social process.
reality, but rather as a process Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation
which initiates with a check or for life; education is life itself.'
obstacle to successful human
action, proceeds to active His solution was experiential education, an education
manipulation of the philosophy based on the idea that learning occurs
environment to test through experience and requires hands-on activities
hypotheses, and issues in a re- that directly relate to the learner's life. In experiential
adaptation of organism to education, learning occurs through actually doing
environment that allows once something and then reflecting on- and learning from-
again for human action to the process. It combines active learning with
proceed. concrete experience and reflection. Service learning,
adventure learning and workplace internships are all
examples of experiential education.
Dewey's philosophy was called
instrumentalism (related to
pragmatism).

 Instrumentalism believes
that truth is an
instrument used by
human beings to solve
their problems.
 Since problems change,
then so must truth.
 Since problems change,
truth changes, and
therefore there can be
no eternal reality.

one of the founders of a theory

he referred to
as instrumentalism, also
called pragmatism.
Instrumentalists believed that in
order to be considered correct
a theory must be successfully
applied. In other words,
 instrumentalism is a belief that
practice and theory are linked.
Dewey applied his pragmatic
beliefs to education, and his
ideas forever changed the
landscape of education. His
impact even earned him the
name 'The Modern Father of
Experiential Education.'

5. Fred Newman’s social therapy is one such On the view of Newman and his
Social therapy has influenced youth development, most
notably supplemental education. The All Stars Project,
Newman environment-building activity. It is colleagues, helping people with emotional
specifically designed to create founded by social therapist Fred Newman and developmental
suffering ("curing" them) requires engaging
emotional-social growth. It is a psychologist Lenora Fulani in 1981 produced a variety of
and reorganizing how they understand.
programs inspired by social therapy. The All Stars Talent
deconstructionreconstruction of the Emotional suffering is not a fixed input.
Show Network, an anti-violence program in cities around the
capitalist ontology which admits of Like human subjectivity in general, it is a
United States and in Europe, engages young people in the
no history/history making—human relationship between what people
production of talents shows. Social therapy has also
beings are understood to be only experience socially, and the tools available
influenced youth development in the arena of school mental
to them for understanding it. It is common
who we are. And who we are health. Social therapy can be considered psychotherapy.
knowledge that individuals are able to
(especially those in late capitalist function at a high level and endure
culture) are commodified and extraordinary physical and emotional
alienated individuals, the products of suffering, if they experience a coherency
a sick society to which we have between what is demanded of them by
adapted. (“Production does not only social institutions, and their understanding
produce man as a commodity, the of these demands.
human commodity, man in the form Human psychology, understanding, and
14 of a commodity; in conformity mode of explanation are broadly conceived
with this situation it produces him as in Marxist terms, as part of the
a mentally and physically organization of production. As the
dehumanized being,” Marx, 1967, p. coherency between the forces of
111) production and the organization of
production breaks down, understanding
 Social therapy is primarily a group- breaks down too, and with it people's
oriented approach. Its practitioners ability to function socially.
relate to the group, rather than
individuals, as the fundamental unit
of development. Social therapy is Speaking politically and psychologically,
also premised on an understanding to the extent that human beings can
of human beings as fundamentally become world historic (that is,
performers. This is in contrast to
more traditional forms of therapy
revolutionary), they must exercise their
that relate to and understand power as methodologists, that is, not
human beings through the lens of merely users of the tools that are
behavior. Social therapy shares currently available but collective creators
family resemblances with narrative of new tool-and-results. In this spirit,
therapy and Newman’s organizing goal is to inspire,
the postmodern therapies. invite and help people to practice
method, to create new forms of life, to
Psychology might be the most build environments that are at once the
pretentious activity that this context for revolutionary activity and
species of ours, which is well revolutionary activity itself
know for its pretentiousness,
has ever come up with it. It is
going to take a pretty
overwhelming set of personal
acts to come anywhere near
giving it up.

Fred Newman, Psychological

Investigations (Routledge, 2003)

6. Sidney Simon Values clarification is a self- Everything the child has been taught is taken The effect of values clarification is to drive a wedge between
assessment process that enables you apart and clarified: religion, sex, family, parent and child, child and authority and between child and
to discover the content and strength parents, feelings, attitudes, problems, etc. religious beliefs. It is a powerful vehicle for chaos and
of your own system of values. As a Nothing is personal or sacred. Values alienation. Without exaggeration, it sets up a battle between
process it is more involved with how clarification often places children into you and the school for the very soul of your child
you have acquired your values than dilemma situations in which they must make
with determining what they should decisions between two wrong choices.
be. We have one set of shoulds and Instead of teaching positive morality, it Values clarification stresses that teachers should not moralize.
should nots from our parents. The stresses situation ethics. Values clarification “We must not try to indoctrinate youngsters with our values,”
church often suggests another. also indoctrinates children until they lose says a Guide Book for the Teaching of Controversial Issues,
Friends and peer groups may offer their sense of shame over evil and accept prepared by a Bronx school district, “but rather provide them
still other values, and to add to the degenerate behavior as normal. The pros with practice in critical thinking. Our students should be
confusion, there are the value and cons of drugs, sexual perversions, lying, provided with opportunities to analyze, clarify and work out
conflicts from opposing political stealing, euthanasia, and suicide are likely to their own set of values. Thus, we shall achieve one of the major
groups, newspapers, commercials, be discussed while nonjudgmental teachers objectives of our educational system, the development of an
etc. With all these influences, we are carefully avoid imposing their values. The effective citizen in a democratic society.”4
ultimately left to make our own immature child is to be autonomous and
choices about whose advice and must determine his own value system
values to follow. Or, we give up our
right to choose and make others It’s up to him to decide, with the help of the
responsible for our choices. Values pooled ignorance of his peers and the
clarification doesn’t tell you what influence, intentional or not, of the teacher,
values you should live by, but whose own value system may or may not
provides you with a method that lets coincide with yours. As the emerging
you discover what values you do live Humanist child, he has a right to achieve
by. What gives our life its meaning maximum individual autonomy. He has a
and relevance are our values. When right to voice in the formation of his own
examined we discover that they are values, even before he is capable of making
the principles or standards upon sound judgments
which we base our decisions about
how we want to live our lives now Values are not transmitted or taught, but
and in the future. Our choices, learned directly from an individual’s life
whether we are aware of it or not, experiences. They develop, grow and change
reflect our values. through interaction with self, the
environment and other people. The process
is dynamic, throughout the course of life
values are continually changing.
For something to constitute a true value it
must meet seven criteria: 1. Chosen freely:
you have ultimately chosen it yourself. 2.
Chosen from among alternatives: without
two or more alternatives there is no choice
and no true value. 3. Chosen after
consideration of consequences: after
reflection on positive and negative
consequences. 4. Prized and cherished: the
key is the enthusiasm associated with the
value. 5. Publicly affirmed: you are willing to
acknowledge it and if confronted by another
person you would not deny it. 6. Acted
upon: unless acted upon it is not a value, but
rather a good idea or belief. 7. Part of a
definite pattern of action: a single act alone
does not constitute a value.