EDU 204 FOUNDATIONS OF

EDUCATION II
Concept of Education
The word "Education" is derived from the Latin words "educare" and "educere". Educare
refers to "to bring up'or "to nourish", whereas the word 'educere" means to "to bring forth"
or "to draw out". Some others believe that the word has been derived from another Latin
word "educantum" which has two components. "E implies a movement from inward to
outward and "duco" refers to developing or progressing. An analysis of these words
reveal that education aims at providing a learner or a child a nourishing environment to
bring out and develop the latent potentiality hidden inside him.

Education brings a natural and lasting change in an individual’s reasoning and ability to
achieve the targeted goal. It facilitates us to investigate our own considerations and
thoughts and makes it ready to express it in various shapes. Education is the main thing
that encourages us to distinguish between right and wrong because in the absence of
education, we can’t do what we need or we can’t achieve our goal.

Modern Concept of Education

To understand the modern concept of education, one has to make a comparative study
of the old andmodern concepts.
Following are the difference between the old and the new concepts.

(1) Meaning of Education. The modern concept of education seeks to develop the
inherent capacities of a child in the social environment. In the old concept, education
was taken to mean as a process to thrust ready-made tit bits of knowledge into the
mind of a child as if it was an empty vessel. The old concept has exploded under the
weight of psychological researches and democratic values. The mind is a dynamic
self- adjusting and self-learning force needing proper guidance for wholesome growth
and development modern education seeks to develop the mind according to its own
inherent capacities in a social environment.
(2) Aims of Education. Ancient education emphasized scholarship and mental
development. It kept an indifferent attitude towards other aspects of personality.
Acquiring more and more knowledge was regarded as the prime aim. On the contrary
modern educationists lay equal stress upon other aspects of development viz. physical,
mental, emotional and social. Thus, the aim of modern education is to develop
individuality to the full and attain social efficiency and dynamism.
(3) Curriculum. In the old curriculum, only subjects promoting mental development

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 were included and emphasized. Thus, old curriculum got rigid and stratified. It was
confined mostly to classroom activities and experiences. Modern curriculum is
flexible, varied and progressive in the sense that it tries to meet the needs of the
developing child as well as the demands of ever-changing modern society.
(4) Methods of Teaching. As the methods emphasized cramming and stimulated
rote memorization education was a lifeless, dull and drab process. Modern
methods condemn rote memorization and promote the adoption of lively and
effective methods like Play way, learning by doing, Learning by experience etc.
These methods stimulate motivation, interest and attention.
(5) Discipline. Old concept of discipline emphasized the use of rode and punishments
to enforce obedience and discipline in children. This concept of enforced discipline
through repression has now been given up. The modern concept is self- discipline
leading to natural obedience.
(6) Examination. The old method of essay type examination encouraged cramming
and rote memorization. Modern techniques evaluate as well as examine. These include
objective tests, progress reports, cumulative records, interviews and practical
performances.
(7) Agencies of Education. According to old beliefs, school was the only agency for
the education of children. According to modern views all formal and informal
agencies are harnessed to the task of education.
(8) Teacher. Old education put the teacher at the top of the educational process. In
modern times a teacher is considered as a friends, philosopher and guide.
(9) Child. According to old concept, the child was a mere passive recipient of whatever
the teacher instructed. Modern education is child centred. The entire educational
process is to cater to his needs and develop him according to his nature. He is to
interact actively with the teacher and his class mates to achieve effective learning
promoting his own development and the development of the society of which is an
integral part.

(10) School. According to old concept, school served as a shop for selling
knowledge. Everything was pre- planned in advance. Teachers were concerned with
the input and bothered little about output. Modern concept of education regards
school are a miniature of society laying emphasis more on output in comparison with input.

S. Aspects of Old Concept of Modern Concept of Education

No. Education Education
1. Meaning Instruction Development.
2. Aims Knowledge (1) Development of total Personality. (2) Social
Efficiency.
3. Curriculum Subject centered Activity centered, social efficiency.
4. Methods Rote Memorization Learning by doing, Project etc.

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5. Discipline Rigid, Represionistic Self- discipline.
6. Examination Essay type tests Objective Type tests, Evaluation.
7. Agencies Formal (School) Formal and Informal both.
8. Teacher Instructor Friend, philosopher and guide.
9. Child Passive recipient Active, dynamic.
10. School Teaching shops Miniature of Society.

Features of Modern Education

Above discussion brings out following fundamental features of modern education
which may also be saidto the goals and aims of modern education:

Education to fill Mind with Knowledge. This is one the earliest notions of education. It
regards mind as ignorant and empty. Therefore, mind has to be filled in with golden
grains of wisdom. The teacher is the active agent for pouring well-condensed
information into the mind of the passive pupil.

No doubt, knowledge is important in any scheme of education but it cannot be inserted

into the learner’s mind. The pupil, himself has to pick up the knowledge by
recognizing the relationships of the same with his varying worthwhile experiences.

Education a Mental Discipline. This conception is based on the wrong notion that mind
consists of separate faculties, such as memory, imagination, judgment, and the like.
This theory accepted subject matter for its fitness to provide mental exercises and not
for its direct usefulness in everyday life.

It thought that training in one field would have a great transfer value for use in
another field. The faculty conception of psychology has now been entirely
discredited and the transfer value of a training is partially accepted in case of subject
which have identical elements. The Psychological Approach. This conception shifts
the balance to the normal child development in terms of the individual's desires and
demands of expression. Thus, in education, the individual is to be accepted as the
starting point. The child is helpless at birth, and he must acquire adaptations of
behaviour and performance in various life situations, if his survival is desired.
Thus, we come to education as adjustment.

Education as Adjustment. Man has an amazing propensity to be dissatisfied with

things as they are. Therefore, he is involved in a constant struggle with physical, social
and other forces for making them minister to his comforts and safety.

In this process he comes to know new things which develop his power of adjustment.
Besides, man is also capable of making necessary adaptations on his own part. He
alters his behaviour and acquires new skills according to the demands of situations. He

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wants that his children, too, should acquire these experiences "as a means to their
increased security and happiness." Thus, education is to be so organised as to provide
to the child the racial experiences in order to enable him to make necessary
modifications in his behaviour.

Thus, education should be regarded as adjustment. But adjustment is a lifelong

process, therefore, education, too, should be a lifelong process.

Education as Self-activity. Education as adjustment suggests that education is a

matter of self-activity. Any modification in behaviour which is expected from
education must come through energizing the inner activity which is to be directed
towards reconstruction of experience for meeting the situation at hand.

Types of Education
Education also means helping people to learn how to do things and encouraging them to
think about what they learn. It is also important for educators to teach ways to find and
use information. Through education, the knowledge of society, country, and of the world
is passed on from generation to generation. In democracies, through education, children
and adults are supposed to learn how to be active and effective citizens. More specific,
education helps and guide individuals to transform from one class to another. Empowered
individuals, societies, countries by education are taking an edge over individuals stand on
the bottom pyramid of growth.

Types of Education
Education goes beyond what takes places within the four walls of the classroom. A child
gets the education from his experiences outside the school as well as from those within on
the basis of these factors. There are three main types of education, namely, Formal,
Informal and Non-formal. Each of these types is discussed below.

Formal Education
Formal education or formal learning usually takes place in the premises of the school,
where a person may learn basic, academic, or trade skills. Small children often attend a
nursery or kindergarten but often formal education begins in elementary school and
continues with secondary school.
Post-secondary education (or higher education) is usually at a college or university which
may grant an academic degree. It is associated with a specific or stage and is provided
under a certain set of rules and regulations. The formal education is given by specially
qualified teachers they are supposed to be efficient in the art of instruction. It also
observes strict discipline. The student and the teacher both are aware of the facts and
engage themselves in the process of education.

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Examples of Formal Education
 Learning in a classroom
 School grading/certification, college, and university degrees
 Planned education of different subjects having a proper syllabus acquired by attending
the institution.

Characteristics of formal education

 Formal education is structured hierarchically.
 It is planned and deliberate.
 Scheduled fees are paid regularly.
 It has a chronological grading system.
 It has a syllabus and subject-oriented. The syllabus has to be covered within a specific
time period.
 The child is taught by the teachers

Advantages of Formal education:

 An organized educational model and up to date course contents.
 Students acquire knowledge from trained and professional teachers.
 Structured and systematic learning process.
 Intermediate and final assessments are ensured to advance students to the next learning
phase.
 Institutions are managerially and physically organized.
 Leads to a formally recognized certificate.
 Easy access to jobs.

Disadvantages of Formal education:

 Sometimes, brilliant students are bored due to the long wait for the expiry of the
academic session to promote to the next stage
 Chance of bad habits’ adoption may be alarming due to the presence of both good
and bad students in the classroom
 Wastage of time as some lazy students may fail to learn properly in spite of
motivation by the professional trainers.
 Some unprofessional and non-standard education system may cause the wastage
of time and money of the students which leads to the disappointment from formal
education and argue them to go for non- formal education.
 Costly and rigid education as compare to other forms of learning

Informal Education
Informal education may be a parent teaching a child how to prepare a meal or ride a
bicycle. People can also get an informal education by reading many books from a library
or educational websites. Informal education is when you are not studying in a school and

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do not use any particular learning method. In this type of education, conscious efforts are
not involved. It is neither pre-planned nor deliberate. It may be learned at some
marketplace, hotel or at home.

Unlike formal education, informal education is not imparted by an institution such as

school or college. Informal education is not given according to any fixed timetable. There
is no set curriculum required. Informal education consists of experiences and actually
living in the family or community.
Examples of Informal Education
 Teaching the child some basics such as numeric characters.
 Someone learning his/her mother tongue
 A spontaneous type of learning, “if a person standing in a bank learns about
opening and maintainingthe account at the bank from someone.”

Characteristics of Informal Education

 It is independent of boundary walls.
 It has no definite syllabus.
 It is not pre-planned and has no timetable.
 No fees are required as we get informal education through daily experience and by
learning new things.
 It is a lifelong process in a natural way.
 The certificates/degrees are not involved and one has no stress for learning the new
things.
 You can get from any source such as media, life experiences, friends, family etc.

Advantages of Informal Education

 More naturally learning process as you can learn at anywhere and at any time from your
daily experience.
 It involves activities like individual and personal research on a topic of
interest for themselves byutilizing books, libraries, social media, internet or
getting assistance from informal trainers.
 Utilizes a variety of techniques.
 No specific time span.
 Less costly and time-efficient learning process.
 No need to hire experts as most of the professionals may be willing to share their
precious knowledgewith students/public through social media and the internet.
 Learners can be picked up the requisite information from books, TV, radio or
conversations with theirfriends/family members.

Disadvantages of Informal Education

 Information acquired from the internet, social media, TV, radio or

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 conversations with friends/familymembers may lead to the disinformation.
 Utilized techniques may not be appropriate.
 No proper schedule/time span.
 Unpredictable results which simply the wastage of time.
 Lack of confidence in the learner.
 Absence of discipline, attitude and good habits.

Non-formal Education
Non-formal education includes adult basic education, adult literacy education or school
equivalency preparation. In non-formal education, someone (who is not in school) can
learn literacy, other basic skills or job skills. Home education, individualized instruction
(such as programmed learning), distance learning and computer-assisted instruction are
other possibilities.

Non-formal education is imparted consciously and deliberately and systematically

implemented. It should be organized for a homogeneous group. Non-formal, education
should be programmed to serve the needs of the identified group. This will necessitate
flexibility in the design of the curriculum and the scheme of evaluation.
Examples of Non-formal Education
 Boy Scouts and Girls Guides develop some sports program such as swimming
comes under non-formaleducation.
 Fitness programs.
 Community-based adult education courses.
 Free courses for adult education developed by some organization.

Characteristics of Non-formal Education

 The non-formal education is planned and takes place apart from the school system.
 The timetable and syllabus can be adjustable.
 Unlike theoretical formal education, it is practical and vocational education.
 Non-formal education has no age limit.
 Fees or certificates may or may not be necessary.
 It may be full time or part-time learning and one can earn and learn together.
 It involves learning of professional skills.

Advantages of Non-formal Education

 Practiced and vocational training.
 Naturally growing minds that do not wait for the system to amend.
 Literacy with skillfulness growth in which self-learning is appreciated.
 Flexibility in age, curriculum and time.
 Open-ended educational system in which both the public and private sector are involved
in the process.

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  No need to conduct regular exams.
 Diploma, certificates, and award are not essential to be awarded.

Disadvantages of Non-formal Education

 Attendance of participants is unsteady.
 Sometimes, it’s just wastage of time as there is no need to conduct the exam on
regular basis and nodegree/diploma is awarded at the end of the training session.
 Basic reading and writing skills are crucial to learn.
 No professional and trained teachers.
 Students may not enjoy full confidence as the regular students enjoy.
 Some institutes provide fake certification through online courses just for the sake of
earning.

Assignment

Highlight and discuss 10 benefits of Education to the society.

SOCIALISATION

Socialization refers to a process in which an individual accepts a given set of cultural

norms and becomes a member of a given society.

• Every society has its unique pattern of social behaviour. The process by which an individual
learns the behavioural patterns of the society he lives in, thus transforming himself from a
natural man into a socialisedman, is called socialisation.

• Socialization is the lifelong process of social interaction through which individuals acquire a
self-identity and the physical, mental, and social skills needed for survival in society (Kendall,
2008

Socialization is the process through which people are taught to be proficient members of
a society. It describes the ways that people come to understand societal norms and
expectations, to accept society’s beliefs, and to be aware of societal values.
Socialisation is not the same as socializing (interacting with others, like family,
friends, and coworkers); to be precise, it is a sociological process that occurs through
socializing.

Significance of Socialisation
i. Socialisation is significant to individuals and society.
ii. It is essential for the individual’s survival and for human development. The many
people who metthe early material and social needs of each of us were central to our
establishing our own identity.
iii. Socialization is also important for the survival and stability of society. Members of
a society mustbe socialized to support and maintain the existing social structure.

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 iv. Socialization enables a society to “reproduce” itself by passing on its culture from
one generationto the next.
v. Socialisation helps to learn cognitive development - the development of
thinking, knowing, perceiving, judging, and reasoning. Children develop these
abilities through things occurring around them.
vi. Socialisation helps to develop skills necessary for living.

The process of Re-socialisation

Re-socialisation is the process of abandoning one or more social positions in favour of
others that are more suitable for a newly acquired status.
Re-socialisation is the process of learning a new and different set of attitudes, values,
and behaviours fromthose in one’s background and previous experience.
Re-socialisation may be voluntary or involuntary.

Agents of Socialization
Socialization essentially represents the whole process of learning throughout the life
course and is a central influence on the behaviour, beliefs, and actions of adults as well
as of children. Socialisation helps people learn to function successfully in their social
worlds. This learning takes place through interaction with various agents of
socialisation, like peer groups and families, plus both formal and informal social
institutions.

Family
Family is the first agent of socialisation. Mothers and fathers, siblings and
grandparents, plus members of an extended family, all teach a child what he or she
needs to know. For example, they show the child how to use objects (such as clothes,
computers, eating utensils, books, bikes); how to relate to others (some as “family,”
others as “friends,” still others as “strangers” or “teachers” or “neighbors”); and how
the world works (what is “real” and what is “imagined”). As you are aware, either from
your own experience as a child or from your role in helping to raise one, socialization
includes teaching and learning about an unending array of objects and ideas.

Peer Groups
A peer group is made up of people who are similar in age and social status and who
share interests. Peer group socialisation begins in the earliest years, such as when kids
on a playground teach younger children the norms about taking turns, the rules of a
game, or how to shoot a basket. As children grow into teenagers, this

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 process continues. Peer groups are important to adolescents in a new way, as they begin
to develop an identity separate from their parents and exert independence. Additionally,
peer groups provide their own opportunities for socialisation since kids usually engage
in different types of activities with their peers than they do with their families. Peer
groups provide adolescents’ first major socialisation experience outside the realm of
their families. Interestingly, studies have shown that although friendships rank high in
adolescents’ priorities, this is balanced by parental influence.

School
Students are not in school only to study math, reading, science, and other subjects—the
manifest function of this system. Schools also serve a latent function in society by
socialising children into behaviours like practicing teamwork, following a schedule,
and using textbooks. School and classroom rituals, led by teachers serving as role
models and leaders, regularly reinforce what society expects from children.
Sociologists describe this aspect of schools as the hidden curriculum, the informal
teaching done by schools.

The Workplace
Just as children spend much of their day at school, many adults at some point invest a
significant amount of time at a place of employment. Although socialized into their
culture since birth, workers require new socialization into a workplace, in terms of both
material culture (such as how to operate the copy machine) and nonmaterial culture
(such as whether it’s okay to speak directly to the boss or how to share the refrigerator).
Different jobs require different types of socialisation. In the past, many people worked
a single job until retirement. Today, the trend is to switch jobs at least once a decade.
Between the ages of eighteen and forty- six.

Religion
While some religions are informal institutions, here we focus on practices followed by
formal institutions. Religion is an important avenue of socialization for many people.
Churches, mosques, and similar religious communities where people gather to worship
and learn aid socialisation. Like other institutions, these places teach participants how
to interact with the religion’s material culture. For some people, important ceremonies
related to family structure—like marriage and birth—are connected to religious
celebrations. Many religious institutions also uphold gender norms and contribute to
their enforcement through socialisation. From ceremonial rites of passage that reinforce
the family unit to power dynamics that reinforce gender roles, organized religion
fosters a shared set of socialised values that are passed on through society.

Government
Many of the rites of passage people go through today are based on age norms
established by the government. To be defined as an “adult” usually means being
eighteen years old, the age at which a person becomes legally responsible for him- or
herself. And sixty-five years old is the start of “old age” since most people become
eligible for senior benefits at that point.

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Mass Media
Mass media distribute impersonal information to a wide audience, via television,
newspapers, radio, and the Internet. With the average person spending over four hours
a day in front of the television (and children averaging even more screen time), media
greatly influences social norms (Roberts, Foehr, and Rideout 2005). People learn about
objects of material culture (like new technology and transportation options), as well as
nonmaterial culture—what is true (beliefs), what is important (values), and what is
expected (norms).
Factors affecting Learning
Several factors affect learning. For convenience, they may be classified into two groups: natural
and environmental. It is now accepted that groups, nature and nurture (environment) play
complementary roles in each person’s ability to learn.
Natural or Hereditary Factors
These are factors that one is born with or what one inherits from one’s parents. The factors may
also be termed as genotypic or internal or genetic factors. According to Akinade (1989), they
include:
• Genetic endowment e.g. brain quality.
• Intellectual ability e.g. giftedness, above average and below average.
• Quality of sense organs e.g. normal or defective eyes, ears, nose etc.
• Personality types (introvert, or extrovert types).
• Cognitive styles (e.g. reflective or impulsive, independent or dependent).
• Attitude to learning (positive or negative).
• Interest; participation of the learner.
• State of anxiety (high or low); parental background.
• Loss of control.
• Emotions felt by learner’s level of maturity.
• Sex; age and self-concept.
Environmental Factors
These may also be termed acquired, external or phenotypic factors. These are factors acquired
after one is born. Examples include the home, school, teachers, peers and culture of the people.
Home Factors
Home factors that may influence learning include:
a. Home environment with particular reference to its location (affluent or slum area). It
could be educationally stimulating, good or bad. It could be emotionally fertile or barren.
b. Socio economic status of parents or guardians i.e. how rich and respected in their
neighborhood. The rich ones may help to provide educational toys, materials, gadgets and
electronics such as radio, television and computers.
c. Attitude of parents to schooling. Parents – child(learner) relationship.
d. Quality and quantity of feeding at home.
School – Related Factors
The factors related to the school include:
• Type of ownership of school – Is it federal, armed forces, university, private, state
government or community owned school?

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• Quality and moral tone of the school and its products.
• Location of the school, rural or urban.
• Types of curriculum available-wide or narrow? What subjects/courses are taught in the
school?
• The types of facilities available for students.
• Class size – manageable or overpopulated?
• System of examination – use of continuous assessment.
• Child’s socio-metric status/popularity in his/her class or school.
• The tradition of the school.
Teachers Factors
• The number of teachers; the more adequate the better the learning by students.
• Quality of training received by the teachers; the higher the training, the better.
• Relevance of teacher’s qualification to what subject the teacher teaches – the more
relevant the better.
• Work load (teaching and administrative) of teachers the lighter the better.
• Quality of teaching methods and materials used by the teachers- the higher the quality the
better.
• Teacher’s personality and respect commanded by him/her.
• Quality of his/her interest in the job.
Teacher’s attitude to work–the more positive the better as opposed to truancy, lateness,
absenteeism and general disinterestedness.
Other factors which affect learning include:
a. Role of Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in the school
b. Cultural influences; situational opportunity.
c. General attitude of people in the society to education.
d. Role of government – the more encouraging or supportive, the better.
e. Climatic factors e.g. too much cold or heat is bad for learning.

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