Schools of Thought

UNIT 6 SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

Structure
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Objectives
6.3 Schools of Thought: An Overview
6.4 Idealism and Realism
6.4.1 Aims of Education
6.4.2 Curriculum
6.4.3 Methods of Teaching
6.4.4 Role of Teachers and Learners

6.5 Pragmatism and Existentialism

6.5.1 Aims of Education
6.5.2 Curriculum
6.5.3 Methods of Teaching
6.5.4 Role of Teachers and Learners

6.6 Naturalism and Humanism

6.6.1 Aims of Education
6.6.2 Curriculum
6.6.3 Methods of Teaching
6.6.4 Role of Teachers and Learners

6.7 Let Us Sum Up

6.8 References and Suggested Readings
6.9 Answers to Check Your Progress

6.1 INTRODUCTION
In the previous Unit, you have studied the concept of philosophy and its relationship
with education. In establishing relationship between philosophy and education,
you have already come to know that philosophy is the base for theories and
principles of education and they are practiced in education.
In this Unit, an attempt has been made to discuss different schools of thoughts in
philosophy viz. Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism, Existentialism, Naturalism and
Humanism. They have been further enumerated in the sequence of understanding
the concept of different schools of thought, their basic principles, aims of education,
curriculum, methods of teaching and role of teachers and learners.

6.2 OBJECTIVES
After going through this Unit, you should be able to:
 explain various schools of thought;
 identify the basic principles of different schools of thought;
 discuss educational implications of different schools of thought;
Dr. Gaurav Rao, Dept. of Education, MJP Rohilkhand University. 107
Philosophical Perspective  compare and appraise the curriculum of different schools of thought;
of Education
 describe different methods of teaching proposed by the schools of thought;
and
 aware of the role of the teacher and the student in different schools of
thought.

6.3 SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT: AN OVERVIEW

You may be familiar that systems of education have been in existence since
civilization and their main purpose was acquiring and transmission of knowledge
from one generation to another. You have been also aware of different schools of
thought such as Idealism, Naturalism, Pragmatism, etc. and they have proposed
principles of education and transaction procedures in view of the aims of education,
methods of teaching, curriculum, role of teacher, discipline, etc. For example,
Idealism school of thought gives importance on ‘Ideas’ and ‘Ideologies’ and
accordingly, imposes a strict discipline in curriculum development and uses teacher-
centred methods in implementation of the curriculum while Pragmatism gives
importance to ‘changes and progress’ and believes in flexible approach in
developing child-centred curriculum and its implementation. On the other hand,
Naturalism emphasizes on ‘natural freedom’ of the learners and to develop
curriculum based on the need and requirement of the learners. The differences in
the core concepts of the above schools of thought have been detailed out in this
Unit.

Figure 6.1

Different Schools of thought

6.4 IDEALISM AND REALISM

Idealism is one of the ancient schools of thought. It gives emphasis on ideas and
ideologies. It carries the principles and thoughts of traditional approach of education
where teachers are the major actor in imparting education in comparison to the
students. Teaching-learning techniques and methods are mostly based on teacher-
centred approaches. Value enrichment is one of the important aspects of education
as per the idealism school of thought is concerned. Let us try to understand more
108 about Idealism and its implications for the process of teaching and learning.
Idealism Schools of Thought

Idealism originated from the word ‘Ideaism’ i.e. Theory of Ideas, as it was
difficult to pronounce ‘l’ was added and ‘Idealism ‘was coined its name. Idealism
is a school of thought that believes in supremacy of spirituality. According to this
school of thought, spiritual or mental world is eternal, permanent, orderly, regular,
and universal whereas physical world is destroyable, transitory and false. On the
other hand the spiritual world of ideas, emotions and ideals is eternal and are true
for ever. According to this school of thought, the physical world is just a reflection
of some parts of the spiritual world. This school of thought does not consider
anything beyond ideas and spiritualism, hence idealism in comparison to natural
and scientific facts emphasizes upon the study of Human mind. This school of
thought was supported by Socrates, Plato, Descartes, Spinoza, Berkeley, Kant,
Fichte, Hegel, etc. Plato propounded this view about 400 years BC, in his
famous book, The Republic. According to this school of thought the supreme
power of this universe is idea. The Indian philosophers such as Swami Vivekananda,
Sri Aurobindo and Mahatma Gandhi are considered as Idealistic school of
philosophers.
Now, you may be familiar with the basic concepts underlying the Idealism school
of thought. There are some important principles and are mentioned hereunder:
 The world has two forms, the spiritual world and the material world:
According to Horne, Idealism school of thought believes that order of the
world is due to manifestation in space and time of an eternal reality and
spiritual reality. It gives more importance to the spiritual world. As per this
school, it is important to know the reality of the spiritual world in order to
know the reality of mind and soul.
 Ideas are more important than objects: As per the present school of
thought, knowledge of mind and soul could be obtained through ideas only.
In the words of Plato, ‘Ideas are of the ultimate cosmic significance.
They are rather essences or archetypes which give form to cosmos.
These ideas are eternal and unchanging.’
 Importance of human beings over nature: Importance to human being is
given in this school of thought because man is an individual who can think,
imagine and experience about the nature/surroundings material and develop
the object. S/he has a sense of discrimination between objects, ideas and
situations. According to R.R. Rusk, ‘the spiritual or cultural environment
is an environment of man’s making, it is a product of man’s creative
activity.’
 Trust/belief in the spiritual values: Belief in the spiritual values is given
the prime importance. These values are truth, beauty and goodness. It is
believed that these values lead the practitioner nearer to God and hence
divinity. This school of thought considers education to be a moral process.
As the nature of human is spiritual and Godly, the manifestation of which
could only be done through education.
Realism
In this school of thought, the word ‘Real’ has come from Greek word ‘Res’
which means ‘object’. Therefore the main emphasis of this school of thought i.e.
‘Realism’ means object related thought. Realism is a school of thought which 109
Philosophical Perspective deals with the existence of an object and considers this physical world to be real
of Education
and true. As the physical world and object are the main reality hence it accepts
the physical objects and events as real or true, even if it does not come to our
cognizance but it is true and existing. Realism means a belief or theory which
works upon the world as it seems.
Aristotle is the father of Realism. He believed that reality exist independent of
the human mind. The ultimate reality is the world of physical objects. The focus
is on the body/objects. Truth is objective i.e. what can be observed. According
to Butler, ‘Realism is the common acceptance of the world as it appears to
us’.
Some of the principles of this philosophy are as follows:
 Phenomenal world is true: According to this school of thought, there is no
other world. This contemporary / existing world is true as one experiences
it.
 Senses are the gateways of knowledge: As we are aware that the real
knowledge is perceived by the sense organs. Therefore, real knowledge
about an object could be obtained with the help of our sense organs. These
sense organs give signals to our mind and then mind gets connected with the
outer world.
 Regularity in objective world: Realist considers objective regularity in the
processes of the physical world. It emphasizes that the object that we
experience in the real world from where we get direct experience through
our sense organs are the only real way to get knowledge.
 Realism does not accept transcendentalism: Realist believes that life
beyond this world does not exist. It emphasizes that, the life which exists in
the physical world is the only reality.
 Emphasis upon the present and practical life of Man: Realist only
accepts those Ideals, values and rules which are practical. It emphasizes the
theoretical knowledge which take us to an abstract world which lacks practical
knowledge and essence has no meaning and difficult to realize.

6.4.1 Aims of Education

Every school of thought, based on the important premises, has prescribed certain
aims. The main aims of the idealist school of thought are as follows:
 Identify and develop abilities to the best level in an individual in order to
better serve the society.
 Enhancement of Personality or self-realization means the human can
understand his/her own personality and realize the self.
 To achieve spiritual development is one of the major aims of education.
 Conservation and transmission of cultural heritage is one of the important
aims of education.
 Conversion of innate nature into spiritual nature is a prime aim in order to
transform the human beings as spiritual human beings.
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 Development of Intelligence and rationality of the human being are important Schools of Thought
in order to inculcate scientific judgments in them.
While on the other side, aims of education advocated by the Realism school of
thought are as follows:
 Preparation for practical life: Education helps learners to prepare
themselves for the real world.
 To lead a happy and successful life: The learners would be able to solve
their problems of life so that they could lead a happy and prosperous life.
 Adjustment between social and natural life: Adjustment between the
social and natural life is, as a learner, is the aim of education.
 Development of scientific view of life: This would develop the power of
intelligence, discrimination and judgment of the learners.
 Physical development of the individual: It is important as this is linked
with other developments of the learner.
6.4.2 Curriculum
Curriculum is an important component of any education process. Curriculum is
one of the important aspects of idealistic philosophy. Idealist curriculum emphasises
on ideas or thoughts, feelings and values. Language, Literature, History, Geography,
Mathematics and Science are the major areas of studies included under curriculum
for enhancing intellectual development. For Moral development, areas like
Philosophy, Religion and Ethics are included in the curriculum. Eternal values like
Satyam, Shivam and Sunderam are the three main foundations of an idealist
curriculum. Similarly, Culture of human race must be included in the curriculum.
The curriculum is concerned with the holistic development of human beings as
well as the humanistic society.
On the other hand, Realist appeals for a scientific, standardized and distinct-
discipline based curriculum. It should prepare the learners for day to day needs
of their lives and fulfill the basic needs of their life. Here, learners must be given
option to choose their subjects as per their interest, ability, relevance and usefulness.
Curriculum must have inter-linkages among different areas of studies or subjects.
Curriculum must have utilitarian ingredients of one’s daily life. Teaching of natural
phenomenon must be taught in their mother tongue. Further, vocational subjects
must be included in the curriculum in order to prepare them for the world of
work. It also emphasizes teaching of the physical world, particularly Science and
Mathematics in the curriculum at the school level.
6.4.3 Methods of Teaching
Methods of teaching as per the interest and ability of the learner is the main focus
of idealists’ school of thought. As a result different methods of teachings are used
by the idealistic philosophers. For example, Question-Answer method by Socrates,
Discussion method by Plato, Deduction method was advocated by Aristotle,
Hegel used directive method and so on. Other methods advocated by philosophers
belonging to this school are play way, debate and lecture method. Hence, selection
of method of teaching depended upon the wisdom of the teachers. Teaching
methods like Introspection, Intuition, Insight and whole-part logic are the major
components of any method of teaching in various permutations and combinations
used to bring to consciousness the forms or concepts which are latent in the mind. 111
Philosophical Perspective On the other hand, the Scientific method has been advocated by the Realism
of Education
School of thought as the focus was attainment of the objective knowledge by the
learners. Deductive and Inductive methods were highly prescribed for teaching.
Self-experience, Observation, and Experimentation were emphasized to develop
the knowledge of the learners. In situations, where teaching of algebra in Maths,
direct experience of the objects is not possible then models and audio-visual aids
are used appropriately. As per this school of thought, teaching methods should
focus on mastery of content and basic skills through demonstration and drilling.
Students must also demonstrate the ability to think critically and scientifically by
using observation and experimentation methods.

6.4.4 Role of Teachers and Learners

According to idealistic school of thought, teacher holds a high value and position
in the school. S/he is considered to be the gardener of this garden where s/he has
to facilitate the manifestation of the hidden characteristics of the learner. S/he is
the one who facilitates the attainment of holistic development of the learner.
Student remains passive listener because the central position is of ideals, values,
and ideas. Teacher becomes more prominent than the student.
On the other hand, the teacher under the Realism school of thought, though
occupies an important role and place in education but s/he has been visualized as
an expert who cannot be a person who knows everything. S/he tries to inculcate
the scientific temperament, scientific attitude and scientific view point. On the
basis of interest, aptitude and individual differences among the learners, s/he plans
and develops the curriculum. By using teaching methods, s/he supports the learner
to attain the conclusions logically. Here joyful, simple and self-interesting learning
methods are emphasized for learners. Thus a learner tries to explore the demand
of the society by his/her physiological and intellectual abilities made by him/her
together with the knowledge and wisdom perceived through his/her senses that
prepare him/her to establish him/herself in the society. To do this, the learner
under the guidance of his/her teacher develops scientific viewpoint for knowing
the reality of the world.
Activity 1
Critically analyse and highlight any two main points of Idealism and Realism
on the following aspects:
Aspects Idealism Realism
Aims of Education

Curriculum

Methods of Teaching

Role of Teachers
and Students

112
 Schools of Thought
Check Your Progress 6.1
Note: a) Write your answer in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with the ones that are given at the end of
the Unit.
1. Write any two aims of idealist school of thought.
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2. List any three aims of realist school of thought.
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3. Name any two method of teaching is suggested as per the realist school
of thought.
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6.5 PRAGMATISM AND EXISTENTIALISM

Pragmatism
This school of thought accepts only those things or situations that can be
experienced or observed. Pragmatism is derived from the teaching of Charles
Sanders Peirce (1839-1914), who believed that the thought must construct actions
as a result. Etymologically the word Pragmatism is derived from the Greek word
‘pragma’ which means activity or the work done. Another assumption that has
been derived from the word ‘Pragmatikos’ is practicability or utility. Thereby
meaning of practical utility is first to prove only and then the idea is accepted.
Contrasting to the realists, they believe that reality is continually changing and
knowledge is gained best through implying experiences and thoughts to problems,
as they arise. The universe is dynamic and developing, a ‘becoming’ view of the
world. This school of thought also says that there is no absolute and unchanging
truth, but on the other hand, it is what works in the present context.
John Dewey (1859-1952) applied this philosophy in his progressive approaches
later. He emphasized that learners should adjust with each other and also with
their environment. As per this school of thought, the curriculum of any programme
of study must integrate societal or field experiences at all levels i.e. school level,
university level or any training programmes experiences. According to James B.
Prett ‘Pragmatism offers us a theory of truth of knowledge and a theory
of reality.’
Pragmatism school of thought has some basic principles. They are: 113
Philosophical Perspective  Truth is dynamic in nature or it keeps on changing.
of Education
 It is relational and contextual at times as it is formed by the results it gives.
 The motive force for all the truth seeking is the problems of life and with the
solution of the problem the motive of search for truth diminishes.
 Pragmatism emphasizes upon the social and democratic values of a society
as human are a social being and s/he has to ultimately give his/her service to
the society.
 A person without any social desirable value is unfit for the society, in other
words, any truth found if is not beneficial for the society will not be useful
and practical for a long time.
Existentialism
This school of thought focuses around the individual and his/her existence. There
are several different orientations within this philosophy. Soren Kierkegaard (1813-
1855), is considered to be the profounder of existentialism. This school considers
simple human values in special context. It believes that an individual by birth on
this earth will grow his/her individuality by his/her efforts only. For the development
of the personality and choices of the situations to develop ones personality is
individual’s decision. This school of thought has also emphasized upon the
behavioural problems and specific human situations. This philosophy or school of
thought believes that the man is continuously struggling with the complexities
created by him/her. As a result the humanity has faded in front of overcrowded
and complex scientific inventions. Thus the truth is as per the individual’s context.
Existentialism school of thought emerged as a contradiction to earlier schools of
thought, i.e. idealism, naturalism and realism. According to it, the intellectuals have
curtailed free growth of the human existence. The philosophers in this school of
thought believed in the existence of the human beings rather than the essence of
the being, due to his/her exponential potential of excellence to improve the future.
Supporting this Sartre stated ‘Existentialism is the philosophic stand point
which gives priority to existence over essence’. For this the base of the truth
is internal experience, any truth beyond experience is non-existing. It also
concentrates upon the internal states of mental situations of human beings like
happiness, depression and anxiety. Therefore the ultimate truth is self-evolved
concept of an individual. The part ‘Exist’ of Existentialist shows i.e., dynamism to
evolve from present and become better for tomorrow or future. Existentialism is
a school of thought which endeavours to analyse the basic structure of human
existence and emphasises individuals to an awareness of their existence in its
essential freedom.

6.5.1 Aims of Education

Pragmatism school of thought, unlike idealist, does not believe in prefixed aim
of life. Here the aim of life keeps changing with the changes in life. They are as
follows:
 To develop ability in learners to understand his/her social environment,
experiences and decide the ideals of society.
 To be aware of and understand the dynamic situations of the surrounding and
114 adapt to it accordingly.
 To develop social skills in the learners. Schools of Thought

 To get holistic satisfaction in life is ultimate because satisfaction and happiness

to oneself is an important aspect for life.
While Existentialism school of thought proposes the following aims of education:
 Development of individuality of the learner: This is important because
identifying oneself, acknowledging oneself as a human being and as an entity
with intellectual processes is a function of education.
 Development of ego of the learner: This is important for developing his/
her personality. This ego gives him/her courage. An individual feels contended
only when s/he does a task with self-courage and confidence. As we know
that enthusiasm and courage are the two virtues that develops one’s
personality.
 Intellectual development for moral decisions: For the development of
the holistic personality, developments of all the dimensions are necessary.
Thus this school of thought emphasized freedom for the growth in all the
dimensions. Development of intellect is possible, with the help of an individual
who may be able to take moral decisions.
 Preparation for struggle of life: This school of thought considers focuses
to be around an individual and his/her situations. His/her journey from these
situations keeps him/her reminding of old situations or past experiences in
his/her conscious and sub-conscious mind. Hence preparing an individual for
the struggle of life with confidence and accountability is importance for his/
her existence.

6.5.2 Curriculum
Pragmatic curriculum is based on the principle of utility i.e. anything if is of use
for an individual it needs to be included or form an integral part in the curriculum.
Care has to be taken that curriculum must be based on the interest of learners
to enhances usefulness of the curriculum. Curriculum must be based on the
experiences of learners. Incorporation of experiences of the learner in the curriculum
has to be in proximity of the learner to facilitate easy learning. It must integrate
the knowledge of all different area of studies or subject areas of studies to
develop a deeper understanding in the learner. In the process of coming across
different subjects, curriculum should focus on solving problems through
interdisciplinary approach.
On the other hand, Existentialist does not believe in curriculum in itself. Various
interpretations are to be considered in to development of the objectives and
curriculum to be developed to fulfill these objectives. They want learners to realize
the free existence of his/her existence. They want to make them free from religious
orthodox, philosophy and God, therefore, don’t want to include these areas of
studies or subjects in curriculum. Existentialists want learners to be what they
want to be. This could only be possible when curriculum is broad enough and
learner is free to choose any subject. For mental and intellectual development of
the learners language and literature are to be included in curriculum. To develop
intellectual and decision making at different situations learner need to be creative.
To show the physical presence in the world some philosophers, under school of
thought existentialist, propose inclusion of activities and games in curriculum too. 115
Philosophical Perspective 6.5.3 Methods of Teaching
of Education
Pragmatism school of thought has two major dimensions. One is psychological
and the other social. The psychological aspects pertain to various characteristics
of the learner that are by birth like interest, inclination, attitude and ability. Hence
the topics must be linked to the present learners’ context and also be important
and beneficial. Learners learn from hands on activities and observations, hence
activity method is preferred. Knowledge comes as a unit for the learner to infer
or relate, hence unitary method of teaching becomes more effective if used. With
respect to the social aspect of the teaching methods must connect them with their
surroundings, thus learning becomes easier and faster. Sometimes they come
across a problem on their own, therefore, problem solving is also a recommended
method of teaching.
Teaching methods under the Existentialism school of thought focus on hands-
on activities, problem-solving, experimenting and conducting projects and prefer
group learning or team learning. It also believes learners should apply their
knowledge to real situations as this would prepare them for citizenship, daily living
and future careers.
As we know this school of thought supports freedom of the learner; as a result
of which some considers Socrates method to be the best method i.e. teacher and
learner are equal, both are free to ask questions to each other. Both can express
their ideas freely. Teachers view the learner as an entity within a social context in
which the learner must confront others’ views to clarify his/her or her own. By the
mutual efforts, new knowledge is constructed. Sartre says true knowledge is
something which is learned by the experience and efforts of oneself. Hence it
supports the activity method and experiential learning as methods of teaching.
Generally, group teaching is not advocated when individual focus is on learning is
required for the learners.

6.5.4 Role of Teachers and Learners

A pragmatic teacher does not act as information provider to the learner, but on
the other hand learners are encouraged to discover the knowledge by themselves.
Therefore the teacher acts as a facilitator and guide to the learner so that s/he is
able to construct knowledge. Teacher must make the learner aware of and sensitive
towards problem and its solution. According to pragmatist school of thought, a
teacher is not only the creator of learning environment but the complete environment
in him/her. Here, teacher has to be very active and observant towards the learner
behaviour and manage them with love and empathy.
According to pragmatist school of thought the learner needs to be developed
according to the needs and demands of the society. He/she needs to develop his/
her personality according to his/her own interest, ability and inclinations. He/she
needs to seek situations of self-development and develop him/herself. According
to do this, he/she has to be free from imposed expectations, but care has to be
taken for the all-round growth of the learner so that she/he would be productive
for the society.
You may like to appreciate that an Existentialist teacher first tries to create a
conducive learning environment in which the learner develops his/her own way of
learning in consonance with their surroundings. In doing so, consciously or
116 unconsciously, s/he explores, recreates, reinvents him/herself and realizes his/her
existence in the entire process. To do this, the teacher must also have a self- Schools of Thought
realization of him/herself.
Activity 2
Fill the blanks in each columns by mentioning the major focus of Pragmatism
and Existentialism on the following aspects
Aspects Pragmatism Existentialism
Aims of Education

Curriculum

Methods of Teaching

Role of Teachers
and Students

Check Your Progress 6.2

Note: a) Write your answer in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with the ones that are given at the end of
the Unit.
4. Mention any three principles for preparing curriculum according to
pragmatic school of thought.
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5. Why project method as a teaching method emphasized by pragmatism
school of thought.
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6.6 NATURALISM AND HUMANISM

Naturalism is another school of thought that accepts the reality of nature. The
founder of this school of thought was Émile Zola (1840–1902). This school believes
that there is nothing beyond the nature. Here nature is considered in a wider
sense, on one side it is the physical material world that is observed by the human
beings and the other is the whole bio-system where life exists. Thus the nature can
be understood as the function of all the events and the materials occurred at any
time span. In other words, it can be said that naturalism is the school of 117
Philosophical Perspective thought which considers the nature as the ultimate. According to J. S. Ross,
of Education
“Naturalism is the term loosely applied in educational theory to systems
of training that are not dependent on schools and books but on the
manipulation of the actual life of the educated.”
The naturalists suggested many concepts and the main concepts of naturalism are
as follows:
 The true knowledge can be attained through senses only.
 The basis of truth is our sense experiences.
 Every object originates from nature and diminishes in it at last.
 Morality, values, soul, God, immortality, prayer-power and freedom of choice
are all a myth.
 Science has converted the life of the human being in the physical form.
Humanism is another important school of thought and was founded by Rousseau
(1712-1778) and Pestalozzi. They emphasized nature and the basic goodness of
human beings, understanding through the senses and education as a gradual and
leisurely procedure in which the progress of human character follows the unfolding
of nature. Francesco Petrarca is considered as the Father of Humanism.
According to this school of thought man is an end not a mean, free but not a
slave, that means the learner should be in control of his/her own destiny. Since
the learner should become a fully self-governing person, personal freedom, choice,
and responsibility are the focus. S/he is self-motivated to achieve the highest level
of opportunity. Motivation to learn is intrinsic in humanism.
Humanist school of thought is based on two basic concepts:
1. The values upheld by a people, affect history i.e. it is up to the person to
use the lessons from the history to overcome the problems and conflicts of
their own time; and
2. It gives emphasis on literature because it embodies different values of times
immemorial and from this a human takes lessons from the moral decisions
taken in the past.

6.6.1 Aims of Education

In Naturalism school of thought, different philosophers have given different
orientations of Education. The following are the common aims of education in this
school of thought:
 Preparing the individual for survival: Survival is a scientific phenomenon
where the best ones manage to continue the race of the bests.
 Training for adaptation in the environment: Adaptation leads to continuing
of the characteristics that are adapted at different natural conditions that
support the existence in extremes or unfavourable situations. A learner must
also develop the adaptation skills to develop his/her own niche or protection.
 Attainment of higher progress in life: Struggle and adaption are actually
for an individual to attain progress in life.
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 Natural development of individual and his/her individuality: Schools of Thought
Development of an individual and his/her individuality is a natural phenomenon
where an individual is let free to develop in his/her own way and imbibe
values from the surroundings and hence develop his/her individuality.
 Working for improvement of the basic instincts and strengths to attain
perfection.
 Preparing individual for self-conservation and self-satisfaction.
Humanistic school of thought is human centred. Its main objective is to develop
or prepare an individual a better human being. S/he has to be creative and
progressive with the humane values. Objectives of humanistic school of thought
are as follows.
 Physical and Mental Development of an individual: It means person
has to be physically healthy and mentally stable with logic.
 Social and cultural development: Humanistic philosophers expect a
continuous social improvement for an individual. They see the entire human
society as one. Hence development of the society and the culture becomes
ultimate.
 Development of higher level of human values: Development of humane
values is the biggest focus. According to them, it is ‘good for all’, love,
service, cooperation, etc. are the core values included in it.
 Development of productivity: Two basic requirements of human are
Emotional and Materialistic needs. For the fulfilment of emotional requirement,
social and cultural development is instrumental whereas for the attainment of
materialistic requirement the person has to be skilled enough to produce the
desirable products.
 Development of creativity: Humanists consider a person creative since
birth, thus education has to enhance creativity in human beings.

6.6.2 Curriculum
Curriculum emphasized under naturalism school of thought has to prepare learners
for development and further enhancement of their basic instincts. It takes care of
the interest of the learner, the natural process of development and individual
differences. Hence in the naturalistic curriculum, the subjects suggested to be
taught are Physical Sciences, Health Sciences, Mathematics, Life Sciences, Home
Science and Languages, Geography, History, Arts and Music in the curriculum.
On the other hand, Humanistic curriculum talks about good human being. As per
this school of thought, good human being is one who thinks good for all and
behaves accordingly. Similarly, the curriculum is designed to fulfill this objective.
According to Humanist curriculum, must have Health Science and Physical
Education. The latter is important to develop the healthy mind that can have a
better logic. For the cultural sovereignty, different languages, literature, Arts and
Humanities subjects need to be incorporated. For the inclination of high human
values, social service and for development of productivity enhancement of skill
oriented subjects are to be integrated. For the enhancement of creativity, science
and technological components need to be given due place in curriculum.
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Philosophical Perspective 6.6.3 Methods of Teaching
of Education
Naturalism emphasizes upon the individual methods in the place of group methods.
Methods like learning by doing, activity based learning, learning by experience
and by play-way are to be used for teaching-learning process. This school of
thought establishes student as a free researcher, which has led to the emergence
of observation, play, Heuristic, Dalton Method and Montessori Method as teaching-
learning methods.
On the other hand, Humanism emphasized on the logic and wisdom. They have
accepted the inferred knowledge after they have been tested logically. Accordingly,
question-answer, debate, problem solving and logic are the best methods of
learning and teaching.

6.6.4 Role of Teachers and Learners

Naturalists believe that nature itself is the biggest teacher. The learner and his/
her natural abilities and characteristic could be developed optimally in the nature
only. This school of thought do not propagates artificial teacher and environment.
Rousseau believed nature to be the tutor of the learner and supports the
natural development of the individual. S/he supports the teacher’s facilitation
as an anchor which has to be supervisory and sympathetic.
While in the Humanism school of thought, teacher should be a subject expert
which s/he is going to teach and also know the learners in order to areas what
is to be taught and how it is to be taught. They must accept and respect the
individuality and personality of the learners and work for their overall development.
Teacher needs to be dynamic and progressive as s/he has to restructure the
society.
The student needs to accept and respect each other but don’t have to follow the
teacher blindly as they need to think freely and take decisions. Both the teacher
and student must have humane relationship and learners must learn in an environment
that is free from conflict, fear and stress.
Activity 3
Go through the given table and mention at least one major focus of Naturalism
and Humanism on the following columns against each aspect:
Aspects Naturalism Humanism
Aims of Education

Curriculum

Methods of Teaching

Role of Teachers
and Students

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 Schools of Thought
Check Your Progress 6.3
Note: a) Write your answer in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with the ones that are given at the end of
the Unit.
6. ‘Nature is a true teacher’! Justify this statement in the context of naturalism.
............................................................................................................
............................................................................................................
............................................................................................................
7. Write any three characteristic of a humanistic teacher and learner.
............................................................................................................
............................................................................................................
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6.7 LET US SUM UP

Dear learners, in this Unit, six schools of thoughts i.e., Idealism, Realism,
Pragmatism, Existentialism, Naturalism and Humanism have been discussed. The
contribution of these schools of thought on education and its principles and their
implications in education have been discussed. For an undergraduate in the area
of education, it is important to be aware of the different schools of thought and
their influence on the aims of education, curriculum, methods of teaching and role
of teachers and learners.
The idealist considers idea to be supreme or utmost important while for the
realists, the physical world is the ultimate truth. Need of the human is of utmost
priority for pragmatist, whereas existentialists consider the individual as supreme.
For Naturalist, the nature is the ultimate truth and humanism considers the values
and literature of man to be supreme.
According to different schools of thought, various changes have been taking place
in education system due to major change i.e. shifts from teacher centered approach
to learner centred approach. Further, curriculum is becoming interdisciplinary in
nature and learning is promoted through experiential learning rather than rote
learning and teacher centric methods.

6.8 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Aggarwal, J.C. (2010). Theory & Principles of Education, New Delhi, Vikas
Publishing House.
Bhatia & Bhatia. (1994). Theory and Principles of Education, New Delhi, Doaba
House.
Ellis, A. K., Cogan, J. J., & Howey, K. R. (1991). Introduction to the Foundations
of Education (3rd ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
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Philosophical Perspective Giroux, H. A., & McLaren, P. L. (1989). Schooling, Cultural Politics and the
of Education
Struggle for Democracy.
Gutek, G. L. (2004). Philosophical and Ideological Voices in Education. Boston:
Allyn and Bacon.
Lal, B. (2012). Samkaleen Paschatya Darshan; New Delhi, MotilalBanarsi Das.
Oad, L.K. (2016). Shikshaki Darshnik Pristhboomi, Jaipur, Rajasthan Hindi Granth
Academy.
Pandey R.S.(2007). Principles of Education, Agra – 2 Vinod Pustak Mandir.
Saxena, N. (2014). Shikshake Darshink Evam Samayshastriya Siddhant, Meerut,
R. Lal Book Depot
Sharma, G. & H. Vyas (2013). Udayimaan Bhartiya Samaj Aur Shiksha, Jaipur
Rajasthan Hindi, Granth Academy.
Sharma, U. (2012). Shiksha ke Darshik Evam Samaj Shastriya Adhaar. Delhi,
Pearson.
Sinha, A. (1985). Samkaleen Darshan. Chandigarh, Haryana Sahitya Academy.
Tyagi, G. (2012). Shiksha ke Darshnik Evam Samaj Shastriya Adhaar, Agra,
Agrawal Publication.

6.9 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

1. Exaltation of personality or self-realization and to ensure spiritual development.
2. Preparation for practical life; making life happy and successful; and adjustment
between social and natural life.
3. Observation and Experimentation methods were suggested by the realist
school of thought.
4. Curriculum must be based on principle of use, interest of child and making
child participate actively. Curriculum must be based on experiences of child
and integrating all the knowledge of different subjects.
5. Project method is an activity oriented method and it requires actions and
active involvement of the students. It is therefore, project method is emphasized
by the pragmatics school of thought.
6. It emphasizes nature as a powerful teacher for development of the child.
Learning and natural development of the child is not possible without coming
contact to the nature.
7. Teacher should know what to teach, involve with the children whole-heartedly,
respect the personality of the child and must take responsibility of the overall
development of the child. Students need to be dynamic and progressive as
s/he has to restructure the society.

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