Foundations of Education: Definitions, Concepts, and Development
1: Meaning of Education
The word “Education” has been derived from two Latin words: Educare and Educere.
The word Educare means “to bring up” or “to raise.” The word Educere means “to draw out” or “to lead out.”
Q2: Three Definitions of Education
- Education is the process of acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits.
- The transfer of knowledge, skills, and information from teachers to students, which is really important about being and becoming an educator.
- Education is a systematic process through which positive change is brought into the behavior of human beings.
Q3: Define Formal Education
Formal education is the education provided to students in schools, colleges, and universities with a specific curriculum by trained, qualified teachers. This kind of education has a fixed timetable, examination system, extra-curricular activities, and rules and regulations.
Q4: Define Non-formal Education
Non-formal education is a purposeful activity that takes place outside the formal educational system. It is usually flexible, student-centered, and part-time education. Distance education given by Allama Iqbal Open University, Virtual University, and tuition come under this category. Its main purpose is to develop practical skills and promote adult literacy.
Q5: Define Informal Education
Informal education is neither regular nor private; it is a lifelong process. An individual acquires this education through daily observation and experience from family, friends, the workplace, the playground, the market, the library, media, etc.
6: Imam Abu Hanifa’s Definition of Education
“Education should be gained with the purpose of practicing upon it because education without practicing upon it is useless. After getting education, man should be able to distinguish between good and evil and choose the right path for the endless life of hereafter.”
7: Shah Waliullah’s Definition of Education (First Mention)
Education helps an individual in promoting natural perception through training for achieving the height of servitude of Allah.”
Q10: Aristotle’s Definition of Education
“Creation of a sound mind in a sound body.”
Q11: Plato’s Definition of Education
Education is the capacity to feel pleasure and pain at the right moment.
Q12: Shah Waliullah’s Definition of Education (Second Mention)
“Education is the process of construction and completion of self-actualization.”
Q13: Allama Iqbal’s Definition of Education
“Education is the process of construction and completion of self-actualization.”
Q14: Importance of Education in Light of the Quran
Allah is the ultimate reality. He is all-knowing and the real source of knowledge. Islam attaches so much importance to knowledge. The following verses of the Holy Quran show the importance of education:
- (1) وعلم أدم الاسماء كلها. “We taught Adam the names of all the things.”
- (2) اقرا باسم ربک الذی خلق. “Recite in the name of your Lord who created—”
15: Concept of Education by Socialists
In the earlier Soviet Union, the objectives of education emphasized that a person graduating from this system should be a good socialist citizen, and the curriculum was designed to promote socialist philosophy.
Q17: Concept of Education by Capitalists
In capitalist democratic societies such as Europe and America, the objectives of education emphasize that every person who graduates can earn and spend by himself.
18: Need for Reconstruction of Culture and Civilization
Short Questions
No society can survive without the preservation and continuation of its cultural heritage. This duty is carried out by education. Through education, society protects its civilization and culture as well as transmits it to future generations. Education plays a vital role in building and developing civilization and culture.
What is meant by “If education does not reconstruct social life, then society cannot make progress?”
The most important duty of education is to reconstruct social life; otherwise, the society can never grow. It looks the same today as it was thousands of years ago when people lived in the forests and caves of mountains and could not imagine the luxurious life of today. Culture is always evolving and never static. Each society adopts many things from other societies. Nowadays, life is changing very rapidly because of education.
Q3: Scope of Education as a Discipline
The Ministry of Education of Pakistan has introduced education as a discipline. It is an elective subject from matriculation to graduation. A good number of students have shown interest in education. Many universities are offering M.A, M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in the discipline of education. Education is the body of knowledge about learning and teaching. It is also a professional degree.
Q4: Importance of Education as a Discipline
- Education helps us to understand the foundations of education.
- It provides the facility to monitor educational administration.
- It also provides guidelines to the teacher on how to impart the curriculum to the students.
- It tells us how to develop the personality of students at different age levels.
- Educational policy is formulated.
- It helps us to understand the educational problems of students.
Is Education a Science or Art?
Education is a science as well as an art. Education is a science because it tries to solve educational problems through research based on observation and experiment. Education is also an art because a teacher uses artistic qualities and adopts certain teaching pedagogies according to the situation in order to gain desired results.
6: Functions of Education
There are the following three main functions of education:
- Preservation and transfer of culture.
- Reconstruction of culture.
- Fulfillment of individual needs.
07: Five Needs of the Individual
- Physical needs
- Identification of the self
- Knowledge of good citizenship
- Cognitive needs
- Social needs
8: Meaning of Cultural Heritage
Our ideology, way of life, literature, art, craft, tradition, dress, values, and relationships collectively make up our culture. Moreover, the knowledge, skills, and values that we receive from our parents and elders are also included in our culture.
Every nation and society wants to preserve, transfer, and reconstruct its culture so that society can make progress. For this purpose, every nation and society establishes different types of institutions.
Q9: How the New Generation Was Prepared in Old Times
In old times, life was very simple. Children learned the same things their fathers did. This was an informal method of learning. Boys usually learned the work through which they were provided food, shelter, and clothing. The sons learned knowledge, skills, and values from their fathers and elders. On the other hand, mothers trained their daughters in household affairs and how to bring up children.
Concepts of Human Growth and Development
Q1: Define Growth
According to Anderson: “Growth is an increase in height, weight, structure, and brain. These changes are quantitative in nature and can be measured. These changes occur in the whole of the body. These changes cannot be reversed.” OR
According to Chauhan: “Growth is indicative of an increase in bodily dimensions, height, and weight, and it is generally confined to quantitative changes.”
Q2: Define Development
According to Woolfolk: “Development is a certain change that occurs in human beings between conception and death. These changes appear in orderly ways and remain for a reasonably long period of time.”
Q3: Aspects of Development
There are the following four main aspects of development:
- Physical development: Physical development means an increase in body size, length, height, and weight.
- Cognitive development: Cognitive development is the ability to think, learn, and remember.
- Social development: Social development means the interaction and relationship of an individual with society.
- Emotional development: Emotional development means the feelings and emotional responses of an individual in different situations.
4: Stages of Development
The human child goes through a number of development stages from birth to death. Psychologists have divided development into the following four stages:
- Infancy: This period spans (0–2) years.
- Early childhood: This period lasts from (2–6) years.
- Childhood: This period extends from (6–12) years.
- Adolescence: The youngster attains this stage from (12–18) years.
Individual Differences and Learning
Q3: Meaning of Individual Differences
Variation is a law of nature. No two persons are alike. All individuals differ from each other in many respects. Children born of the same parents, and even twins, are not alike.
Q4: Define Individual Difference
According to Carter B. Good: “The variation or deviations among individuals regarding a single characteristic or a number of characteristics.” OR
According to Osborne: “Individual differences as dissimilarity between persons that distinguish them from one another.”
Q5: Changes in Human Character as a Result of Learning
- Knowledge
- Skills
- Emotional stability and behavior
Q6: Hindrances Affecting Learning
Hindrances that affect learning include:
- Being physically unfit
- Lack of intelligence
- Unfavorable home environment
- Negative emotions like anger, criminal mind, etc.
Q7: Examples of Physical Differences
- Weak eyesight
- Handicap
- Loss of hearing ability
- Malnutrition
Q8: Types of Social Differences
- Economically weak
- Living style
- Mutual relationship among people
- Social status
Q9: Levels of Intelligence
There are the following three levels of intelligence:
- Gifted intellect
- Average intellect
- Below average intellect
Q10: How Physical Condition Affects Learning
According to Aristotle, there must be a “sound mind in a sound body.” Researches show that students with good health are better learners compared to children having ill health. If a child is healthy, he will pay attention to studies and actively take part in co-curricular activities.
Unfortunately, if students suffer from physical problems such as vision problems, hearing problems, malnutrition, handicap, etc., they cannot participate in curricular and co-curricular activities.
Q11: How Home Environment Affects Learning
Home is the first school where children start their initial learning. A conducive home condition, like proper care, attention, respect, and good behavior from parents and other family members, will help boost the child’s learning.
On the other hand, an uneasy home environment, like quarrels, insulting behavior from parents and other family members, family disputes, or divorce between parents, creates a bad impact on children’s learning.
Q12: How Psychological Condition Affects Learning
Psychologically healthy and strong students are able to face challenges. They feel good, active, emotionally mature, and intelligent. They have positive relationships with their families, friends, teachers, and society.
On the other hand, students having psychological problems are reserved, shy, irresponsible, aggressive, and like being alone. They may not be able to pay attention to their studies.
Community, Society, and School
Q3: What is Community?
A group of people living together in a fixed territory, sharing the same culture, language, religion, way of life, and having a strong sense of belongingness among each other is called a community. It may be a settlement, village, city, tribe, or nation. For example, the Pakistani community in Azizabad.
4: Define Society
A society is a large group of people who share interpersonal relationships, common values, norms, and have a common ideology and identity. For example, Pakistani society.
Q5: Relationship Between Home and School
Since home and school work together for the welfare of the children, home helps the school in the following ways:
- Home is the basic training center for children.
- It monitors the school activities.
- It provides valuable assistance to the school in making curriculum and policies.
- It guides the school to resolve the students’ problems.
Q2: Define School
School is a place or building used for educating students under the guidance of a teacher. It is the second home for the child. It is run by the members of the society. It provides formal education. It takes measures to develop the student’s personality in all dimensions through curricular and co-curricular activities.
Learning and Home
1: What do you mean by Learning?
Learning means acquiring new knowledge, skills, and values. Learning is universal; all living things learn, but man learns the most. Learning is a basic and core activity that takes place every day in every school on the earth. It is a lifelong process. All human beings learn at any time, anywhere, and at any age. As Muslims, it is a clear instruction in Hadith that “learn knowledge from cradle to death.”
Q2: Define Learning
According to Witting and Hilgard: “Learning is a systematic, relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience or practice.” OR
According to Crow & Crow: “Learning is the process by which an individual acquires knowledge, attitudes, and skills that are necessary to meet the demands of life.”
1: Define Home
Home is the first school where children start their initial learning. The role of a teacher is played by the mother and other members of the family. Home ensures love, respect, integrity, and a sense of ownership in the child. Home provides informal education to the child. Here, the child learns etiquettes, respect for others, honesty, cooperation, and many other positive things.