MODERN
CONCEPTIONS OF
EDUCATION
1. Education for Rich, Full Life/ Italian
or Individualistic Humanism
It stressed the freedom of an individual as a basic
means in the achievement of a rich and fulfilled
life.
Among the popular humanists at this time were
Dante Alighiere, author of the Divine Comedy;
Patrach, a prolific writer and progressive thinker;
Vittorino Da Feltre, scholar and educator.
Vittorino Da Feltre
Casa Giocosa (Happy House)
2. Northern or Social Humanism
The proponents of social humanism attempted to establish an educational system based on
democratic principles. They believed that this only could be possible if schools on all
levels- elementary, secondary, and tertiary- would undergo reforms and be made available
not only to the elite but to the masses as well.
Some humanists from northern Europe gained popularity by putting into practice the
eminent educational principles that were laid down by this movement .
Desiderius Erasmus (1467-1536)
From Rotterdam in the Netherlands. He became a
teacher in Greek and Latin at Cambridge University, and
also in universities in Italy, France, and Germany. He
published the new testament in Greek, later translating it
into Latin.
Erasnus was known for his educational works Liberal
Education of Children and On the Order of Study where
he advocated the importance of studying the character of
the child.
3. Reformation
The Catholic Church held so much power during the medieval times and
even until the sixteenth century in Europe that even the Kings of Catholic
countries came under the influence and control of the pope. However, this
power gave rise to corruption within the church. There are numerous
accounts of church leaders committing adultery, incest, sodomy, simony,
rape, drunkenness and even murder.
During the medieval period, especially during the reign of Boniface VIII,
the Catholic Church institutionalized the sale of indulgences. An
indulgence is defined by Rev. Charles Hart in the Student's Catholic
Doctrine as the remission of a sin through temporal punishment, or
penance.
Luther's Reformation
Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a former law student at Erfurt
University and a professor of Philosophy at the University of
Wittenberg in Germany. He opposed the payment of indulgences,
among other abuses of the church leaders.
On October 31, 1517, Luther nailed the doorpost of the All Saints
Church in Wittenberg a copy of his work “Ninety-five Theses,” where
he attacked ecclesiastical abuses and listed all that he found wrong with
the Church of Rome.
These developments led to changes in medieval doctrine and in the rise of the
Protestant church which in turn resulted in changes in the field of education.
Before the Reformation period, education was limited to only a few, mostly the
ruling class and the wealthy.
Luther was for creating educational institutions that would be open to the masses.
4. Counter-Reformation
The Jesuits
The Society of Jesus,
popularly known as Jesuits, was established by
Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), a Spanish noble and
soldier, in 1540. The aim of this society was
expressed in its motto “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” or
“Everything for the Greater Glory of God”.
The Jesuits colleges
employed excellently trained teachers. Their method
of teaching was aimed at doing a small amount of
work at a time but making sure it was well done,
mastered, and retained.
They primarily utilized
oral instructions, memorization by means of constant
repitition, and review.
The Jansenists
The group was founded by Jean Duvegier de
Haurame, more popularly known as Abbe de Saint-
Cyran.
The Jansenists' curriculum became known for its
emphasis on the French language and logic and
foreign languages. It aimed at developing the moral
and religious character of the child in line with the
philosophy of Rene Descartes that human nature is
essentially bad.
Even though education under the Jansenists was
basically religious it also emphasized the importance
of manual labor and works charity. It also
discouraged too much memory work.
The Jansenists believed that one should not
memorize just for the sake of memory; one should
also have to understood very well what needs to be
committed to memory.
The Christian Brothers
The Institute of the Brethren of Christian Schools
(De la Saleele School) was established by Jean
Baptiste de la Salle (1651-1719) in 1684 with the
goal of educating poor and underprivileged children
in Rheims, Northern France.
They taught reading, writing, elementary arithmetic,
and religion.
They organized training courses for teachers. No
one was allowed to teach a course without first
mastering it. They also emphasized individualized
instruction where the teacher practically served as
facilitator as he simply listened to his students recite
the lesson, based on their memory.
5. Education as Training of the Mind/
Formal Discipline
Disciplinism, also known as formal discipline, was based upon Aristotle's faculty
psychology which asserted that a mind is made up of certain faculties- memory,
reason, will, and judgment- each of which needs special activities for its training
and development.
This theory maintained that a power a person develops in one faculty can be used
equally well in other subjects or to meet other experiences in life.
Adherents of this theory maintained that mathematics and linguistics should given
emphasis. These subjects were considered well adapted to the training of all the
powers of the mind like memory and reasoning. Once the two subjects were
thoroughly mastered, excellence in other subjects areas would follow suit.
John Locke (1632-1904)
An english educator-philosopher , was a prominent adherent of
formal education discipline.
In his work Thoughts Concerning Education published in 1693,
Locke stressed that at birth a child's mind can be compared to a
tabula rasa, or a blank tablet.
Locke believed that, rather than acquisition of knowledge, moral
development and the formation of desirable habits should be the
chief aims of education. He advocated that in order to realize this,
education should be composed of three separate but equally
important components.
1. PHYSICAL EDUCATION
With the underlying principles of rigid
physical taining or hardening process so
as to enable child to possess a sound
mind in a sound body.
2. MORAL EDUCATION
The chief aim of which was the
development of virtue based on self-
denial which in turn is achieved
through consistent self-discipline and
control of desires. The primary
object of education as a whole is the
formation of character.
3. INTELLECTUAL EDUCATION
The chief aim of which was the
development of virtue based on
self-denial which in turn is
achieved through consistent self-
discipline and control of desires.
The primary object of education as
a whole is the formation of
character.
6. Rationalism
This philosophy claimed that human person was the sole source of knowledge
and the sole determiner of whether a thing or action is acceptable or not. Anything
that did not conform to human reasoning was to be blatantly rejected.
The rationalists upheld the right of a person to express his/her own ideas and
opinions with freedom. This movement aimed to develop the individual by means
of restraints based upon reason. An individual who has developed himself/herself
can contribute to the common good and welfare of society.
Francois Marie Arouet/ Voltaire (1694-
1778)
The Illuminati formulated the so-called
natural religion based on skepticism and
atheism. Held that education should be
free from religiosity.
The rationalists believed that religion is
just an illusion to the believer and a
decetion by the priesthood, a view that
was bitterly opposed by the adherents of
naturalism.
7. Education in Harmony with Nature/
Naturalistic Conception of Education
Is the educational philosophy which advocated that education should be in
accordance with the nature of the child. This means that educational practices are
focused toward the natural development of the innate talents and abilities of the
child.
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
An outstanding exponent of naturalism born in Geneva,
Switzerland.
In his Book Social Contract he described an ideal society,
one that is in accordance with the natural state. Rousseau
defines this state as one adhere people do not live as equals,
both mentally and physically because they are so by nature.
He prescribed education as being based on a knowledge of
the true nature of man instead of on the meaningless
traditions of the school and on an entire ignorance of
childhood.
He postulated further that life pursue is education; education is not just a
preparation for life but, rather, is acquired from direct experience through the
senses. Moral training, he suggested, should be by example.
On the other hand, Rousseau believed that “cities are the graves of the hun
species.” This means that men are naturally good but the influence of the corrupt
and wicked society amke them evil.
Accordingly, Emile's education consisted of four periods, starting from birth and
ending at the of 20.
Stage of Infancy
Rousseau advocated that from
infancy, the child should start with
what he called negative education-
training the child to guard the heart
against vice and the mind against
terror.
Childhood Stage
Rousseau described childhood as
the most critical period of human
life. At this stage, moral training
should be based on natural
consequences, where nothing
should be done to force the
child's mid to do or think
contrary to his desire.
Stage of Reason
During the period from ages
12 to 15, the childs has more
strength than what he needs.
This is the best period for the
child to acquire knowledge.
Social Stage
At this period the child's body, senses,
and brain are already full developed. The
child has been educated solely for
himself and by himself. At this stage, he
starts to be educated on social
relationships with the chief motive love
for others.
8. Education as Psychological
Development
The Psychological movement in
education was by product of studies
conducted concerning the nature of the
child.With the learner as its foremost
concern,it called for the application of
psychological principles such as
individual differences motivation,and
transfer of learning in education.
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi(1746-1827)
Pestalozzi defined education as a natural, symmetrical, and
harmonious development of the faculties of the child. He
believed in education as a power for the regeneration of
society.
He contented that sense perception is the real foundation of
knowledge, and observation, the basis of all instruction.
Pestalozzi believed that learning through books would only
fill the childs mind with either hazy ideas or mere words
beyond his comprehension.
Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776-1841)
Herbart conceived of education as aimed toward the
development of morality and virtue, for he believed
that intellect and morality are two connected entities.
He stressed that the mind develops both through its
own experiences and through social interactions.
He is known today for his Herbartian method of
teaching which consist of five normal steps. -
Preparation, Presentation, Association, Generalization,
and Application.
Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel
(1782-1852)
In 1826, he published Education of Man which
contained his ideas and beliefs on education.
Froebel opened a school for children in Blakenburgin
1837. In 1840 this school was named Kindergarten
which literally means a 'garden of children'.
Through Froebel's effort, modern Kindergarten and
preparatory schools now exist.
