Sem 1

EDFO 111 HISTORY  OF EDUCATION

LECTURE NOTES

 MEANING OF HISTORY OF EDUCATION

v  There is no standard definition of history of education however,

v  The title History of Education is made up of two important terms, which require defining.

 

      a            Meaning of History:

§  Neville Allan (1938 in his book the gateway to History) an integrated narrative or descriptive of past events of facts written in a spirit of critical inquiry for the whole truth

 

§  Hill and Keber (1967) ‘Attempts to encompass and then explain the whole realm of humanity past in a perspective that greatly accents to its social cultural economic and intellectual development’ 

                                                                                                                                         

§  Gottschalk, L. (1967).defines history as ‘’that part of human past which can be meaningfully from the available records and from inferences regarding their setting’’

 

N/B The terms refers to the recorded human experiences. These experiences are political, social, economic, scientific and technological activities. It is these activities which shape human society.

 

 

     b            Meaning of Education: 

§  Sifuna and Otiende (1992:1) Defines education as an organized and sustained instruction meant to transmit a variety of knowledge, skills understanding and attitudes necessary for the daily activities in life.

 

§  Aristotle defined education as a creation of a sound mind in a sound body. It develops mans faculty specially his mind so that he may be able to enjoy the contemplation of supreme truth, goodness and beauty.

 

§  Plato argued that education develops in the body and soul of the pupil all the perfection he is capable of

 

N/B

Education is also a social process in which one achieves social competence and growth within a selected and controlled institutionalized setting.

The term education can be examined in three dimensions namely

Normative ideal- what we aspire to achieve, at individual level or society

As a process involving acquisition of knowledge

Therefore when the two terms are put together in our study here it could be defined as follows:

            “A recorded study of the system of educating social process which lead to change in human   societies through the ages”.

 

Various scholars have come up with different definitions of   History of Education i.e.

 

1.      Sifuna and otiende (1992). Have defined it as ‘‘a study of the past educational development especially of education systems, theories and institutions within the general historical context of social economic political or cultural scientific and technological change’’

 

2.      Otiende, Karagu and Wamahiu (1992:4)  A study that deals with interconnected topics on the growth of education system,development of educational theories and practices, history of educational institutions,life and work of educators and educationists,changing and developing views about the curriculum and teaching techiniques……..it includes mans institutions which store and promote enderering aspects of his civillization’’

 

 

 

 

 

Why should a prospective teacher study history of Education. (Relevance of History of Education)

§  History of education teaches us about the past educational activities ie practices, challenges and solutions. Therefore history of education teaches us about our past

§  educational activities so that we can focus on educational activities of the present in order that we may modify those activities of education for the future generation in the light of the existing conditions.

 

§  To professionally prepare teachers that they can be able to critically explore alternative theories and practices of educational evaluation, acceptance, rejection and modification of cultural inheritance. In this way the history of education can help expand the possibilities for personal and professional action.

 

§  It contributes to the strengthening of both the personal and the professional competence of the teacher.ie in the following ways;

 

 

1.      To investigate, examine, evaluate, accept reject or even modify one`s cultural inheritance. One will have a chance to agree or disagree or modify their cultural heritage.

 

2.      To become educational critic and agent who is and can be responsible for cultural transmission and change, rather than a person who blindly accepts the status quo or who simply accepts unchallenged claims

 

§  We study the motivations and behaviors of other human beings that were engaged in similar activities in the past. In this way, a teacher is directly encouraged to endeavor to discern the various choices which were instrumental in shaping human purposes in the past thus bring the possibilities and alternatives in present decision making.

 

§  Through critical examination of the educational activities in the past, the teacher can be able to illuminate on the possibilities and alternatives for the decision making in the present and thus help modify the future

 

§  Encourages freedom of critical thought and imaginative thinking in the exercise of educating

 

§  Helps one develop personal view on education eg what aims, methods, and existing institutions

 

§  Through comparative studies we are able to evaluate past successes and failures thereby identifying there worth

 

Points to Note

§  History does not only reveal the structure, but indeed, life itself.

 

§  Therefore history of education is an account of the living growth of educational aims, methods, curriculum and the institutions without which they would appear static. Historical studies of education help to improve the quality of decision-making and the formulation of policies. It also helps to strengthen the personal and professional competence of the teacher.

§  History of education is essentially the history of mankind. It considers not only what was taught in a particular society at a particular time but also how, where, by whom, to whom, why and on what beliefs the teaching was based as it comes through civilization for the answers to these questions, History of education draws upon the knowledge experience and the insights of many different study in the realm of knowledge.

 

History of education also help students to avoid repeating mistakes of his predecessors. For example  memorization as a method in learning and teaching techniques has a long record of failures. It also helps to recognize the forces of change to see how good ideas eventually become good traditions, or indeed how they can degenerate into stale and worn-out customs.

The knowledge which is derived from understanding history of education should help the following:-

1.      To identify obsolete ideas and practices in the education system currently in operation. This knowledge and understanding enables the students to intelligently participate in, or even initiate future possible changes.

2.      It should also enable the student to obtain a deeper comprehension of the meaning of education processed so that he can become a more effective classroom teacher.

In this way history of education enables one to:

a.       Formulate richer educational patterns

b.      Formulate more comprehensive educational principles

c.       Provide a larger educational perspective

d.      Project imaginatively into a broader range of humanity.

This then eventually means history of education is not to immerse more and more data in order to answer old questions or bolster old believes, but :

1)      To formulate new and better questions

2)      it excites curiosity and the spirit of the inquiry

3)      it disciplines the faculty of reason

4)      it cultivates the arts of self- expression and communication

5)      it develops the attitudes of mind which distinguishes the educated person

6)      it develops the habit of skepticism and criticism

7)      it develops the ability of thinking with perspective and objective

8)      it develops the ability of judging the good and the bad  and the in-between human affairs and of weighing the pros and cons

 

§  Historical study of education can help one to give shape, form, organization, sequence, interrelationship and the significance of ideas.