It is evident from the foregoing account of the sociological tendency in education that sociology has had a widespread influence on the meaning, objectives, and functions of education, the curriculum, the methods of teaching, the school organization, etc. these effects can be concisely described as follows:
1. Meaning of education: Educational sociologists opinioned that education is a social course that helps socializes the child and causes convinced changes in his behavior. In this way, even in defining education, sociologists have stressed its social aspects.
2. The objective of education: According to them, the objective or aim of education is to evolve those social qualities and social feelings in the child which will enable him to understand his responsibility to society and nation, and to become the ideal citizen of his country, and train to fulfill his duties. Such aims of education as education for citizenship and education for social life are influenced by sociological tendencies.
3. Functions of education: Elucidating the functions of education, educational sociologists have stressed the social functions of education. Munro, in his Brief Course in the History of Education, said the following functions of education……
a. Spread of knowledge: The
first function of education is to provide various kinds of knowledge to the
child. This develops the child’s psychology, and without this other development
is impossible.
b. Social control: The
child undergoes a process of socialization in educational institutions and is
thus subjected to social control. But social control through education becomes
self-control for the kid so that he has no trouble accepting it. Hence, in
every society, schools instill the elements of social control into the younger
generation through the process of education.
c. Protection of the social heritage:
Education is one important medium of transferring social heritage and culture
from one generation to the next, because it is through education that the new
generation is familiar with the culture and civilization of society.
d. Social development: Social development is also one of the important aims of education because, without this individual development is not possible. The school is itself a miniature form of society, for in the school the educators try to create an ideal social environment to inculcate the best possible picture of society in the minds of educands. After completing school, the educand remembers this picture of the ideal society in his mind and attempts to reconstruct it in truth.
4. Organization of curriculum: Educational sociologists have provided several valuable suggestions about reorganizing the curriculum of education. They propose that the syllabus should be based mainly on social ethics and values, and should deliver an introduction to social subjects and cooperative activities. The curriculum should be revised from time to time, according to the needs of society, because it should always educate the individual to be a member of society and to fulfill his responsibilities towards the family. Hence, sufficient significance must be committed to professional and scientific subjects in the curriculum, which should be flexible and variable so that it can be completed to accommodate all social changes and necessities.
5. Methods of teaching: The sociological trend also left stress on the social elements in the methods of teaching so that education can change essential social qualities in children. Some examples are the Dalton method, the Project method, etc. Educational sociologists suggested changes in teaching approaches from the perspective of social dynamics.
6. Administrative techniques: Efforts at administration and discipline were individualistic but the sociological influence laid stress on collective methods. Collective methods pressure the fact that administration and discipline should be collective, not single. It is desirable to create such an atmosphere in the college that social discipline should naturally emerge in the education so that he may not indulge in activities harmful to the individual or the society at large. In this way, community feeling has completed the foundation of the discipline. It is understood in many situations that much better discipline can be established through the influence of social control and public opinion than is possible through individual methods.
7. Child education movement: As a result of the sociological trend, there started a movement for the education of infants. Many infant schools were established in America and many European countries. Most of them aimed at providing education to the children of laborers. In England, Robert Owen drew attention to the ill effects of not educating the children of the labor class.
8. Monitor method: The influence of sociological tendency can be seen in the monitor method introduced by Dr. Andrew Bell. This method suggested the responsibility of teaching fell on the children, for children of higher classes were essential to teach children of lower classes. As a result, one single educator could teach a larger number of students. Based on this monitor system, many monitorial schools were established in several countries.
9. Adult education movement: The sociological influence insisted upon the fact that no individual in society should be left uneducated, and hence many movements for adult education began; schools and colleges for such people were run at night.
10. Social education: The sociological tendency has also made strong effects on social education. Social education of the individual implies an education that acquaints the individual with every aspect of his environment and trains him to fulfill his responsibilities as a citizen. Social education goals are not only for the whole development of the individual but also for developing social unity and other social morals in him. Agencies of social education are literacy, lectures, exhibitions, meetings, tours, etc.
11. Responsibility of the state: According to the sociological tendency, it is the responsibility of the state to provide education. Hence, it is for the state to make every individual, through education, capable of earning his livelihood, developing his personality, of fulfilling his social duties. Without proper education of the masses, democracy can never be a success. Hence, the state should provide primary, secondary, university, and professional education.
References: Sociology of Education by S.S. Chandra & R. K. Sharma
No comments:
Post a Comment