What is pragmatism and what should be the role of teacher to it?

Answer 1

What are the Idealism's Views on Discipline, Student and Teacher? Senthil KumarEducation

Idealism and Discipline

Idealism believes that there can be no spiritual development of the child without discipline. They give importance to impressionistic discipline in comparison to expressionistic discipline.

They assert that the teacher should gain respect from the child by his affectionate and sympathetic behavior and then motivate him by his praiseworthy ideals. Idealist believes in guided freedom and strict discipline.

Children must endure a restraint on freedom. Self insight and self analysis are the main disciplinary factors. Teacher's guidance is essential.

The discipline is not to be imposed on pupils. The teacher has only to help them to develop self discipline through that self knowledge. To them freedom is not means but it is an end. Idealists are the supporters of self discipline.

They are not in favour of militant discipline. They want to combine humility, courtesy, obedience and subordination in discipline. This approach signifies effective discipline.

Idealism and Student

Idealists have imagined an ideal student. To Bogoslovasky, "The student is a finite person, growing, when properly educated into the image of an infinite person." Idealists give more importance to thoughts and secondary place to student in the educational process.

They consider a child under the control of the teacher. Teacher is the maker of his destiny. A student must obey his teacher.

The order of his teacher is supreme for him and he must follow it. Other directions may be ignored. A student must have qualities like respect towards his teacher. The relationship between teacher and taught must be positive and congenial.

Idealism and Teacher

According to Gentile, 'Teacher is a spiritual symbol of right conduct'. Teacher leads a child toward absolute perfection. That is why he is considered as pilot of God in perfecting man. He provides to the child the knowledge of his cultural heritage. He is the priest of man's spiritual heritage.

He tells the child the way to reach God. He is a living ideal. Children imitate him. His personality therefore must be ideal. He acts as a friend, philosopher and guide.

According to Aurobindo, "The first principle of true teaching is that nothing can be taught. The teacher is not instructor or task master; he is helper and guide. His business is to suggest and guide and not to impose.

He does not impart knowledge to him; he shows him how to acquire knowledge for himself. In idealistic philosophy the teacher has a very important role to play in education as he has to lead the pupil from darkness to light and he has to help him in development of his personality.

Answer 2

Pragmatism as a philosophy of education has only come into its own in thevery late nineteenth and the twentieth century¶s. This is largely due to the work of a number of educational philosophies such as William Heard Kilpatrick, BoydBode, and George Counts. These men built an education structure on a philosophical foundation wrought by such philosophers as Chauncey Wright,William James, Charles S.Peirce, and the man who best combined the roles of educator and philosopher, John Dewey.Pragmatism in education came into prominence to fulfill an obvious need inthe educational thought of America. With education becoming available to all menrather than to a select few, the country was searching for a way of viewing theeducational process other than through the framework provided by the older ³elitist´ philosophies of education. This was not a new concern since it hadinfluenced to some degree the thought of Thomas Jefferson, Horace Mann, andother; but in light of the economic, political, social, and scientific change occurringin the United State it was becoming increasingly urgent that such a rationale bedeveloped. Just what were the changes that needed to be dealt wit by educationalthinkers?

According to pragmatism teacher is a friend, guide and philosopher to the child. He must educate the child in social environment so that he may attain social efficiency. There must be positive relationship between teacher and taught.

His behavior towards children must be sympathetic. His attitude should be democratic and child must have academic freedom.

His function is to suggest problems to his pupils and to stimulate them to find for themselves solutions which will work. His emphasis is not on the knowledge as arranged and systematized in the text-books.

He wants the children to do one experiment or to have a particular experience. 'Doing' is more important than knowing. Like Socrates the Pragmatist teacher wants "his pupils to think and act for them, to do rather than to know, to originate rather than to repeat."

Pragmatism and School

John Dewey maintains that school is a 'Miniature Society' here a child gets real experiences to act and behave according to his interests, aptitudes and capacities.

Pragmatists regard school as a social institution where the child gains real experiences of actual life which develop in him social sense and a sense of duty towards society and the nation.

Group games, working in laboratories and studying in libraries with others are the various activities and experiences which inculcate in children social qualities, social attitudes together with a spirit of mutual help and cooperative activities.

In this way, according to Pragmatism the school is not a centre of education alone but it is also a community centre of various activities and experiences.

Contribution of Pragmatism in Education

Aims

It lays more stress on social and vocational efficiency.

Teacher

It gives important place to teacher.

Student

It stresses on child-centered education.

Teaching Method

New teaching methods are the contribution of pragmatism.

Curriculum

It lays more stress on experience and learning by doing.

Evaluation of Pragmatism

Opposition of Pre-determined Ideas

Pragmatism opposes pre-determined ideals and values. They are man-made and change according to the changes in circumstances, time and place.

Opposition of Eternal Truth

Pragmatism does not have any faith in eternal truth. Pragmatists believe that if the result of an activity is satisfactory then it is true otherwise not.

No Fix System of Education. Pragmatism provides academic freedom to every institution which leads them nowhere. Pragmatism gives no fixed ideal to education. Such an education is bound to be fruitless.

Emphasis on Material and Negation of Spiritual Values

There is no room for spiritual values in pragmatism. It gives more

Weight age to material values. Without spiritual values, we cannot achieve happiness, contentment and peace of mind and can go astray.

Laxity in Discipline

Pragmatism allows full freedom to the child who is not proper at the school stage and it leads to serious chaos and confusion.

Condemnation of Formal Education

Pragmatism advocates that all knowledge should be acquired through direct personal experiences. But knowledge is so vast and the span of life so short, that it is quite impossible to receive all knowledge through direct experiences. Hence acquiring all knowledge needs personal experiences and formal education both.

Negation of the Past

Pragmatism gives undue importance to the present. It ignores both past and future. The study of past is important to understand the present. Also there is need to link the present with future.

Pragmatism is a Method Only. Pragmatism is not a philosophy of life but only a method of education, growth and development. In the words of William James "There is absolutely nothing new in the pragmatic method. It is just empirical attitude. It has no dogmas and no doctrines save its methods."

Pragmatism believes in Pluralism which is not proper. Merits of Pragmatism

Project Method

Project method is a gift of pragmatism. Through this method child attains knowledge by solving his practical problems. He performs the problematic acts in natural conditions. This method lays emphasis on learning through experiences.

Importance of Child

Opposing bookish knowledge and formal education, pragmatism lays great stress upon the development of child's individuality by his own efforts. This makes education child- centre.

Emphasis on Activity

The principle of learning by doing is the main contribution of pragmatism. Children are active by nature. It emphasizes on the activity of the child. It prepares the child for future life in a very effective manner.

Revolutionized the Process of Education

This philosophy has infused life and zest in contribution. The concepts of 'New Education', 'Progressive Education' and Activity-centre curriculum which have changed the education outlook are the contribution of pragmatism.

Social and Democratic Education

Pragmatism infuses in a child a spirit of freedom, initiative, equality and also a sense of responsibility in relation to rights and duties of a citizen. This develops in the child love for democratic values and social efficiency which bring harmonious adjustment and development of personality.

Progressive Attitude

Pragmatism emphasizes the qualities of freedom initiative expression, experiences congenial, environment, purposeful creativity and development of human values for the welfare of whole mankind.

In the words of Rusk

"It is merely a stage in the development of a new Idealism that will do full justice to reality, reconcile the practical and spiritual values and result in a culture which is the flower of efficiency."

Pragmatism is an attitude and a way of living which, opposing the old doctrines of Idealism and Naturalism inspires the individual to look ahead and creates new values for an unknown future so that he leads a better, happier and a richer life.

Answer 3

Idealism is a base of any nation .it is the most basic part of any hypothesis.Teachers can play an important role to create an idea.