According to Herbert Spencer, education should aim at complete development. Which principle of curriculum development aligns with this ideology?
Principle of including all activities
Understanding Herbert Spencer's Educational Philosophy and Curriculum Principles
Herbert Spencer, a prominent figure in the history of education, believed that the primary aim of education should be the "complete development" of an individual. This wasn't just about academic learning but encompassed a much broader perspective on life and living successfully.
Spencer's view on education was deeply influenced by his ideas on evolution and survival. He argued that education should prepare individuals for all aspects of life, enabling them to live completely and effectively. This complete living involves various activities necessary for individual and social well-being.
What is "Complete Development" According to Spencer?
For Spencer, "complete development" or "complete living" included several categories of activities that education should prepare individuals for:
- Activities relating to self-preservation (survival, health).
- Activities relating to securing the necessities of life (earning a living, industry).
- Activities relating to the rearing and discipline of offspring (family life).
- Activities relating to the maintenance of proper social and political relations (citizenship).
- Activities relating to the gratification of tastes and feelings (leisure, arts, culture).
Therefore, an education aiming at "complete development" must cover this wide range of human activities.
Analyzing Curriculum Development Principles
Let's examine how different principles of curriculum development align with Spencer's goal of complete development:
- Principle of flexibility: This principle suggests the curriculum should be adaptable to the needs and interests of individual students and changing societal conditions. While important, flexibility itself doesn't define the scope of the curriculum's content in terms of covering all aspects of life.
- Principle of future orientation: This principle emphasizes preparing students for their future roles and responsibilities. Spencer's philosophy is indeed future-oriented in that it prepares for adult life, but it's specifically oriented towards a complete future life covering all activities, not just a narrow professional or academic path.
- Principle of correlation: This principle suggests linking different subjects or areas of study to show their interconnectedness. Correlation helps in better understanding and retention, but it doesn't dictate which subjects or activities should be included in the first place to achieve complete development.
- Principle of including all activities: This principle suggests that the curriculum should incorporate a wide range of activities that are essential for life. This directly resonates with Spencer's idea that education should prepare individuals for "complete living" by covering all necessary activities.
Alignment with Spencer's Philosophy
Spencer famously asked, "What knowledge is of most worth?" His answer focused on the activities that are most important for sustaining life and promoting happiness. An education that aims at "complete development" must, by definition, include preparation for all these essential activities.
The principle of including all activities in the curriculum means going beyond traditional academic subjects to incorporate practical skills, physical education, moral instruction, social skills, and even aspects related to leisure and aesthetic appreciation. This comprehensive approach ensures that the individual is prepared for the multifaceted challenges and opportunities of life.
Thus, the principle of including all activities is the one that most directly and comprehensively aligns with Herbert Spencer's ideology that education should aim at complete development.
| Curriculum Principle | Description | Alignment with Spencer's "Complete Development" |
|---|---|---|
| Principle of Flexibility | Adapting curriculum to needs/changes. | Indirect; helps cater to diverse paths within complete living. |
| Principle of Future Orientation | Preparing for future roles. | Partial; focuses on the future, but less specific about the completeness of activities. |
| Principle of Correlation | Linking subjects. | Indirect; improves learning efficiency, doesn't define scope. |
| Principle of Including All Activities | Incorporating essential life activities. | Direct; aligns perfectly with preparing for all aspects of "complete living". |
Revision Table: Herbert Spencer and Curriculum Principles
| Concept | Key Idea | Relevance to Curriculum |
|---|---|---|
| Herbert Spencer's View | Education for "Complete Development" or "Complete Living". | Curriculum must prepare for all essential life activities. |
| Complete Development Scope | Self-preservation, earning living, family life, citizenship, leisure. | Curriculum must include subjects/activities covering these areas. |
| Principle of Including All Activities | Curriculum covers a wide range of essential human activities. | Directly supports Spencer's goal by ensuring all aspects of life are addressed. |
Additional Information on Herbert Spencer's Educational Thought
Herbert Spencer was a strong advocate for scientific education. He believed that knowledge of science was most valuable because it directly contributed to the activities he outlined as essential for complete living. He also stressed the importance of physical education and criticized purely classical or literary education as insufficient for preparing individuals for the realities of life.
His ideas had a significant impact on curriculum design, pushing for a more practical, utilitarian, and broad-based approach to education that went beyond mere intellectual pursuits to encompass physical, moral, and social training. The principle of including all activities is a direct reflection of this comprehensive vision.
Important Questions from Teaching Learning Process - Teaching
Which of the following is not democratic strategy in classroom teaching?
Choose the best option from the following.
Textbooks contain information about human rights, values, and social norms. Thus we can call textbooks as:
When we gather new experiences while assessing our own performance or performance of others, then the processes of learning and assessment lose the line of demarcation between them. In such instances assessment becomes a ______ process
What is/are happen's while writing the proposal:
I. Persuasion action
II. Highlighting advantages
The curriculum should include subjects and activities useful for children in the present life and in the future. On which principle of curriculum development does this idea align?
