Undoubtedly, as far as the theory of formal education and substantive education itself is concerned, it has already become history. It is difficult to find an educator or educator who claims to be a formalist educator or a substantive educator. However, as far as the relationship between physical knowledge and ability in substantive education and formal education theory is concerned, they have always appeared in educational theory and practice in various forms. In this sense, this is a question of universal significance, and may even be an eternal topic.
Formal education, also known as formal discipline and formal training; Spiritual discipline, spiritual training. Rather than substantive education. People think that the main task of education is to develop students' functions or abilities. It is the bourgeois educational theory about setting courses and choosing teaching materials in general education schools.
The theory of formal education or formal training can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome. J Locke, a British educator, is usually regarded as an advocate of formal training theory. He said: there is no need for everyone to become an advanced mathematician. I only think that learning mathematics will definitely give people the method of reasoning, and when I have the opportunity, I will transfer the method of reasoning to other parts of knowledge. This argument is regarded as the standard of formal education. In modern times, the theory of formal education is based on functional psychology, which comes from the theory of mind entity, referred to as psychosomatic theory. The theory of formal education, based on functional psychology, had a great influence on the educational practice of primary and secondary schools in Europe and America in the second half of the18th century and the beginning of the19th century. What it maintains is the classical education direction aimed at cultivating bourgeois ruling talents after the Renaissance. Emphasize the teaching of classical Chinese, writing and ancient history, and despise the teaching of natural science knowledge.
The basic viewpoints of formal education theory are:
The task of education is to train the ability of the mind. All kinds of organs on the body can only be developed through practice; Intelligence can only be developed through practice. There is no other way to develop ability except practice or training. All human abilities come from practice, memory is enhanced by memory, imagination is improved by imagination, reasoning is improved by reasoning, and so on. These abilities, if not practiced, will decline and weaken. Therefore, the main task is to find those psychological exercises that can train students' various senses most effectively.
② Education should aim at form. People think that instilling knowledge in education is far less important than training teachers. Students' education time is limited, and it is impossible to instill all the knowledge. If their faculties are developed through training, any knowledge can be absorbed at any time. Therefore, the mastery of knowledge is secondary in education, and the development of ability is important. The value of knowledge lies in that it is used as training materials, that is, what has been learned is forgotten, but it still leaves a permanent and more valuable influence. Therefore, it is not necessary to attach importance to the practicality of courses and textbooks, but to their training role. Wolff and other functional psychologists originally opposed studying classical courses. However, when the classic curriculum is considered as the best tool to cultivate the sense of function, formal education and the classic curriculum complement each other.
③ The transfer of learning is the automatic result of intelligence training. Formal education theory is an early learning transfer theory. It is believed that with certain training, intelligence or certain abilities can be developed and transferred to other research. Students studying Latin, Greek and mathematics will be of great benefit to learning other courses and textbooks. This is because from the study of Latin, Greek and mathematics, we have improved our comparative ability, analytical comprehensive ability and reasoning ability, which can effectively adapt to other situations and can be transferred to the study of other courses and textbooks. Therefore, the function and value of functional training and its migration become an important basis for curriculum setting and textbook selection.
Material education is opposite to formal education. People think that the main task of education is to let students acquire knowledge. It is the bourgeois educational theory about setting school curriculum and choosing teaching materials for general education.
In the west, the modern substantive education theory is based on the theory of associative psychology, which comes from the theory of mental state. Associationism or psychoanalysis is the most influential theory, which holds that the mind is a psychological state. British educator Locke and philosopher Hume are pioneers of modern associative psychology. German educator J.F. Herbart absorbed the thought of British associative psychology, thinking that the essence of the mind is unknowable, and people only know the phenomenon of the mind, that is, the idea. Herbart called all the knowledge provided to students in education, including natural and social knowledge, concepts. He said: knowledge is what is written in front of it in ideas. All kinds of teaching materials contain many ideas, which are first understood by students and then become ideas in their consciousness. New ideas are assimilated or absorbed by old ideas that already exist in consciousness, which Herbart calls apperception. Education lies in the process of acquiring ideas and promoting apperception. He attaches great importance to curriculum and teaching materials, which embodies the position of substantive education. Contrary to the formal education theory, the substantive education theory maintains and advocates the practical education direction that began to rise at the beginning of18th century. On the basis of positivism, British educator Spencer put forward the comparative value of knowledge in 1950s. He insisted on practical education, while attacking classicism and scholasticism in British education at that time, thinking that the development of general intelligence was secondary and emphasizing the practicality of courses and textbooks.
The basic viewpoints of substantive education theory are:
(1) Education lies in promoting appropriate ideas to build the mind. The mind has nothing at birth. The ability of the mind is not ready-made; The mind depends on the combination of ideas, and ideas are the product of experience. Therefore, the main task is to enrich the content of the mind with thoughts.
② Education should aim at material things. The raw materials for building the mind are all kinds of ideas. Courses and teaching materials that prompt external things and produce ideas have a primary position. Therefore, education does not attach importance to the cultivation function of curriculum and teaching materials, or the promotion of knowledge transfer to students' ability development, but attaches importance to the specific content and practical value of curriculum and teaching materials, so that students can acquire rich knowledge.
③ We must pay attention to the organization of courses and teaching materials. The mind relies on the combination of ideas to form concepts and categories. The organization and procedure of courses and textbooks directly affect the organization and procedure of the mind.
The theory of substantive education based on the theory of associative psychology came into being when the choice of courses and textbooks of formal education theory could not meet the needs of the further development of capitalist economy and science and technology.
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