Traditionally, researchers used to regard Herbart as the spokesman of "teacher-centered theory" and praised Dewey as a typical representative of "child-centered theory" in order to promote or criticize this theory. However, in-depth research shows that Herbart and Dewey are not diametrically opposed to each other in their views on teachers and students, but there are some differences and many similarities and commonalities. A correct understanding of the similarities and differences between their views on teachers and students is not only helpful to "falsify" and "standardize" in theory, but also enlightening to build a new relationship between teachers and students.
First, Herbart's and Dewey's views on teachers and students are not commensurate.
The so-called view of teachers and students is the basic understanding and related ideological views on the position, function and relationship between teachers and students in education. Herbart believes that students' mental growth depends entirely on teachers' deliberate pursuit of work and rigid guidance on teaching forms, stages and methods. He said: "Students must keep a passive state towards teachers" and "the arduous task of cultivating minds according to methods should be left to ordinary teachers". [1] Dewey believes that teachers are the enlighteners and inducers of children's life, growth and experience transformation. "Teachers don't want to impose certain ideas or habits on children in school, but as a member of the collective, they choose the influences that work for children and help children respond appropriately to these influences." [2]
Based on these conclusions, later generations made the following comments: "Herbart's teaching, as a means of management, is not aimed at imparting knowledge, but at arranging a large number of school activities, so that children have no spare capacity to make small moves." [3] "Under the influence of traditional teachers' concept, teachers in traditional schools will inevitably adopt a coercive approach and treat children with strict control", "It is precisely because of this coercion and control that the free development of children's rationality and morality has been greatly hindered". [4] This kind of education is "very specialized, one-sided and narrow-minded." [5] Similarly, Dewey was refuted by opponents. "Reformists believe that progressivism exaggerates individual freedom and ignores the decisive role of society and culture in personal development." Essentialism holds that "the initiative in the process of education lies with teachers rather than students, and children need the guidance of teachers to give full play to their potential." [6] Professor Teng Da Chun also believes that "Dewey's overkill of traditional teaching is hard to hide. He allowed children to move freely too much, ignoring the leading role of teachers. [7]
It can be seen that researchers traditionally regard Herbart's and Dewey's views on teachers and students as opposite or opposite poles. Although they pointed out some of their characteristics to some extent, they exaggerated the differences and downplayed the commonness in educational theory. It is this similarity and commonness that reflects the basic laws of teaching, helps to improve the relationship between teachers and students, and has important reference value and enlightenment significance for China's current education and teaching.
Second, the commonness analysis of Herbart and Dewey's views on teachers and students.
1. Emphasize that educators should think of students and respect students' personality and interest development.
Judging from Herbart's original works, hershey did not claim to be the spokesman of "teacher-centered theory", nor did he ignore students' interest and initiative. On the contrary, he regards students' personality as the starting point of education, and permeates students' interest in all aspects of his teaching thought and runs through his teaching stage. First of all, "educators should think about their children's future. The purpose that students should establish in their future adulthood is what educators must care about at present. He must prepare children psychologically in advance so that they can successfully achieve these goals. " [8] Secondly, students' interest is the primary purpose of education in the teaching process. "The teaching plan should give priority to various, balanced and well-integrated interests as the purpose of all detailed teaching processes." [9] Again, the starting point of education is individuality, and wise teachers should respect students' individuality, so that the distinctive outline of individuality can be clearly revealed. "When a student's behavior is inconsistent with his (teacher's) wishes, ... he (teacher) must immediately give up his will, and even the expression of this will must be suppressed if possible." [10] It should be pointed out that although Hershey advocates attaching importance to children's personality in education, he opposes educators accommodating children.
Dewey proposed that education should be "child-centered". "Children are the starting point, the center and the purpose. The development of children and the growth of children are the ideals. " [1 1] Teachers should believe in children's nature and experience, respect children's dominant position in educational activities, and let each student develop his own specialties. Dewey also emphasized "the position of interest in school work" and thought that "interest is a natural resource and an uninvested capital, and children's lively growth depends on the utilization of these natural resources". [12] Teachers can't ignore students' interests and let them develop freely, so they should master it and be good at guiding it to become a means to understand human progress; Teaching materials can't be poured in from the outside. According to children's interests and experiences, the ability and its bud lurking in children's bodies should be "carefully and skillfully" gradually "introduced".
From this perspective, Herbart and Dewey both attach importance to and respect students' personality and interests. No matter what the purpose is, both of them emphasize that education should be student-oriented, pay attention to students' hobbies and think for them.
2. Pay attention to the guiding role of teachers in the teaching process.
In school education, the position and role of teachers has always been the focus of educational theory research. Herbart vividly compares humanity to a big ship and teachers to a helmsman. He pointed out that "a ship that can withstand all storms is looking forward to such a helmsman. He will manipulate its voyage according to various situations and guide it to the target on the other side. " [13] At the same time, Hershey also suggested that teachers should not give children too much unnecessary interference, and should let children have certain autonomy. In his book, he clearly tells us that teachers are "just sent to give children a clear explanation and act as suitable companions for children." [ 14]
Similarly, the goal of Dewey's children-centered education is to oppose the suppression of students' personality by traditional teacher-centered education, rather than denying or ignoring the status and role of teachers. Dewey pointed out: "Teachers are leaders" and "wise leaders of a social group". [15] He believes that teachers seem to be in the position of assistants in the teaching process. In fact, without careful observation and understanding of children's existing psychology and experience, careful selection of teaching materials and systematic psychological knowledge, and timely guidance of teachers, it is impossible for children to learn with interest and realize the continuous transformation of children's life, growth and experience in education.
Of course, regarding the role of teachers, they are not simply the same and consistent. Herbart believes that students should keep a passive state towards teachers in teaching, instead of simply emphasizing the central position of teachers and arranging to replace students' main position in educational activities. He advocates that teachers should play a supervisory and managerial role from the perspective of psychology. Dewey believes that education is child-centered. "This is not to open the door for teachers to steal time and be lazy, but to ask them to spend time and be good at thinking … to induce children to transform their experiences through life". [ 16]
3. Emphasize the basic role of "respect" and "love" in the relationship between teachers and students.
Herbart and Dewey have strict and loose educational management, but they both think that "respect" and "love" are the basis for establishing a good teacher-student relationship. Although in the management of education and teaching, Hershey emphasized that schools and teachers should strictly discipline and manage students and take corporal punishment as a necessary discipline measure, he also believed that once teachers and students establish love in the education process, they can greatly reduce the burden of management and play an important role in education. "Love is based on emotional harmony, and the emotional harmony required by love can be produced in two ways: educators go deep into students' feelings and blend in with students' feelings very skillfully and quietly; Or he tried to make the students' feelings close to their own in some way. " [17] At the same time, respecting students' thoughts is also fully reflected in Herbart's educational works. "Assuming that students' choices have been made and they are no longer indecisive, then all perceptible interference and interference should be avoided in this respect. Students will act on their own, and educators can only measure students according to their own standards. " [ 18]
Dewey believes that school management should be democratized, and teachers and students are in a dialogue relationship of mutual respect, mutual understanding and mutual cooperation. Teachers are wise instructors among students. Teachers should completely give up the authoritative position in traditional education and communicate with children as equal participants and partners, rather than supervisors or bystanders in children's activities. "In this joint activity, teachers are also learners. Although the students don't know it, they are actually teachers. The more teachers and students are separated, the better. " [19] The idea of democratic education requires everyone (including students) to have the right to participate in educational activities. If "only textbooks and teachers have the right to speak, then learning to develop wisdom and character will not happen."
Third, understand the practical significance of the commonness of Herbart's and Dewey's views on teachers and students.
On the view of teachers and students, Herbart emphasizes the obedience of discipline, especially the leading role of teachers, but his thought of respecting students and giving them maternal love deserves attention. Dewey advocated the democratization of school management, and emphasized the dominant position of children. Teachers should "decide how to train children in life on the basis of more experience and more mature knowledge." [2 1] This is not to deny or reduce the leading role of teachers. Their discussion on the relationship between teachers and students is reasonable, and we should build a new relationship between teachers and students on the basis of dialectical absorption of its reasonable core.
First of all, it is student-oriented and promotes students' all-round development. China's education and teaching practice the common educational thoughts of Herbart and Dewey, paying attention to students' interests and personalities and thinking for them. Article 34 of the Compulsory Education Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) stipulates: "Education and teaching should conform to the laws of education and the characteristics of students' physical and mental development ... to promote students' all-round development." Teachers should respect and care for students, avoid abuse and corporal punishment, truly respect the individual differences of students, and promote the development and all-round development of all students.
Secondly, establish a new image of modern educators. According to Herbart and Dewey's view of teachers, modern teachers should change the image of a single knowledge disseminator, give full play to their supervisory and leading role in education, create a relaxed and open classroom communication environment that can stimulate students' thinking, and pay attention to cultivating students' innovative spirit and practical ability of independent thinking, hard work, unity and cooperation.
Third, establish a democratic and harmonious relationship between teachers and students. "To make the education process a real process of joint participation of teachers and students, and a real process of cooperation and interaction, both teachers and students should participate as equal subjects and learners." [22] In the teaching process, teachers should regard students as communication partners and the main body of activities, regard themselves as equal members of the learning group, guide students with their rich experience, discuss and explore with students, and realize teaching and learning in the true sense.
To sum up, we should fully understand and grasp the connotation and characteristics of Herbart and Dewey's views on teachers and students, avoid confrontation and disproof, and simply label them. On this basis, fully absorb the reasonable factors of their views on teachers and students, so as to effectively stimulate students' interest, develop students' personality and give full play to the main role of teachers and students in the process of education and teaching.