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European
Influence Educational Psychology since 1890's
The contributions made by these
four Europeans toward the development of education and psychology in Europe
which were the foundation of educational psychology in America.
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Jahann Heinrich Pestalozzi
1746-1827 was a Swiss lawyer that like Rousseau had an innovative conception
of education. He stressed the value of activity and the significance of
training and the improvement of society through education. Finally, he
stressed the acquisition of knowledge through understanding, friendliness,
atmosphere of love rather than of fear, and the use of psychology as a
guide (Higard, 1996).
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Johann Friedrich Herbart
(1776-1841) a philosopher by trade, became interested in education and
psychology. He was the first innovator to offer a psychological foundation
to his theory and his theories of education were considered prominent at
the time. He offered a psychological underpinning for the educational application
of his theories an emphasis on apperception meaning that all perception
depends on a background or appreciative mass of ideas already in memory.
Another contribution was principle
of scaffolding for teaching practices in his five steps approach: (1) preparation,
(2) preparation, (3) association and comparison, (4) generalization or
abstraction, and (5) practical application (Higard, 1996).
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Friedrich
Froebel (1782-1852) entered the American picture as the founder
of kindergarten movement. He also emphasized the role of early education
as a form of cooperative learning or cooperative living. He viewed the
role of education during the early years as productive and creative activity.
His philosophy and beliefs were influential in American education to the
point that a German refugees wife established the first kindergarten in
Wisconsin. (Hilgard, 1996).
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Jean Jacques Rousseau
(1712-1778)
wrote his proposal for education in his book Emile. His ideas reflect modern
contemporary ideas. His views on education reflected the natural basis
for development on how children discover things for themselves. According
to Rousseau, as cited by (Hilgard, 1996), the teacher should never substitute
authority for reason because the child may then no longer reason. These
sensible ideas were fitted within his somewhat development theory which
implied that stages are part of individual developments represented experiences
from savage to civilized life (Hilgard, 1996).
The philosophical ideas presented
above were representative of the kinds of thinking about desirable
educational practices that came to America from Europe around the 19th
century. The influence of this early European traditional philosophy was
widespread through American society and became part of the public school
because school administrators believe that their positions as opportunities
for improving the overall educational system. |