TENETS OF HUMANISM
That warm and fuzy feeling
all over.
Educational Implications
|
|
Five
Basic Principles |
Implication
for Instruction |
Student's
Role |
Teacher's
Role
Basic
principles of humanistic education:
- Students should be able
to choose what they want to learn. Humanistic teachers believe that
students will be motivated to learn a subject if it's something they
need and want to know.
- The goal of education
should be to foster students' desire to learn and teach them how to
learn. Students should be self-motivated in their studies and desire
to learn on their own.
- Humanistic educators believe
that grades are irrelevant and that only self evaluation is meaningful.
Grading encourages students to work for a grade and not for personal
satisfaction. In addition, humanistic educators are opposed to objective
tests because they test a student's ability to memorize and do not
provide sufficient educational feedback to the teacher and student.
- Humanistic educators believe
that both feelings and knowledge are important to the leaming process.
Unlike traditional educators, humanistic teachers do not separate
the cognitive and affective domains.
- Humanistic educators
insist that schools need to provide students with a nonthreatening
environment so that they will feel secure to learn. Once students
feel secure, learning becomes easier and more meaningful.
SUMMARY
The five basic principles
of humanistic education can be summarized as follows:
- Students'
learning should be self-directed.
- Schools should produce
students who want and know how to learn.
- The
only form of meaningful evaluation is self-evaluation.
- Feelings, as well as
knowledge, are important in the learning process.
- Students learn best in
a nonthreatening environment.
Implication
for Instruction
- Instruction
should be intrinsic rather than extrinsic; instructional design
should be student centered.
- Students should learn
about their cultural heritage as part of self-discovery and self-esteem.
- Curriculum
should promote experimentation and discovery; open-ended activities.
.
- Curriculum should be
designed to solicit students' personal knowledge and experience. This
shows they are valuable contributors to a nonthreatening and participatory
educational environment.
- Learned knowledge should
be applicable and appropriate to the student's immediate needs, goals,
and values.
- Students should be part
of the evaluation process in determining learning's worth to their
self-actualization.
- Instructional design should
facilitate learning by discovery.
- Objectives
should be designed so students have to assign value to learned ideals,
mores, and concepts.
- Take into account individual
learning styles, needs and interests by designing many optional learning/discovery
experiences.
- Students should have the
freedom to select appropriate learning from many available options
in the curriculum.
- Allow students input in
instructional objectives.
- Instruction should facilitate
personal growth.
STUDENT'S
ROLE
- The student must take
responsibility in initiating learning; the student must value learning.
- Learners actively choose
experiences for learning.
- Through critical self-reflection,
discover the gap between one's real and ideal self.
- Be truthful about one's
own values, attitudes and emotions, and accept their value and worth.
- Improve one's interpersonal
communication skill.
- Become
empathetic for the values, concerns and needs of others.
- Value the opinions of
other members of the group, even when they are oppositional.
- Discover how to fit one's
values and beliefs into a societal role.
- Be open to differing viewpoints.
TEACHERS
ROLE
- Be a facilitator and a
participating member of the group.
- Accept
and value students as viable members of society.
- Accept their values and
beliefs.
- Make learning student
centered.
- Guide the student in discovering
the gap between the real and the ideal self, facilitate the student
in bridging this gap.
- Maximize individualized
instruction.
- To
facilitate independent learning, give students the opportunity to
learn on their own ~ promote open-ended leaming and discovery.
- Promote creativity, insight
and initiative.