Question- Explain the impact of Naturalism on Education.

Answer -

Impact of Naturalism on Education

1. Principles of Education : As a philosophy, naturalism has influenced education and its system by determining the aims and objectives of education, apart from explaining the methods of education and means or agencies of education, through an explanation of human nature. In the sphere of education, it seeks to base education on the experience of the child. Thus, it is a repudiation of all text-book teaching. In the eighteenth century, Rousseau launched a bitter offensive against all traditional forms of formed education, and instead advocated the basing of all education on education according to nature. Ever since then, so much stress has been placed on studying the nature of the child, that it has led to a veritable revolution in the field of education because it has motivated considerable research in this sphere and applied the principles discovered through this research. Nineteenth century saw comprehensive educational reforms all over Europe, and the appearance of a tendency to make all education system scientific. Naturalism adopts a scientific posture in as much that it wants the educational process to follow the natural inclination of the child, and it is thus opposed to all traditional and static methods of education. It stresses the value of dynamic methods. It seeks to base all education on psychology.

2. Objectives of Education : Concerning the aims of education, naturalists adopt a biological and evolutionist attitude. Even among the different forms of naturalism, one finds a variation in the objectives assigned to education. Mechanical naturalism suggests that education should aim at the efficiency and perfection of the human machine. But this concept does not represent completely the naturalist school. Biological evolution uses education to ensure proper adjustment or adaptation of the child to his environment. On the other hand, Herbert Spencer believed education to be a preparation and a training for the complete life. Benard show believed that education must aim not only at the individual’s development but at making the individual capable of stimulating and sustaining social development, T.P. Nunn prefers to use education as a means of making the individual capable of developing his own individuality and of contributing to society.

3. Curriculum : As a system of Philosophy, naturalism has attached much importance to evolutionary theory, empirical teaching and scientific analysis, etc. As a result of the significance ascribed to scientific study, naturalists want to introduce physical and social sciences at every level of education because they believe these to be more important than the humanities. Language and mathematics for the naturalists, are tools for the learning of science and both should be taught only so long as they assist the learning of science. Literature, in any case, should not completely absorb the student’s interest and attention. Curricula should be so constructed as to encourage the educand to take interest in science and to gain knowledge which is factual and objective.

4. Educational Methods : Naturalist education is paidocentric. The child occupies central place in it. The child, in order to develop, should be left on its own. The society or the state should not interfere in his contact with nature. This will allow the growth of the child in natural circumstances. Therefore, the most important method of teaching, according to the naturalist, is to leave the child free to learn from nature. Naturalism was responsible for a violent denunciation of the traditional methods of education. It opposed all kinds of negative techniques and the stress on rote learning. Instead, it favoured teaching by more positive methods.

(i) Direct Experience : Much emphasis is laid upon direct experience. It is argued that the child learns more by direct experience of nature, men and objects than through books. By the same reasoning teaching of science can be more effective if it is done through practical work in the laboratory, just as geometry is better learnt by calculating. Geography can be taught better through tours of places of geographical interest than through maps and charts. The same holds true of the teaching of history.

(ii) Positive Method : In this care, the educator tries to inform the child about various subjects. This is the traditional method which the naturalist rejects as old fashioned and ineffective.

(iii) Negative Method : Concerning the negative methods of education, Rousseau has commented, “I call a negative education one that tends to perfect the organs that are the instruments of knowledge before giving them this knowledge directly and that endeavours to prepare the way for reason by the proper exercise of the senses.” Hence, negative education consists in training the child to use his sense organs and motor organs instead of filling his mind with bits and pieces of information.

(iv) Playway Method : The playway method of education is very popular with naturalists because, during play, the child gets the opportunity to manifest his dormant powers.

5. The Teacher :
   (i) Status : Naturalism opposes the traditional concepts of education in which the educator inflicted any and all kinds of punishment on the child in order to make it progress in the desired direction. Naturalists believe that the period of infancy is important in itself, not merely as a stepping stone to adult life. That explains their extreme emphasis upon the playway technique of education. They opine that the child should be encouraged to enjoy his infancy and childhood as much as he can, with the least possible interference from the teacher. Consequently, the teacher does not occupy as high and respected position as he does under the idealistic tradition.
   
   (ii) Traits : Naturalists suggest that the educator should be a guide and a friend, and that in his behaviour with the child, the educator should try to recollect his own childhood and infancy. The child is naturally inclined to laughter and happiness. Hence, the educator should be jolly and not grave, for undue seriousness of manner and behaviour depresses the child.
   
   (iii) Role of Education : Hence, the aim of education, is thus, to provide the child with opportunities for completely unrestricted self-expression. The role of educator, therefore, is only to protect the child from repressions, mental conflict and mental disorders of all kinds. Naturalism warns the educator against unnecessary seriousness, the desire to assert his authority, physical punishment etc.

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