Question- Throw light on the methods of Teaching of Naturalism.

Answer -

Methods of Teaching under Naturalism

Naturalism considers nature in everything. Naturalists are of the opinion that everything belongs to nature. Nature gives everything and takes everything. Naturalism revolts against traditional method of teaching. It therefore, attaches no importance to text books and formal schools. Naturalism propounded new methods for teaching which are mentioned below –

(1) Learning by Doing – Naturalist considers our body as our first teacher. Practicability is inherent in child. That’s why naturalist emphasizes on learning by doing as body would grasp and respond more than traditional method of teaching.

(2) Learning by Self-experience – Naturalist advocates better development environment for children who learns various activities by self-experience. Rousseau supported learning by experience as, “Give your scholar no verbal lessons, he should be taught by self-experience alone.”

(3) Learning by play – Naturalist supported the concept of learning by play. In learning by play, students were introduced to some kind of play and were told to do some activity like counting of balls which in turn build the counting ability in them. So, children learn lot of concepts quite easily. Excursions, scouts and guides etc are based on the concepts of learning by play.

(4) Learning by observation – Naturalist introduced the concept of teaching by observation. This method of learning is more stable, interesting, understandable and pleasant. Take an example of field trip to historical sites. Students learn more about it by actually visiting the site. It also develops the habit of observation in them.

Naturalist introduced following methods of education necessary for overall development –
(i) Dalton Method
(ii) Play Method
(iii) Project Method
(iv) Montessori Method

Educationist Herbert Spencer gave following maxims of teaching –

(1) Theory of Value – This maxim focuses on what knowledge and skills are worthwhile learning? What are goals of education?

(2) Theory of Knowledge – What is knowledge and how it is different from belief? What is termed as lie or mistake?

(3) Theory of learning – This theory of learning populates who should do teaching and by what methods and what will be the curriculum?

(4) Spencer also supported self-learning.

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