Philosophy and Education

 Subject matter of the Philosophy Of Education

Is There Really a philosophy Of Education?

by..................................

Introduction:

      In reality, there is a close Relationship between Philosophy of Education. All education is based on philosophical views. Many Philosophies were also educationists. Education always Remained on important area of Investigation for Philosophers. Let us first define both the fields:

Definition of Philosophy:

      Philosophy is a set of, ideas and beliefs about the purpose of man’s life, about the existence of God and about the origin of this surprising world:

Definition of Education:

      Education is a Teaching and Learning Process, which aims at an all-round Development of an Individuals Personality, that his Moral, Social, Religion, Cultural, Intellectual, Physical and Economic Aspects are Polished and Improved.

      From these Definition it is clear that Philosophers are Greatly Interested in the Intellectual, Moral and Social life of Man and Particularly in the education of man. They also Suggest Theories of good life for man. Philosophers have emphasized the Value and Importance of education for the proper Development of man. In their words “ Man becomes a man through education and Training.” Moreover Philosophers Raise many Question with Reference to Education for Example:

Educational Question of Philosophers:

(a)     What constitutes an Educated Man?

(b)    Is Teaching a Science on an Art?

(c)     What is More Important—content or Method?

(d)    What should be an ultimate aim of education?

(e)     Is it right to prepare an individual for the society?

              The purpose of all these questions is to make educationists and planner to think of a sound system of education. Philosophers also discuss the nature of the aims of education, the kind of the curriculum required, the role of the teacher and pupils and suitable teaching methods. The philosophers provide a guide—line to educationists and policy makes of education. As a result of it educational objectives and of teaching methods.

(1) Aims and objectives of Education:

        Long before, in Greece, great Philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle have emphasized on the education of man of determined the aims and objectives of education. According to Socrates, education is to produce a virtues man. Plato  talked  about  four cardinal   virtues to be  developed through  a process of education ,  these are wisdom , courage , self-control  and justice .For Aristotle , education  aims at the development  of body , mind  and soul.

          These views of philosophers provided a guideline for education and educationists elaborated their ideas and presented a large number of aims and objectives. Educationists have put emphasis on an all-round development of individuals.

Personality for this Purpose the Following Aims are presented:

 Intellectual aim will sharpen the thinking power.

Moral aim will develop qualities of character.

Physical aim will keep the body healthy.

Social aim will lead to cooperative life.

Religions aim will develop a love for the creature.

Cultural aim will lead to civilization.

Vocational aim will lead to earning a living by fair means.

Citizenship aim will develop national and international understanding.

Aesthetic aim will develop a love for nature and beauty.

Recreational aim will develop a sense of enjoyment in life.

(2) Curriculum or structure of knowledge:

        Philosophers also discuss the curriculum and the structure of knowledge to be imported for the progress of man.

According to them, the subjects of study should be organized around cognitive functions. It will include sciences, language, literature, maths religion, ethic etc.

Early Greek philosophers talked about seven liberal Arts to be part of curriculum.

It will be based on the study of (I) Astronomy,

(ii) Grammar (iii) Geometry (iv) Logic (v) Mathematics (vi) Music (vii) oratory. (Coral speech) Plato in his books “republic” and “the laws” recommends subjects of study for different stages of man.

Stages               Ages                                      Subjects of study

1-            (7   --- 9 years)         Riding, use of bow and arrow.

2-            (10 --- 17 years)       Games, Gymnastics, Reading, Writing, Music, and literature.

3-           (18 --- 20 years)        Number learning and cadetship.

4-          (21 --- 30 years)        Mathematics and science education.

5-           (31 --- 35 years)        Dialectic   (Logic)

6-           (36 --- 50 years)        Philosophy and Politics.

       Again the guidelines, for philosophers of Educationists provide the kind of Curriculum Required for the Education of man, explain it in detail. The educationists would determine the curriculum for different levels as per man’s ability, aptitude and interest. They talk about elementary level, secondary level and higher level. At elementary level, subjects of general knowledge would be included, (Math’s, language, history, geography, art+ Science). At secondary level, there will be a division of science subjects, Arts subjects of technical subjects. At higher level, there will be specialization in different fields medicine, engineering, agriculture, teaching, forestry, computer etc.

3.                 Methods of Teaching:

The philosophers of from their guidance new educationists discovered methods have also discussed methods of teaching. Philosophers gone great importance to Dialogue or Questioning method. Here, the discussion begins with the raising of questions, thinking on them and discovering the correct answers. Both the teacher of the pupils have to prepare them selves for this four aspects of discussion of dialogue are the following;

1)     Exploration, it means finding a exploring the truth by asking many questions.

2)     Explanation, it means ability to find out facts, collect information and verify the facts

3)     Inference, it is the ability to do logical  reasoning to study facts of draw inference.

4)     Prediction, it is the ability to predict the correct answers on the basis of the collection of information of study. New ideas of concepts are presented.

With the help the guide lines provided by the philosophers, the Educationist have presented many new methods of teaching which would be suitable for different levels. These are the following :

1.     Lecture methods will provide factual knowledge.

2.     Discussion method will fetch many new ideas.

3.     Experimental methods will prove the validity of knowledge.

4.     Activity method will involve pupils in learning situation.

5.     Play way methods will develops interest of the students.

6.     Story-teaching method will correct lessons into stories.

4.                 The role of Teachers of Students.

The role of teachers and students has bee highlighted by Philosophers. They have put stress on teachers to provide true knowledge and that they should be the maker of democracy of should have professional excellence. They should have a through knowledge of the subject matter of come well prepared to the class. Moreover, the students should not be passive listener. They must join in discussion of raise QS.

          The educationists have benefited from the philosophers and have pointed out many characteristics of good teachers. The chief role of the teacher is to build the character of the students. Teacher should present a practical model of polite speech. Teacher should have a balanced personality. They should be dedicated of devoted to teaching. Teacher must teach with interest and should act as a guide for the students.

          The students must be hardworking. They should be obedient of respectful to the teachers. They should read the lesson before hand so that they can participate in discussion. They should be allowed to express their ideas. 

Decision Making

Decision Making

 by Sultan

Decision making is the power to take a step, the step could be positive or negative, or to go forward with a task or backing off from a task. According to Wikipedia “it is the out come of a mental processes (cognitive process) leading to the selection of a course of action among several alternatives”

It is the power of problem solving by logic, commonsense or knowledge. Normally Human being use logic and commonsense, to reach a decision that help in difficult situation. But in professional or scientific area, decision making is done through knowledge, according to that subject. What are the right steps to do a good decision?

What is the problem?

What are the causes of the problem?

Why is it happening and when it is happening and who to blame for the problem

When one has the answers for these questions, he could easily take decision to the right direction. One should always impartial in decision making process because biasness well effect his decision making power. One should always share the problem with colleagues and ask for their opinion on that matter and then made his own decision.

Test Items Analysis

Test Items Analysis

Definition

•     The analysis of students’ responses to each item on the test is called item analysis.

 

Importance

•     Item analysis data are useful in

•     improving the test,

•     in serving as a basis for class discussion,

•      in diagnosing the students’ strengths and weaknesses, and

•      in increasing the skill of item construction.

 

Item analysis deals with

 

•     1. Item Difficulty

 

•     2.  item Discrimination

 

•     3.  and Effectiveness of distracters

 

Item Analysis Questions

 

•     Does the item discriminate between the good and the poor student?

 

•     2   How difficult is the item?

 

•     3   How effective is each destructor in the item?

 

Steps /procedure of Item Analysis

•     Step1:

 

•      After scoring the test, arrange the test, papers in order, from the highest score to the lowest score.

 

•     Step2:

 

•     Select the 25% percent of the papers with the highest score and call at the High Scoring Group (HSG).

•     Select the same number of papers with the lowest score and the call at Low Scoring Group (LSG).

•     The middle group of papers is not needed in item analysis.

 

Step-3

 

 Prepare Tabulation Sheet

 

Item analysis working Sheet

Item Difficulty

•     Item Difficulty definition

 

•     Item Difficulty Formula

 

•     Item difficulty interpretation

The difficulty of an item is defined as

•     “the percentage of student who got the item right.”

 

Item Difficulty Formula

P =    H + L   (100)

N

        In which

P = index of item difficulty

H = Number of student in the high scoring   Group who got the item right

L =   Number of student in the low scoring     group who got the item right.

N = The total number of students (HSG+LSG)

 

Interpretation of I.D

•     Range = 0-100

 

•     Easy Item = Above 70%

 

•     Moderate (Average)= 30-70%

 

•     Difficult= Below 30 %

 

 

2. Discrimination Power

•     Definition

•     Formula

•     Interpretation

Definition

The ability of the test to differentiate between good (Height Scoring) and poor (Low Scoring) students

Formula of
Discrimination Index

D   =   H  –   L

         N/2

In which

        D = index of discrimination

  H = Number of student in the high scoring Group who got the item right

L = Number of student in the low scoring group who got the item right.

       N = The total number of students in both (HSG+LSG)

 

Example:

•   What is the Index of discrimination  of Item 3 in Above Table?

•                              D   =   H  –   L

•                                     N/2

•                         D    =  7 – 2

•                                    20/2

•                         D    =   0.5   Answer

 

 

Interpretation

•     Range = (+1)---0---(-1)

–   Maximum size          Zero     Minimum Size

 

Interpretation

•     Good Achievement Test should have

 

•     50% of Items = Above o.40

•     40% of Items = 0.40 to 0.20

•     10% of Items = 0.20 to 0.00

•     Zero % Items = Negative

 

Piaget’s Theory

Contribution of Piaget’s Theory In the Field of Education

(Powerpoint Presentation) 

It helps in:

q Providing information on curriculum

   planning in view of the cognitive

   development of children ;

q  Acquainting teachers & parents with the

   thought processes of children at a

   particular level of their maturation &

   chronological age;

Cont

•    Emphasizing the organization of optimal

    conditions for an individual’s learning &

    development in the light of the processes of

    assimilation, accommodation & equilibration;

•    Stressing the importance of the variety of aid

    material & concrete objects ;

•    Emphasizing the need for tailoring the education

    of a child according to the level of functioning of his cognitive structure (Mangal, 2002)

 

Criticism

–  To Piaget’s early motor activities are the basis

   for cognitive growth yet multiply handicapped

    children who have little motor experience in

    infancy show normal cognitive development

    (Cage & Berline, 1991)

–  Piaget claims that children below  the age of

   concrete operations are incapable of logical

   thinking & are ego centric, has been refuted by researchers. It has been established that

   children are to both think logically and show

   concern for the viewpoints of others at very

    early age

–   

–  The claim that child is unable to perform an

   intellectual task like conservation at ages below those specified by Piaget has also been

   questioned. A number of studies have been

   shown that it is possible to train children to

   carry out  not only tasks like conservation but

   also very typical complex formal operations at

   ages below those specified by Piaget “  Not

   only do children understand more than

   previously thought , they also can learn more”

   (Siegler, 1991)

 

 

•   The Piagetian view that thinking proceeds in distinct stages has been seriously challenged. It has been found that cognitive performance at particular ages is usually very inconsistent.

 Estimate of Piaget’s Contribution to Learning

 •    Piaget’s Position on typical problems of learning

•    1.Capacity:

   In a theory such as Piaget’s whereby development rests very largely on maturation ,differences in potential are set atleast in part by native differences. Development may be retarded by unfavorable environment, and advanced, at least to some extent, by more favorable environment.

 •    2. Practice:

•     the essence of practice is active discovery, and passive learning is ineffective, at least in early childhood. Repetitive practice may assist in the learning of some basic information ( figurative ), but it is not the way in which inventive transformation are learned (operative). The role of practice varies with developmental stages.

 •   3. Motivation:  

•    Motivational conceptions are little emphasized,

•    although there is considerable admiration for a

•   position such as Dewey’s that relates interest and

•    effort.The theory of equilibration suggests that the

•   learner desires to reduce his internal conflicts,thus

 

•   keeping his thoughts harmonious .In this , the

•    motivation implications are similar to those of

•   tension reduction theories (homeostasis ), or , in

•   the cognitive sphere, of dissonance reduction

•   (Festinger, 1957)

•   4. Understanding:

•     Understanding is the very aim of operative intelligence, and as a logician, Piaget wants the learner to make rational inferences from givens. The notion of “structure” is basic classifying Piaget’s as a “centralist” theory

•   5. Transfer: 

   As a result of assimilation and accommodation, the growing child can comprehend an increasingly wide sphere of relationships. Although the concept of transfer of training is not focal certainly problems-solving competence is, and this implies generalization of what is learned.

  One of the empirical problems is that of the concurrent emergence of a number of abilities when a new stage is reached.

•   6. Remembering and forgetting:    Very often a test of the firmness of a new acquisition is provided by how well it is retained.

   Inhelder (1969) has devoted a chapter to the problem of memory in relation to intelligence, based on a larger study (Piaget, Inhelder, & Sinclair, 1968). This larger study is reminiscent of the cwork of Bartlett (1932), to whom acknowledgment is made

    It was Bartlett’s contention that memory is productive as well as reproductive, and this is brought out in relation to Piaget’s concept of development.

SKINNER’S OPERANT CONDITIONING THEORY

By Miss Wilayat

                                (Power point presentation)

 

B.F. SKININER  (BIOGRAPHY)

      B.F. Skinner was born on March 20, 1904, in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania (America). He received his B.A. in English from Hamilton College in upstate New York. He was a psychologist, author, inventor, advocate for Social reform and Poet. He served as a Professor of Psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974. He invented his own Philosophy of Science called Radical Behaviorism and founded his own school of experimental research Psychology- the experimental analysis of behavior.

 SKINNER OPERANT CONDITIONING

          The concept of operant conditioning was developed by B.F. Skinner in 1938. Operant conditioning (or instrumental conditioning) is a form of learning in which the consequences of behavior produce changes in the probability of the behavior’s occurrence. Skinner chose the term operant to describe the behavior of an organism- the behavior operates on the environment, and the environment in turn operates on the behavior. The consequences are contingent, or dependent, on the organism’s behavior. For Example, a simple operant might be pressing a lever that leads to the delivery of food, the delivery of food is contingent on pressing the lever.

 

THE SKINNER BOX

    Skinner became a staunch supporter of positive consequences to mange behavior. He created colorful demonstrations of this principle to support his view point. For example, he taught Pigeons to play table tennis and navigate torpedoes.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF OPERANT CONDITIONING

 REINFORCEMENT

      Reinforcement (reward) is a consequence that increases the probability that a behavior will occur. Reinforcement means “to strengthen”.

POSITIVE + NEGATIVE REINFORCER

    The events which strengthen a response are called reinforcers. Positive Reinforcement occurs when behavioral response, is followed by a pleasant Stimulus that rewards it.

     Here the frequency of response increases because it is followed by a stimulus, as for example the smile increasing talking. The same principle is at work when an animal trainer reaches a dog to “shake hands” by giving it a piece of food when it lifts its paw. In the Skinner box experiment, positive reinforcement is the rat pressing a lever and receiving a food reward.

 PRIMARY AND SECONDARY REINFORCEMENT

            Positive reinforcement can be classified as either primary or secondary reinforcement. The difference between the two focuses on a distinction between in born, unlearned, and learned aspects of behavior. Primary reinforcement involves the use of reinforcers that are innately satisfying that is they do not take any learning on organism’s part to make them pleasurable. Food, water, and sexual satisfaction are primary reinforcers.

          Secondary reinforcement acquires its positive value through experience; secondary reinforcers are learned or conditioned reinforcers. Hundreds of secondary reinforcers characterize our lives. For example, secondary reinforcers include such social situation as getting a pat on the back, praise etc.

 

            Negative Reinforcement occurs when behavioral response is followed by an unpleasant stimulus being removed. Here the frequency of a response increases because the response either removes a stimulus or involves avoiding the stimulus. For example, your father nags at you to clean out the garage. He keeps nagging. Finally you get tired of the nagging and clean out the garage. Your response (cleaning out the garage) removed the unpleasant stimulus (nagging).

 

PUNISHMENT

 

          Punishment is a consequence that decreases the probability that a behavior will occur. In punishment, a negative reinforcer is made contingent upon a response which typically had some prior source of strength. Some early studies by skinner (1938, P. 154) using a mild punisher (the lever slapped upward against the rat’s paw when it was pressed) came to the conclusion that punishment was a relatively ineffective means to produce any permanent change in behavior.

     What are some of the circumstances when punishment might effectively be used?

     Punishment can be considered when positive reinforcement has not been found to work.

 

     When the behavior that is being punished is viewed as more destructive than the punishment itself, then punishment is justified.

     For example, some children engage in a behavior that is dangerous to their well being, such as head banging, Punishment might reduce the behavior, it is always to reinforce an alternative behavior so that undesirable behavior does not replace the punished response (Santrock, 1989).

     Skinner believed that punishment is not especially effective in reducing the frequency of behavior and recommended positive reinforcement techniques as preferable. Punished individuals might learn to suppress the undesirable behavior rather than replace it with something more positive.

     When Punishment is used, desirable as well as well as undesirable behavior might be eliminated. For example, a child might stop interacting with other children altogether if he is slapped for biting another child.

            Negative reinforcement and punishment are easily confused because they both involve aversive or unpleasant stimuli, such as an electric shock or a slap in the face. To keep them straight, negative reinforcement increases the probability a response will occur, whereas punishment decreases the probability a response will occur.

      SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT

     In most of life’s experiences, we are not reinforced every time we make a response, a student is not patted on the back each time she solves a problem a golfer, dose not win every tournament she enters.

     Schedules of reinforcement are “time tables” that determine when a response will be reinforced. There are two types of reinforcement schedules.

1. Continuous Reinforcement

    In continuous reinforcement, the desire behavior is reinforced every single time it occurs. Generally this schedule is best used during the initial stages of learning in order to create a strong association between the behavior and the response. Once the response if firmly attached, reinforcement is usually switched to a partial reinforcement schedule.

2. Partial Reinforcement

     In partial reinforcement, the response is reinforced only part of the time. There four schedules of partial reinforcement.

     i.     Fixed-ratio schedules are those where response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses. This schedule produces a high, steady rate of responding with only a brief pause after the delivery of reinforce.

     ii.    Variable-ratio schedules are those where a response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses. The schedule creates a high steady rate of responding. Gambling and lottery games are good examples of  a reward based on a  variable-ratio schedule.

n    Fixed internal schedules are those where the first response is rewarded only after specified amount of time has elapsed. This schedule cause high amount of responding near the end of interval, but much slower responding after the delivery of reinforcers.

iv. Variable interval schedules occur when response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed. This schedule produces a slow, steady rate of response.  

Thank you

Plan for Effective Supervision at Secondary School Level in pakistan

By Sultan Muhammad Khan

Plan for Effective Supervision at Secondary School Level

Definition

Definition of Supervision:

1.      Oversee activity:  to watch over an activity or task being carried out by somebody and ensure that it is performed correctly. (MS Encarta)

2.       Oversee people: to be in charge of a group of people engaged in an activity or task and keep order or ensure that they perform it correctly. (MS Encarta)

Background and Justification

A successful school is the indication of a good leader, a leader who supervises the school like delicate flower so it can spread its fragrance everywhere. Good education is result of good supervision upon the side of a good supervisor. Good Education is an essential part of every country, it is like a lifeline; their survival depends on it. As such, their focus on education is at the highest.     

In under-developed, even developing countries, people mostly seek to improve their livelihood through good education. But due to shortage of skilful teachers and supervisor the education systems is not up to the standard for which people are looking for, some high standard private schools  are there but majority of the people cant offered to send their children to those school due to low income. They send their children to public school, which are not performing well up to their expectations. Therefore, it is necessary to take some drastic measure to improve the education system of Pakistan, in which the first step is better supervision. For this purpose, we need a model, to replicate the success stories and lessons learned elsewhere in the country. Identify gaps in their work for further improvement. In order to do it all, this research study is proposed.

 

          Objectives

        

1)       Explore various methods of supervision in school. 

2)       Identify gaps and suggest measures for further improvement in supervision of school education

3)       To motivate people to actively take part in the supervision process of a school.

4)       prepare an effective plan for supervision of a Secondary schoo 

            To improve supervision some questions need to be answered:

1)       Why need for school supervision?

2)       What are the contributions of community members in the process of supervision?

3)       Where we need supervision in school environmental?

4)       Which departments need to be included for the improvement of Supervision in schools?

Why the need of supervision? In school there are teachers and students. Both are essential part of learning process. But it is also fact that, they need the support of a team to look after the teaching learning process and suggest measure for further improvement. This support team provides better environment and necessary tools for teaching learning process. Support team some time in the shape of headmaster or principal and some time education officers who visit school from time to time, to supervise the school and identified the problems which the school face.

What should a supervisor do for effective supervision in a secondary school situation? Where is the need of supervision in school it is also an important question. Curriculum, discipline, school plant, teacher student behavior etc

  

Education planning

            The supervisor should select and set targets for the whole year day by day for him self and teachers, what to teach and when to teach a complete annual planner. Projected targets and a comprehensive evaluation plan to evaluate the student’s progress.

Discipline

            Discipline in school is the most important factor in the process of supervision of school which is full of students. Discipline in students as well as in teachers because teachers are model for students if they do not follow the rules and regulation then how they can expect from students. Make sure that teacher and students come on time to school and class, maintain time table on daily bases.     

   

Community

The supervisor will involve the community in the supervision process of the school. The supervisor will invite the community members and parents of the students from time to time in school events e.g. dram, games and award ceremony. Teacher parents day to discuss student’s progress report and any other problem which a teacher face regarding student.

Continuing staff development

Arrange classes for staff development purpose and arrange visits to model schools for developing their teaching skills. Establish communication with the teachers of other schools. Send them for refresher courses.

Opportunities for staff

Create Opportunities for the staff and give them the opportunity to get further education. Help them with their education process.

Seminars

Arrange seminars in school for teacher and students from time to time. Invite speakers whom students love, so they could develop a model for their self and follow that model. Invite good teacher as speaker that teacher learn from them.

Provision of materials

Availability of materials to teachers for teaching learning process, e.g. books, news papers, audio visual aids. Keep the library up to date and add new book in library from time to time. Library should be open all the time so teacher and student could set their and read news paper and books.    

Development of leadership in other

Develop the skills of teachers and transform them to better leaders, so they took initiatives by them selves for the improvement of the school and students.

Authority

For better supervision of the school, the head need to give some authority to teachers and involve them in the supervision of school so they could feel them selves the part of administration. Share responsibilities will make them the part of supervision process

            Reward and punishment

            For better supervision the supervisor should always had stick in one hand and reward in other. When staff new the consequences of their actions, they would try to perform their duties with honesty.

Record

            Record keeping is the essential part of supervision. Keep the record of the administration department as well as the record of day to day activities. Keep the record of student progress report specially those who are weak in the class according to teacher evaluation process. Try to identify their weaknesses and rectify them.

Recommended Books

1.         Supervision in education: a differentiated approach with legal perspectives

Bernadette Marczely

Aspen Publishers, 2001 - Education - 270 pages

2.         The Soul of Supervision: Integrating Practice and Theory

Margaret Benefiel

Church Publishing, Inc., 2010 - Business & Economics - 192 pages

3.         Supervision in colleges and universities

Daniel James Rowley, Herbert Sherman

University Press of America, 2004 - Education - 97 pages

4.         Supervision in education: problems and practices

            Daniel Tanner, Laurel N. Tanner

Macmillan, 1987 - Education - 565 pages

5.         Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation: How to Work Smart, Build Collaboration, and Close the Achievement Gap

            Kim Marshall

John Wiley and Sons, 2009 - Education - 257 pages

6.         Supervision that improves teaching:strategies and techniques

Susan Sullivan, Jeffrey Glanz

Corwin Press, 2005 - Education - 212 pages

7.         Supervision and the creative teacher

National Education Association of the United States. Dept. of Supervisors and Directors of Instruction Bureau of publications, Teachers college, Columbia university, 1932 -  Education - 348 pages

8.         Supervision for better schools

John Thomas Lovell, Kimball Wiles

Prentice-Hall, 1983 - Education - 321 pages

9.         Commen Sense in School Supervision

Charles A Wagner

BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2009 - History - 208 pages

10.       School Supervision

Josiah Little Pickard

BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2009 - 192 pages

 

Bibliography

McNerney, C. T. (1951). Educational supervision . New York: McGraw-Hill. (Original work published 1951)

Vashist, S. (1994). School Supervision. New delhi: Anmol publication pvt ltd.

Wiles, K. (1967). Supervision for better schools (3d ed.). Englewood cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

Environmental Education

            Focal points in the further development of environmental education

Environmental education is the essential part of education system in develop countries because they are aware of the consequences of global warming, On the other hand we are still in the process of improving basic education system in our country.

United Nations has designated the period of 2005 to 2014 as the decade of “Education for Sustainable Development”. The objective is to integrate environmental education and the concept of sustainable development in education curriculum of the member countries.

“Action Competence, Conflicting Interests and Environmental Education - The MUVIN Programme is the title of the English translation of the Danish research report Handlecompetence, interessekonflikter og miljøundervisning – MUVIN projektet. The MUVIN Programme, or MUVIN Projct was an innovative research and development initiative in the Danish folkeskole for primary and secondary school. With its special focus on democracy and environmental education it is very relevant for the present. focus on the development of ESD, Education for Sustainable Development. These research finding are interesting for all involved in more meaningful teaching and learning. The MUVIN research combined qualitative methods with quantitative methods and the book discusses important theoretical aspects of environmental education of relevance for ESD.”  

            In this chapter the author describe the focal points of further development in environmental education which required further research.

1.      Teachers

The teachers assume that environmental education is for the environmentalist only, it is not their job. On other hand environmentalist are too busy in research about the worsening global environmental conditions, that they have no time for education and awareness purpose. So it is the responsibilities of all, to involve in this process and especially it is the responsibility of a teacher to educate coming generation and prepare them for their role and to protect the earth from this disaster. Teachers have the tools and time; they should use every opportunity in the class room to create awareness about environment. They should use example which are related to environment during their teaching.

MUVIN play a vital role in the Teacher Development. MUVIN arrange different programme for teacher skill development and professional growth. Improve the presentation skills of the teachers and establish co-operative setup between teacher and school management. Enhance teacher communication and public relation skill so they could work with students in more co-operative environment. 

Teacher also helped a lot in MUVIN programme by sharing their precious experience with the organizer and researcher of MUVIN programme. Teachers are will inform persons about environmental issues. Due this reason, they could help in the development of environmental education. Teacher can show how to involve the students in process of environmental education.

·        Give responsibility to students for environmental education and by using their influence for this purpose.

·        Teacher should be open to change at any time. Teacher should be not an authority and he should be no longer the solver of every problem. Teacher should give a chance to the students to solve the problem by themselves.

·        Teacher should be ready to enter in a new era of mutual co-operation with colleagues at school.

·        Teacher should involve community in education process and use member of the community as resource person.

·        Teacher should be ready to take his students outside school for better experience.

·        Teacher should have the guts to bring new change in education process which at the time some people may not like it.

2.      School

School is the most important tools in the process of environmental education. In fact environmental education is not a separate educational matter and nor need a separate educational institution. Developing environmental education in school would give teacher new skills and tools which could help them in their own subject and vice versa. MUVIN programme can also benefit from the experience of the teachers.

3.      Research

MUVIN research project helped in the development of curriculum for different levels regarding environmental education, which is more practical in nature. The publication of MUVIN describes different aspect of co-operation between community, teacher and student and a practical educational programme for them.

These publications also point out focal points for further research in the field of environmental education.

·        Using the conflict of interest concept when a person use a natural resource and benefit from them and later on he faces the consequences of that action. This concept is difficult for teacher to master, so they could use it in their daily class room environment.

·        For the area of teaching we need to develop general and academic concept and theories of environmental education. These theories and concepts with combination of other learning will help the students to understand the dilemma of global whamming  

·        The action concept is necessary for developing environmental education pedagogy; give practical environmental problem to students for solving. And evaluate the outcome of their concrete efforts. 

A look for the future of environment education in the crystal ball:

In the near future students will be live in a very different world from the world in which they born, here is brief what we could guess today due to ongoing environmental education programme and the struggle by the parts of our political leaders.

·        A well inform person with infinite resources for information retrieval.

·        Global conditions will influence individual lives.

·        Unpredictable global conditions due to faster global changes.

·        People will perceive industrial development as cause and would pressurized democracy for this to bring change.

·        The population of the world will grow

·        Resource will be more limited

·        Pollution well increase globally

·        Health problems due to pollution

·         The world of IT and communication

·        A person’s basic training will only be a first step toward life long learning

    

 

           

 

        

  

References

Action Competence, Conflicting Interests and Environmental Education - The MUVIN Programme | Environmental Education .Net. (n.d.). Environmental Education .Net. Retrieved December 27, 2010, from http://www.environmental-education.net/?page_id=53