Introduction to the Foundation of Education

1. Education
Education is the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes that make man
do better.  It is not only a preparation for life but its life itself. This is because
throughout life man learns many things in and out of school that change his life for
the better.

The term ‘education’ is considered as ‘educare’ and ‘educere’.

1.1 Educare:
Educare is a Latin word and it means.

 To nourish
 To bring up
 To raise

Educere:
Educere is a Latin word and it means.

 To lead out
 To draw out

Foundation of Education
Foundations of education are those systems or sciences upon which education
stands and has its roots, origins, or bases.

These are the basic foundations of education:

 Ideological foundation of education

 Philosophical foundation of education
 Psychological foundation of education
 Sociological foundation of education
 Economical foundation of education
 Historical foundation of education
 Political foundation of education

Ideological foundation of education

Ideology is a set of beliefs, values and ideas of a group and a nation. The
ideological foundation of education is concerned with the life ideology of the
individuals. The Islamic ideology is enshrined in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.
Islam taught us the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
The First Revelation

The first verse of the Holy Quran clearly explained the importance of education. Allah
‫ ﷻ‬said in Quran;

Education for All

The Allah’s Apostle ‫ ﷺ‬emphasized the acquisition of education in a

hadith,

“The seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim.” –Tirmidhi, Hadith

74.
Philosophical foundation of education
The word philosophy is derived from two Greek words. The first
word, “philo” means “love”. The second, “sophy” means “wisdom.” Literally, then,
philosophy means “love of wisdom” (Power, 1982).  Each individual has an attitude
toward life, children, politics, learning, and previous personal experiences that
informs and shapes their set of beliefs.

What are the major branches of philosophy?

 The four main branches of philosophy are:

1. Metaphysics
2. Epistemology
3. Axiology
4. Logic
Philosophical Perspective of Education

The following philosophies will be discussed here:

 Perennialism
 Essentialism
 Progressivism
 Re-constructivism

Psychological foundation of education

Psychology is the “science of mind and behavior”, Silverman (1874) defines
psychology as “the science that seeks to describe and explain and on decision, to
change the behavior of man and other animals.”

Psychological perspective affecting education

Psychological perspectives on education are:

1. Behaviorism (learning as changes in overt behavior)

2. Constructivism (learning as changes in thinking)
3. Humanism (learning as changes in feelings, attitudes and values)

Sociological foundation of education

The term “Sociology” is derived from the Latin word “Socius” which means “social
or being with others”; and the Greek “logos” which means “study”. The term
“Sociology” basically means the “study of social beings”.

“Sociology is the study of social relationships, social institutions and society”.

Sociological perspectives on education

 Functionalism

 Conflict theory

 Symbolic interactions
Economical foundation of education
All individuals engage themselves in economic activities to lead a balance and
prosperous life. In this regard, this is the responsibility of education to develop the
abilities of the individual in such a way that they may get benefit of the economic
opportunities. Economic foundation of education refers to the consideration of
financial needs of individual and society during the development of a system of
education for a nation.

Historical foundation

The word ’history’ is derived from the Greek word “historia” means inquiry
or research. History is considered as a systematic study and record of past event of
mankind. It explains the development and evolution of humanity in chronological
order. History is a continuous dialogue between present and past. History helps one to
draw conclusion from the past events.

Political foundation of education

As an academic discipline the study of politics in education has two main roots: The
first root is based on theories from political science while the second root is footed
in organizational theory.  

Political influence on education

 Imaginary vision

 Dual degree course, job oriented courses, vocational courses, short term
courses,

 Uniform curriculum

 Uniformity of conducting exams

 Financial support

 Issues of management by government

 Frequent change of government

 Future insecurity