Nature of Education as a Separate Discipline

Introduction
 Education is a relatively new discipline that combines aspects of
Psychology, history, philosophy, sociology and some practical studies.
 Its domain is the whole complex of process of educating.
 Education is, of course, also a field of research that aims to understand the
process of education.
Definition of Academic Discipline
The data, information and knowledge collected and accumulated by human race
are classified into several branches. Each one of these branches is a discipline or
field of study. Each discipline has got its own unique field of research, methods of
research and subject contents. These are known as important elements of
discipline.
The stock of knowledge in any academic discipline is classified and arranged in the
form of concepts, principles, and theories so as to give it a distinct theoretical
structure. A part from this, every discipline has its specific origin or long history.
Nature of Education as a Distinct Discipline
1. Theoretical Structure
Pedagogy’ or teaching forms the core of knowledge, constituting the academic
discipline education and the concepts, principles and theories related to
pedagogy are arranged properly and interlinked so as to give it a distinct
theoretical structure. Researches undertaken continuously in this field bring
changes now and then in this structure of knowledge.
2. Process of Education
Education is the process of modifying the knowledge and skills of students to
effect improvements. When teaching is undertaken based on the set aims and
objectives, changes in students’ behavior occur.
3. Education as a System
Education as a distinct system has its own input (students), process (teaching
methods) and output (the progress or improvement noticed in students).
Therefore, education is a discipline.
4. Education has its own field of Research and Laboratory
Education institutions and their classrooms serve as the laboratories for
conducting educational research. Various educational researches are conducted
across the different parts of the world, regarding what kind of classroom climate,
methods of teaching, evaluation techniques, methods of providing feedback etc.
Enhance the students’ performance and proficiency in learning.
5. Education has its own Research Method
The research methods of education ate unique in nature. Various research
methods adopted by researches like ‘Historical Method’, ‘Survey Method’, ‘Case
Study’,’ Experimental Method’, ‘Genetic Study’, ‘ Causal Comparative Method’,
‘Correlation Method’ etc. Methods of forming hypothesis, sampling technique is
undertaken, analysis and interpretation of the collected data are unique for
educational research.
Conclusion
Thus, education as a process and research method has its own self-code of
conduct, which makes it a distinct academic discipline.
 Aim of Education
 Aim of education can direct the educational activities such as making
provisions for desired education, organizing teaching- learning activities,
and providing learners with learning opportunities and experience.
 The success of the educational process can be evaluated in terms of the
extent to which the aims of education are realized by both the learners and
the teachers. Aims of education reflect the ideals, values, needs and desires
of a society.
Two Types of Aims
1. General Aims
2. Specific Aims
General Aims:
General aims of education are those, which apply in their generality to the
whole of mankind.
Specific Aims:
Specific aims of education are relative to the conditions available at a particular
time.
General Aims may be classified as
1) Individual Aims
2) Specific Aims
Specific aims of education
1. Knowledge Aim
2. Vocational Aim
3. Moral Aim
4. The Complete Living Aim
5. Harmonious Development of Personality
6. Leisure Aim
 1. Individual Aim
 Educational thinkers like Sir Percy Nunn advocate that the chief aim of
education is the enfoldment of individual personality. The progress of
great nations is because of individuals.
 Adams also states that education is the endeavor to help one for self-
realization.
 Education is the training given for individuals to develop the
characteristic potentials inherent in each one of them.
 Development of individuality is based on freedom.

2. Social Aim
 Educationists like Prof. Bagley and John Dewey aim of education is to
produce socially efficient individuals.
 An individual has no existence apart from society. A human child requires a
social medium for its development.
The goals of social aims of education
 Good health and vitality
 Vocational efficiency
 Simple skills required for a hood life
 Cooperation with other members of the family
 Good parenthood
 Good citizenship
 Spending usefully one’s leisure- time.
3. Knowledge Aim
 Knowledge aim of education gives more emphasis for the cognitive
development of human personality.
 Knowledge makes a man resourceful.
 Knowledge sharpens our mind.
 Knowledge removes ignorance, dust and darkness and leads on individuals
to success.
4. Vocational Aim
 Some educationists think that education must enable the child to take
some vocation in order to earn his livelihood.
 Education, should concentrate more on developing the hands of the
individual into productive arms than on cultivating the head and heart.
 Vocational aim flourishes in a country, which is industrialized.
5. Moral Aim
According to Herbart, “Formation of character should be regarded as the highest
aim and the teachers should develop strength of will and purity of character”.
6. The Complete Living Aim
 Herbart Spencer, “Education should enable us to treat the body, mind and
soul in the right manner”.
 Education should teach us to enjoy life, to spend our leisure profitably and
to behave as good citizens.
 John Dewey says that instead of imparting knowledge to pupils, we should
develop the ability to solve problems encountered in life.
7. Harmonious Development of Personality
 Development of all powers and capacities of an individual – physical,
intellectual, emotional, moral, aesthetic, social and spiritual.
 Means giving equal importance for all potentials.
 Harmonious development aim in education requires the development of all
inherent potentials in individual’s blossom fully.
8. Leisure Aim
 Education should help a person to spend his leisure time usefully.
 Education aims are prescribed according to the place, time, societal and
individual needs.
 According to Horne, “no single educational aim could be identified as the
best. That educational system which gives equal importance for integrates
all aims of education is undoubtedly the best”.
National Objectives of Education in India
Indian Education Commission headed by Dr. D. C. Kothari, in its report (1966)
has pointed out the following as our national objectives:
 Relating education to productivity
 Strengthening social and national integration
 Consolidating democracy as a form of government and helping the
country to adopt it as a way of life.
 Accelerating the Process of modernization
 Building character by cultivating social, moral and spiritual values.