Thinkers in

Education

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 MARIA MONTESSORI (1870-
1952)
• Maria Montessori’s name is famous all over the
world as an originator of a new system of pre
primary education for young children regarding
activity based learning (Montessori method)
• She believed that children should be free to
find out things for themselves and to develop
through individual activity.
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 The Montessori method

• It is a child centered & activity based alternative

educational system developed by Maria Montessori.
• The Montessori method is based on the fact that children
learn directly from their environment & relatively little
from listening to a teacher talking to a class.
• The Montessori method provide a stimulating child
oriented environment in which children can explore,
touch and learn without fear.
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 Prepared & Organized Environment
The adult environment is not suitable for children, their should be an
environment specially prepared for them.
Six Principles of the Montessori Prepared Environment:
1. Freedom
2. Structure and Order
3. Beauty (Aesthetic sense)
4. Nature and Reality
5. Social Environment
6. Intellectual Environment
i. Areas of Curriculum

ii. Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics, and Cultural subjects

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 Freedom in the Montessori
Environment
Freedom of Choice
• Fundamental to the Montessori approach
• Choice allows children to discover their needs, interests and
abilities.
Freedom of Time
• Allows children to work with the same material for as long
as they like
Freedom to Repeat
• The three-hour work cycle gives students the opportunity to
work with materials and achieve success through practice. .
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Freedom to Communicate
• Montessori encourages communication (both verbal &
non-verbal) in the classroom. Children learn to discuss
activities, solve problems and develop their social skills.
Freedom to Make Mistakes
• Encourages children to discover the outcome of the
activity by themselves.
• Each material is designed with a visual control of error.
• This guides the child to understand the outcome of the
activity through hands-on learning experiences.
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Froebel's Kindergarten System
• Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) The German educator,
psychologist and best known founder of the kindergarten
system.
• Froebel’s first kindergarten was started in 1837 in
Blacksburg, Germany.
WORKS OF FROBEL
•Froebel is author of many books.
1)Autobiography
2)Education of Development
3)The Education of Man
4)Mother play
5)Pedagogies
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PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF FROBEL
• Law of Unity
• Froebel was a spiritual idealist. For him all things of the world
have originated from God.
• All the objects, though appear different, are essentially the same.
• This law of Unity is operating in the whole Universe.
• Law of Development
• The second characteristic of his philosophy is the Law of
Development.
• According to him this Law of Development is applicable of both,
the spiritual as well as the physical world in the same way.
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 FROEBEL'S EDUCATIONAL
PRINCIPLES
• The Aim of Education: Enable the child to realize the Unity
Principles
• The Method of Education: Self- activity
• The Method of Play: The play way: Education to Children
• Principle of Freedom: Free and Natural Development Of Children
• Principle of Social Atmosphere: Should be developed through
self-activity in a social atmosphere
• Purpose of Education: Unfold the innate powers of children to
order to them to attain spiritual union with God.
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 CURRICULUM ACCORDING TO
FROEBEL
Should give importance to:
• Religious instruction
• Nature study
• Arithmetic
• Language
• Arts
• Handicrafts
METHOD OF TEACHING ACCORDING TO FROEBEL
1. Principles of Self- Activity
2. Principle of hearing by Play
3. Principle of Sociability
4.
HifsaPrinciple of Freedom
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THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
KINDERGARTEN
• The kindergarten is like a miniature society, where the
children discover their individualities in relation to others.
• The social aspect of development is given emphasis in these
schools.
• There will be an atmosphere of freedom and lot of scope for
self- expression in the form of songs, movements and
construction.
MERITS OF FROEBEL'S KINDERGARTEN
• Froebel laid emphasis on pre-school or necessary education.
• Froebel stressed the necessity of the study of child's nature,
his instincts and impulses.
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 PERMANENT CONTRIBUTIONS
TO EDUCATION

• Inner self- activity directs the development.

• Early education should be organized around play.
CONCLUSION
• Froebel was the first educational evolutionist.
• Education to him was the process by which the race
and the individual evolves to higher and higher
levels.
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 Helen Parkhurst (Dalton-plan)
It is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst (1887-1973)
• Was introduced in 1914 in New York City.
• Name – School in Dalton, Massachusets, the USA.
• The idea was to give pupils the freedom and opportunity.
• To develop initiative and self-reliance
• Based on individual clearing
How does it work:
• Is it a method of education by which pupils work at their own pace
* Students are encouraged to help each other with their work
* Students receive individual help from the teacher when necessary
* Students draw up timetables and are responsible for finishing the13work
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Two Principles of the Dalton Plan:
1. Principle of Freedom
• Fosters independence and creativity
• This fosters the ability to think and act by oneself
• Heightens interest and concern
2. Principle of Cooperation
• Enables children to master social skills and collaboration
through exchanges with a variety of people
• Instills optimal attitudes from a social standpoint.
• Nourishes the quality of consideration.
• Fosters collectivity and cooperativeness.
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 Paula Freire (1921-1997) Critical
Pedagogy
FREIRE’S PHILOSOPHY
• Friere’s philosophy which he prefers to be known as ‘Scientific
Revolutionary Humanism’.
“Leaders who work for the people are not leaders, but who
work with the people as their servants”
• Philosophy involving techniques of adult and non formal education,
though the message is applicable to any form of education.
The following are the important constructs of Friere’s Educational
views:
• Education is a cultural tool for liberation from oppression.
• Education is a tool for the learners to be creators of their own reality
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• Knowledge is not a set commodity that is passed from the teachers to the
students
• Learning begins with action, a process where knowledge is presented to
learner
• Teachers should know that students have life experiences that is key in
shaping their education and learning.
• Education is a phenomenon in which educator and learner educate each
other through the act of education.
• Education is a critical understanding of reality.
• The method of education must starts from the situation and reality of
people.
• Educational practice is not an extension but a communication
• Communication involves mutual dialogue whereas extension involves
transplanting knowledge

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FREIRE’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION
• Freire viewed education as a deep political project towards the
transformation of society.
• His work has exercised considerable influence among progressive
educators all over the world, especially in critical pedagogy and
social constructivism.
• Education should promote love & kindness.
• Freire’s pedagogy allowed intellectuals to make useful contribution
to the people’s who struggle for social change.
• Freire proposed dialogue and horizontal relationship between
teachers and learners, and Encouraged Active Learning
• Liberating Education, that involves a process of humanizing
people who have been oppressed.
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CRITICAL PEDAGOGY
• Critical pedagogy is an educational approach for developing critical
consciousness or critical awareness in the learner.
• Critical consciousness is ability to Critically perceive the causes of
social, political and economic oppression and to take Action
Against the Oppressive elements of society.
• Critical pedagogy enables student to question and Challenge
Domination
• Critical pedagogy takes as a central concern the issue of power in
the teaching and learning context.

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