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Sunday, December 11, 2011

NATURALISM

Introduction:
      “Naturalism is a doctrine which separates nature from God, Subordinates spirit to matter and sets up unchangeable laws as supreme”
Meaning of Naturalism:
       Naturalism is also termed as materialism.  According to this philosophy the basis of the world is matter.  Mind is also a form of matter or an element of matter or synthesis of both.  Naturalistic philosophy defined life in terms of material and chemical laws and emphasizes the relationship between power, speed and matter as of the nature of causal relationship.  According to naturalism only nature is everything nothing is before and beyond it.
Definition of Naturalism:
        According to J.S Ross “Naturalism is a term loosely applied in educational theory to systems of training that are not dependent on schools and books but on the manipulation of the actual life of the educated”.
Growth of Naturalism:
    Naturalism is a very old philosophy, yet the credit of introducing it into the realm of education goes to the revolutionary changes in the eighteenth century. These revolutionary ideas took their roots from the 13th and 14th century as movements of reformation and Renaissance which often took the shape of pietism, Realism, Puritanism and other reformatory movements.  The main aim of all these movements was to end absolutism in the field of religion and formalism in the social field.



Naturalism and Aims of Education:
1.      Self-Expression:
         It is the main aim of education.  It means giving the child full opportunity to express or reveal his hidden capabilities and qualities.
2.      Perfection of human Machine:
     Mechanical naturalism suggests that education should aim at the efficiency and perfection of human machine.
3.      Preparation for struggle of life:
      Biological Naturalists believe that life is a struggle, in which only stronger living beings are successful.  Hence the aim of education should be to prepare the individual for the struggle of life.
4.      Development of Individuality:
             According to T.P. Nunn every individual possesses his individuality and     
        Special traits.  The aim of education should be the development of his 
        Individuality
Forms and principles of Naturalism:
Physical Naturalism:
     It explains human activities and experiences in terms of material objects and Natural laws.  In other words physical Naturalism lays more stress on the external material phenomena than the conscious human being.

Mechanical Naturalism:
      According to this Naturalism is a lifeless huge machine which gets its form through matter and motion.  In the movements of this machine no mind or mental activity is required, nor any spiritual power is needed.
Biological Mechanism:
    Biological Naturalism is based upon the darwinian theory of evolution Man has evolved from lower animals by a gradual process of development.  Man is supreme product of this process of evolution.  The advocates of the school uphold that heredity has a powerful influence on the nature and temperaments of an individual human being.
Principles of Naturalism:
·        The universe is a huge machine.   Man is also a part of this machine and a complete machine in himself also.
·        Life comes out of dead matter and is a sum total of physical and chemical reactions.
·        Man, because of his own nature is the supreme creation of nature.
·        The present life is the real life.
·        Reality is of the external natural only.
·        Unchanging laws of nature explain all the events and occurrences of the world.

Naturalism in education:
     In the field of education, Naturalism means the development of child according to his inherent nature.
    Physical nature is external and nature of the child is internal which means the basic instincts, impulses, tendencies, capacities and other in born potentialities of the child.  According to Naturalism, the external laws of nature should correspond and co-operate with the internal nature of the child for his full natural development.


Characteristics of Naturalistic education:
1.      Back to nature:
      Out of three essential factors of education namely nature, man, and objects Naturalism gives prime importance to nature.  Hence, its call is ‘Back of Nature’.  According to naturalists, the best teacher of the child is nature.  Hence to develop the child according to his nature, education should provide natural environmental.
2.      Education a natural necessity:
       The naturalist regards education as a natural necessity. For them, educational institutions are unwanted creation of mans superimposed upon Nature.
3.      Education-development of the natural life:
          According to Naturalistic thought, education is a process of development of the natural life.  As Monroe perceives it, “Education is the process of developed into an enjoyable, rational harmoniously balanced, useful and hence natural life”
4.      Freedom of the child:
     It gives prominent place to the concept of freedom in the education of the child.
5.     Child centered educational process:
        Child occupies the central and pivotal role in the Naturalism set-up.  The        child’s nature is in the fore front which all other things such as education, the books, the curriculum, the school, are in background.
Naturalism and methods of teaching:
       Discarding the old system as stagnant Naturalism prescribed
·        Leaning by doing
·        Learning by experience
·        Learning by play as the basis of teaching
                 To the naturalists book reading is unpsychological.  The child engages himself in those activities and experiences. Which appear to him interesting and joyful.  He does all learning by his own interest and effort as ‘emile’ of Rousseau used to do.
       The principle advocated by Naturalists have brought  into being the modern methods of teaching which are;
1.      Observation method.
2.     Experimental method.
3.     Play way method
4.     Heuristic method
5.     Dalton method
6.     Montessori method

     All these methods are self-learning methods and as such they are very effective and purposeful.
Naturalism and Teacher:
     Naturalists do not like that children should be taught in classes by teachers who are spoiled by the artificial atmosphere teacher, in whose close contact the child developes normally and naturally.  In the process of education, the place of the child is more important and central than the teacher. The teacher should not impose upon the child any things under his own authority or supremacy.
Naturalism and discipline:
       Nature will punish the child if he contravenes the law of nature and thus he will learn by the consequences of his own action.  Thus nobody should interfere in this process of nature.  The child should be allowed full freedom to indulge in the activities of his choice.  The teacher should provide such experiences for free activity.
Natrualism and curriculum:
1.     No rigid curriculum:
        Naturalism does not advocate any rigid or fixed type of curriculum.  Child learns best in a natural setting and nature is a grand book.  Naturalistic curriculum is based upon the psychology of child and gives maximum importance to the age and stage of his development.
2.     Sciences:
         Idealists lay emphasis on the study of humanities but naturalists believe in science subjects viz.  Physics, Chemistry, Zoology and Botany.  They also give due importance to Mathematics and languages.
3.    Focal point:
       The focal point in the curriculum construction is that the “text                 books and teaching should be oriented towards science and scientific point of view science and scientific point of view with simplicity ad objectivity as the watch wards and with knowledge of relevant facts as the controlling aim”.

Naturalism and school:
         The organization of school is rigid, controlled and artificial and as such the growth and development of children is stunted and spoiled.  Thus they assert that school environment should be completely free, flexible and without any rigidity.
        Nature will do all the planning and processing for the natural development of children.
        Children are given full freedom to plan their own thinking and activities according to their own interests and natural tendencies.  These creative and self-creative activities go to develop the character and the personality of the individual through self discipline and freedom to experiment.
Evaluation of naturalism:
One sided and unsatisfying aims of education;
        The child will become unsocial with no feeling of social service or social good.  He will develop into a pure animal tendencies are to be socialized through education, and then social environment is greatly essential.
Emphasis on present needs;
       Naturalism lays stress on the solution of present needs and problems of an individual.  It advocates no concern for spiritual values and the remote future.
Ignores Books:
          Naturalism emphasizes that education of the child should be based on his activities and life experiences. But only activities and experiences cannot ensure the total development of the child’s personality.
More important to scientific subjects in curriculum:
      Naturalism emphasizes scientific education.  Herbart Spencer, a staunch Naturalist has given prime importance to scientific subjects and secondary place to humanities in the curriculum.
No importance of teacher;
       Naturalism assigns to the teacher the role of a mere guide and observer.  He is to be a sympathetic guide and helper in structuring experiences for the child and observe the activities undergone.  He is not to interfere or plan any teaching directly.
Merits of Naturalism in the field of education:
·       Development of child psychology.
·       Scientific study of society and sociolo9gy.
·       Emphasis on experiences-centred curriculum.
·       Importance contribution in the field of methods of teaching.
·       Opposition to Repression in the field of discipline.

Demerits of Naturalism in the field of education:

·        Children’s are given over freedom and giving most importance to exercises.
·       No importance of teachers.
·       More emphasis on present needs of the children’s.

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