The Theories of Education Essay - 1831 Words

The Theories of Education This essay is going to look at the Functionalist, Marxist and Interactionist theories of education and outline the key points; it will also provide some criticism in relation to each of the theories. Although the theories are mainly very different, they all have the similarity of suggesting that a person’s social class will contribute greatly to how well they will do at school and also on how this will affect the type and importance of a career they may take up. Functionalism investigates institutions to consider the functions that they perform in society. The functionalist premise is that if an institution exists then there has got to be a reason for its†¦show more content†¦This is because being part of a family is based on kinship relationships and therefore doesn’t really involve the child making a choice, the child gains automatic membership to the family when it is born. In contrast, membership of the peer group involves the child making a personal choice. In other words, you can choose your friends but not your family. Membership of society as a whole is based on neither personal choice nor automatic membership by relationship. As an individual, we must learn how to interact and co-operate with others who are not related to us and not part of a group of our chosen friends. Because the child must obey school rules and interact with other members of the school community, school gives children a context where the skills they need to obtain to become a member of society are gained, such as respect and following rules that are in place. Emile Durkheim suggested the idea of differentiation. He said that as societies develop and become more complex, they need to enhance the division of labour and provide specialist agencies for executing this function. Education takes over the role which is previously filled by the family. At the level of individuals, industrial societies require specialists and education is seen as providing the appropriate educational output. The existence of a connection between personal abilities and industrial needs isShow MoreRelatedTheories of Education2587 Words   |  11 Pages------------------------------------------------- Compare and contrast Functionalist and Marxist theories of Education in Society. The role of education in society has an important effect on society by way of transmitting cultural values and contributing to the social stratification or class system. Functionalists also referred to as consensus theorists believe education helps stability and functioning of society, whereas conflict theorists namely the Marxists see education as justifying and promoting inequality. Emile DurkheimRead MoreThe Theories And Theories Of Learning And Education1026 Words   |  5 Pagesways in which children learn is variable, learning practices and singular theories cannot explain by themselves the very process of learning but gives some idea when these theories are viewed simultaneously; working through the limitations and expressing the benefits held across the theoretical principles. This assignment will analyse and critically evaluate behaviourist and cognitivist theories in terms of learning and education; reflecting back on application to a classroom environment. This assignmentRead MoreThe Humanistic Theory Of Education879 Words   |  4 Pages According to Webb (2014), education is knowledge in basic skills, academics, technical disciplines, citizenship, and emphasizing the collection of knowledge without understanding its value. Each child is an individual who needs a safe, compassionate, and inspiring environment in which to grow and advance keenly, ment ally, physically, and socially. The teacher s role is to be a role model to guide; wearing multiple hats to ensure each child receives a proper education. Many children do not haveRead MoreThe s Theory Of Education839 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom Harvard University in 1941. As a leading psychologist, he has contributed greatly to cognitive psychology and the cognitive learning theory in educational psychology, as well as to history and the general philosophy of education. He was on the faculty in the Department of Psychology at Harvard from 1952-1972. He published his book â€Å"The Process of Education† in 1960. This book influenced man young researchers and led to a great deal of experimentation and a wide range of educational programsRead MoreThe Theory Of Education And Constructivism1587 Words   |  7 Pagesframeworks used in education are constructivism and andragogy. Savicevic (1991) points out that the popularity of andragogy has spread among practitioners and resear chers in many countries, including Hungary, England, Finland, France, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Russia (as quoted in Chan, 2010, p. 28). Constructivism, on the other hand, has become, as O’Neil (1992) observes, â€Å"a new catchword† among educators (as quoted in Oxford, 1997, p. 37). This view of education has come to dominateRead MoreSociological Theories and Education2790 Words   |  12 PagesSociological Theories and Education Patricia L. Johnson SOC 101 Instructor Morrison September 26, 2011 Sociological Theories and Education In the world there are many types of scientific pursuits that try and make sense of all the different things that happen to people and how it affects them, sociology is but one of them. Merriam-Webster defines sociology as â€Å"the science of  society,  social  institutions, and social relationships;  specifically:  the systematic study of the development, structureRead MoreHumanist Theory in Education3751 Words   |  16 Pages Outline four (4) principles of one the following theory of learning. Humanistic Explain, using appropriate classroom examples, how you would apply your understanding of the theory outlined, in implementing four (4) central task of teaching in your classroom. Shavon Benjamin SJ116545 2B St Joseph’s Teachers’ College Strategies of Teaching Learning Mrs. Francis April 8, 2013 Humanism There are many different theories of how people learn and in considering their applicationRead MoreThe Theory Of Progressive Education2050 Words   |  9 PagesThe theory of progressive education suggests that individuality, creativity, curiosity and change are fundamental to one’s education. The theory bases their curricula on the interests, experiences and abilities of students. Children in the 21st century are living in the most intense, stimulating period of time in which they are being besieged with information from every platform such as, social media, mobile phones and television which implies they need to allow opportunities to express themselvesRead MoreThe Theory Of The Philosophy Of Education Essay1538 Words   |  7 PagesPhilosophy Emily E. Blackwell Athens State University Abstract Idealism, thought to be the creation of Greek philosopher, Plato, is the approach that teachers use to get students to ask and answer questions in order to reach the next level of education. The teacher will typically use a variety of inquiry based learning tactics. This school of thought is used to develop each students’ individual abilities and moral character. The idealist feels that with the development of moral character in additionRead MoreThe Montessori Theory Of Education1674 Words   |  7 Pages The Montessori approach to education takes its name from Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator. The first Montessori school was s established January 6.1907 in the Casa dej Bambin in Rome. Dr. Maria Montessori did her study with young child, and gradually in countries such as Spain and India. Dr. Maria, basic principle behind the Montessori methods is that Children teach themselves she came to this conclusion after observing children from a variety of different of setting and