Herbart was the first person who combined Ethics with Psychology and gave rise to a new educational science. With the help of Ethics, he formulated the aims of education and with the aid of Psychology; he laid stress upon the methods of teaching. Herbart condemned the prevalent Faculty Psychology and, developing new psychological ideology, employed it in the educational process.
According to Faculty Psychology mind is made up of various unrelated faculties. Opposing this belief, Herbart had established that mind is made up of three parts namely— (1) Knowing, (2) Feeling, and (3) Willing. These three parts have no independent existence of their own. They exist together and cannot be separated.
Thus, Herbart has emphasised that mental activity is one whole and not a combination of three separate faculties. Herbart has discussed these parts of mind as under:
(1) Knowing. At the time of birth, an infant has only the capacity to adjust itself with the environment. When his mind comes in contact with the external objects, then new ideas are born which enter the field of consciousness first of all. After crossing the limits of consciousness, they enter the area of unconsciousness. There they lie stared up till they are needed. But when a new idea which has a similarity with the pre-stored ideas, is born, the pre-stored ideas rush up to the consciousness and assimilate the new one and go back to the unconsciousness again.
In this way, in our normal behaviour many new ideas come to the consciousness and after being assimilated by the pre- stored ones, go back to the unconsciousness. We think that we have forgotten them, but this is not so. They remain stored up in the unconsciousness and rush to the consciousness as they when any new or similar idea enters our consciousness and after the assimilation ofthe new one, the whole mass goes back to the unconsciousness again. This process of assimilation of new ideas with the pre-stored ideas goes on. Herbart has called this process as "Apperceptive Mass".
Pestalozzi had called this process of assimilation as "From known to unknown". It may be noted that this mental activity is of great importance in the educational development of a child. Hence, the teacher should present the new ideas or knowledge before a child in such a way that the new one integrates itself with the pre-stored ones and the whole becomes one unit—One Apperceptive mass.
(2) Feeling. Feeling is another attribute of mental activity. It means to discipline and control the previously gained ideas when they enter the conscious field. When the old mass is not able to integrate the new idea, then there is a great mental tension. On the contrary, if the assimilation takes place as desired, then there is a feeling of joy and contentment.
In other words, ideas struggle to enter the field of consciousness and remain there. If they are assimilated, then one feels pleasure and if not then pain.
Hence, the teacher should organize his teaching in such a way that the old and the new ideas integrate and synthesize smoothly. This will motivate children to learn more and more joyfully with interest and consequent attention.
(3) Willing. Willing or activity is closely related to knowing and feeling in the normal life of a human being. As a matter of fact, activity is the outward expression of inner ideas and feelings.
Thus, the teacher should be very conscious while presenting new ideas before children, because ideas have a tendency of rush to action or behaviour. As are the ideas, so are the actions. This mean that children will respond in action according to the ideas they receive and accept.
According to Faculty Psychology mind is made up of various unrelated faculties. Opposing this belief, Herbart had established that mind is made up of three parts namely— (1) Knowing, (2) Feeling, and (3) Willing. These three parts have no independent existence of their own. They exist together and cannot be separated.
Thus, Herbart has emphasised that mental activity is one whole and not a combination of three separate faculties. Herbart has discussed these parts of mind as under:
(1) Knowing. At the time of birth, an infant has only the capacity to adjust itself with the environment. When his mind comes in contact with the external objects, then new ideas are born which enter the field of consciousness first of all. After crossing the limits of consciousness, they enter the area of unconsciousness. There they lie stared up till they are needed. But when a new idea which has a similarity with the pre-stored ideas, is born, the pre-stored ideas rush up to the consciousness and assimilate the new one and go back to the unconsciousness again.
In this way, in our normal behaviour many new ideas come to the consciousness and after being assimilated by the pre- stored ones, go back to the unconsciousness. We think that we have forgotten them, but this is not so. They remain stored up in the unconsciousness and rush to the consciousness as they when any new or similar idea enters our consciousness and after the assimilation ofthe new one, the whole mass goes back to the unconsciousness again. This process of assimilation of new ideas with the pre-stored ideas goes on. Herbart has called this process as "Apperceptive Mass".
Pestalozzi had called this process of assimilation as "From known to unknown". It may be noted that this mental activity is of great importance in the educational development of a child. Hence, the teacher should present the new ideas or knowledge before a child in such a way that the new one integrates itself with the pre-stored ones and the whole becomes one unit—One Apperceptive mass.
(2) Feeling. Feeling is another attribute of mental activity. It means to discipline and control the previously gained ideas when they enter the conscious field. When the old mass is not able to integrate the new idea, then there is a great mental tension. On the contrary, if the assimilation takes place as desired, then there is a feeling of joy and contentment.
In other words, ideas struggle to enter the field of consciousness and remain there. If they are assimilated, then one feels pleasure and if not then pain.
Hence, the teacher should organize his teaching in such a way that the old and the new ideas integrate and synthesize smoothly. This will motivate children to learn more and more joyfully with interest and consequent attention.
(3) Willing. Willing or activity is closely related to knowing and feeling in the normal life of a human being. As a matter of fact, activity is the outward expression of inner ideas and feelings.
Thus, the teacher should be very conscious while presenting new ideas before children, because ideas have a tendency of rush to action or behaviour. As are the ideas, so are the actions. This mean that children will respond in action according to the ideas they receive and accept.
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