Herbartianism
Herbartianism is an early educational theory that goes back to Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776–1841). With the scientific reference to association psychology, Herbartianism established the entry of pedagogy into research and teaching at universities.
Historical meaning
Herbartianism was the determining pedagogical theory in Germany in the second half of the 19th century and was increasingly widespread beyond Germany well into the 1920s.
Basics
Herbartianism was based on two main ideas: the formal level theory and the idea of the pedagogical curriculum .
Formal level theory
The formal level theory describes two areas: deepening and reflection. The phase of consolidation includes both the level of clarity, in which new content is deepened and understood after the teacher has given brief explanations on a topic, and the level of association, in which new, isolated ideas are to be brought into connection with one another . This happens in free conversation.
In the phase of reflection , what is newly acquired is merged with existing knowledge. This happens, for example, when the teacher gives a lecture. The phase of reflection also includes the level of the method , in which the students are supposed to work independently on the application of what they have learned.
Educational curriculum
The theory of interests was part of the educational curriculum . From this, the Herbartian Tuiskon Ziller developed the so-called culture level plan. There, a pedagogical procedure is described in which each historical epoch is assigned to the age of a student in class. Later, the Herbartians combined both approaches and developed a system from them that can be used for the individual subjects and the associated curricula - the concentration idea .
Well-known representatives
Most of the following representatives were organized as members of the Association for Scientific Pedagogy (1868 to approx. 1927).
- Moritz Wilhelm Drobisch (1802-1896)
- Heinrich Gustav Brzoska (1807–1839)
- Gustav Hartenstein (1808–1890)
- Karl Wilhelm Eduard Mager (1810-1858)
- Ludwig von Strümpell (1812–1899)
- Karl Volkmar Stoy (1815–1885)
- Tuiskon Ziller (1817–1882)
- Friedrich Wilhelm Dörpfeld (1824-1893)
- Otto Frick (1832-1892)
- Theodor Vogt (1835–1906)
- Otto Willmann (1839-1920)
- Karl Kehrbach (1846–1905)
- Wilhelm Rein (1847–1929)
Effects
The most important merit of the Herbartians is the establishment of the “pedagogy” department at universities. For the first time, with Herbartianism, the function and tasks of the teachers were clearly described and taught. The practice of school trips also goes back to the Herbartians .
criticism
Herbart conceived his theory as an opponent of centralized school teaching and an advocate of home schooling. Critics therefore regard the application to formalized school hours as difficult to apply. Herbartianism is rejected as being teacher-centered by advocates of reform pedagogy .
literature
- Herwig Blankertz : The history of education - from the Enlightenment to the present . Pandora's box, Wetzlar 1992, ISBN 3-88178-055-6 .
- Rotraud Coriand: Pedagogical Herbartianism. Systematic bibliography for data-based basic research . IKS Garamond, Jena 2010, two volumes:
- Volume 1: Philosophical Pedagogy . ISBN 978-3-941854-39-0 ;
- Volume 2: Historical pedagogy, practical pedagogy, meta-level - subject systematic questions and overall presentations . ISBN 978-3-941854-40-6 .
- Kathleen Cruikshank, Michael Knoll: Herbart in America. From the beginning and the end of an influential reform concept , in: Bildung und Erbildung No. 47 (1994), pp. 149–164.
- August Gräve: The principles of the Herbart-Ziller School for the methodical working through of the subject matter and their appreciation from the point of view of practice . Velhagen & Klasing, Bielefeld / Leipzig 1886 ( digitized ).