HUMANISTIC CURRICULUM

Humanistic Education

Humanistic education (also called person centered education) is an approach to education based on the work of humanistic psychologist, most notably Abraham Maslor and Carl Rogers.Carl Rogers has been called the father of Humanistic Psychology” and devoted much of his efforts toward  applying  the result of his psychological research to person-centered teaching where empathy, caring about students and genuineness on the  part of the learning facilitator were found to be the key tracts of the most effective teachers.

Books of Carl Rogers “Studies of the person Series”,Freedom to Learn,Learning to feel-feeling to Learn-Humanistic education for the  whole man by Harold.C.Lyon.Jr

These approaches seeks to engage the “ whole person” the intellect, feeling life,social capacities and artistic and practical skills are all important focuses for growth and development. Important objectives include developing  children’s self-esteem their ability to set and achieve appropriate goals and their development toward full autonomy.

Humanistic Theory

In the humanistic  theory scholar’s were  Abraham Mastow,Carl Rogers,Firty Pearls and Erich Beone.

The humanistic curriculum emphasized responsibility of students in learning language, making decision, choosing and initiating actions, expressing themselves in feeling, opinion, needs, abilty etc.

In the humanistic view, people are  responsible for  their lives and actions and have freedom and will to change their attitudes and behavior. Two  Psychologist Abraham maslow and carl rogers became well known for their humanistic  theories.

Humanistic Curriculum

“The humanistic curriculum supports the  American Ideal of individualism ,helping students discover who they are,not just shaping them into a form that has been designated in advance.”John.D.Mc Neil.

What is humanism all about?

 According to Abraham Maslow,it is the hierarchy of Motives or need satisfaction.

Psychological need-Breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion.

Safety-Security of body of employment, of resources ,of morality ,of the family ,of health of property.

Love/Belonging-Friendship, family, Sexual Intimacy

Esteem-Self Esteem, Confidence achievement ,respect of other.

Self-actualization-Morality, Creativity ,Spontaneity, Problem Solving, Lack of Prejudice, acceptance of facts.

Humanism is all about

1)      Self –actualization

2)      Individualism

3)      Self discovery

4)      Creativity

5)      Problem-solving skills

6)      Innovation

7)      Relevant Learning

Purpose

Humanist believe that the function of the curriculum is to provide each learner  with intrinsically rewarding  experiences  that contribute  to personal liberation and  development. To  humanist, the goals of education are related to the  ideals of personal growth,integrity and  autonomy.

Healthier attitudes toward self, peers and learning are among their expectations. The ideal of self-actualization is at the  heart of the humanistic curriculum. A  person who exhibits this quality  is not only coolly  cognitive but also developed in aesthetic and moral ways,that is a person who does good works and has good character.The humanist views actualization growth as a basic need. Each learner has a self that must be uncovered,built up,taught.

Role of the Teacher

The   teacher  provides warmth  emotions which continuing to function as a resource and facilitator. He or she should present materials imaginatively and create challenging situations. Humanistic  teacher  motivate  their students through  mutual trust. They encourage a positive student-teacher relationship by teaching out of their own interests  and commitments while holding to the belief that each child can learn.Those who assume a leadership role in affective approaches to learning get in touch with themselves and students.

Albert Einstien’s comment,”The supreme act of the  teacher is to awaken joy in creative  expression and knowledge”, believes  a humanistic  orientation.

Three  essentials for the humanistic teachers as seen by students are the following.

1.Listens comprehensively to the students view of reality.

2.Respects the student

3.Is natural and authentic, not putting on appearances

Directions in Humanistic Curriculum

Two-prevalent forms of humanistic  curriculum are:

Confluent and Consciousness

Confluent Curriculum

 The Essence  of confident education is the  integration of an affective domain(emotions,attitude,values) with the cognitive domain(Intellectual knowledge and abilities).The confluent teacher helps learners both to acquire language skills and to discover  themselves.Their goal is to provide students with more alternatives to choose from in terms of their own lives, to take responsibility for appreciating the choices available,and to realize that they, the learners can indeed make  choices.

Participation: There is consent, power sharing ,negotiation and joint responsibility by co-participants. It is essentially not unilateral.

Integration: There is  interaction and integration of thinking, feeling and action.

Relevance: The subject matter is closely related to the basic need an lives of the  participants and is significant to the them,both emotionally and intellectually.

Self:The self is a  legitimate object of learning.

Goal: The social goal or purpose is to develop the whole person within a human society.

Consciousness Curriculum

1)      Mysticism

The curriculum involves not only a cognitive mode of consciousness but an initiative receptive mode guided fantasy and various forms of meditation.

For eg; Transcendental Meditation(TM) is concerned with altering  states  of consciousness ,Voluntary control of inner states and  growth beyond  the ego.TM has been used reduction  of social tension, increased  learning ability and improved athletic performance has religious implications(ie; the experience of going beyond any state or realization of being)  It may help learners discern new possibilities, new directions and new questions. A curriculum of transcendence  should foster a spirit of criticism towards existing practices by encourage underdeveloped potential and hope in improving one’s existence.

2)Transpersonal Techniques

Bio feed back for controlling brain waves, deep hypnosis,yoga and the use of dreams are additional transpersonal techniques.

Mental imaginary and mental rehearsal help a person to perform better on skills that require a thoughtful systematic  approach.

Bio feedback can reduce muscle tensions.

The four humanistic responses to depersonalization  of the curriculum to focus’s  on basic skills

1)Self-Directed Learning

Achievement Motivation—Hope of success motivates the learner  if the task is of appropriate difficulty; fear of failure inhibits the learner if the task is either too difficulty or easy.

Attributive Theory—Learners see themselves as the reason for their success children’s interests-self  selected study of high interest topic result in focused effort.

2)      Evan Keislars  Curriculum Model for Self Development

Cognitive-Children learn from response to problem

Affective-Children handle challenges on an emotional level & See failure as a learning experience.

Social-Provides  training with co-operative and competitive groups as well as assertiveness & role training.

Moral-Conflicts in the class & Community create learning experiences.

 Ego Development—Self respect and self confidence develop without regard to ability or maturity.

3)      Finding the personal in the academic-Recognizing the limits of academic knowledge & the relevance of other forms  of knowledge  and internalizing  or finding personal meaning  of academic knowledge.

Literature-Finding personal connections

The arts balance between expression & craftsmanship

Math-Integrating learners emotions  into the symbolic process

Science and social science-applying knowledge  to meet human needs.

History recreating  or role playing past events to personally involve students.

4)Connecting Individual learnings & Social Learnings

Humanistic Curriculum is faulted for  focusing on self. Humanists continue to work on ways to combine individual & Societal change by starting with the individual & thin connecting to the community, country and finally the world.

Philosophical Foundations of the humanistic curriculum-Philosophical Roots

The philosophical roots of the humanistic approach pre-data Socrates can be seen throughout history. The greek  envisioned education as a way to develop a well balanced & harmonic person. This vision  develop into what is commonly referred to as the  “humanities or the  humanistic approach”

Psychological basis of Humanistic Curriculum

Behaviorism and Freudian psychology are partly rooted in existential thought-Humanism is often referred as  the “American existentialism because of its focus on the good in all  of its.

A third force psychology originated to address in fist behaviorism  and second Freudian force psychologies.it follows that curriculum must encourage self-actualization allowing learners to express, act out ,experiment,  make mistakes and discovers who they are.

Abraham Maslow is a key figure in the development of third force psychology.

For Maslow, the peak experience  of awe, mystery and wonder are both the end and the beginning  of learning” Cognitive & Personal growth should take place simultaneously.

Mikkail csikszentmihalyi—A third force psychologist  who exhorts students to develop complexity in their consciousness and to acquire multiple interest and abilities. Complexity  is made up of two closely linked process differentiation & Integration.

Differentiation: When individuals feel free to pursue individual goals and to become as different as they can be from each other.

Integration: When individuals become aware of the goals of others and help them to realize their goals.

Carl Rogers  a third force psychologist offered a frame work for the humanistic curriculum. Believed everyone has a natural ability to learn and wants to continue learning as long as the experience is positive. Emphasized learning how to learn.

Transcendentalists are using nontheistic spiritual tradition’s from asia such as Buddhism. Aiming at high level of consciousness  and alternate way to relate to the world. This direction is sometimes termed as fourth force psychology.

Transcendentalist encourage  additional way of learning & knowledge such as being guided by intuition –an inner voice, feeling thought or image. The interplay between the rational and non rational is necessary for creative imagination & a pre requisite to logical thought.