Pragmatism and its educational implications

Pragmatism and its educational implications
Pragmatism considers learner as a growing biological and social being ready to adjust environmental needs.The aim of pragmatism is to prepare the child to face problems and solve it. It is against to give education to the child in a ready-made form but to encourage to learn through active interaction with learning situation.
Pragmatism and aims of education

1. Overall development of the child-It includes physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual and aesthetic development. This way of development will prepare the child to face problems in life.
2. Lifelong experience- It can be provided only by reconstructing the experiences according to the capacity, interest, and needs of the child.
3. Social citizen- It believes in democracy, flexibility, social efficiency and active participation in changing social order is the dimensions to grow a child as a social citizen. 

Pragmatism and curriculum

1. The principle of utility- The pragmatism chooses the subjects like language, physical training, science, history, geography, and culture to develop a proper attitude to the present society and satisfy the future needs of the social environment.
2. The principle of interest- The activities of the curriculum should be interesting to the child to develop a proper attitude and aptitude towards the society. Reading, writing, art, craftwork and outdoor experiences can be included to develop an interest in the child.
3. The principle of experience- The students should achieve experience from classrooms, laboratories, and libraries during their learning period. The pragmatism also supports co-curricular activities to prepare the students as social citizens.
4. The principle of integration-It considers knowledge as one unit, not as separate entities. In order to transfer knowledge to a student, it should be treated as a single entity.

Pragmatism and methods of teaching

Pragmatism recommends a participatory approach, in which students are allowed to participate actively in the teaching-learning process. It includes practical work, discussion, role play, demonstrations, experiments and outdoor activities to teach the students. It supports

• progressive learning- Method of teaching should be growth and practically oriented in order to equip the challenges in the life.
• learning by doing- It supports real-life experience and experimental activities to learn.
• integration- Knowledge is considered as a 'whole', not separate entities.

Pragmatism and discipline

It believes in social discipline. Co-operative activities may help the child to develop mutual interest, initiative, and consideration for others.

Pragmatism and teacher

The teacher acts as a friend, philosopher, and guide to the children. A teacher should able to maintain a relationship with the child for understanding their interests and mold them to grow as a social citizen.

Pragmatism

Pragmatism

This proposition is derived from idealism and naturalism. As the name suggests, it believes in action. It is also called as instrumentalism/functionalism/experimentalism.

Definition

According to Peirce, an American philosopher, Pragmatism is to 'consider the practical effects of the objects of your conception. Then, your conception of those effects is the whole of your conception of the object'. It means the results of the human activity decides its acceptance otherwise, it would be rejected.

Forms of pragmatism

1. Humanistic pragmatism: The matters which satisfies the needs and objectives of the human beings and helps in the welfare of the mankind, can be considered as true and real.
2. Experimental pragmatism: Whatever can be experimentally verified is true.
3. Biological pragmatism: The capacity of the human beings is able to survive in the environment according to his needs.

Principles of pragmatism

1. Man creates his own values
2. Truths are man-made products and experimentally proved
3. A true philosophy helps to solve problems
4. The man is able to adapt his environment according to his needs
5. Democracy is  essential to produce maximum development of the human being
6. If an idea is useful, then it is true. Otherwise, it is wrong
7. Learning by doing
8. Man is doing a course of activities, and reality is still making.