Discuss the importance of studying History of education

1. It enables educators examine in a historical context issues and problems that perplex us today and have perplexed other educators in the past. This examination leads to better understanding and hence possible solutions. The
teacher can also use possible solutions in the past to make work easier.

2. History of education helps teachers develop a personal point of view of education e.g. helps the teacher answer some questions e.g. what should be the aims of education? What are the guiding principles of curriculum development? What is the nature of the learner? What is the nature of the mind? What is the nature of the education process? What are the objectives of
the various levels of instruction?

3. History of education helps study past successes and failures in succession (in a systematic, logical historical manner). This provides opportunity for comparison and contrast in evaluating the worth of conflicting educational
theories and practice. This implies;
a. By knowing the past failures, we can reduce the possibilities of repeating them
b. By knowing tested education values, we can improve our own system.

4. History of education leads to better understanding of the relationship between theory and practice. This will help the teacher in applying theoretical education ideas to practical situations in the professions.

5. In history of education the teacher is acquainted with great teachers and educators of the past e.g. Buddha, Plato, Quintilian, Aristotle, St. Augustine,Comenius, Rousseau, Montessori etc. and this inspires them.

6. History of education strengthens the teacher’s personal and professional competence by encouraging them to;
a. Examine, evaluate, accept or modify the cultural inheritance
b. Become an educational critic and agent responsible for cultural transmission and change rather than blindly accepting the status quo or unchallenged claims

7. Examination of educational theories and practices in their historical context may encourage teachers to take a critical look at contemporary theories and practices. It is said that the past illuminates the present. It is also said that without history, one might learn what a thing is but not where it came from, not why it is here, not what it is for and not what it is going to become.
History of education makes contemporary issues alive

8. History of education helps one to make comparisons i.e. different ideas with
one group or one idea with different groups. This helps teachers in
understanding development of a popular theory or practice.

9. Understanding the context of historical events creates the spirit of realism. This reduces possible frustration caused by ignorance of the limits set to human power by particular context,( will show you what is possible and what is not_ that you are not aiming at what is impossible).

10. Studying of history of education as a discipline develops the power of thinking. It does this by exciting curiosity, developing enquiry, developing reasoning and encouraging the art of self expression and communication. It also helps develop critical and skeptical thinking because our knowledge of the past is based on written documents. These must be looked at critically and skeptically bearing in mind that they were written by ordinary human beings who had to choose what to and what not to write.

11. History of education is drawn upon by practically all other fields of study. Allother disciplines e.g. sciences and humanities depend on history to provide the raw record of what happen in their areas. Students of history of education cannot fully understand the discipline unless they get some acquaintance with other social science. Fields such as sociology and psychology can be used in analyzing educational ideas. This means therefore that history of education exposes people to other disciplines.

or
Enables one to:
-Formulate richer educational patterns
-Formulate more comprehensive educational principles
-Provide a larger educational perspective
-Project imaginatively into a broader range of humanity.

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Kibet Koina answered the question on January 23, 2019 at 16:14