The History of Education

  

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The History of Education

                                                (Comment on Herbst’s Article)

Historical context:

This article was written at the end of the 90’s; the article states that while in the 70’s historians of education in the USA and Europe had four decades of productive and exciting work, in the 80 and 90’s, historians became fruitless and show lack on sense and purpose.  The author believes that this change may be due to soul-searching movements and the inclusion of topics such as racial minorities, ethnicity, cultural and bilingual education, which created confusion amongst educators. For the author, it seems that by the beginning of the 2000, historians talk about many educational topics as “empty formulas” without really proposing how apply those concepts to practice.

Innovation:

Herbst explains that historians seem to bring back topics without proposing new ways to address them. In addition, there is a lack of free research, as research usually accommodates to the interest of the state. Likewise, historians are not using their scholar expertise to generate new ideas as methods, for example, they can’t develop their own syllabi as they need to squeeze information and requirements imposed by the state. For Herbst, it seems like state requirements for public education are blocking progressive education.  As we learned innovation is related to improving making best use of resources. Innovation flourishes under specific conditions and environments.

Creativity:

Herbst believes historians of education are suffering from intellectual anemia, education students are more concerns about marketable skills and techniques that provide them a good job rather than intellectual exploration, acting as bureaucrats of public system. He proposes a way to repair: historian educators become historians as well, to understand the value of history and bring more disciplines together. I agree with Herbst that if the system doesn’t reward creativity or even sees it as a threat, educators don’t feel the need to change the status quo. What I have experience is that creativity is not welcome when it’s perceived as bringing more work to instructors and administration. Likewise, my teaching performance if mostly measured by online student surveys that do not ask students regarding how innovative was the course or if the course allow them to be creative.

Teaching:

Herbst argues that historian of educations used to work independently and studied all levels of education, childhood and family life and role of women. However, as discussed previously they seem to do what the state dictates, and in the current curriculum, school no longer prepares students for life but for tests that they need to pass. If we go back to the definition of teaching, teaching is not only about transmitting knowledge but guiding students on how to think and challenge what is presented to them, as sharing positive values, beliefs and attitudes .I do feel this is the case for my courses, where I have to squeeze so much information and assess courses through exams and quizzes that there is not time nor space to engage in discussions, reflections or share experience and thoughts.

In addition, Herbst state that historians only focus on education in public school, when education should be studies in different settings, public school and other institutions where culture is transmitted through generations. Herbs says that educators as well lack of historical understanding of pedagogical practice in the classroom, they can’t reflect the past and today, which ties to the topic of this module. As educators we need to constantly review new trends and learn from the past to teach effectively.

Learning:

Herbst argues that students “amass” too much information without understanding or reflecting as they just want to perform well in the exam. In this way, students also lack of purpose and life skills. There is a tension between curriculum and child (Dewey). According to Herbst, it seems that private and religious schools are putting more effort in the child rather than the school system, and thus there should be more research regarding alternative methods of schooling and more emphasis in the child. From my own personal experience, my kids went to an international private school in Shanghai, and I did experience this child-centered focus. The mission of the school was to educate creative, considerate and confident students. Apart from academic excellence the school was committed to creativity, social justice issues, leadership and mental health, which should be available to all students.

Questions to the author:

• Based on his expertise, how could historians of education become more independent of the state and more influential on educational policies?
• All stakeholders should be thinking of alternative ways of education, however, I feel that if education is not for free, many students won’t access those opportunities, what is his opinion on this?

Reference:

Jurgen Herbst (1999). The History of Education: State of the Art at theT urn of the Century in Europe and North America, Paedagogica Historica, 35:3, 737-747, DOI: 10.1080/0030923990350308