An introduction to the psychology of education

James Drever

Sujets

• Educational psychology

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• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 18
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

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Modern Educators LifomThe
TOINTRODUCTIONAN
OFTHE PSYCHOLOGY
EDUCATIONLIBRARYMODERN EDUCATOR'S
General Editor Prof. A. "A. COCK.
AN INTRODUCTION
TO THE
OFPSYCHOLOGY
EDUCATION
BY
DREVERJAMES
D.PHIL.M.A., B.Sc.,
READER AND COMBE LECTURER IN PSYCHOLOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
AUTHOR OF "INSTINCT IN "THE PSYCHOLOGY OFMAN,"
* EVERYDAY ETC.LIFE,"
SECOND IMPRESSION
LONDON
EDWARD ARNOLD & CO.
1923
All reservedrightsTHE MODERN EDUCATOR'S LIBRARY
General Editor : Professor A. A. COCK.
Crown 8vo. Uniform Cloth Binding.
Education : Its Dataand First Principles.
T. P. NUNN, M.A., Professor ofBy D.Sc.,
Education in the of London.University
Moraland Education. SOPHIEReligious By
lateBRYANT, D.Sc.,Litt.D., Headmistress,
North London School for Girls.Collegiate
The of Modern Lan-Teaching Foreign
in School andguages University. By
H. G. ATKINS, M.A., Professor ofD.Litt.,
German in ofKing's College, University
London and H. L.
; SeniorHUTTON, M.A.,
Modern Master at MerchantLanguage
School.Taylors'
The Child under E. R.Eight. By MURRAY,
Maria Col-Vice-Principal, Grey Training
andHENRIETTA
; BROWNlege, Brondesbury
SMITH, LL.A., Lecturer in Education,
Goldsmiths' of London.College, University
The and CurriculaOrganisation of
Schools. W. G. M.SLEIGHT,By A., D.Litt.,
L.C.C. of Classes andOrganizer Training
Adviser of Studies for Compulsory Day
Continuation School Teachers.
An Introduction to the ofPsychology
Education. By JAMES DREVER, M.A.,
Reader and CombeB.Sc., D.Phil., Lec-
turer in in the ofPsychology University
Edinburgh.
EDWARD ARNOLD & CO., LONDON
Printed in Great Britain Butler & Frame andLondonby Tanner,EDITOR'S PREFACE
Modern Educator's has been toTHE Library designed give
of the best and inconsidered theory practiceexpositions
of It is to cover theeducationEnglish to-day. planned
of educational in of curri-problems theory general,principal
of some unexhausted of theculum and aspectsorganization,
and of ofof brancheseducation, appliedhistory special
education.
The Editor and his have had in view the needscolleagues
and of to be butof teachers those teachers,young training
factorssince the school and the schoolmaster are not the sole
in the educative it is that educators inprocess, hoped general
of us is not in some sense or other an educatorwhich(and ?)
seriesas well as the find in theschoolmaster,professional may
some in and in educationhelp understanding precept practice
of and to-morrow. For we have borne in mind not
to-day
is educator'swhat but what to be. To exhibit theonly ought
iswork as a vocation the bestrequiring possible preparation
the in which these volumes have been written.spirit
No or andartificial has beenuniformity sought imposed,
thewhile the Editor is for the series inresponsible general,
for the in each volume restsresponsibility expressedopinions
with its author.solely
ALBEET A. COCK.
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE,
SOUTHAMPTON.
iiiAUTHOR'S PREFACE
it to choose between aLIMITS of have madespace necessary
detailed treatment of of the field of theonly part Psychology
of Education and a treatment of introductiongeneral by way
whole The latter alternative wasto the adopted,subject.
in the main because it seemed to meet the most pressing
need of the moment. There have been no less than three
distinct and within recentdevelopmentsimportant thought
a and on thewhich have direct immediateyears, bearing
of education thosepsychological aspects represented by
Freud and the American behaviouristsMontessori, respec-
so least as their mainAll of far atthese,tively. regards
inroads into the educational are to thefield, subsequent
work of Small wonderprofoundly significant McDougall.
then that the of education is in a chaotic state.
psychology
If the work succeeds in some sort of orderpresent bringing
into the it will have fulfilled its mainchaos, purpose.
In his Preface to Instinct in the author stated thatMan,
he had reserved the discussion of Freudian for
psychology
another occasion. The occasion is the but onpresent,
account of limitations the discussion isspace unfortunately
much less and much more thandetailed, dogmatic perhaps,
it to be. There becannot the least doubt thatought psy-
and education owe a deal to Freud and thechology great
In of the attitude ofpsychoanalysts. view, however, psycho-
" "
towardswhat term academicanalysts theycontemptuously
there is no inharm out thatpsychology, pointing psychology
did not with and that it is not a sufficientFreud,begin replyvi AUTHOR'S PREFACE
of to that theto criticism Freud's critic,any teaching say
not a knows about the matter.being psychoanalyst, nothing
such an attitude is a crude one.very PossiblyFrankly
state of the science ofthe comparatively undeveloped
of usedthe kind bothpsychology explains language by
critics and defenders of but one couldFreud,by hardly
thesame sort of in or Whatthing physics chemistry.imagine
scientific value in Freud's work willis of survive,permanent
a of toand and no thethat,only making religion adhering
letter of his will alter the ultimate verdict of science.teaching
The same kind of remark falls to be made with torespect
of the behaviour-the attitude taken some Americanup by
ists with to all who refuse to sub-regard psychologists
scribe to the view that and ofexperimental objective study
1
mental and the like is the basisbehaviour testing only
of the immensefor a education. servicespsychology Again
rendered to these workers in America ispsychology by
-but . Let rival schools ofundeniable, philosophy
at one another as choose. Workers instones theyfling
different fields of science can find a better use for their time
and energy.
In two the work marks some advance inrespects present
from that in inthe author's Instinctposition represented
Man. On the one the attitude towards behaviourismhand,
has become somewhat more withoutsympathetic, though
what to be the On theappear key positions.surrendering
his views the nature ofother hand, regarding suggestion
ofhave become more defined. He is sensibleclearly very
the defects of the but the life of a teacher ofwork, psychology
a British is at the moment ain one,very busyuniversity
fact as some excuse for theand he this defects,might plead
an excuse.unless are too to be covered suchthey grave by
He has at least to work out a ofattempted general point
view from which it is to see the different develop-possible
of education in their mutual relations.ments of a psychology