Editing Humanistic education

{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2019}}
{{Short description|Education based on humanistic psychology}}
{{Use American English|date = February 2019}}
{{ distinguish|text = liberal arts education or classical education.  See [[liberal arts]] }}
'''Humanistic education''' (also called '''person-centered education''') is an approach to education based on the work of [[Humanistic psychology|humanistic psychologists]], most notably [[Abraham Maslow]] and [[Carl Rogers]].<ref name="Clark 218">{{cite book|last=Power|first=F. Clark|title=Moral Education|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0313336478|pages=218|year=2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Hall|first=Eric|title=Human relations in education|year=1988|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=041502532X|pages=14|author2=Carol Hall}}</ref> Rogers is regarded as the founder of humanistic psychology<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Social Work, details|url=https://www.historyofsocialwork.org/eng/details.php?cps=17|access-date=2021-01-05|website=www.historyofsocialwork.org}}</ref> and devoted much of his efforts toward applying the results 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 traits of the most effective teachers{{citation needed|date=February 2014}}. He edited a series of books dealing with humanistic education in his "Studies of the Person Series," which included his book, ''Freedom to Learn''<ref>Rogers, Carl R. ''Freedom to Learn''. Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill, 1969</ref> and ''Learning to Feel - Feeling to Learn - Humanistic Education for the Whole Man,'' by Harold C. Lyon, Jr.<ref>Lyon, Harold C. Jr. ''Learning to Feel - Feeling to Learn''. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill. 1971.</ref> In the 1970s the term "humanistic education" became less popular after conservative groups equated it with "Secular Humanism" and attacked the writings of Harold Lyon as being anti-Christian. That began a successful effort by Aspy, Lyon, Rogers, and others to re-label it "person-centered teaching", replacing the term "humanistic education."  In a more general sense the term includes the work of other humanistic pedagogues, such as [[Rudolf Steiner]],<ref>"The Waldorf Schools offer an approach to humanistic education which has stood the test of time." Sarah W. Foster, "An Introduction to Waldorf Education", ''The Clearing House'', Vol. 57, No. 5 (Jan., 1984), pp. 228-230</ref><ref>Timothy Leonard, ''Pedagogies of the Imagination: Mythopoetic Curriculum in Educational Practice'', Springer 2008, p. 232</ref><ref>R. C. S. Trahair, ''Utopias and Utopians: an historical dictionary'', Greenwood Press, 1999, p. 348</ref> and [[Maria Montessori]]. All of these approaches seek to engage the "whole person"{{citation needed|date=February 2014}}: the intellect, feeling life{{clarify|date=February 2014}}, 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]].{{citation needed|date=December 2012}}

==History==
Humanistic education has its roots in [[Renaissance philosophy|Renaissance philosophers]] who emphasised the study of [[the humanities]]: grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and moral philosophy; these in turn built upon Classical models of education.<ref>Paul Oskar Kristeller, Renaissance Thought II: Papers on Humanism and the Arts (New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1965), p. 178.</ref>

The growing Humanist-inspired emphasis on [[education in Scotland]] culminated with the passing of the [[Education Act 1496]].

== Principles ==
{{Refimprove section|date=December 2012}}

=== Choice and control ===
The [[humanistic]] approach places a great deal of emphasis on students' choice and control over the course of their [[education]]. Students are encouraged to make choices that range from day-to-day activities to periodically setting future life goals. This allows for students to focus on a specific subject of interest for any amount of time they choose, within reason. Humanistic teachers believe it is important for students to be motivated and engaged in the material they are [[learning]], and this happens when the topic is something the students need and want to know.

=== Felt concerns ===
Humanistic [[education]] tends to focus on the felt concerns and interests of the students intertwining with the [[intellect]]. It is believed that the overall mood and feeling of the students can either hinder or foster the process of [[learning]].

=== The whole person ===
Humanistic [[educator]]s believe that both feelings and [[knowledge]] are important to the [[learning]] process. Unlike traditional educators, humanistic teachers do not separate the [[cognitive]] and affective domains. This aspect also relates to the curriculum in the sense that lessons and activities provide focus on various aspects of the student and not just rote memorization through note taking and lecturing.

=== Self evaluation ===
Humanistic [[educator]]s believe that grades are irrelevant and that only self-evaluation is meaningful. Grading encourages students to work for a grade and not for intrinsic satisfaction. Humanistic educators disagree with routine testing because they teach students rote memorization as opposed to meaningful [[learning]]. They also believe testing doesn't provide sufficient [[educational]] feedback to the teacher.

=== Teacher as a facilitator ===
"The tutor or lecturer tends to be more supportive than critical, more understanding than judgmental, more genuine than playing a role."<ref>Rowan, J. (n.d.). Humanistic education. Retrieved from {{cite web|url=http://www.ahpweb.org/rowan_bibliography/chapter17.html |accessdate=September 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028171856/http://www.ahpweb.org/rowan_bibliography/chapter17.html |archivedate=October 28, 2011 |title=Ahp - A Guide to Humanistic Psychology }}</ref> Their job is to foster an engaging environment for the students and ask inquiry-based questions that promote meaningful learning.

===Field studies on humanistic education===
David Aspy and Flora Roebuck performed a large field study, in 42 states and 7 countries, in the 1970s and 80s, funded by the [[National Institute of Mental Health]] over a 12-year period, focusing on what led to achievement, [[creativity]], more student thinking and interactivity, less violence, and both teacher and student satisfaction. Their conclusions corroborated the earlier findings of Carl Rogers's that the more effective teachers were empathic, caring for or prizing their students, and were authentic or genuine in their classroom presence.<ref>Aspy, David, and Roebuck, Flora:  (1977) ''Kids Don't Learn from People They Don't Like'', Amherst, Massachusetts: Human Resources Development Press.</ref> In 2010 Jeffrey Cornelius-White and Adam Harbaugh published a large meta-analysis on Learner Centered Instruction including in their analysis of the higher quality studies on person-centered or humanistic education since 1948.<ref>Cornelius-White, J. and Harbaugh, A: (2010) ''Learner Centered Instruction ''Los Angeles: Sage</ref> In 2013, Rogers, Lyon, and Tausch published ''On Becoming an Effective Teacher -- Person-centered Teaching, Psychology, Philosophy, and Dialogues with Carl R. Rogers and Harold Lyon'',<ref>Rogers, CR, Lyon, Harold C. Jr, and Tausch: (2013) ''On Becoming an Effective Teacher- On–Person-centered Teaching, Psychology, Philosophy, and Dialogues with Carl R. Rogers and Harold Lyon'', London Routledge</ref> which contained Rogers' unpublished work on teaching and documented the research results of four highly related, independent studies which comprise a collection of data to test a person-centered theory in the field of [[education]].

=== In environment ===
The [[Built environment|environment]] in a school which focuses their practice on humanistic [[education]] tends to have a very different setting than a traditional school. It consist of both indoor and outdoor environments with a majority of time being spent outdoors. The indoor setting may contain a few tables and chairs, bean bags for quiet reading and relaxation, book shelves, hide-aways, kitchens, much color and art posted on the walls. The outdoor environment is very engaging for students. You might find tree houses, outdoor kitchens, sand boxes, play sets, natural materials, sporting activities, etc. The wide range of activities are offered for students allowing for free choices of interest.

==Related movements==
A number of contemporary school movements incorporate humanistic perspectives within a larger, holistic context: these include the [[Waldorf education|Waldorf]], [[Montessori education|Montessori]], [[Reggio Emilia]], and [[Neohumanism|Neohumanist]] schools. These originated independently of the humanistic psychology movement and at least some of them incorporate spiritual perspectives absent from the traditional humanistic approach.<ref>Lucila Telles Rudge, [http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi/Rudge%20Lucila%20T.pdf?osu1213289333 "Holistic Education: An Analysis of its Pedagogical Application"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916183537/https://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi/Rudge%2520Lucila%2520T.pdf%3Fosu1213289333 |date=September 16, 2020 }}, dissertation, Ohio State University</ref>

==See also==
* [[Democratic school]]
* [[Humanistic psychology]]
* [[Learning theory (education)|Learning theory]]
* [[Liberal education]]
* [[Music for People (organization)|Music for People]]
* [[Progressive education]]
* [[Sudbury school]]
* [[Waldorf education]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{Library resources box|by=no|onlinebooks=no|about=yes|wikititle=humanistic education}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090428095148/http://nhe.gurukul.edu/curriculum.htm "The New Humanistic education at Gurukul"] - possibly an example of new humanistic education
*[http://www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/programs/preu/scg/new_school/ "The New School at Dawson College"] - possibly an example of humanistic education at the community college level
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[[Category:Alternative education]]
[[Category:Philosophy of education]]
[[Category:Humanistic psychology]]