B.Sc. Ed.

Dissertation Proposal

Student Name: John Keegan

1. Working Title

The Application of a Humanist, Holistic Model of Education to Technical education, with

particular reference to the Humanist Carl Rogers.

2. Research Aims

This dissertation aims to,

 Analysis the application of a Humanist with a view at a Holistic Model of Education to

Technical education, with particular reference to the Humanist Carl Rogers.

3. Research Objectives
The objectives of this dissertation are to:

 Establish a concise definition of the humanist approach to teaching and learning, and

how it relates to the technical subjects.

 Create a guide on the humanistic model of education based on the holistic approach

by designing a holistic model of education to technical education.

 Identify the contribution left by Carl Rogers in education and his theory and the

impact it had on today’s education.

 Design a framework that supports student meta-cognition based on the investigation

of Rogers’s theory.

4. Research Methodology

In the completion of this dissertation I will use secondary research to gain void information

on the holistic approach to teaching and learning in today’s world. Key publications that will

be useful for me to complete my dissertation will be McGrath’s article ‘Implementing an

Holistic Approach in Vocational Education and Training’ (McGrath , 2007) and the article from

Patel ‘A Holistic Approach to Learning and Teaching Interaction: Factors in the Development

of Critical Learners ‘ (Patel, 2017). Dictionaries will give me a definition and a view of to what

humanism is in relation education. I will investigate the major contribution of the theorist

Carl Rogers. Carl Rogers has many publications that will help me gain knowledge on the
contribution he left to education, publications like ‘On becoming a person: a therapist's view

of psychotherapy’ (Rogers, 1978). ‘Carl Rogers: Reflections on his Life’ (Rogers, 1978) will give

me a detailed knowledge on what his contribution to education was. In the literacy review I

will pay particular emphasis on the humanistic model and how it has an impact on education

today and also compare it briefly to its direct opposition the behaviourism as presented in

Susan Bentham’s book, ‘Phycology and Education’ (Bentham, 2002).

5. Initial Literature Review

In this section I am going to investigate different publications that will help me to complete

my dissertation. These publications will be the foundation to my dissertation as I am using

secondary research to complete it. The research will be of valid information to analysis the

application of a Humanist with a view at a Holistic Model of Education to Technical

education, with particular reference to the Humanist Carl Rogers.

Holistic Approach to Education

What is the holistic approach to education? As illustrated in the article, ‘A Holistic Approach

to Learning and Teaching Interaction: Factors in the Development of Critical Learners’,

(Patel, 2017) the holistic approach to teaching develops students to be critical, confident and

independent, the holistic approach is based on the view that teaching is a social activity. The

holistic approach to education is used to develop a person so they can find meaning and
purpose in life. The article goes on to instruct the reader how the holistic approach to

teaching and learning the student will develop to become confident, critical and

independent. How a student views and connects with the natural world and how in turn it

will affect their development. This reading will guide me to create a model on the holistic

approach to education. ‘Implementing a Holistic Approach in Vocational Education and

Training’ (McGrath , 2007) In this article the theoretical framework for a holistic approach to

education and how it is a humanism and constructivist theory that is linked to the holistic

approach.

Why the humanistic approach to teaching? It portrays the development of a person as a

whole person and looks at the character of the person. Considering the behaviour and the

characteristics of a person as good or bad, strong or weak through the eyes of the person

doing the behaviour and not just the eyes of the observer is what Humanistic psychologists

look for. ‘Learning and Teaching’ (Hughes & Hughes, 1959) explains how the humanistic

approach is a person centred, individual approach to teaching and learning.

‘A Guide to Learning Independently’ (Marshall & Rowland, 1998) Chapter 1 ‘You’ looks at the

different fields that impact a person being able to learn independently. The book shows how

one can use the insights to make learning more effective and satisfying which will boost

confidence.
The enhancing of a student’s self- esteem and self- concept is something that is looked at in

Danial Muljis and David Reynolds book, ‘Effective Teaching’ (Muijs & Reynolds, 2011). This

book asks does self- concept relate to pupils’ achievement and enhancing self- esteem in the

classroom. ‘Behaviour for Learning’ (Ellis & Tod, 2009) chapter 7 on self-esteem and self-

efficacy looks into how and individual should look at their ability to execute a behaviour to

produce a pacific outcome. The reading goes on to explain how these strategies can help

develop a person.

‘Teaching Backwards’ (Griffith, 2004) is a book that shows the Humanists believes that self-

actualization is the goal of education. The book has a look at the teaching strategy of having

a set goal and for the person to work towards the goal building and developing skills in the

process. There can be a link made to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and reaching self-

actualization.

Contribution of Carl Rogers

‘Carl Rogers: Reflections on his Life’ (Heppner, Rogers & Lee 1984) looks back on the life of

the American psychologist who was one of the founders of Humanists approach to

education. Rogers believes and the contribution he had towards teaching and learning in

education is expressed in detail. This book will help me establish the contribution that Rogers

had on education.
‘'The politics of the helping relationship: Carl Rogers' contributions’ (Zucconi, 2011) this

paper highlights the present-day value of the contributions of Carl Rogers. Person-centred

and experimental practitioners are encouraged in the article, which gives valid information

on the life of Carl Rogers and his theory. This book will help to link into the technical subjects

and the commonage with Rogers and technical development.

‘On Becoming A Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy’ (Rogers, 2004) is a publication

by Rogers himself, where he goes through how education is the foundation to becoming the

person that one wants to become. ‘Carl Rogers on personal power’ (Rogers, 1978) is another

publication that will demonstrate to me how Rogers felt about how humanism is key to

education.

Application to Education

What is meta- cognition and the importance it has to students? As educators we must insure

that our students develop through the whole body. Students need to be aware and

understand their own thought process. In chapter 1 of Robert J. Marzano’s and Debra J.

Pickering’s book ‘The Highly Engaged Classroom’ (Marzano & Pickering, 2011) they talk

about students interests in education and what they want to learn. (Marzano & Pickering,

2011) To ensure that we guide students to be able to establish what is wrong and what is

right by acting of their knowledge, we must make sure that we teach to the heart and to the
hands not just to the mind. I believe that the partial subject of Materials Technology Wood is

an impervious way to develop through the hands.

‘Psychology and Education’ (Bentham, 2002) chapter 2’ ‘Perspectives on learning: the

behaviourist and humanistic approaches’, is a section that will help me to perform a

comparison between the two approaches to teaching. By comparing the humanistic

approach to another approach will help the demonstrate why the humanistic approach is so

important to the technical subjects. ‘Cooperative Learning: Where Behavioral and

Humanistic Approaches to Classroom Motivation Meet’ (Slavin, 1987) This article also

discusses behavioural and humanistic perspectives on cooperative learning.

6. Initial List of References

References
1.Bentham, S., 2002. Psychology and Education. 1st ed. East Sussex: Routledge.

2. Dommett, E., 2011. Learing and the Brain. 1st ed. Hampshire: Teachers Pocketbooks.

3. Ellis, S. & Tod, J., 2009. Behaviour for Learning. 1st ed. Oxon: Routledge.

4. Griffith, A., 2004. Teaching Backwards. 1st ed. Camarthen, Wales: Crown House Publishing.

5. Hughes, A. G. & Hughes, E. H., 1959. Learning and Teaching. 3rd ed. Suffolk: Richard Clay
(The Chaucer Press) Ltd.

6. Marshall, L. & Rowland, F., 1998. A Guide to Learning Independently. 3rd ed. Buckingham:
Open University Press.

7. Marzano, R. J. & Pickering, J. D., 2011. The Highly Engaged Classroom. 1st ed. Blomington:
Marzano Research Laboratory.

8. McGrath , D. L., 2007. Implementing an Holistic Approach in Vocational Education and

Training. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, Volume 47, pp. 228-244.

9. Muijs, D. & Reynolds, D., 2011. Effective Teaching. 3rd ed. London: Sage Publications.

10. Patel, N. V., 2017. A Holistic Approach to Learning and Teaching Interaction: Factors in the
Development of Critical Learners. The Interantional Journel of Educaational Management, 26
October, p. 19.

11. Rogers, C. R., 1978. Carl Rogers on personal power. London: Constable.

12. Zucconi, A., 2011. The politics of the helping relationship: Carl Rofers' contributions.
Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 10(1), pp. 2-10.

13. Rogers, C.R., 1969. Freedom to learn: A view of what education might
become (Vol. 69). Columbus, OH: Merrill.

14. Rogers, C.R., 1975. Empathic: An unappreciated way of being. The counselling
psychologist, 5(2), pp.2-10.

15. Singh, K., 2007. Holistic Approach to Education. Education in India Vol# 4, p.107.
16. Sadler-Smith, E., 1996. Learning styles: a holistic approach. Journal of European
Industrial Training, 20(7), pp.29-36.

17. Kolb, A.Y. and Kolb, D.A., 2005. Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing
experiential learning in higher education. Academy of management learning &
education, 4(2), pp.193-212.

18. Dictionary, O., 2017. British and World English.

19.Kolb, A.Y. and Kolb, D.A., 2009. Experiential learning theory: A dynamic, holistic
approach to management learning, education and development. The SAGE handbook
of management learning, education and development, pp.42-68.

20. Islahuddin, Tolla, I, & Mansyur 2016, 'A Holistic Model of Partnership in
Education', International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 11, 13, pp.
5915-5924, ERIC, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 April 2018.

21. Slavin, R.E., 1987. Cooperative learning: Where behavioral and humanistic
approaches to classroom motivation meet. The Elementary School Journal, 88(1),
pp.29-37.