From Reluctant Thoughts to Remarkable Contribution:

A Teacher’s Perspective on John Locke’s Some Thoughts Concerning Education

Ma. Annalyn C. Camba

Philippine Normal University

Introduction

John Locke was an English philosopher, physician and was born into a Puritan family in

Bristol, England in 1632. He was also one of the most influential Enlightenment

thinkers. Locke is well-known for his “tabula rasa” view of the human mind or “blank

slate” theory of the mind. He believed everyone born knowing nothing. Locke doesn’t

believed in innate ideas, for him at birth the mind is like a blank sheet of paper, a tabula

rasa, where knowledge or ideas are imprinted, and all ideas are derived from

experience by sensation.

Locke is well known for three works: A Letter Concerning Toleration, The Second

Treatise on Common Government, and Some Thoughts Concerning Education. Locke

has additionally been marked "the father of modern education in England”. Among the

three works of Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education is the most popular in the

field of education, obvious on its title. His most significant writings on the topic of

education, entitled Some Thoughts Concerning Education, was based on a series of

letters he wrote to his friend and political ally, Sir Edward Clarke, beginning in 1684,

when Clarke’s son was eight years old. The Thoughts was largely finished by 1688 and

was first made publicly available in 1693. In the book’s dedication, Locke states that he

is publishing it only with great reluctance. His name does not appear on the title page of

the first edition. Locke seems to have been anxious about how his Thoughts would be

received (McNulty, 2014).

As it turned out, the book was to a great degree fruitful, and Locke assumed

acknowledgment for it by setting his name on the cover sheet of the second release.

The Thoughts would remain in print, experiencing two more versions in Locke's lifetime.

Before the finish of the seventeenth century, the book had been converted into Dutch,

French, Swedish, German and Italian (Axtell, 1968). To understand John Locke views

on education, it is important to understand that his points and strategies were to a great

extent dictated by the place and time in which he lived and by the schools which he

went to. John Locke is searching for new approach of teaching or training that fits the

current circumstance in his society that time. His views on education have great impact

on the curriculum we have today. He emphasize that virtues are the most important part

of education. Locke cites his own observation, philosophy on education, and everything

he knows on how to teach the young mind in Some Thoughts Concerning Education.

The main objective of education for Locke is to make a virtuous, very much trained and

wise students or young adults.

Some Thoughts Concerning Education is literally old by now, to be exact 324 years old,

however the book's substance appears to be exceptionally new; the book’s content

seems fresh to a new student of philosophy like me. Locke’s philosophy deserves to be

more often read by educators. On this paper, I will explore and analyse his philosophy

and assess its benefits on my line of work as a secondary public teacher

Descriptive discussion

( ADD INTELLECTUAL BIOGRAPHY)

HARMONY OF MIND AND BODY

“A sound mind in a sound body is a short, but full description of a happy state in the
world…’’

-John Locke, Part I, Section I of Some Thoughts Concerning Education

“How necessary health is to our business and happiness, and how requisite a strong

constitution, able to endure hardships and fatigue is, to one that will make any figure in

the world; is too obvious to need any proof.”

-John Locke, Part I, Section III of Some Thoughts Concerning Education

According to Locke, developing the child physically is a strong foundation. He focused

physical aspects and said that the first things we have to attend to is the physical needs

of our child or the physical necessities of the students. Exceptionally realist approach
stressing on the body, he has concerns on having a mind capable of positive thinking

also give significance on having a healthy body free from any diseases.

Body and mind are associated with each other, and empowers man to have a

meaningful life. Locke insists that the mind and body should be both healthy and sound.

A healthy person can think normally and act instantly in any given situation. A sound

body means a healthy body, free from diseases and it does not bulky body. A sound

mind means a mind capable of good, positive and free thinking mind. Personally, I can’t

focus on my work if I don’t have enough sleep, when my floaters are blocking my sight I

can’t hardly read, I cannot think properly. Emotions for me also play an important part in

learning.

To support the claim of Locke, a new study proves that a sound mind and a sound body

are connected. The More fit one's heart is, the more one's mind appears to profit,

researchers now find. According to the study made by researcher Georg Kuhn, a

neuroscientist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden shows that cardiovascular

exercise increases blood flow to the brain, supplying it with more oxygen and nutrients.

Moreover, during exercise, growth factors are produced that could improve brain

structure over time. This not only includes more and stronger connections between

nerve cells, but also more neurons and supporting cells. "From animal experiments we

know this is the case especially in the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is

important for learning and memory," he said (Choi, 2009).

In a massive study, Kuhn and his team investigated nearly all Swedish men born

between 1950 and 1976 who were recruited at age 18 into military service, which is
compulsory in Sweden. The sample of a whopping 1,221,727 men used data on

physical fitness and intelligence performance, and included 268,496 full sibling pairs

and 3,147 twin pairs, of whom 1,432 were identical. The scientists discovered that

cardiovascular fitness was linked with overall intelligence, although the same did not

hold true for muscle strength and brainpower. Cardiovascular fitness was also linked

with scores on tests of logical, verbal, technical and visuospatial capabilities and even

socioeconomic status and educational attainment later in life (Choi, 2009).

Kuhn suggested the result of their studies can be used in school curriculum. From the

article Sound Body Equals Sound Mind, Study Finds written by Charles Choi, Kuhn

detailed that "The findings can be used to argue for a more balanced school

curriculum," Kuhn said. "It is a better argument for school kids to grasp that they can be

more successful in life if they study and exercise, than telling them that, with regular

exercise, their chance for Alzheimer's disease after they are 60 years old will decrease

by X percent."

POWER OF CHOICES

“Men’s happiness or misery is most part of their own making,”

“…I think I may say, that of all the men we meet with, nine parts of the ten are what they
are, good or evil, useful of not, by their education.”

-John Locke, Part I, Section I of Some Thoughts Concerning Education

A realist himself, Locke believed that all men are created equal but how they are raised

shaped who they became. We can relate this to liberty as natural human rights and to
tabula rasa state of mind were all men are born knowing nothing. Tabula rasa or blank

sheets were knowledge are imprinted and knowledge are derived from experiences an

individual gained. Liberty as to autonomy that we make choices and from those choices

we earn experiences brought us life leanings that shaped us as an individual. Learning

that enhance our understanding of the world around us. We make choices, and the

choices we make that are most influential in determining the kinds of person/individual

we become. Who we are, how we end up as an adult, all kinds of being we are as an

adult that’s under our control. Upon reading from Locke that our choices determine us

an individual, I remember a quote from one of my favourite books, and it stated that "It is

our choices that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities." That’s professor

Dumbledore talking to Harry in Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secret written by J.K

Rowling. No matter what our abilities are, the course of our lives will be determined by

the choices we make; we have to make sure they’re good ones.

“But as to this, give me leave here to inculcate again what is very apt to be forgotten,

viz. that great care is to be taken, that it be never made as a business to him, nor he

look on it as a task. We naturally, as I said, even from our cradles, love liberty, and have

therefore an aversion to many things, for no other reason, but because they are in

joined us”

-John Locke, Part IX, Section 148 of Some Thoughts Concerning Education

According Dr. Stephen Hicks “Education is partly a matter of what we decide to do

ourselves but also partly of what our parents or role models decide to present to us.

Liberty is natural human birth right, to be a human is to make one’s own choices and we
naturally want to make our own choices. Locke suggesting here as parents and

educators we need to always take that into account being strictly authoritarian is not the

proper way form for human to take instead, we need to take into account the natural

and healthy human desire for independence, making our own choices even as children

boxes right from right from the cradle we have to take this into account inculcated,

channel it, encourage it in the appropriate directions.” On my views, we can make better

decisions in life if we are educated, for me education plays an important role in our

decision making and when we make the choice to grow, we move closer to the person

we wish to be.

HABIT AND EXAMPLE

“I have spoken so much of carrying a strict hand over children that perhaps I shall be

suspected of not considering enough what is due to their tender age and constitutions.

But that opinion will vanish, when you have heard me a little farther. For I am very apt to

think, that great severity of punishment does but very little good; nay, great harm in

education: and I believe it will be fond, that ceteris paribus, those children who have

been most chastised , seldom make the best men.”

-John Locke, Part III, Section 43 of Some Thoughts Concerning Education

Learning doesn’t stop when children are at. Home is the first school and parents are the

first teacher. A child tends to imitate what he see from his surroundings. If the mother

put make up like lipstick, the children will get the lipstick and put it on too. If the father

fixes things using a hammer, there’s a possibility that his child will get the hammer and

use it too. If both parents are studious, they’re children have the tendency to become

studious. Give Children are the best imitators. Show them something great to imitate.

According Dr. Stephen Hicks, “Discipline is important, disciplined is appropriate.

Disciplined is often associated with punishment. Punishment must done appropriately

and lightly might be able to help but laying a heavy hand on is going to make things only

worse. Punishment must use in how children are going to learn how to become good, to

become obedient when appropriate and have good manners and be motivated in the

right kind of way.”

Concepts of discipline vary. The conventional elementary school concept of discipline is

based on obedience (Gartrell, 1997). Many parents and teachers see punishment as a

part of discipline. In the Philippine setting, parents and teachers view punishment as

part of discipline. Before, Corporal punishment is widely practiced in the Philippine

education; I, myself experienced that from my teachers when I was in my grade school

years. My teacher used to throw things like chalk, erasers, and even her shoes were

flying inside the classroom if the whole class is paying attention to the lesson. I,

personally those moments inculcated to my mind that I should always be obedient and

to my teachers and behave or well-mannered inside the class or school. Deep inside

me, stern and strict teacher created anxiety inside me, it’s like there’s a barrier between
me and her but on the good side, it made me strived in school. When I entered college,

learned that punishment and discipline are every different things.

Discipline is more on guiding the child, requires a lot of patience, understanding time.

According to Dr. Jane Nelsen the concepts of positive discipline are…“Mutual

respect. Adults model firmness by respecting themselves and the needs of the situation,

and kindness by respecting the needs of the child. Identifying the belief behind the

behavior. Effective discipline recognizes the reasons kids do what they do and works to

change those beliefs, rather than merely attempting to change behavior. Effective

communication and problem solving skills. Discipline that teaches (and is neither

permissive nor punitive). Focusing on solutions instead of punishment.

Encouragement (instead of praise). Encouragement notices effort and improvement, not

just success, and builds long-term self-esteem and empowerment. On contrary,

punishment is control by fear, power, and coercion; is done to the child; elicits anger,

guilt, resentment, and deceit; impairs communication and wholesome parent-child

relationships; stops undesired behavior in the specific situation temporarily, but behavior

often is exhibited in other ways.”

“Manners as they call it, about which children are so often perplexed, and have so many

goodly exhortations made them, by their wise maids and governesses, I think, are

rather to be learned by example than rules; and the children, if kept out of ill company,

will take a pride to behave themselves prettily, after the fashion of others…”

-John Locke, Part IV, Section 67 of Some Thoughts Concerning Education

The old fashion way of discipline is setting rules down on children in an authoritarian

way and punish them when they violate the rules, Locke said children learn by example.

Parents and teachers must set a good model. The children using their senses, they

observe the people around and they learn from them. Children will draw their own

conclusions about what appropriate manners. Children imitates their parents in their

young age and when they enter school, if the teachers are good example and present

the ideal characteristics they tend to idolized and they want to be just like their teachers

when they grow up.

According to an article published by Sparknotes “Locke points out that children rarely

understand rules, and that they can't recollect an excessive number of at once. If they

are given many rules, therefore, one of two bad consequences will follow: either they

will be punished constantly for transgressing the rules, in which case they will despair of

ever being good, and give up the attempt; or else, their parents will ignore most of the

transgressions, in which case the child will develop contempt for parental authority. To

avoid these unfortunate situations Locke suggests starting with just one rule, and only

slowly adding more, one by one, as the child becomes fully accustomed to each rule.

Locke also emphasizes the importance of example in education. Most of what a child

learns about manners and breeding he learns by watching those around him. There is

no reason to enforce a whole slew of rules about etiquette and graceful behavior; simply

by having a good nature and observing well-bred people, the child will naturally come to

exhibit impeccable manners. For this reason it is of crucial importance that everyone

around the child acts in the best possible manner. Because the servants cannot be
expected to be well-bred, Locke suggests keeping the child away from the servants as

much as possible. Instead he should be constantly in the company of his parents and of

his tutor (who, himself, must be extremely well-bred).”

According Dr. Arthur Robinson on his article “Children Learn by Example: The single

most important thing to keep in mind.”, another study to support John Locke’s notion

that children learn by example, “Academic study is only part of the home environment,

but it is an essential part. This study best takes place in a quiet, comfortable

atmosphere with an adult example nearby. For instance, if a separate room is available,

each child should have a large desk in that room, as should at least one adult. The tops

of these desks should be completely clear of all items except those immediately in use.

The room should be free from distractions such as toys and other interests. Even school

wall hangings can be distractions. The action is on the desks-between the students and

the books-not on the walls, floors, and ceilings. Anything that interposes itself between

the student and those books is a negative influence, whether it be an overly solicitous

teacher or a distracting toy (even a toy that pretends to be educational). Academic

knowledge is in books, and it is from books that the student must learn to extract it.

The students need one primary thing from their teacher-they need an example. An adult

should, if at all possible, do his or her own reading and paperwork, such as accounting

and bill paying, at a desk in the school room. I know of fathers with desk-intensive

professions who have had great success by simply taking their children to work. The

students are given desks in the corners of the father's office and taught to conduct

themselves in complete quiet. They work at their desks, while Daddy works at his desk.
The children soon learn to tune out distractions such as telephone conversations or

other workers visiting the father-and they emulate the father.

There are, of course, a great many possible variations. If, for example, the parent's work

requires that another adult supervise the children for part of the day, that adult should

be chosen with academic example (as well as moral, spiritual, and ethical example) in

mind. The supervisory adult will become the student's role model.”

Parents are role models to their children ,as well as teachers to their students. They

greatly influence the development of the child’s personality. If we want children as well

our students to have good manners, to be cultured, well-mannered beings, we

ourselves can teach that most effectively by being those things ourselves its like

practice what you preach. Children will learn it empirically and will be already motivated

to follow the example we are setting.

FUN: SECRET INGREDIENT

“I have always had a fancy, that learning might be made a play an a recreation to

children; and they might be brought to desire to be taught, it were proposed to them as

a thing of honour, credit, delight, and recreation...”

-John Locke, Part IX, Section 148 of Some Thoughts Concerning Education

The common and daily scenario of teaching public school here in the Philippines is still

some of the teachers I know want to be their classes to be quiet so they can do all the

talking or they can explain the lesson well. The belief stays strong that learning can just
occur when students are quiet and if the school work was difficult, that any activities

where kids appear to be enjoying themselves or having a good time must be pointless

and those educators who make learning fun or enjoyable are unprofessional.

We learn best, when we are having fun, that is same to children. Children learn best

when they are having fun. Playful is in their nature they will immediately lose their

attention if they find boring fun or not interesting. Fun can be executed in many ways

inside the classroom; it can be introduced in the motivation, lesson proper, and even in

evaluation.

According Dr. Stephen Hicks,” Learning is fun, it should be delightful. Children are

naturally curious, explorers and like to develop their capacities, but we also know that

education is different, education must recast so the children were not squashing.

Education’s fault we’re not approaching education properly. But there is also a more

practical reason for making education pleasant: it makes the learning process that much

more effective. If the child enjoys learning then he will really apply himself and get much

more out of his lessons. The key to making learning fun, Locke thinks, is to make sure

that it is never seen as a task or duty. The only reason children love to play and hate to

learn, he is convinced, is that children play at their own liberty and work under

pressure.”

Lots of studies prove the importance of play, especially in the early years or

kindergarten. Play-based learning has become very popular especially in the

curriculums of early childhood education where learning is often disguised as play.

According to Dr. Bruce Duncan Perry on his article “The Importance of Pleasure in

Play”, “Play enhances every domain of a child's development. Gross-motor skills, such

as walking, kicking, or skipping, can be strengthened when a toddler pushes a toy

grocery cart or an older child jumps rope. When a young child kicks a ball across the

room, she is practicing coordination by balancing on one foot to kick with the other.

Fine-motor and manipulation skills are developed while a child builds and colors a sign

for a backyard tree house. When throwing and catching a ball, a child practices hand-

eye coordination and the ability to grasp.

Children practice and develop language skills during play. A child's play with words,

including singsong games and rhymes that accompany games of tag, can help him

master semantics, practice spontaneous rhyming, and foster word play.

The child's cognitive capacity is enhanced in games by trial and error, problem solving,

and practice discriminating between relevant and irrelevant information. Play requires

the child to make choices and direct activities and often involves strategy, or planning,

to reach a goal.

Interpersonal/social skills, ranging from communication to cooperation, develop in play.

Children learn about teamwork when they huddle together and decide who plays each

position in a pick-up soccer game. The child gains an understanding about those

around him and may become more empathic and less egocentric. When playing with

peers, children learn a system of social rules, including ways to control themselves and

tolerate their frustrations in a social setting.”

He also give importance to boredom as part of learning, “Ironically, it is a lack of

external stimulation and solitude that facilitates creative play. Often, a child will initially

perceive this as "boredom." The child seeks structure and organization from parents or

teachers — "I'm bored. I have nothing to do." And all too often we jump in too soon and

make the mistake of creating the child's activities for him. We need to learn to let

children become bored, because it is through this transient period of under-stimulation

that their internal world can come alive. This process is facilitated by solitude — the

opportunity to be alone and without too many external stimuli.

When a child cannot watch television, play video games, and is not participating in a

scheduled "externally focused" activity, she will become more internally focused. Her

imagination and creativity takes over. She will find and create "toys" from what is

available — sticks become dolls, dolls become royalty, and these members of "royalty"

become actors in the child's play — rocks become blocks, blocks become walls, and

walls create castles.”

On Some Thoughts on Education, Locke also recommends that games can be utilized

in learning, particularly in learning how to read. Furthermore, another striking on Locke’s

view to make learning pleasant, he considers to engage the child in constant

conversation rather than lecturing to him endlessly. In this way children get the chance

to utilize their reasoning skill. Other suggestions Locke has for making education as

pleasant as possible is never to scold or reprimand the child for a wrong answer.
A paper entitled “The Neuroscience of Joyful Education Brain research tells us that

when the fun stops, learning often stops too”, published by Judy Willis supports the

views of John Locke that learning should be fun, “My own experience as a neurologist

and classroom teacher has shown me the benefits of joy in the classroom.

Neuroimaging studies and measurement of brain chemical transmitters reveal that

students' comfort level can influence information transmission and storage in the brain

(Thanos et al., 1999). When students are engaged and motivated and feel minimal

stress, information flows freely through the affective filter in the amygdala and they

achieve higher levels of cognition, make connections, and experience “aha” moments.

Such learning comes not from quiet classrooms and directed lectures, but from

classrooms with an atmosphere of exuberant discovery (Kohn, 2004). The Brain-Based

Research Neuroimaging and neurochemical research support an education model in

which stress and anxiety are not pervasive (Chugani, 1998; Pawlak, Magarinos,

Melchor, McEwan, & Strickland, 2003). This research suggests that superior learning

takes place when classroom experiences are enjoyable and relevant to students' lives,

interests, and experiences. Many education theorists (Dulay & Burt, 1977; Krashen,

1982) have proposed that students retain what they learn when the learning is

associated with strong positive emotion. Cognitive psychology studies provide clinical

evidence that stress, boredom, confusion, low motivation, and anxiety can individually,

and more profoundly in combination, interfere with learning (Christianson, 1992).

Neuroimaging and measurement of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) show us what

happens in the brain during stressful emotional states. By reading glucose or oxygen

use and blood flow, positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) indicate activity in identifiable regions of the brain. These

scans demonstrate that under stressful conditions information is blocked from entering

the brain's areas of higher cognitive memory consolidation and storage. In other words,

when stress activates the brain's affective filters, information flow to the higher cognitive

networks is limited and the learning process grinds to a halt. Neuroimaging and

electroencephalography (EEG) brain mapping of subjects in the process of learning new

information reveal that the most active areas of the brain when new sensory information

is received are the somatosensory cortex areas. Input from each individual sense

(hearing, touch, taste, vision, smell) is delivered to these areas and then matched with

previously stored related memories. For example, the brain appears to link new words

about cars with previously stored data in the category of transportation. Simultaneously,

the limbic system, comprising parts of the temporal lobe, hippocampus, amygdala, and

prefrontal cortex (front part of the frontal lobe), adds emotional significance to the

information (sour flavor is tasty in lemon sherbet but unpleasant in spoiled juice). Such

relational memories appear to enhance storage of the new information in long-term

memory (Andreasen et al., 1999). Mapping studies of the electrical activity (EEG or

brain waves) and neuroimaging show the synchronization of brain activity as information

passes from the somatosensory cortex areas to the limbic system (Andreasen et al.,

1999). For example, bursts of brain activity from the somatosensory cortex are followed

milliseconds later by bursts of electrical activity in the hippocampus, amygdala, and then

the other parts of the limbic system (Sowell et al., 2003). This enables us to evaluate

which strategies either stimulate or impede communication among the various parts of

the brain (Shadmehr & Holcomb, 1997).

She also pointed out the use of RAD Lessons for the classroom, “A common theme in

brain research is that superior cognitive input to the executive function networks is more

likely when stress is low and learning experiences are relevant to students. Lessons

that are stimulating and challenging are more likely to pass through the reticular

activating system (a filter in the lower brain that focuses attention on novel changes

perceived in the environment). Classroom experiences that are free of intimidation may

help information pass through the amygdala's affective filter. In addition, when

classroom activities are pleasurable, the brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter

that stimulates the memory centers and promotes the release of acetylcholinem, which

increases focused attention.

The acronym RAD can remind educators of three important neuroscience concepts to

consider when preparing lessons:

● Novelty promotes information transmission through the Reticular activating system.

● Stress-free classrooms propel data through the Amygdala's affective filter.

● Pleasurable associations linked with learning are more likely to release more

Dopamine.

There are no neuroimaging or brain wave analysis data that demonstrate a negative

effect of joy and exuberance in classrooms, yet some schools have unspoken mandates

against these valuable components of the classroom experience. Now that hard science

proves the negative effects of stress and anxiety, teachers can more confidently

promote enthusiasm in their classrooms

However, a growing collection of research recommends that, when utilized effectively,

classroom comedy can enhance student lessening nervousness or anxiety, boosting

cooperation and increasing students' to focus. Additionally, the benefits might not be

limited to students. Research suggests that students rate professors who make learning

fun significantly higher than others.

"When I enter the classroom, I want to change the entire atmosphere into one where

everyone has fun with the material--even if the material is complex," says Berk, author

of "Professors are from Mars, Students are from Snickers" (Stylus Publishing, 2003)

and "Humor as an Instructional Defibrillator: Evidence-Based Techniques in Teaching

and Assessment" (Stylus Publishing, 2002). "It helps relieve fear and reduce

anxiety"(Berken, 2002).
(NOT YET FINISHED)

CURRICULUM

“and since nothing appears to me to give children so much becoming confidence and

behavior, and so to raise them to the conversation of those above their age , as

dancing; I think they should be taught to dance, as soon as they are capable of learning.

For, though this consist only outward gracefulness of motion, yet, I know not how, it

gives children manly thoughts and carriage, more than anything.”

-John Locke, Part IV, Section 67 of Some Thoughts Concerning Education

Conclusion