PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING, EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, FIELD STUDY AND PRACTICE TEACHING

The word principles is derived from the Latin word “principles” meaning the beginning or end of all
things. It is a comprehensive law or doctrine from which others are derived or on which other are
founded.

According to L.T Hopkins, a principle is a rules for guiding the ship of education so that it will reach the
point designated by the philosophy of education, it is a compass by which the path of education is
directed.

TYPES OF PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING

1.    Starting Principles – refer to the nature of the child, his psychological and physiological
endowments.

2.    Guiding Principles – the methods of instruction, or the conglomeration of techniques in carrying out
the educative process.

3.    Ending Principles – educational aims and objectives.

•            Psychological – growth and development of the child.

•            Philosophical – based on the culture of the people.

THE INBORN TENDENCIES OF THE CHILD

1. Intelligence is defined by W.Stern as a general capacity of an individual to adjust his thinking to new
requirements; it is a general mental adaptability to new problems and conditions of life. Lewis Terman
defines it as the ability to learn in terms of abstract ideas, while Colvin viewed intelligence as the ability
to adjust to new environment.

Thurstone’s Classification of Intelligence

•     Ability to deal with space

•     Ability to solve problems

•     Ability to understand ideas in terms of words

•     Ability to write and talk easily

•     Ability to perform numerical calculation

•     Ability to recognize likeness and difference

•     Ability to recall past experiences

Edward Lee Thorndike’s Classification of Intelligence

 Abstract – capacity to respond to symbols, letters, etc. 

 Concrete/mechanical – capacity to manipulate and to deal with things such as art and music.

 Social – capacity to deal with other people.

 Emotion – is the blending of sensations caused by the profound and widespread changes in the
body. Crow & Crow defined emotion as an effective experience that accompanies generalized
inner adjustment, and mental and physiological stirred up states in the individual and that
shows itself in his overt behavior.

 Imitation is the tendency of the child to do according to what he sees or observes.

 Curiosity is the elementary form of interest. It is the starting point of interest and the desire to
discover

 Gregariousness refers to the desire of the individual to be with other people because man is a
social being.

 Play is the natural impulse possessed by men and animals. It is an activity which the individual
engages in for the satisfaction of his desires.
 Collecting and hoarding means the interest in keeping the objects which a child is interested to
possess.

 Competition implies struggle between two or more persons for the same object or purpose to
equal or surpass others. On the other hand, rivalry suggests a personal contest for selfish ends,
resulting in envy and jealousy.

 Manipulation is the natural impulse of the child which involves a skillful or dexterous
management or control of actions by means of intellect.