Importance of Teaching According to Naturalism are given below:
1. Learning by Doing: Firstly:
Naturalists are not in favour of direct teaching through lectures or text-books. In place of book-learning they emphasise the value of concrete objects. They advocate the direct experience of things and believe in the principle of “learning by doing “. Rousseau says,” Give to your pupil no verbal lesson.” He should be taught experience alone.
Teach by doing whenever you can and fall back on words when doing input of question. Book knowledge should be as little as possible. In the study of language, direct method of teaching is advocated to vocabulary of the student. In the teaching of science and mathematics, heuristic method is emphasised, in a place of “Chalk-and- talk” procedure. Geography is to be taught with practical exercises in mensuration and geography through actual excursion and observation.
2. Play-way Method: Secondly:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The naturalists advocate play-way as another important method of imparting education. Its underlying principle is that learning should take place in the spirit and by the method of play-way. It is, therefore, regarded as the most natural and most outstanding methods of creative education. It creates the spirit of joyful, spontaneous and creative activity.
3. Observation and Experimentation: Thirdly:
The naturalists assail time-table, and disfavour and type of rigidity in the daily time- schedule. So they have devised such schedules as the Dalton plan, which gives, freedom to the pupils to choose his own schedule of work. They learn through observation and experimentation.
4. Self-Government and Self-Effort: Lastly:
The naturalists also emphasise open- air schools, self-government in schools and the establishment of co-education in educational institutions. Self-government will give direct experience of social life while co-education will develop right type of family and community life. Thus the contribution of naturalism to the field of modern methodology of education is most outstanding and most abiding.