CDP (Child centered and Progressive Education) - CTET & State TET MCQ

A child-centered classroom is focused on a variety of learning activities for the learners because it’s organized in a way that naturally encourages students to explore. Each student plays and does projects that interest them, as opposed to the same work being assigned to everyone.

• Child-centered education is a sort of revolt against subject-centered education. 
• Child-centered Education seeks to provide a natural flow of activity and spontaneous growth of the child.
• He must be allowed to enjoy complete freedom of action subject to the condition that he should not interfere with the freedom of others.​
• In child-centered education, the curriculum, teaching method, classroom environment, assessment, learning material, activities will all be designed keeping the student in mind.
• According to N.C.F. 2005, child-centered education means prioritizing the child's voices and experiences.
• The role of the teacher in child-centered education is that of facilitator, counselor.​

Important PointsThe following points need to be considered for promoting child-centered education. 

1. Freedom
2. Self-activities
3. Process of spontaneous development
4. Development of interest and needs 
5. Education-based on experience additional
6. A variety of learning activities

The Father of child-centered education is Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In India, Child-centered education's supporter is Giju Bhai Badheka. 

Additional Information

• Children sitting in the center of the classroom, Syllabus is chosen by the learners, and Very passive teachers and active learners are not characteristics of child-centered education. 

Hence, we can conclude that a variety of learning activities for the learners is the correct answer.

The concept of education is used in a variety of contexts with different meanings and viewpoints. Different educationists have different beliefs and opinions with reference to the origin of the word 'education'.

• Some believe that it is derived from the Latin word 'Educare' while others believe that it is derived from the Latin words 'Educere' or 'Educatum'.
• It is a lifelong process that modifies the behavior and personality of individuals thus develops them as a whole by providing nourishing and burden-free environments.
• Education would be meaningful only then when it would be child-centred that gives primacy to children's experiences and needs.

Key Points

The method for progressive or modern education system is child-centric method. The child-centric approach always emphasizes to provide ample opportunities to the children to foster their own strategy of learning and ways of thinking to perform a task or classroom activities.

• Characteristics of the child-centred teaching and learning​:

  • It stresses the importance of enquiry, observation and investigation.
  • It takes into account learner's capabilities, capacities and learning styles.
  • It uses methods like experiential learning, problem-solving, concept mapping and creative writing.
  • In this method, teachers facilitate students as a facilitator by providing with proper environment and materials to learn at their own pace.
  • Students work in flexible, cooperative groupings to solve problems to demonstrate an understanding of the task that ensures their holistic development.

Hence, it could be concluded that the method for progressive or modern education system is child-centric method. 

Additional Information

• Curriculum centred: It lays importance to the subject content of the curriculum to be delivered by the teacher.
• Teacher centred: It refers to the active involvement of the teacher while the learners passively listen to the teacher.
• Self learning: It helps children in learning by allowing them to introspect themselves and identifying their weaknesses and strengths. 

John Dewey, an American philosopher has proposed the concept of 'P< />rogressive Education' which emphasizes that learning takes place only through 'hands-on' approach so the students must interact with their environment to adapt and learn.

• A progressive classroom is a part of progressive education that believes in the capability and potential of every child.
• Progressive education emphasizes enhancing the skills and understanding of the learners by engaging with the content and experiences.

Key Points 

The characteristics of classroom environment of the progressive classroom:​

• Opportunities for construction of knowledge
• Involvement of children in decision making
• Creation of a fear-free learning environment
• Assessment of individual differences of learners
• Importance of inquiry, observation, and investigation
• Flexible and cooperative groupings to solve problems
• Use of methods like experiential learning, problem-solving, etc.

Hence, maintaining external discipline by the teacher is not an attitude of the progressive classroom.

Hint

• In this method, teachers facilitate students as a facilitator by providing them with the proper environment and materials to learn at their own pace.

John Dewey, an American philosopher has proposed the concept of 'P< />rogressive Education' which emphasizes that learning takes place only through 'hands-on' approach so the students must interact with their environment to adapt and learn.

• A progressive school is a part of progressive education that believes in the capability and potential of every child.
• Progressive education emphasizes enhancing the skills and understanding of the learners by engaging with the contents and experiences.

Key Points

• In a progressive school, the education imparted will make the children active explorers as in a progressive classroom ample opportunities are provided to learners for the construction of knowledge.
• In a progressive school, learners play an active part in their learning, it emphasizes enhancing the skills and understanding of the learners by engaging with the contents and experiences.
• It promotes 'learning by doing' to make children self-reliant and productive to use their knowledge and talents effectively.
• Progressive school ensures the active participation of students by working in a group and applying practical knowledge to complete an activity.

Hence, it could be concluded that in a progressive school, the education imparted will make the children active explorers.

A child-centered system of education is designed to develop the individual and social qualities of a student rather than providing generalized information or training by way of the prescribed subject matter. Child-centered education regards education as the fundamental right of every child. Every child is educated, no matter whatever is his social and economic background.

Key Points 

According to John Dewey:-

''Learners interact with the teachers and the environment thus there is a collaboration effort on both sides to plan lessons, select content and do activities together.''

• In this system of education, the child should be allowed to learn from nature in his natural way without any interference, nothing should be taught to him until he is capable of understanding it.
• His natural interests like play and curiosity should form the basis of his education and more emphasis should be given to the child's sensory and natural development. This can be developed through activity-based learning. In a child-centered classroom, students are engaged in doing different types of activities. 
• An example of a child-centered classroom might look like four students discussing a particular question in a book, another group of four students working on a dramatic production, and another group of students discussing a different aspect of the book. Finally, the whole group might come back together and share their work. So they all are engaged in different types of activities. In a child-centered classroom, there is movement, energy, flexibility in terms of what's happening in the classroom.

Important Points 

Characteristics of the child-centered education system:

• More focus is being placed on the holistic development of a child.
• To help the child become independent, responsible, and confident.
• Child-centered teachers engage in an 'active learning' process.
•  Students actively engaged in their own learning.
• They have opportunities to investigate and discover.
• Continuous evaluation
• Gives respect to the individuality of the child.

Hence, we can conclude that In the class, Parul is allowed to learn from nature in his natural way without any interference. This shows the Parul is getting child-centered education.

Child-centered education means putting the child in the center, using the child as the main point for the lesson plan, and for developing the curriculum. It is organized around the child, his personal needs, and interests. It aims at the all-around development of children.

• Child-centered education gives primacy to children's experiences and needs. It is an approach that emphasizes providing ample opportunities to the children to foster their strategy of learning.

Key Points

Aim of child-centered education :

• Enabling children to express their ideas freely.
• Guiding the child to satisfy his needs and interests.
• Allowing students to work at their own pace freely and willingly.
• Providing opportunities to students to foster their strategy of learning.
• Catering totality of students' experience that occurs in the educational process.
• Using different kinds of innovative strategies to address children's diverse learning needs.
• Planning the process of learning after understanding the psychology and interests of children. 

Hence, it could be concluded that child-centered education aims to guide the child to satisfy his needs and interests.

Hint

• In child-centered education, teachers should be behind the scene to guide, nurture and cater to the needs of the learners.
• In child-centered education, not just activities are organized but the overall development of the child is focused by putting the child in the center.
• Restrictions are never imposed on learners in child centered education rather it gives primacy to children’s voices and their active participation.

Child-centered education is one that gives primacy to children's experiences and needs. It is an approach that emphasizes providing ample opportunities for the children to foster their own strategy of learning.

• It strongly believes that when children are given the freedom to work at their own pace, they develop the ability to assimilate the concepts efficiently.
• Problem-based, discovery and guided discovery methods/situations of learning are based on child-centered education.

Important Points

Let's understand in brief:

Hint

• The demonstration approach is not based on child-centered education as it is a strategy in which a teacher demonstrates concepts and students learn by observing.

Hence, it could be concluded that 'Demonstration' is not based on child-centered education.

John Dewey, an American philosopher proposed the concept of 'Progressive Education' which emphasizes that learning takes place only through a 'hands-on' approach so the students must interact with their environment to adapt and learn.

Key Points

• A teacher should always cater (accept) to the individual differences of the children in the class. 
• Individual differences can be defined as personal characteristics that distinguish learners from each other in the teaching and learning processes.  
• The main goal of progressive education is to get students to have a hands-on learning experience, i.e. learn by doing. Also known as experiential learning, this method sees active participation by students in hands-on projects.

Hence by all the above references, we can conclude that Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Important Points Key features of progressive education: 

• Focusing on learning by doing: This includes working on hands-on projects thereby paving the way for experiential learning, aka learning by experience.
• Integrated curriculum: This is a curriculum that covers a broad spectrum of themes.
• Problem-solving and critical thinking: They are the cornerstones of progressive education; the whole idea is to have students take on problems and solve them thus helping them hone their critical thinking.

A child-centered system of education is designed to develop the individual and social qualities of a student rather than providing generalized information or training by way of the prescribed subject matter. Child-centered education regards education as the fundamental right of every child. Every child is educated, no matter whatever is his social and economic background.

Important Points

According to John Dewey:-

 ''Learners interact with the teachers and the environment thus there is a collaboration effort on both sides to plan lessons, select content and do activities together.''

• In this system of education, the child should be allowed to learn from nature in his natural way without any interference, nothing should be taught to him until he is capable of understanding it. His natural interests like play and curiosity should form the basis of his education and more emphasis should be given to the child's sensory and natural development. This can be developed through activity-based learning. In a child-centered classroom, students are engaged in doing different types of activities. 
• An example of a child-centered classroom might look like four students discussing a particular question in a book, another group of four students working on a dramatic production, and another group of students discussing a different aspect of the book. Finally, the whole group might come back together and share their work. So they all are engaged in different types of activities. In a child-centered classroom, there is movement, energy, flexibility in terms of what's happening in the classroom.

Key Points

Characteristics of the child-centered education system:

• More focus is being placed on the holistic development of a child.
• To help the child become independent, responsible, and confident.
• Child-centered teachers engage in an 'active learning' process.
•  Students actively engaged in their own learning.
• They have opportunities to investigate and discover.
• Continuous evaluation
• Gives respect to the individuality of the child.

Thus, it can be concluded that the child-centered system of education lays major emphasis on activity-based learning.