UNDERSTANDING SUBJECT AND DISCIPLINES

1. HISTORY
AND NATURE
OF SCHOOL
SUBJECTS
O P Fousiya
ATCW

2. School subject and their evolution as a
curricular area at school
•Primary stage
Lower primary
Upper primary
•Secondary stage

3. It includes
Formation of school subjects
Factors in the formation of school subjects
Dimensions of school subject

4. Formation of school subjects involves three levels of
curriculum making
The societal
curriculum
The
pragmatic
curriculum
The
classroom
curriculum

5. Factors in the formation of school subject
• According to RALPH TYLER (1949) educational
objectives are viewed as the central framework for
the formation of SS
• Academic rationalism
• Humanism
• Social efficiency
• Social reconstructionism

6. Dimension of school subject
Psychological
Epistemological
Social
logical

7. Psychological dimension
The subject matter needs to
be differentiated out of the
current experience of the child

8. Epistemological
Subject matter to be
influenced by the theories of
knowledge

9. Social
It consists of facts, concepts,
and principles

10. Logical
•The facts, concepts and
principles represent the adult
consciousness of the existing
society

11. Criteria of school subjects
•Utility
•Social responsibility
•The intrinsic value of knowledge
•Philosophical value
•Childhood enrichment

12. Evolution of school subject before and after
independence
•Gurukula
•Buddhistic
education
•Ancient
Takshashila
•Islamic education
• Macaulay’s minutes(1835)
• Wood’s despatch(1854)
• Hunter commission(1882)
• Mudhaliyar
commission(1952)
• Kothari commission(1964-
66)

13. NCF & the evolution of school subjects in
modern INDIA
•THE CURRICULUM FOR THE TEN YEAR
SCHOOL (1975)
•Classes I-II
•Classes III-V
•Classes VI-VIII
•Classes IX & X

14. NATIONAL CURRICULUM for elementary and
secondary Education (1988)
Primary stage UP Secondary
One language Three languages Three languages
Maths Maths Maths
EVS Science Science
Work experience SS SS
Art education WE WE
Health and physical education AE
H&PE
AE
H&PE

15. CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL
EDUCATION (2000)
•Classes I-II
•Classes III-V
•Classes VI-VIII
•Classes IX & X

16. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Gurukula
m
Kutipalliko
odam
Patashala/
vedapadas
hala
Formal
schools

17. Subject History and Subject Nature of …..
Languages
Mathematics
Science
Social science

18. Languages
• Continuity theory
• Discontinuity theory
• Innate Faculty
• Cultural system
• The bow-wow or cuckoo theory
• The pooh-pooh theory
• Ding dong theory
• The yo-he-ho theory
• Ta-ta theory

19. Nature of languages
• A system of system
• Communication
• Vocal
• Symbolic
• Arbitrary
• Unique
• A skill
• Dynamic
• Productivity
• Duality
• Demonstrative
• Displacement
• Interchangability

20. Mathematics
• Mathematics is the language in which God has written the universe-
Galileo
• G –mathema (that which is learnt)
• History is as old as humanity
• Evolved from simple counting, measurement and calculation and the
systematic study of the shapes
• Prehistorians had a general sensibility about amounts. They had only
the numbers one and two; even didn’t have symbols for it
• Sumer ( a region in Mesopotamia, modern day Iraq) was the birth
place of writing

21. • The Sumerians developed the earliest known writing system-
a pictographic writing system known as cuneiform script
• Early Egyptians used measurements based on the body parts
• Greek mathematics was based on geometry
• Hellenistic were the first to bring fractions, decimals etc
• The Indians provided evidence of the use of arithmetic
operations such as +,-,X ,/,squares,cubes and roots
• By the 18th C statistics and probability theory came into
being

22. Nature of mathematics
•A science of discovery
•An intellectual game
•The art of drawing conclusions
•A tool subject
•A system of logical processes
•An intuitive method

23. Mathematical reasoning

27. Science - NATURE
• L-scientia (knowledge)
• Methodical approach to study the natural world
• Science knowledge is uncertain
• Is a step by step process
• Relies on facts, hypothesis, theories and evidences
• Accurate precise and reliable
• Is constantly changing
• It matters on everyday life

29. History
• Began with the history of human existence
• Ancient people invented many things for their livelihood and
existence
• Old stone age –paliolithitic man tried to make boats houses and
earthen pots
• New stone age-Neolithic man –agriculture, fire making etc
• By 4000 BC men began to live in social groups. Thus human
civilisation began
• Mesopotamia, Egypt, Sumeria, Babylonia & India –first civilisation
• Western civilisation also contributed

30. Structure of science
Facts Hypothesis Theories
Scientific law
Observations
and inferences

31. Social science-
History
• Begins after 1650
• SS came forth from the moral philosophy of the time & were
influenced by the age of revolutions such as the industrial revolution
and the French revolution
• Developed from the science
• Was influenced by positivism
• Auguste Comte used science sociale;Charles Fourier as social physics

32. Five paths (route) of development influenced by Comte
I ROUTE
• The rise of social research
II R
• Social facts; opening mathematical ideas and individual theories
III R
• Social phenomena were identified, championed by Max Weber
IV R
• Based in economics as economic knowledge
V R
• Correlation of knowledge and social values ; antipositivism and sociology

33. Key concepts
Society Culture Change
Perspect
ives
Rights Values
Social
justice

34. Nature
• A unique combination of various disciplines
• A study of human relationship
• A study of man’s development through ages
• A realistic course of study
• It forms an important part of the core-curriculum
• It includes commitment to action
• Aims at preparing the learner for wholesome social living

35. Inquiry in different Domains of knowledge
domain of language
• To increase global understanding
• To improve employment potential
• To increase native language ability
• To sharpen cognitive and life skills
• To improve chances of entry into collage or graduate
• To increase understanding of oneself and one’s own
culture

36. Domains of mathematics
•Prepare for a career
•Develop problem solving skills
•Increase your capacity to think
analytically
•Be able to learn science
•Argue better

37. Science
•Understanding the world
•Cognitive skills
•Decision making
•Career preparation
•Critical analysis

38. SS
•Help to imagine alternative future
•Help us to make sense of our finances
•Contribute to our health and well being
•Public intellectuals
•Improve our children’s life and education
•To guarantee our democracy

39. IT
• Computation
• Solve complex challenging problems
• Computing offers many types of lucrative careers
• C enables you to make a positive difference in the world
• C offers great opportunities for true creativity and innovativeness
• C has space for both collaborative work and individual work
• C is an essential part of wee-rounded academic preparation
• Future opportunities in computing are without boundaries