INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING AND FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION

Abstract

Foundations of Education courses comprise four pillars each representing a vast area of study on its own. These pillars are: History of Education, Philosophy of Education, Psychology of Education, and Sociology of Education. History of Education traces the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods of Nigerian education history. Philosophy of Education aims at educating the learner on the purposes of education as derived from the overriding philosophy of a geographical area. For Psychology of Education or Educational Psychology, the trainee teacher is equipped with insights regarding student behavior and learning. Complementing the three aforementioned pillars is the Sociology of Education. This brings out the needs, values and aspirations of people upon which education is based. Thus, the four pillars (history, philosophy, psychology and sociology) are core to the training of future teachers.