SOCIAL CONCEPT FORMATION cannot understand the relation between different times and
units of long duration.
What is a concept?
CONCEPTS are abstract forms of past experiences.
They are general ideas.
Concept Formation
 PERCEPTION: the concept of human beings cannot
be conceived if human beings are not perceived, or if
only one human being is essential to the concept
formation. Thus comprehensive perception is the first
key towards the formation of the concepts.
 ANALYSIS: it is not possible to identify a man as a
human being and as distinct from other living being
unless his characteristics are analyzed. Thus the
analysis of human being is essential to the concept of
human beings.
 COMPARISON: analysis of qualities of human beings
alone is not enough to form concepts. The comparison
of their qualities is also essential. This comparison
supplies us with the knowledge of similarity and
dissimilarity of diversity of human beings.
 SYNTHESIS: this synthesis of similar characteristics is
arrived at with the help of subtraction, rather than
addition. Dissimilar characteristics are disregarded in
synthesis. Discrimination is needed for the separation
of similar and dissimilar characteristics.
 NAMING: naming every concept is essential.
Consequently, after synthesis, each concept gets a
name.
 DURING CHILDHOOD: thinking starts from some
problem in it. The children have to exercise their
thinking in order to solve their own problems.
Characteristic of the difference in adult and child’s thinking:
1. From Gross to Subtle Concepts
2. Ambiguity of Concepts
3. Indefiniteness of the concepts
4. Simplicity of the concepts
5. Concept of the whole
6. Wrong concepts
7. Various Factors
8. Interest and Attention
9. Physical Adjustment
10. Questions of the Children
11. Influencing the Child’s Concepts
12. Defects of the Sense Organ
13. Intellectual Ability
14. Opportunities of Learning
15. Experience
16. Influence of Class
THE STRATEGIES
The Concept of Self: The infant develops some type
of concept of self at the early age of 6 months. Between 3
and 4 years of age, the child pays attention to himself. All
these are concerned with his inner life. It is only after gradual
development that the child becomes social being in which
both these aspects of self are synthesized.
Concept of Space: The concept of space plays an
important role in perception and conception. Even a small
infant can distinguish between here and there, right and left,
forward and backward and different directions. By these
experiences he forms the concept of large distance. The
distances are inferred by means of experiences.
Concept of Time: The child lives in the present.
Before the age of 3 years, tomorrow has no meaning for him.
Before going to the school, he learns the different names of
the days in a week but, before the age of 12 years, he
Concept of Form and Color: A child below the age
3 years can recognize forms and color. In the beginning, the
child cannot distinguish his parents from other males and
females, but very soon he’ll be able to recognize them. Form
and color also helps in the formation of the concept of space.
Playing toy is of great help.
Concept of Number: A child can recite numbers
between 2-3 years of age. At the age of 9 years, the child
develops numeral concepts up to 1000.
Concept of Weight: The child connects weights with
size and thinks bigger things to have more weight.
Gradually, he learn to distinguish between size and weight
and knows that the weight of a thing cannot be determined
unless it is taken up by hand.
Concept of Currency: The concept of currency
develops only when the child starts using it. He now learns
to distinguish between different coins and they become
meaningful for him.
Concept of Causation: At the very early age the
child knows that he has to behave differently with different
persons. By using different things, clothes, etc., and
experiencing the consequences of the child forms the
concept of causation. These concepts, however, are
concrete. The child cannot think of abstract causation.
Reasoning and Problem Solving
Reasoning means inference of unknown things
on the basis of known facts.
(The following are important characteristics of the reasoning
process of the child as compared with that of the adults.)
1. Imaginary Reasoning- a child takes imaginary
reasons to be real
2. Less Subtle Reasoning- the child has lesser
experience and knowledge therefore his reasoning
ability is much less developed
3. Reasoning by Trial and Error- a child cannot have
much patience in thinking and, therefore, commits
more errors and has less insights.
4. Reasoning according to Desire- the child has no
knowledge about rules and therefore reasons
according to his desires
John Dewey described reasoning as a problem
solving analyzed it, describing the following steps in
it----
 A Felt Difficulty: An individual starts reasoning only
when he is confronted by some specific problem.
Hence, it is essential that he should experience the
presence of some particular difficulty that requires
solution.
 Locate and Define Difficulty: The second step in
reasoning after the presence of difficulty after
defining it is the location and defining it. The
sensible teacher guides the perplexed student to
locate and precisely define the nature of difficulty in
any problem.
 Locate, Evaluate and Organize Information:
Before an individual embarks on reasoning upon a
problem, it is necessary to see whether one is in
position to gather relevant data. Once information
has been gathered, it is essential that it be
evaluated because some pieces of information are
more valuable than others. After the information has
been evaluated, it should be organized and
classified.
 Evaluation of Hypothesis: In solving problems, an
individual proceeds by first forming some
hypothesis, and as new information pours, the first
hypothesis can then be strengthen or contradicted,
or contradicted in favor of the new hypothesis. After
the concept is precisely known, one’s preconception
or hypothesis can be evaluated and decided upon.
 Apply the Solution: Application of solution or The Characteristics
inference to solving the problem since then can only
the validity of the inference be actually known. 1. Commitment Towards Problems
 The Training: Dewey pointed out the use of 2. Dynamic Thinking
problem solving concerning education. For this, it is 3. Divergent Thinking
needed that the thinker possess a scientific attitude, 4. Useful Results
self-confidence and patience. 5. Flexibility
 Acquaintance with Problems of Daily Life: Day- 6. Originality
to-day life problems help a child to get acquainted 7. Curiosity
with life’s problems. 8. Ability to go Beyond the Immediate
 Development of Necessary Qualities: Rational Circumstances
thinking requires experience, intellect, firm
determination and other qualities such as Creativity is truly develop by the help of education,
persistence and application. And of these, with the whether it is informal or formal. Thus, the following are
exception of intelligence, all the others can be definitions of education----
developed through effort. Hence, efforts should be
made to develop these in the child. Western Meaning: The meaning of education in
 Solution to Problems to Practical Utility: Children West is essentially available in the works of Plato. He
should be asked to solve problems of practical described that education is life long process starting from the
utility. Ability to solve such problems can be first year of childhood and lasting to the very end of life.
developed and children should be made aware of Education is the process of development. It is
the problems that occur in daily life, inspire to solve necessary to discovered what is implied in this development.
them. Although the ability to learn depends upon development, but
 Knowledge of Special Subject: Solution of development is not synonymous with education.
specific kinds of problems inevitably requires skill in Development means gradual and continuous progress of the
the appropriate subjects. mind and body. Through this development, the child
 Acquaintance with Environment: Problems on acquires the following elements---
which the student is required to cognitize should 1. Knowledge of the environment by which he is
bear relation to his life. And for this, it is essential surrounded,
that he be acquainted with his environment. 2. The necessary motor controls to fulfil his
individual needs,
 Knowledge of Logic: A study of general principles
3. Linguistic abilities to enable him to converse, and
of logic will be especially beneficial to a training in
4. Some knowledge of individual and collective
reasoning. Briefly, there are two main elements in
relationships.
training in reasoning, knowledge of the subject
concerned with the problem, and the knowledge of
Indian Meaning: In the words of A.S. Altekar,
the rules of logic or reasoning.
“Education has always been regarded in India as a source of
illumination and power in which transforms and ennobles our
THINKING FOR CREATION
nature by the progressive and harmonious development of
our physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual powers and
The Meaning: In 1853 Morgan pointed out 25
faculties.
definitions of creativity scattered in literature. One
thing that was common was the uniqueness of
The following points concerning the meaning of
creativity, though all the scientists do not consider
education emerge from a review of the meaning of education
uniqueness to be the necessary characteristic of
in the West and India:
creativity.
1. A Life Long Process
The following definitions of creative thinking will help
2. Unfolding
in the understanding of its meaning----
3. Based on Child Psychology
4. Individual as well as Social
Guildford: “Creativity sometimes refers to creative
5. Total Development
potential, sometimes to creative production and
sometimes to creative productivity.”
1. How do teachers ensure that creativity is practice in the
Mednik: “Creative thinking consists of forming new
learning environment?
combination of associative elements.”
2. How can we implement the “Maka-Tao” of the DepED
Torrance: “I have chosen to define creative thinking
core values in the development of our learner through our
as the process of sensing gaps or disturbing missing
social concept formation?
elements, forming ideas or hypothesis, and
3. How can we improve the innate capability of our learner
communicating the results, possibly modifying and
using our Problem solving and reasoning?
retesting the hypothesis.”
4. How will creative thinking affect our learner’s well-being?
C.V. Good: “The factors of creativity are tentatively
described as associate and ideational fluency,
originality, adaptive and spontaneous flexibility and
Reference: N. Shamsi (2005). Social Foundations of
ability to make logical evolution.”
Education.
James Drever: “Producing an essentially new
Prepared by: Aiza U. Jamito/ MST-Mathematics
product; constructive (somewhat under) use of
Submitted to: Alan S. Compe, Ed. D. / Course Instructor –
imagination where a new combination of ideas or
Philo-Socio Foundation of Education
images is constructed strictly when it is self-initiated,
rather than imitated, also of thought synthesis, where
the mental product is not mere summation.”
Sir Frederic: “Creativity is a bold thinking.”
A.J. Cropley: He has considered divergence as the
most important.