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 educational history. Philosophy of Education aims at educating the learner on the purposes of education as derived from the overarching philosophy of a geographical area. In Psychology of Education, or Educational Psychology, the trainee teacher is equipped with insights regarding student behaviour and learning. Complementing the three aforementioned pillars is the Sociology of Education, which highlights 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.