Idealism in Pedagogy

Idealism posits that ideas are the only actual reality and that they create and determine the surrounding material universe. The exact antithesis of the materialist viewpoint. As it disregards the world’s realism, it favors utopian arguments. This ideology aims to bring humans closer to their perfect, ideal, and supreme selves. Consequently, it also supports the religious notion of producing humans with the highest moral standards. This also emphasizes consciousness and says that it precedes all actual objects around us. Thus, a person who embarks on a journey from the material world to the spiritual realm learns the ultimate truth since, according to idealism, reality or the ultimate truth cannot be witnessed or have empirical evidence. Function of the Teacher

According to idealism, teachers are required to fulfill the following responsibilities in the classroom:They should urge pupils to travel from the material world to the spiritual world in order to discover the ultimate good.
To persuade students of the finding of the ultimate good, the instructor should display exemplary conduct.
Teachers should foster Socratic dialogue in the classroom to aid students in discovering the highest good.
The instructor is required to shape the students’ character in addition to transferring facts. He should also consider the moral character of his students.

Pedagogical Method

I dislike the teacher-centered approach to education that is typical of idealist teaching approaches. Teachers employ the lecture style and have a highly traditional, one-way information flow approach. Some information is presented to students and they are asked to process it.

Students can connect with their peers and teachers to reconstruct their knowledge through the use of discussion, which can facilitate classroom dialogue. In addition, Socratic dialogue is an effective method for debate and small-group discussions. The only difficulty with Socratic conversation is that it can only be employed with university students who have solid knowledge backgrounds. This cannot be used in the classroom because students lack the knowledge for logically debating their position.

Curriculum

Idealism states that the purpose of education is to generate individuals with the highest moral standards. Therefore, it emphasizes the development of individuals’ capacities to achieve the required moral excellence. Therefore, content is intended to expose students to ultimate reality. Here are a few key characteristics of the idealist curriculum.

Students must be cognitively developed to have impeccable moral integrity.
The student should be taught to acquire self-awareness so that he or she can reflect on their character and strive to become a better person. Thus, curriculum emphasis on character development
Students are encouraged to have an appreciation for beauty and an aesthetic sensibility.
Students should possess high moral standards so that they are intrinsically motivated to discover the greatest good.
Idealism is also concerned with the skill development of individuals in order to make them useful and productive members of society.
Physical health is equally vital, thus the curriculum will emphasize physical exercises to improve students’ health.