Description

Education is a liberating force and pre-requisite for national development, regeneration of society, empowerment of people, national integration and international understanding and peace. The teacher is the pivot on which the educational process rests. In fact no educational system can rise beyond the quality of its teachers. This underscores the need for adequate training and constant skill development for our teachers. The training and education of teachers thus become vital in deciding the fate of the education system and thereby the destiny of the nation. In India, almost all mainstream universities are conducting teacher education courses at different levels with well-drawn curricula of international standards. Secondary-level Teacher Education in India, in recent years, is subjecting too many changes in its structure, content, approach and philosophy. The theoretical foundation of Education is the platform upon which the whole training and skill development of prospective teachers depends. The strength of any teacher education programme and the competence acquired by the teachers depends largely upon the soundness of the theoretical backup to which they are exposed during the pre-service training. Philosophical and Sociological principles are two strong pillars of the educational systems throughout the world. As such they constitute two core areas of study for any teacher education programme. A thorough understanding of these two closely intertwined subjects of study is normally not possible within the one-year period of B.Ed. or M.Ed. courses unless a very handy book written with a true insight into the academic requirement of the teacher education programme is available. The students, teachers and teacher educators in the academic as well as in the professional field of Education are fortunate in having this book entitled 'Philosophical and Sociological Bases of Education' written by Dr N.K.Arjunan. The present book differs from many other Indian books not only because of its vast coverage of the topics but also because it gives the latest developments in the various areas of educational theory and tries to fill up the gap, deficiencies and lacunas of other books. Besides, the book is written in a very lucid manner with clarity of thought so as to assist the readers to grasp the subject better.