Educational aims are two- fold, individual aim, and social aim. The whole paraphernalia of education with its curriculum, methods and techniques of teaching, and evaluation should promote intellectual powers of the individual and foster ‘socially desirable habits and attitudes’. ‘Knowledge for knowledge’ sake has little validity regarding the teaching of secondary school subjects. The curriculum should enable the individual to understand the past, – the cultural heritage to adjust oneself to the present, and to prepare for the future; in short, to face the modern problems of life which arise in his home, vocational relations, political life and social activities. It should adequately equip the individual to think independently and to adapt his knowledge, skills and attitudes to harmonious social life. Psychology of social studies deals with the psychological principles regarding the learner, the learning material and leaning situation and their application to realize these objectives.
Knowledge of mere facts in history, geography and civics cannot guarantee success in social life because the latter demands intellectual participation in various activities and acceptance of leadership in some of them. Therefore, instruction in social studies should include psychological process of motivation, understanding, and ego-involvement of the learner, along with the application of principles of economic learning, – conditioning, trial and success, insight and transfer.
Motivation
The child is not an isolated individual but an integral part of the social order, aware of several problems of social life in its different aspects. Any inadequacy on the part of the child regarding its awareness of the community problems should be rectified through visits to historical, geographical, industrial and civic centers, and by supplying well chosen magazines pictures, documents and biographies for reading. The child is curious about the world around. These aspects of child nature should be the basis of instruction, particularly for motivating lessons in social studies.
Understanding
Understanding social studies means more than acquiring a smattering knowledge of a few facts, dates, events and principles. It implies one’s awareness of the social problems, and ability for interpretation and securing their possible answers. The child should get a gestalt of the problems. It should develop mental abilities for problem solving and an appreciative attitude to social problems. These aims imply the following important teaching principles.
Conditioning
Knowledge should not be presented piecemeal, but as whole. Problems should be meaningfully related to the child’s life. In geography for example, teaching of the monsoon type of climate should not begin with abstract principles and symbolic language regarding the rotation of the earth and the direction of the wind. The pupil’s recent experience of the incessant downpour of rain in his State, or the paper report of floods in other States, or some other such problems should form the basis of teaching. These should lead to basic principles and their symbolic language. Psychologically speaking, the teacher should condition the knowledge on monsoon climate with the pupil’s life experience regarding it.
Insight learning
Teacher should not present readymade solutions to social problems. For instance, Will India become communist country? Pupils may not appreciate teacher’s answer to this problem. On the other hand, the answer should be an outcome of the pupil’s awareness of the gestalt of the problem, which should start from India’s cultural heritage to the world events through the existing political solutions of India and its implications. Pupils should get the solution by insight. Teacher should avoid the process of indoctrination, but encourage involvement and insight on the part of pupils. It implies two techniques for classroom procedure: adjusting instruction to individual differences; and providing for group work.
Adjustment to individual differences
As individuals differ in their mental, emotional and social traits, the problems selected should be adapted to the mental stage of pupils. Difficult problems which are beyond the range of their mental capacity, or those that may arose emotions, or develop social tensions should be carefully avoided. To this end problems should not only be an integral part of the past experience but also continuation of the out- of- school experience. Pupils belong to different religions, communities and castes; and hence their attitude to a particular social problem differs very much. Therefore, the teacher should guard against developing undesirable attitudes in children. If instruction is not adapted, to these basic tendencies, it would develop antagonism, complexes and other problems of social adjustment in the class and outside.
Provision for group work
Every child is a social being and hence it is confronted with the problem of human relations. Often its adjustment on social problems are influenced by considerations of caste, community and religion the child should be taught to rise above narrow parochialism for which it should acquire the knowledge of social norms and goals, and participate in activities for interaction, role play and leadership. Teaching of social studies should provide for these. The child should be given group work through projects, socio-drama, and tours of exploration. In these activities, care should be taken that their details do not become too prominent to over-shadow the real learning of history or geography.
Ego-involvement in learning
Learning is an integral process of causing behavior changes on the part of the learner. One does not learn unless he himself participates in the learning process. Thus, ego-involvement is an important aspect of learning for which teacher should follow dynamic methods of instruction like discussion, debates, and seminars.
Skill development
Social studies include concepts of space and time, and sequents of events. The child should locate a place in relation to others, know the happenings in the life of a nation in proper sequence, and relate the place and time regarding an event. It should also distinguish between similar and contrasting events, principles, and facts. The teacher should develop the child’s skill in these respects through the use of audio-visual aids, like the globe, the map, chart and pictures.