Meaning, Nature, Utility and Scope of Sociology of Education
Meaning of Educational Sociology
Educational Sociology is a combination of two words, education and society, which means "education in sociology" or "inclusion of sociology in education". George Peyne is considered the father of educational sociology. The education that is formed by including the qualities of society and its elements in education is called educational sociology. In educational sociology, all those principles are adopted which are adopted in the principles of education.
Definition of Educational Sociology
(1). According to George Payne, "A science which describes and explains the. institutions, social groups and social processes, that is, the social relationships in which or through which the individual gains and organises his experiences."
(2). According to John Dewey, "All Education proceeds by the participation of the individual in the social consciousness of the race."
(3). According to Brown, "Educational Sociology is the study of the interaction of the individual and his cultural environment including other individuals, social groups and patterns of behaviour."
Nature of Educational Sociology
- Educational sociology is a social science and it is a branch of sociology
- Educational Sociology is a theoretical and objective subject.
- Educational sociology is the scientific study of the relationship between society and education.
- Educational sociology is influenced by the philosophy of positivism.
- Educational sociology is the scientific study of social processes, social patterns and sociological problems in formal and informal educational situations.
Aims of Educational Sociology
The aims of Educational Sociology are to:
- acquire knowledge about school work and the work of teachers in relation to society and social progress.
- study the effects of social elements on the school.
- acquire knowledge about the effects of social elements on individual.
- construct a curriculum of education with full understanding of the economic and cultural tendencies of society.
- gain knowledge about the democratic ideologies.
- employ research techniques for achieving the aims of educational sociology.
Impact of Educational Sociology on Education
The impacts of educational sociology on education are following-
- Educational Sociology launched the schemes of mass education and for the purpose schools were opened all over the land to educate children.
- Educational Sociology extracted education from the clutches of religion or Church and placed in the hands of the State.
- Adult education movement began to grow under the influence of Educational Sociology.
- The State realized its responsibility not only towards the adults but also formulated and launched schemes for the education of the physically handicapped and mentally retarded children.
- Because of the launching of the mass education programmes, the need of more and more teachers was felt. Hence, monitorial system was adopted.
- According to this method, the responsibility of teaching junior classes is left on the students of senior classes.
- To prevent, exploitation of child labour, schemes of nursery education for the infants began to be launched in more and more numbers.
- States began to provide vocational, technical, professional and agricultural education to children under the inspiration of Educational Sociology.
- All aspects of education were influenced by Educational Sociology and many important changes have been accomplished in the field of education under the impact of Educational Sociology.
Scope of Educational Sociology
Educational Sociology is a wide and comprehensive subject because it deals with the influences of educational process on Sociology and the effects of sociological processes on education. The following are the important factors of study for Educational Sociology:
- Mutual relations of teachers and students.
- The place of a teacher in society.
- Social problems, needs and aspirations.
- Small units of society and their interrelation.
- School and its relations with local social institutions.
- Effect of social life upon individuals and schools.
- Progress of democratic feelings in school.
- Necessary modifications in the curriculum for individual and social growth.
- Encouragement to critical thinking and investigation.
- Evaluation of Radio, Television and Press as medium of social progress.
- Determination of teaching methods for the development of child.
- Investigation of all the sources of social restrictions and social advancement.
Need and Importance of Educational Sociology
The function of education is to make all round development of the personality of the child. This development cannot happen in a vacuum. Development is always influenced by social relations. The development of a child is influenced by his family, school, community, culture etc. All these are studied in educational sociology. The need and importance of teacher sociology can be clarified from the following points-
- In educational sociology, the curriculum of education is designed keeping in mind the social problems.
- Educational sociology is also helpful in the formulation of teaching methods.
- Educational sociology also plays its proper role in the manufacture of teaching aids.
- Educational sociology links schools with society.
- Educational sociology studies the needs and problems of society, after which the objectives of education are formulated.
- With the help of educational sociology, it helps to understand the concept of education.
- With the help of educational sociology, it helps to understand the problems of the students, due to which it also plays an important role in the teaching-learning process.
Difference Between Educational Sociology and Sociology of Education
Sociology of Education and Educational Sociology are two branches of study which are sometimes incorporated as one and the same branch, but they actually are not. They are different when it comes to their subjects of study and the nature of the branches of study.
Sociology of education deals with how education and conclusions are affected by individual experiences and public institutions. The study of the development of public education systems and its blow on modern industrial societies form the subject of the branch of study in sociology of education. Topics such as advanced education, more education, continuing education and training may be included in the branch of study in sociology of education.
Sociology on the other hand is the educational branch of study that deals with different methods providing the best education to the company by looking in depth of our culture and society. Educational sociology is a subject that needs to sociologists as the educationists in the account. This is a topic invaluable asset to all students and researchers in social sciences, particularly sociology and education. It is generally believed that those concerned with an in-depth study of education will promoted more than the branch of sociology of education.