The significance of the concepts ‘elemental’ and ‘fundamental’ in didactic theory and practice

Abstract

Abstract The 'elemental' refers to the essentials of the contents that make them accessible to a child. The effects on a child of contents that are mastered are the 'fundamental'. In a fruitful didactic unlocking (presentation) it is possible for a child to achieve considerably more insight than merely an understanding of the learning content. The child (learner) gains insight into reality itself, and even into means of dealing with it. There is a path from the elemental to the fundamental that should always be kept in mind, and kept open by a teacher. The elemental has an unlocking function and facilitates presenting the contents to a child, but it is valid didactically only if it is transformed into a fundamental learning experience by a child/learner. The elemental‐fundamental approach, if used appropriately, leads to effective teaching that culminates in genuine learning. This, in didactic terminology, is referred to as 'categorical forming'. Contents that have been mastered become part of a child's intellectual possession by means of which the becoming person can gradually cope with present and future life‐world situations and the life challenges they encounter. Keywords: Bildung (education)categorical formingdidactic theory and practiceelementals and fundamentalshistory of education Notes 1. See 'Feesbundel aangebied aan Doktor Barend Frederik Nel' (1955). It needs to be mentioned that Karl and Charlotte Bühler of Los Angeles, Robert J. Havighurst of The University of Chicago, George Humphrey of Oxford University, M. J. Langeveld of the Rijksuniversiteit at Utrecht, Eduard Spranger of the University at Tübingen, and Albert Wellek of the Johannes Gutenberg University at Mainz were some of the international academics who contributed towards this Festschrift honouring B. F. Nel. 2. See especially the discussion below of Schleiermacher's view on this matter. 3. In this regard, see the argument by the Van der Stoep and Van der Stoep (1968 Van der Stoep, F. and Van der Stoep, O. A. 1968. Didaktiese orientasie [Didactic orientation], Pretoria: Academica. [Google Scholar]: 124) as well as the conclusion of Nel (1968 Nel, B. F. 1968. Fundamentele Orientering in die Psigololgiese Pedagogiek [Fundamental Orientation in Psychological Pedagogics], Stellenbosch, , South Africa: University Publishers and Booksellers. [Google Scholar]: 22). 4. 'Forming' is achieving adulthood while 'educating' leads to it (Van der Stoep 1969 Van der Stoep, F. 1969. Didaktiese Grondvorme [Didactic Ground Forms], Pretoria and Cape Town: H&R Academica. [Google Scholar]: 21 [g]). 5. Some use only one or the other term and there are authors who use the one while meaning the other. 6. I will consider Scheler's (1954a Scheler, M. 1954a. On the Eternal in Man, Edited by: Noble, B. London: SCM Press. [Google Scholar], b Scheler, M. 1954b. Vom Ewigen im Menschen, Edited by: Scheler, M. Berne: Frencke Verlag. [Google Scholar]) conclusion about formative knowledge, which Klafki (1954 Klafki, W. 1954. Das Pädagogische Problem des Elementaren und die Theorie der Kategorialen Bildung, Weinheim, , Germany: Verlag Julius Beltz. Göttinger Studien zur Pädagogik, Neue Folge Vol. 6 [Google Scholar]: 102) brings into relation with Froebel's views, in that it makes a definite contribution to our problem. What does Scheler's conclusion include? A few pregnant exemplars of a matter are unlocked for a child (but he doesn't say this) that equip or allow him or her to master formative knowledge, that is, an insight into what is essential. Good and pregnant exemplars (thus, good elementals) are chosen, and this formative knowledge (knowledge and insight) is assimilated. This is an ordered insight that is the basis for an interpretation (a first fundamental). This becomes a category for all coincidental facts that are essentially alike and with which a child is going to deal in his or her future experiences (a second and functionalized fundamental). Thus, it seems that a child as consciousness also is aware that he or she has learned. 7. The use of the concepts 'genesis' for becoming and 'genetic learning' for learning—the effects of unlocking with an impact on becoming—appear generally and freely in the German literature. It is in this context that Wagenschein's (1966 Wagenschein, M. 1966. Zum Problem des genetischen Lehrens. Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 12(4): 305–330. [Google Scholar]: 1) argument for genetic learning also has to be understood. 8. Frick borrows this concept from Otto Willmann (1923 Willmann, O. 1923. Didaktik als Bildungslehre, nach ihren Beziehungen zur Sozialforschung und zur Geschichte der Bildung , 5th ed., Braunschweig, , Germany: Vieweg. [Google Scholar], 1930 Willmann, O. 1930. The Science of Education in its Sociological and Historical Aspects, Edited by: Kirsch, F. M. Beatty, PA: Archabbey Press. [Google Scholar]). 9. 'Child‐in‐distress' is my term and stems from modern existential phenomenology where a child is always seen as a child‐in‐need, especially educational need. 10. The old theory of a child's understanding faculty as an apperceptive mass is scorned by modern didacticians. 11. This is so far removed from the didactic practices based on method alone! 12. I believe that this intuitive viewpoint pinpoints the attitude of a great teacher. 13. This is the type of metaphor that does not say much in a didactic scientific (i.e. the science of teaching and learning) context, yet it reflects a true existential touch. 14. Exist in the existential phenomenological sense of 'ex‐sist', to step outside of oneself, to be‐in‐the‐world. (G. Y.)