András Németh and Béla Pukánszky: Hypothetical Paradigms in the History of Hungarian Educational Theory

The authors investigate whether the work of the professors of education at the University of Budapest and at the University of Kolozsvár (later Szeged) can be described by two distinct educational paradigms. They assert that within the paradigm of the „educational school of Budapest” Herbartian theory (Kármán Mór, Fináczy Ernõ), value theory idealism (Fináczy Ernõ) and the culture-oriented approach of education (Prohászka Lajos) were successfully reconciled. Weszely Ödön made an attempt to synthesise the inner trends of this paradigm while integrating some of their elements into his own theory of education as an answer to the challenges posed by „Reform Pedagogy” and by the new directions of psychology. The paradigm of the school of Kolozsvár-Szeged included Lajos Felméri's pragmatic-inductive educational theory, the Hungarian version of personality education relying on German philosophical background (Schneller István), and the theory of educating for national identity (Imre Sándor). Felméri's pragmatic-inductive theory was primarily of Anglo-Saxon orientation while Imre Sándor took into account the theories of his two collegues too, when he created his own theory. As a synthesis, Imre Sándor created a comprehensive system in his book (The Discipline of Education) that integrates the elements of some forerunners' theory from the department as well. The paradigm of Kolozsvár-Szeged, however, can be characterised by salient anti-Herbartianism, which was manifested in disagreements in the scientific press several times. Further research is required to answer the question whether similar educational paradigms existed in the Hungarian history of educational thinking after the second world war.

MAGYAR PEDAGÓGIA 97. Number 3-4. 303-317. (1997)

Levelezési cím / Address for correspondence: Németh András, Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem, Neveléstudományi Tanszék H–1146 Budapest, Ajtósi-Dűrer sor 19–21. és Pukánszky Béla, József Attila Tudományegyetem, Pedagógiai Tanszék H–6722 Szeged, Petőri S. sgt. 30–34.

 
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