Theories of Educational Formation

Socrates
469–399 BC
Founder of the Socratic Method
See Plato, The Last Days of Socrates

• Learning happens through questioning, not lecturing

• Truth is discovered through dialogue and reflection. Teach students to explain their reasoning 

• Education should lead to self-knowledge. Asking questions exposes false beliefs 

Plato
427–347 BC
Founder of The Academy
The Republic

• Education should turn the soul toward truth and goodness.

• Students move from opinions → knowledge. Teach critical thinking, not just information 

• Different people are suited for different kinds of learning. Offer academic, artistic, and practical paths 

Aristotle
384–322 BC
Father of Systematic Education
Ethics and Politics

• Education should develop reason, virtue, and skill. Humans are rational and moral beings

• Learning moves from experience → understanding. Teach study habits and discipline 

• Knowledge without action is incomplete 

Confucius
Year
Father of Chinese Education
book

• 1

• 2

• 3

Quintillian
c. 35–100 AD
Roman educator and author
Institutio Oratoria 

• Education should form a good person first, not just a skilled speaker. Eloquence without virtue is dangerous; character is more important than cleverness.

• Students learn best through encouragement, not fear
  Teaching should motivate through respect and care rather than punishment or humiliation.

• The mind grows like a body. Just as muscles develop gradually, intellectual skills must be trained step-by-step with increasing challenge. 

• Education should be systematic and developmentally appropriate
  Instruction should match the child’s age, moving from simple to complex.