Idealist philosophers, such as Plato, Augustine, Descartes, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, Hegel, and Royce had a tremendous impact on the notion of schools as a means of promoting knowledge and preserving social norms and values . School functions are based on idealistic educational beliefs about observing schools as miniature societies that must provide students with stability and sincere learning experiences by teaching them a democratic way of life with ethical and moral values . Schools are homes where ideas are verified, implemented, and simplified . School functions also entail creating remarkable learning environments through which teachers can lead learners to the ultimate reality as much as possible, attaining their fullest potential and guiding them toward their highest reasonable role . Wise teachers regarded as model characters within efficient and expressive schools may have such skills to be effective and operative regarding their pupils’ moral characters . The teachers’ task ought to be to wisely generate an enjoyable learning environment for students [55, 56].
The schools’ interpretations of observed truths entail the human mind as perfect and precise rather than a traditional physical experience . Another primary school function is knowledge and information transmission from one generation to the next, so that popular culture can be preserved through teaching . As an essential curriculum within schools, subject matters must be pleasant and inspire students to develop cooperation, obedience, and respect for others . Idealistic schools work on applying recommendations and directions while taking individual differences into account . Idealistic educators believe that authorized examinations are the finest technique to evaluate pupils’ achievements. Schools could apply punishment simply to regulate learners’ conduct [34, 49]. An additional key feature of school functions based on the educational philosophy of Idealism is the role of teachers.
Role of teachers
Teachers are the central aspect of the education process, as they are the ideal role models for their pupils, both spiritually and ethically. Teachers must concentrate on curricular activities as essential parts of the school curriculum . The connection between educators and learners should be an official relationship observed by schools and teachers who assess their pupils in light of precise measurements administered by a governing body and the teachers themselves [43, 49, 57].
Teachers themselves are one of the essential constituents, as no other component of the school system is more vital than teachers, of whom idealists have high expectations [18, 49]. Teachers who must shine in their awareness and human understanding of students’ needs and aptitudes should be brilliant to be examples and role models for their learners properly and knowledgeably . To do so, teachers need to create and demonstrate moral merit inserted in their deeds and principles, in addition to using and enjoying outstanding creative competencies through providing the minds of their pupils with opportunities to study, scrutinize, integrate, examine, amalgamate, and put knowledge into their conduct and into their way of life [11, 22, 41, 43, 49]. Hence, it could be determined that teachers have the leading role in learning environments based on the educational teachings of Idealism.
Based on the educational teachings of Idealism, teachers play a dominant role in the pedagogical process . They constantly evaluate their pupils’ learning by asking them precise questions regarding the subject materials they transmit to students through lecturing . Lecturing in Idealism, along with dialogues, are the central and most important teaching methods [15, 34] as has already been mentioned. The teacher’s role is an icon and a representative of good character, a knowledge principal responsible for the pedagogical process, whereas pupils are obstinate receivers and reflectors who learn and embrace the subject matters and materials through their teachers. In Idealism, teachers are responsible for choosing the suitable materials and curricula to deliver them to their learners .
In conclusion, idealistic educational implications include, first, the nature of existence, implying that all existing things in the universe are in the soul, spirit, or mind. Second, the subject matters are represented by the preceding generations, who transmit, impart, and inspire ‘Wisdom’ to the next generations. Third, teaching methods help the mental capabilities of pupils to be implanted, motivated, and inspired by the teachers, who then have significant roles. The role of teachers as a fourth idealistic educational implication implies transmitting social and cultural heritage from one generation to another and being role models before their students spiritually and culturally.
Fifth, the roles of students entail that they are acknowledged as receivers and reflectors who learn and embrace essential values, norms, and principles through skill repetitions and examinations, and they have the autonomy to think immaterially or abstractly. Sixth, the roles of schools are viewed idealistically as mental growth environments in which absolute, unchangeable, consistent, fixed, and idealistic values must be taught to students. Additionally, schools are places where knowledge must be gained through the mind and discovery through reasoning. Idealism’s educational implications, principles, and values ensure human values in debates, dialogues, lectures, and discussions. The values and objectives of the Ministry of Education Strategic Plan 2017–2021 in the United Arab Emirates also ensure human values in the discussion, tolerance, moderation, peace, co-existence, compassion, and volunteering, in addition to ensuring inclusive quality education, including pre-school education [58, 59]. The researchers reviewed some literature focusing only on the five idealistic educational implications that have been mentioned. The next subsection of this part of the current research study includes some related previous studies.