Educational Excursions and Travels in Western European Pedagogical Thought of the XV - XX Centuries

Abstract

The article is devoted to determining the views of Western European educators on educational excursions and their use in educational institutions. The article identifies Western European educators who in the period of the XV – XX centuries expressed their views on the place of excursions in the educational process. It has been determined that François Rabelais was one of the first to draw attention to the importance of students’ going outside the classroom and using walks and excursions in education. It is established that he proposed to conduct excursions for students both to nature and to craft workshops. It has been established that Jan Amos Comenius and John Locke proposed to include travel in the activities of educational institutions. They determined the most appropriate age for educational travel. It is noted that Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi and Adolph Diesterweg were among the first to point out the role of visualization as a theoretical basis for the use of excursions in the educational process. They substantiated the principle of natural correspondence in education. They also suggested using excursions to implement this principle and enhance visualization. The positions of August Hermann Francke and Johann Friedrich Herbart on the organization of educational excursions in different types of educational institutions are revealed. It is indicated that at the beginning of the twentieth century Georg Kerschensteiner was an enthusiast for the introduction of excursions into the educational process as an element of “state and civic education”. It is noted that the American philosopher and educator John Dewey pointed out the connection between education and real-life experience. This experience can be gained by visiting libraries, museums, and traveling. The role of August-Heinrich Lübben in developing the theory of educational excursions and their implementation in the practice of domestic education in the second half of the XIX century, in particular through methodological literature, is noted. It is established that the role of excursions in education has been recognized in Western European pedagogical thought for six centuries.