Traditional pedagogical model: history and theoretical and practical bases.

We explain the educational characteristics of the most international model in education.

Educational systems and the way in which they are developed and applied is a traditional topic of debate involving pedagogy, psychology, philosophy and even politics.

However, there is one model that there is one model that remains despite the passage of time and not a few criticisms: the traditional pedagogical model.. In this article we will review the history and characteristics of this educational system, as well as its main advantages and disadvantages.

What is the traditional pedagogical model?

Also known as traditional teaching model o traditional educational modelthe traditional pedagogical model is characterized by the marked difference in roles between the student and the teacher.. In this type of educational system the student is a passive recipient of information, while the entire weight of the educational process falls on the teacher, who must be an expert in the subject.

In spite of its antiquity, it reached its peak at the time of the Industrial Revolution, where the traditional pedagogical model was notable for its ease of application and for allowing the possibility of standardizing knowledge.The traditional pedagogical model stood out for its ease of application and for making it possible to standardize knowledge, so that a single teacher could be in charge of educating a large number of students.

These were some of the reasons why this system acquired such fame that it became the educational model of reference, which remains to this day and is the one that remains implemented in the vast majority of educational centers worldwide, regardless of the academic degree.

Despite its popularity in the past, the traditional pedagogical model is not without its critics, the traditional pedagogical model is not without its critics.. With the passage of time, both students and teachers themselves, claim that it has become obsolete; being considered as a predictable model, not very stimulating and in need of urgent adaptation to the new times.

Development and history

The pedagogical model in which a scholar or expert in a series of knowledge transmitted his knowledge to a series of selected students dates back to the ancient academies of the High Middle Ages.

Throughout this historical period, knowledge was restricted to the Christian community, specifically to monks. Therefore, this educational system was characterized by a strong religious and moral basis.

For a long period of time, educational traditions remained confined to the religious class and it was not until the eighteenth century that the first educational revolution took place.

This revolution came from the hand of the man who, to this day, has been considered the father of modern education: John Amos Comenius. This philosopher, pedagogue and theologian of Czech origin created a new educational reform that soon spread throughout Europe and aroused the interest of all governments in the education of their people.

As a result of this revolution, numerous theories, systems and teaching methods arose, so with the aim of grouping, unifying and generalizing these ideas, the first chair of pedagogy was created; developed by the University of Halle in Germany, in 1770.

Among the theoreticians of this era were Joseph Lancaster, creator of the monitorial or mutual teaching movement, and Johan Heinrich Pestalozzi, who applied the ideals of the Enlightenment movement to pedagogy.

Finally, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, governments saw in the traditional pedagogical method an opportunity to transmit both education and the values they considered appropriate to a large number of people at the same time, so numerous schools and educational centers were created to facilitate the expansion of universal education.

As we mentioned earlier, the ease of application of this system and the possibility of offering education to a large part of the population made the traditional education model the reference system, which led to its standardization and application in the vast majority of schools.

This standardization that took place at the end of the 19th century still remains to this day, being the most widely practiced educational system worldwide.

What are its main characteristics?

As described at the beginning of the article, the main characteristic of the traditional pedagogical model is that it is based on the transmission and reception of information and knowledge..

According to this model, the best method of education is one in which the teacher transmits his knowledge directly to his students, who constitute a passive element in the learning process.

In the traditional pedagogical model, the burden of transmitting education falls mainly on the teacher, who must generate his own teaching strategies and present his knowledge to the student.

However, there are other features that distinguish the traditional pedagogical model. These include:

• The teacher must not only be an expert in his or her field, but must also be able to convey the information effectively.
• The learners' role is to try to understand and memorize the information.
• The learner's main learning tool is memory.
• The way in which learners build knowledge is through practice and repetition.
• Self-discipline is the main requirement for learners.
• Exams and evaluative tests allow the teacher to know if the students have acquired the knowledge.

Pros and cons of this system

With the passage of time and research within the field of pedagogy, it has been discovered that the traditional pedagogical model is not all advantages, but also has some shortcomings.It also has some defects that need to be modified, as well as the adaptation of this system to the new times.

Among the advantages and disadvantages of this educational model are the following:

1. Advantages.

• It enables the transmission of knowledge to a large number of people at the same time, without the need to have many educational resources.
• It generates self-discipline and favors the development of personal effort.
• It is the most effective way to transmit pure data such as dates and numerical data.
• It does not require a process of adaptation to teaching on the part of either the student or the teacher.
• It favors memory processes.

2. Disadvantages

• It focuses only on the memorization of information and not so much on its comprehension.
• The evaluation methods generate frustration and stress in the students.
• The memorization of data is not usually advantageous for the development of skills needed to face the real world.
• Students' curiosity and creativity are not stimulated.
• It encourages comparison and competition among students, rather than collaboration and cooperation, which has a negative effect on self-esteem.
• It has been shown that most of the knowledge acquired through this method is eventually forgotten over time.