Fundamental Pedagogy Jana Doležalová

9 Means of Education 
Objectives 
After studying this chapter: 

You will know and distinguish various groups of means of education. 

You will understand the principles of education. 
Terms to Remember (Key Words) 

means of 
education 

principles of education

methods of education 

forms of education 
Introductory Questions and Assignments 
1. What educational activities which you have gone through so far have 
attracted your attention most? Do you think that you have been 
influenced by them in any way? In what way? In what? 
2. Please recall effective or interesting educational means of your parents, 
teachers at school, educators in out-of-school-hours (extracurricular) 
activities; describe them and comment on their effectiveness. 
9.1 Means of Education 
Under means of education, we understand everything which helps implement 
education and attain its objectives. They are divided as follows: 

means of education in a broader and in the strict sense of the word; 

or material and immaterial means of education. 
Means of education in the strict sense of the word are of a material 
nature.
For instance: 

aids such textbooks and other types of texts, models, pictures and real 
objects, devices, instruments and tools as well as school and class 
equipment, premises designed for education; 

---

63 

didactic equipment – overhead projector, data projector, computer, 
players, television and video recorders, visualiser, multifunctional 
equipment, etc. 
In the broader sense of the word, means of education also include those of 
an immaterial nature. 
Material means have already been characterised and now we will focus on 
immaterial means used in a variety of educational environments and areas. 
The immaterial means of education include methods of education and 
organisational forms of education. 
1. Methods of education and instruction (commonly ‘education’) 
are the procedures or activities of the educator and the educatee leading 
to the attainment of an educational objective. 

From the perspective of the source of cognition, teaching methods 
include: 
o verbal methods (narration, explanation, presentation, lecture, 
dialogue, discussion, work with texts);
o teaching 
through 
demonstration 
(student 
observation, 
demonstration of phenomena and objects, training); 
o methods of practical student activities (assembly and disassembly, 
laboratory activities, skilled and art activities); 
o activating methods (e.g. play, staging and dramatization, 
problem-solving and situational methods). 
