Relation of pedagogy towards other sciences

 Content of pedagogy – is represented by disciplines, sometimes considered to be independent sciences (in English speaking countries „educational sciences”), which are considerably wide. Here belongs general pedagogy, historical pedagogy, philosophy of education, sociology of education, social pedagogy, special pedagogy, didactics, pedagogical prognostics, economy of education.

System of pedagogical sciences

-          contemporary pedagogy includes a wide area of scientific cognition and it is divided into individual science disciplines. Its structure is formed by the summary of these sciences and their relations.

Classification of pedagogical sciences or sciences about education has different points of view.

 System of pedagogical sciences is formed by:

A.    Basic pedagogical disciplines

B.     Applicative pedagogical disciplines

C.     Marginal pedagogical disciplines

     All science disciplines are more or less mutually connected and thus they represent united system mutually conditioned relations. Pedagogy or sciences about education are influenced by many disciplines. By means of mutual influencing the theory of new disciplines is developing – here belongs educational philosophy, futuristics, prognostics, geography, demography, ethnography, ethnology, hygiene of architecture, cybernetics and other disciplines.

     Pedagogy by its universal character, which arises from miscellaneousness and dependence of the subject of research, cannot be isolated from other sciences. It uses mainly various theoretical pieces of knowledge, hypotheses and applications of scientific-research methods. Pedagogy has a close relation especially towards philosophical, psychological and biological sciences.

The meaning of disciplines:

Pedagogy - philosophy

This relation is of great importance for both pedagogical theory and practice. Pedagogy was developing within philosophy for a long time up to modern times. However, neither philosophy nor pedagogy arose a priori, but it has its roots in scientific cognition and research. All more important philosophical trends significantly influence pedagogical theory. It is philosophy of a human, axiology, logic, ethics and aesthetics.

1. Pedagogy – philosophy:

(a) Pedagogy and philosophy of a human (philosophical anthropology) (this relation) examines the complex of questions concerned with life, genesis of conditions, future and position of a man in the society. On the basis of pieces of knowledge from philosophy of a human it is possible to work up educational aims and content of education. Categories the aim of education and the content of education have philosophical dimension. They clarify what should be reached in education and what should be mediated by means of education and schooling to the individual.

 (b) Pedagogy – axiology. Axiology deals with human and social values. Value is a phenomenon, which (theory of values) expresses the relationship of a man to something or someone. This science discipline helps pedagogy in such a way that it gets into the value worlds of a man and thus it helps in forming, defining aims of education, because the aim of education → it is the concrete value. Pedagogy characterizes these values: moral, cultural, aesthetic, civil, religious, producing.

 (c) Pedagogy – logic (logic = a science about general forms and construction of thinking. In general, a science about correct inferring.)

The content of education is also formulated on the basis of logic postulates. To know the essentials of logic → means for a teacher to use proper principles of thinking, to express and formulate his ideas adequately.

 (d) Pedagogy – ethics (ethics = a science about morality). Development of morality and educations towards morality is connected with pedagogy since Socrates and along with it the aim of education and the content of education as well. It deals with moral values. The aim of educational influence is culturally and historically conditioned. It is represented by ideal (notion) of presumptive, required qualities of a human, which can be gained by education. See more Wolfgang Brezinka: Philosophical bases of education. 

 (e) Pedagogy – aesthetics (aesthetics as a science about general questions of artistic reproduction by a man). Many experts (and laics) consider teaching to be a kind of art.

 (e) Pedagogy – aesthetics (aesthetics as a science about general questions of artistic reproduction by a man). Many experts (and laics) consider teaching to be a kind of art.

II. Pedagogy – psychology:

- from psychological disciplines:

- experimental psychology influenced research methods of pedagogy

- depth psychology (psychoanalysis of S. Freud and individualistic psychology of Adler)

- personalistic psychology

Pedagogy – general psychology: it provides for pedagogy pieces of knowledge which are important for analyses of educational processes and phenomena.

2. Pedagogy – psychology of personality: it is of great importance for both pedagogical theory and practice. It examines interests, inclinations, attitudes, abilities, talent, temperament, character. Cognition of pupil’s personality is one of the basic conditions of success of education and teaching, but it also enables to respect pedagogical principle of individual approach. 
3. Pedagogy – development psychology: it exactly defines and characterizes typical features of the given periods and on the basis of these ontogenetic pieces of knowledge the content of education is adjusted. Methods, forms and means must also fulfill these criteria (age suitability).

III. Pedagogy – sociology (a science about laws of development and structure of society as   a whole). Teaching process has its social nature as well. Sociology helps to solve problems in the sphere of school and after-school education. Pedagogy borrowed from sociology many research methods, e.g. inquiry, sociometric method, test.

IV. Pedagogy has also a relation with physical sciences:

1. pedagogy – biology: development of the individual is determined from 3 sides (somatic, psychic, social). Biology provides analysis of construction and activity of a human organism.
2. pedagogy – hygiene
3. pedagogy – mathematics (especially statistics)
4. pedagogy – cybernetics (cybernetics is a science about control and regulation in influencing processes).