Education as a Discipline

1.1 Education as Discipline

It has been pointed out by many researchers of higher education that the concept of a discipline is not a straightforward one. The disciplines are so different from each other that it is hard to come up with a concise definition that would fit all of them to the same degree. A ‘discipline’ can be many things at the same time and it is worthwhile to look closely at the various meanings of the word. Therefore many academic investigations of the concept of ‘disciplinarily’ start off with an exploration of the etymology of the word discipline.

This seems to be a useful exercise as the word has clearly retained a strong connection to its etymological roots. The term ‘discipline’ originates from the Latin words discipulus, which means pupil, and disciplina, which means teaching (noun). Related to it is also the word ‘disciple’ as in the disciples of Jesus.

Education is generally denoted as a discipline related to the activities of educating or instructing and activities that impart knowledge, skills and attitudes. It is meant that education is said to be gaining knowledge or to learn new ideas, skills and attitudes. It is a continuous process which goes along the life. According to the concept of Educationist, Dumvile-“Education begins from the cradle and ends to the grave” . It is difficult to define education according to the limitations of historical boundary. It is analyzed, described and used differently according to the time, situation and environment.
been Now, we are going to discuss about education as a discipline in which it is required to clarify the concept of discipline as well. Discipline means distinctive field of study. Discipline is defined as a branch of study or research through which in depth knowledge of organized area so that the study can be done logically.

The Meaning of discipline is clearly listed below:-

  1. Branch of Knowledge
  2. Structure of knowledge
  3. Subject of instrucation

Structures of knowledge are classified as follows:-
  1. Meaning and defination
  2. Rules and Generalization
  3. Concept & principles
  4. Facts and information
  5. Methodology & Terminology


On the development of education as a discipline the following philosophers have illustrated their ideas which are as follows:
  1. Plato- Societies are classified differently to imagine whether the society is Ideal state.
  2. Aristotle- Explain inductive and deductive method.
  3. Herbert Spence- He had contributed scientific thinking in education.
  4. Socrates- He had prfound dialetic method.
  5. Coombs- told the educational crisis.
  6. Ival Illich and Rammer - had published a book named as Deschawing society and the school is dead
  7. Paulo Freire- had emphasized the equality of education.


All of these progressive nations had played important roles in developing education as a discipline. An academic discipline or field of study is a branch of knowledge that is taught and researched as part of higher education.
Summary of meaning of discipline
A discipline in the generally accepted sense of the world means a field of study which has a well defined content and a technique of its own together with a unique system of values. It is implicit in this concept of a learned discipline that it constitutes an important part that its pursuit results in a specific enrichment of the human mind. Most of the subjects taught in universities and colleges are disciplined in this sense: The discipline of education is based on :-
  1. New innovation of education
  2. A branch of knowledge
  3. Educational research
  4. Modern thinking of education
  5. Developed educational principles
  6. Bringing out educational faculty
  7. Instruction e.g. a general subject area such as psychology, linguistics etc


There are five elements, which designate an area of knowledge as a distinct discipline. These areas are:
  1. specific origin or history:The stock of knowledge which is the core element of any discipline is experienced and verified over a long period of time. It constitutes the history of any discipline. Every discipline such as mathematics, science has their long history. Every discipline is developed on the footmarks of history. The experiences developed in historical time make a discipline rich.
  2. Concepts, theories and principles: The stock of knowledge in any discipline should be arranged in the form of concepts, theories and principles. Concepts are a generalized category of facts revealed by experiences. Theories and principles are those arrangements in which concepts are interlinked in the form of cause and effect. These all are needed to preserve the knowledge and predict the future phenomenon. There should be a stock of concepts, principles and theories in any discipline.
  3. An theoritical structure: The hierarchical relationship of knowledge in the form of interrelated concepts, theories and principles constitute a theoretical structure. This theoretical structure is the main body of a discipline, which gives it a distinct existence. Every discipline should have a sound theoretical structure in which its underlying body of knowledge is interlinked in the form as an intact area of knowledge.
  4. Own research methodology Every discipline should have its own research methodology. The aim of research is theorizing or theory building. Every discipline can be made rich and the sound disciplinary base of it can be developed via research.

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