[21] REIMAGINING EDUCATION: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH TO HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT
ARTICLE INFO: Date of Submission: Mar 10, 2025, Revised: Mar 24, 2025, Accepted: March 27, 2025, CrossRef d.o.i. : https://doi.org/10.56815/ijmrr.v4i1.2025.196-201. How to Cite: Apurba Mandal (2025). Reimagining Education: A Philosophical Approach to Holistic Development. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research & Reviews, 4(1), 196-206.
Abstract
Student-centered learning is one of the most powerful methods to provide children with buy-in by centring their interests and needs into the learning experience. In this paper, we speak on how student-centered pedagogies enable comprehensive development and engagement of the children both in formal as well as non-formal education settings. Contributing to classroom practice, field studies, and new educational research, this study indicates that through experiential learning, play-based instruction, differentiated instruction as well as collaborative activities, children can be engaged and motivated. This paper explores the need to reimagine education through a philosophical lens that prioritizes holistic human development over narrow academic achievement. Drawing inspiration from thinkers such as John Dewey and Rabindranath Tagore, it critiques conventional education systems that emphasize standardized testing, rote learning, and utilitarian outcomes. Instead, it proposes an integrative framework that nurtures intellectual, emotional, ethical, and creative capacities in learners.The study argues that education should be understood as a transformative process aimed at cultivating self-awareness, critical thinking, empathy, and social responsibility. It highlights the importance of experiential learning, interdisciplinary approaches, and value-based education in fostering wellrounded individuals capable of navigating the complexities of contemporary life. Furthermore, the paper examines the role of educators as facilitators of growth rather than mere transmitters of knowledge.It also touches upon how students are facilitators and the need to establish secure, safe, and flexible learning environments. Marginalized Children (rural folks, vulnerable kids, etc. are paying special attention, for emphasis that the student-centered education is more than ever essential in bringing transformative change for equity and lifelong learning. The results indicated huge improvements: enhancement in academic performance and self-confidence, social skills when children were given a voice of being active participants in their learning journey. This paper then ends with recommendations for incorporating student-centered values in curriculum development, teacher training, and policy.
