Human Development & Education: Interdependent Factors

The Human Being as a Subject of Education

The fundamental question, "Is education possible?" elicits many answers, which can be reduced to two primary aspects of reflection:

• The first examines the basis of behavior and focuses on biological determinants.
• The second explores the role of the individual's own activity and the influence of the environment in shaping personality.

Scientific Anthropology: Biological Foundations

Scientific Anthropology addresses the first question, studying the humanization process from its origins to the formation of the human species.

Pedagogical Anthropology: The Humanization Process

Pedagogical Anthropology, meanwhile, analyzes the events that lead an individual to become a human being, a process known as humanization. Biological and anthropological studies highlight the lack of organic specificity in newborns (e.g., slow development, absence of primary instincts), which translates into a lack of autonomous adaptation mechanisms to the environment. This inherent lack of specificity necessitates continuous learning.

This is why protection and physical care are so important in the early stages of development, as they initiate the humanization process, in which education plays a key role.

Maturation, Learning, and Environmental Influence

The human fetus develops at a speed governed by genetic determinants, representing a prototype of maturation, where the environment plays only a limited role. After birth, the maturation of structures and some functions continues in an orderly fashion, leading to a series of acquisitions:

• Bipedestation (standing upright)
• Walking
• Potty training
• Beginning to talk

Although the environment also plays a role in these acquisitions. In the case of language, the interaction between maturation and learning is essential for its occurrence. This is evident in language acquisition: even if a subject is biologically prepared for their first words around the age of one, only if the environment is appropriate will their development be considered normal.

The Interdependence of Development Factors

Therefore, discussions pitting the importance of biological factors (maturation) against social factors (education) do not make sense. The development of the human being participates equally from both, and the effects of heredity, maturation, learning, and the environment are interdependent.

Education's Role in Human Development

The environment, therefore, stands as an essential component of education. When modified and adapted to the needs of individuals, it becomes a humanized medium imperative for learning. The low biological determination that characterizes humans underscores the importance of learning as a process for the genesis of new behaviors and responses to new situations. Socialization enables the integration of the individual into a social group, and education guides the formation process towards specific goals or objectives.