Final answer:
Herbart believed instruction should cultivate understanding of virtues such as truth, beauty, and goodness, and he created a systematic four-step method, which includes preparation, presentation, association, generalization, and application to achieve this goal.
Step-by-step explanation:
Johann Friedrich Herbart was a German philosopher and psychologist who contributed significantly to pedagogy, the science of education. Herbart believed that the task of instruction was to present information in a way that leads to students' understanding of truth, beauty, goodness, and other virtues. This understanding would then cultivate a moral character in individuals. To this end, he developed a systematic approach to teaching, often referred to as Herbartianism, which includes his famous four-step method of instruction.
Herbart's four-step method of instruction includes the following sequential steps:
- Preparation - making students ready to learn by connecting new information to past knowledge.
- Presentation - introducing new material in a clear and engaging manner.
- Association - connecting the new information to existing knowledge, and drawing comparisons and contrasts.
- Generalization - drawing broad conclusions from the material.
- Application - allowing students to apply what they've learned to different situations or contexts.
These steps are designed to build upon each other and facilitate a deep understanding and retention of the material taught. Herbart emphasized the importance of relating teaching material to the students' personal experience to ensure that learning is meaningful and long-lasting.