UNIVERZITET U TRAVNIKU
EDUKACIJSKI FAKULTET
PEDAGOGIJA I PSIHOLOGIJA
THEORETICAL EDUCATION VS PRACTICAL EDUCATION
Seminarski rad iz engleskog jezika
Mentor: Kandidatkinja:
Prof. Azra Mustafica Kelić Arijana Tema
Travnik, juni 2023.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1
1. EDUCATION.....................................................................................................................2
1.1 Formal education........................................................................................................3
1.2. Non-formal education....................................................................................................4
1.3. Informal education.........................................................................................................4
2. THEORETICAL EDUCATION VS PRACTICAL EDUCATION.............................4
2.1. Theoretical education.....................................................................................................5
2.1.1 Benefits of theoretical education........................................................................5
2.2. Practical education.........................................................................................................5
1.1.1 Benefits of practical education...........................................................................6
2.2. Theoretical vs practical education................................................................................6
CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................................8
LITERATURE..........................................................................................................................9
INTRODUCTION
Education is the basic right of every human in this world. Education empowers us. It
is what differentiates between a human and an animal. Education teaches us moral values and
gives us knowledge on topics that is otherwise unknown to human. It enables us to interact
with each other and our environment in a civilized manner. An educated person can
differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. Education determines the success of a
society. Education refers to the process of facilitating the acquisition of new knowledge,
skills, moral values, beliefs, habits, learning, and personal development. There are different
types of education which include formal, non-formal, and informal education. Also, there are
2 main methods used in education: practical education and theoretical education. Both,
theoretical and practical education have their importance and value in a person’s life.
The main topic theoretical education vs practical education will be explained in this work.
The main goals of this work are to explain concept of eduacation as well as concepts of
theoretical and practical education, their benefits and differences.
This work has 2 parts. In the first part „Education“ the concepts of education, formal
education, non-formal education and informal education are explained. In the second part
„Theoretical vs practical education“ the concepts of theoretical education, pratical education
as well as their benefits and differences are explained.
1. EDUCATION
Education refers to the process of facilitating the acquisition of new knowledge, skills,
moral values, beliefs, habits, learning, and personal development. Education is compulsory
for individuals of a certain age in many countries. Educational methods consist of teaching,
learning, training, discussion, directed research, storytelling, and more. Education is an
individual’s dynamic force and plays a highly influential role in a person’s mental, emotional,
social, physical, creative, spiritual, and ethical development. It helps an individual to go
through various experiences and implement these experiences in creating a meaningful life.
(https://educationsummary.com/lesson/meaning-of-equality-or-reservation-in-education/
20.06.2023. 06:38) Education also means helping people to learn how to do things and
encouraging them to think about what they learn. It is also important for educators to teach
ways to find and use information. Through education, the knowledge of society, country, and
of the world is passed on from generation to generation.In democracies, through education,
children and adults are supposed to learn how to be active and effective citizens.More
specific, education helps and guide individuals to transform from one class to another.
Empowered individuals, societies, countries by education are taking an edge over individuals
stand on the bottom pyramid of growth. (https://www.passionineducation.com/types-of-
education-formal-informal-non-formal/ 20.06.2023. 06:53) There are different types of
education which include formal, non-formal, and informal education.
1.1 Formal education
Formal education is education that is institutionalized, intentional and planned
through public organizations and recognized private bodies and, in their totality, make up the
formal education system of a country. Formal education programmes are thus recognized as
such by the relevant national educational authorities or equivalent, e.g. any other institution in
co-operation with the national or sub-national educational authorities. Formal education
consists mostly of initial education. Vocational education, special needs education and some
parts of adult education are often recognized as being part of the formal education system.
(http://uis.unesco.org/en/glossary-term/formal-education 20.06.2023. 07:25)
Formal education or formal learning usually takes place in the premises of the school,
where a person may learn basic, academic, or trade skills. Small children often attend a
nursery or kindergarten but often formal education begins in elementary school and continues
with secondary school. Post-secondary education (or higher education) is usually at a college
or university which may grant an academic degree. It is associated with a specific or stage and
is provided under a certain set of rules and regulations. The formal education is given by
specially qualified teachers they are supposed to be efficient in the art of instruction. It
also observes strict discipline. The student and the teacher both are aware of the facts and
engage themselves in the process of education. (https://www.passionineducation.com/types-
of-education-formal-informal-non-formal/ 20.06.2023. 06:53).
Formal education is classroom-based, meaning everything a student learns comes
books and other educational materials with the sole purpose of educating students. All
teachers are trained and licensed to teach children, and they’re the same teachers the students
will see every day to keep their education and training consistent.
(https://www.througheducation.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-formal-education/
20.06.2023. 07:28)
1.2. Non-formal education
Non-formal education includes adult basic education, adult literacy education or
school equivalency preparation.In non-formal education, someone (who is not in school) can
learn literacy, other basic skills or job skills. Home education, individualized instruction (such
as programmed learning), distance learning and computer-assisted instruction are other
possibilities. Non-formal education is imparted consciously and deliberately and
systematically implemented. It should be organized for a homogeneous group. Non-formal,
education should be programmed to serve the needs of the identified group. This will
necessitate flexibility in the design of the curriculum and the scheme of evaluation.
(https://www.passionineducation.com/types-of-education-formal-informal-non-formal/
20.06.2023. 06:53).
1.3. Informal education
Informal education, on the other hand, does not have the structure and levels that
formal schools have. It’s more natural and spontaneous, meaning the information you learn
through this form of education comes from learning from experience. This range from visiting
places like museums, libraries, and other educational facilities that aren’t traditional schools,
or simply by looking at scenarios that allow a person to learn important information. Informal
learning can come from a licensed teacher if they teach you something outside of the
curriculum, but under informal education, anyone can be a teacher regardless of credentials or
whether or not they have a teaching license. In fact, it’s most likely that your first informal
teachers are your parents and the people you lived with growing up .
(https://www.througheducation.com/the-different-types-of-informal-education/ 20.06.2023
08:01)
2. THEORETICAL EDUCATION VS PRACTICAL EDUCATION
Education is mainly divided into two main categories. These two categories are practical
education and theoretical education. Both, theoretical and practical education have their
importance and value in a person’s life.
2.1. Theoretical education
Theoretical education refers to getting education primarily from sources based
on books etc. This type of education is mainly based on reading, memorizing and rote
learning. It refers to the factual information pertaining to any subject or topic. It has no
practical or application aspects to it. It refers to a process that is wholly based on learning. The
data which is to be learned can be facts, figures, etc. Theoretical education helps in providing
information about the experience of others as well. Theoretical knowledge is
the explanatory part of it. It explains the logic or reason behind a particular event. Explanation
of facts is an extremely significant part of theoretical education.
(https://shashidreamfoundation.medium.com/theoretical-education-vs-practical-education-
21e50b588876 20.06.2023. 22:32)
2.1.1 Benefits of theoretical education
Theoretical learning helps us to understand important ideas and techniques necessary
to do a better job and understand a situation. Here are some benefits of theoretical teaching,
Through theoretical teaching, you understand why something is significant before
learning how to do it in practice. Building this bridge of understanding
between why and how helps us understand the ideas behind the techniques, so we can
separate which works better and why. Through initial theoretical knowledge of a subject, it
becomes easier to apply what you’ve learnt in practice. Practical knowledge is gained through
your own personal experience, while theoretical knowledge is the experience gained from
many others, enriching your overall comprehension and capabilities. When reading a book,
watching a video, or listening to a speaker, you’re able to absorb more content and structure
more concepts in your mind. Having such a wealth of knowledge can make you invaluable as
a coach, leader, and professional. Whether it’s stating necessary facts or finding holes in
theoretical discussions, any strategy relies on logical planning and compartmentalisation
gained by theoretical understanding. (https://ukcpd.co.uk/practical-learning-vs-theoretical-
learning/ 20.06.2023.)
2.2. Practical education
Practical education on the other hand refers to, gaining knowledge not solely on the
basis of reading or memorizing, but gaining it through practical application and uses. Under
practical education, the information is acquired through the acts of doing, using, or enacting.
The information gained through this branch is more efficient as the learner while doing an
activity internalizes the knowledge received by him/her. The knowledge acquired through such
means is relatively easier to memorize and more resistant to forgetting. Such knowledge even
if forgotten, can easily be remembered easily on the presentation of relevant cues. Practical
education focuses on learning through personal experience. Theoretical education focuses
more on the “learning” aspect. Practical education means we learn about a thing by
implementing that action and it is during the implementation, that the information we have
acquired is fixed in our brains.
(https://shashidreamfoundation.medium.com/theoretical-education-vs-practical-education-
21e50b588876 20.06.2023. 22:32)
1.1.1 Benefits of practical education
Practical learning often allows us to retain information efficiently and for prolonged
periods. Depending on the person, remembering and applying actions are easier to memorise
than words. The classic saying, “action speaks louder than words”, implies that a person’s
actions give you a better impression of their character than what they say. Practical learning
can generate a deeper understanding of a specific skill or subject. Learning from experience is
often seen as a more powerful way to ingrain knowledge and develop abilities. Also, when we
make mistakes, especially when training, the brain adjusts and learns through a specific type of
electrical activity known as error-related negativity (ERN). Further research into concept-error
learning (intentionally making mistakes and correcting them) reveals improvements in
meaningful learning, memory, and test performance. Science proves learning from mistakes
during practical learning enables people to understand and adapt faster. Compared to
theoretical learning, practice-based incorporates teamwork and human interaction. Rather than
just learning inside your head, you’re likely to be learning with other people. As a result,
practical learning can improve your social and communication skills. Social input can be
necessary for practical teaching and learning, developing our abilities to work with people in
understanding and communication. (https://ukcpd.co.uk/practical-learning-vs-theoretical-
learning/ 20.06.2023.)
2.2. Theoretical vs practical education
The biggest advantage of theoretical knowledge is that you can learn about anything
sitting anywhere in the world. But what good is that knowledge to you, if you can’t
experience it yourself? If a student learn from the theoretical approach, the student will only
learn why that thing is done, not how that thing is done. If a student is only taught theoretical
knowledge, he or she may end up cramming it. What is the use of that cramming in the long
run? The student will barely remember it later in their life. Unlike theoretical education, in
practical education, we learn how a particular thing is done and not why that thing is done.
Our brain tends to remember anything that is learnt via hands-on experience for a longer time
than something we just read from a book.
Practical knowledge is based upon one’s own experience instead of other’s experience
which he studied about in books. When a student does something with their own hands which
they previously learnt just in theory, they tend to be more confident about that particular
concept. When the teachers are only focused on theoretical or textual learning, it can leave the
student’s bored. On the other hand, practical experience is no less than fun for students of all
age. It can never let a student get bored, hence leaving him with more knowledge than that he
acquired in his classroom. Practical knowledge gives the greatest experience of learning to
students of all age groups. The possibilities of ways to learn practical knowledge are endless.
(https://kuwait.mytutorsource.com/blog/what-is-the-importance-of-theoretical-education-
practical-education/ 20.06.2023. 23:04)
CONCLUSION
Education is an individual’s dynamic force and plays a highly influential role in a
person’s mental, emotional, social, physical, creative, spiritual, and ethical development. It
helps an individual to go through various experiences and implement these experiences in
creating a meaningful life. Society with a large number of educated people means that this
society is more likely to be successful, civil, and modern.
There are different types of education which include formal, non-formal, and informal
education. Formal education is classroom-based, meaning everything a student learns comes
books and other educational materials with the sole purpose of educating students. In non-
formal education, someone (who is not in school) can learn literacy, other basic skills or job
skills. Informal education is more natural and spontaneous, meaning the information you learn
through this form of education comes from learning from experience.
Education is not just the theory that we learn from our books or in classrooms. We can
also get education from practical experiences that take place outside our typical classrooms.
Education is mainly divided into two main categories. These two categories are practical
education and theoretical education. Both, theoretical and practical education have their
importance and value in a person’s life. Theoretical education refers to getting education
primarily from sources based on books etc. This type of education is mainly based on reading,
memorizing and rote learning. Under practical education, the information is acquired through
the acts of doing, using, or enacting. The biggest advantage of theoretical knowledge is that
you can learn about anything sitting anywhere in the world. But, if a student learn from the
theoretical approach, the student will only learn why that thing is done, not how that thing is
done. Our brain tends to remember anything that is learnt via hands-on experience for a
longer time than something we just read from a book. Practical knowledge is based upon
one’s own experience instead of other’s experience which he studied about in books. When a
student does something with their own hands which they previously learnt just in theory, they
tend to be more confident about that particular concept.
LITERATURE
Web
1. https://educationsummary.com/lesson/meaning-of-equality-or-reservation-in-
education/ 20.06.2023. 06:38
2. https://kuwait.mytutorsource.com/blog/what-is-the-importance-of-theoretical-
education-practical-education/ 20.06.2023. 23:04
3. https://www.passionineducation.com/types-of-education-formal-informal-non-formal/
20.06.2023. 06:53
4. https://shashidreamfoundation.medium.com/theoretical-education-vs-practical-
education-21e50b588876 20.06.2023. 22:32
5. https://www.througheducation.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-formal-
education/ 20.06.2023. 07:28
6. http://uis.unesco.org/en/glossary-term/formal-education 20.06.2023. 07:25
7. https://ukcpd.co.uk/practical-learning-vs-theoretical-learning/ 20.06.2023.
