Knowledge is considered the most powerful tool in the existence of humanity. Right from the beginning, everything that we experience imparts knowledge of some kind. Knowledge can be referred to as the “experience of life” as it includes both- theory and practical learning. 

Education, ideally, is an attempt to create an open and inquisitive mind for  children. The ideology and approach towards education in India has been diversified on so many levels. Education itself is multidisciplinary therefore, there is no right or wrong approach. 

Learning, on the other hand, has two broad sub-categories, theory and practical. Each method of learning has its own perks and plays a role in shaping young minds. Education is the only key to nurturing responsible human beings who absorb the positives and can impart them to people around them. Let’s look at theoretical and practical learning in detail. 

About Theoretical Learning

Theoretical refers to the process of consuming knowledge directly through books in a predetermined curriculum. It helps the child to understand why one technique is successful over the other. Books are a product of several experiences and research that focus on particular topics in depth.

Theoretical learning guarantees the comprehension of fundamental concepts and the know-how about the functioning of anything. It enables you to thoroughly understand a concept and it helps you realize the true reason behind certain actions.

Theoretical learning has several perks but one thing that it mainly lacks is the self-exploration of a concept. Theory limits you to the knowledge that other experiences have been able to collect. It leaves no room for application-based learning. 

Theoretical knowledge is to know that something can be done but you wouldn’t really know how to do it. That’s where practical learning comes into play!

About Practical Learning

Practical learning aims to absorb knowledge through first-hand experiences. What is learned practically is retained better and for a longer duration in the memory for the learner. It leads to a better understanding of a concept through the act of doing.

Practical education makes you capable to know how things happen in the real world. The scope of practical knowledge is very wide. There are some things you can only learn through doing and experiencing by yourself. 

Today, our education system needs a practical approach to prepare your/our kids for the ways of the world. Many schools now primarily focus on the experience of ‘hands-on learning’. Practical knowledge gives the best exposure to learning and guarantees that you can actually do something instead of simply knowing how to do it. 

A practical approach to education will help the children to think for themselves and develop a calculated opinion about everything in the world. Children are naturally quite inquisitive of their surroundings. Imparting practical learning onto the children would be more beneficial as you would let them explore things by themselves. 

While theoretical and practical learning are two sides of the same coin, both have their role in molding young minds. While theory gives them reasoning, practical learning helps them think and learn to do things by themselves. In today’s world, only theoretical knowledge won’t help your child reach where they want to. Without a practical sense of doing things, they will always rely on others for their work. Therefore, a practical approach towards education is the need of the hour. 

At Great Principals, we hope to bring about a necessary change in the ways of Indian Education. Each new generation is far more capable than the last, and we owe it to evolution. But as humans evolve, we are required to transcend from our old ways and look at things from a different perspective, one that shapes the untapped minds of the children for the ever-growing world.

We are here to capture the journeys of marvelous School Leaders and Principals through an interactive talk show. We hope to inspire the parents who are the true changemakers in a child’s growing life. Our goal is to bring about a much-needed change in the way we educate our kids. Feel free to check out our episodes on YouTube www.youtube.com/c/GreatPrincipals.