JOHANN HEINRICH PESTALOZZI: BIOGRAPHY, METHODOLOGY AND CONTRIBUTIONS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (better known as Enrique Pestalozzi) was a renowned Swiss pedagogue, educator, and reformer during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He is recognized for his conviction that many of the main problems of society should be solved through work in basic education.

From their perspective, teachers must be prepared to develop their students beyond the provision of specific knowledge. In addition, they must focus on a comprehensive education that covers all possible aspects of the lives of their students.

This is conceptualized in the definition of the "moral man" who does good and loves, who is based on faith and leaves selfishness aside. Pestalozzi was the founder of numerous educational institutions in Germany and Switzerland, practically managing to eradicate illiteracy from the region during the 18th century.

He oriented his work towards popular education and is recognized for his motto: "Learning through the head, the hand and the heart." Specifically summarizes his work as a reformer of traditional pedagogy.

Biography

Pestalozzi was born in Zurich, Switzerland, on January 23, 1796 in a family exiled for their religious convictions (of Protestant faith). His father, a doctor by profession, passed away when Johann was 6 years old.

Pestalozzi developed a particular interest in the poverty of peasant countries through some trips he made with his clergyman grandfather. Soon he was especially affected by the illiteracy, ignorance and suffering of children who were employed for factory jobs from an early age.

Social motivation

He was not a very diligent boy in his schooling. He was considered disobedient and could not adapt to educational institutions.

Despite being educated to be a clergyman, Jean-Jacques Rousseau's specific influence oriented his desire towards work in a broader sphere of activity in order to promote well-being to people. Since then he devoted himself to the study of law and political justice.

Imprisonment and change of occupation

Following the impulse of several complaints against the State, he was imprisoned for 3 days and professionally isolated. This led to his early retirement from his profession and his conversion to agriculture.

For some years he supported the production of several farming farms and even ventured into wool spinning with his wife Anna Schulthess, with whom he had only one son named Jean-Jacques Pestalozzi.

Having failed and impoverished as a farmer, he began the process of turning the farm into an industrial school. He had the prospect of teaching orphaned children who normally found themselves in physically demanding jobs and poor nutrition. In 1779 he had to close the school due to lack of financial resources.

Back in education

During the last decades of the 18th century he produced an extensive amount of writing. He described life in the country and criticized the methods of institutional education. These texts were not widely accepted at the time, but in 1789 the Swiss government hired Pestalozzi as director of a new orphanage.

Here begins the most fruitful stage in Enrique Pestalozzi's career as educator, writer and founder of educational institutions.

In the following years, the college was remarkably successful, attracting the interest of the entire educational spectrum of the region. In addition, his early 19th century publications garnered great attention and he was soon invited to collaborate on different educational publications.

Pestalozzi Methodology

The method that best defines Pestalozzi's pedagogy is conceptualized as global intuition. It is about encompassing the student's life process and guiding them to learning the contents inside and outside of school. It is defined as a logical method, of analytical and systematic conception.

Study of forms

For the study of form, the emphasis was on teaching to distinguish the physical properties of objects (dimensions and proportions) through observation, measurement, drawing and writing.

It is based on the simple explanation of objects to enrich memory and internalize their perceptions. In addition, he argued that through drawing the properties of the object could be perceived and writing skills were also developed.

Study of numbers

In this case Pestalozzi considered teaching as a unit, dissociating the whole through relationships with other elements. For example, he used a letter board for the children to collect in groups. Through this exercise, the numbers and letters were recognized at the same time.

Name study

For the study of the name, Pestalozzi tried to familiarize them from an early age with the identity of objects, in order to quickly recognize their shapes and the ways of expressing them.

Contributions to pedagogy

Link with culture

Pestalozzi's work shaped a revolution in 19th century pedagogy. Through his studies on child labor in the region's peasantry and its effects on socialization, the education of the time began to be related to culture and nature.

Cooperative training concept

Thanks to his work, the idea of ​​comprehensive training with cooperation among students began to be incorporated into institutional education. The idea arises that students also learn from their peers.

Global influence

Pestalozzi's work first influenced the European continent and, with the passage of time, the entire West had to adapt its pedagogy to the new ideas of the educator. Even in Latin America you can find some schools founded in honor of Juan Enrique Pestalozzi.

Other important contributions of Pestalozzi are the following:

- The practice of the game and experience in educational processes.

- The emphasis on crafts and drawing.

- Language development through simple conversations.

- The importance of affectivity.

- The exercise of corporality and singing.

- The importance of the formation of institutions aimed at children with basic needs.

- Spontaneity and development.

- The importance of socialization in the first family instances.

References

1. Atkin, N., Biddiss, M., & Tallett, F. (2011). The Wiley-Blackwell Dictionary of Modern European History since 1789. John Wiley & Sons.
2. Jordan, A. (nd). study.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018, from study.com
3. Prospects. (2018, February 14). Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 16, 2018, from Encyclopædia Britannica
4. Soëtard, M. (1994). Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Prospects, 1-2.
5. von Raumer, K. v. (1855). The Life and System of Pestalozzi. Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans.