The problem of students’ development in the theory and practice of the national school until 1917 (on the example of natural science)

The paper deals with the problem of interrelation between education, upbringing and training of students while studying natural sciences, which has always been interesting for teachers and methodologists. This problem is especially urgent now in connection with the further implementation of the GEF of secondary general education, which aims the school to create conditions for students’ development and self-realization. The paper considers interpretation of the relationship between teaching, upbringing and development in the educational process in Russian pedagogy in the period up to 1917. It is noted that views on education and upbringing of children in Russia and Europe developed roughly at the same time. Throughout the entire historical period, there was a struggle between supporters of the new education, advocating rapprochement with advanced Russian and Western European science and Russian clergy, preaching church dogma and their opponents, denying any development at all. Long enough unresolved problems were the lack of unified programs for all educational institutions and established terms of training. Principal changes in the system of domestic education are associated with scientific and pedagogical activities of M.V. Lomonosov and his followers. It emphasizes the importance of the idea that appeared in the writings of teachers in the middle of the 19th century. It advised to take into account the age and individual inclinations of children and develop a new methodology based on children’s activity and independence, which made it possible to pass to the inductive path of instruction. The process of natural science study from the nineteenth century is regarded as the most effective means of developing the sense organs, logical thinking and observation. It also explains the need to combine inductive and deductive teaching methods and justifies the need to use natural objects, experiments and observations in nature for students’ development.