Conceptual thinking is accessible only to man from all living beings. It is we who have such a strong intellect that we are able to abstract all previously acquired knowledge. Conceptual thinking not only helps us in everyday, everyday life, but also in the learning process. And it is not known where it is more useful. The possibilities of man to comprehend science have appeared due to the fact that the formation of concepts exists. They play a central role in teaching a person. But let’s understand from the very beginning in more detail what concepts are and how they help a person to learn. And after that, we will figure out how they are formed.
What are concepts
The formation of concepts is a rather incomprehensible thing, since scientists still cannot give a clear definition of the term “concept” itself. Indeed, as it turns out, the very meaning of the words "term" and "concept" is not identical. How do they differ? The main difference is that the term is just a word that can describe a concept.
And the concept is the content in the human brain of a certain image associated with this word. But this is very conditional. More specifically, no one could say that. But without thinking, the formation of a concept is still impossible. The formation of concepts is a complex phenomenon in which not only thinking, but also imagination, perception, memory and other mental processes take part.
This position is closest to the representatives of the associative approach in psychology regarding thinking. With regard to philosophy, there is also no unity regarding what a concept is. So, Plato believed that this is what objectifies the idea. But the idea does not directly exist in the world, but at the same time, a person can feel it. But no matter what the concept is called, it does not cease to be so. Let us now dwell in more detail directly on the mechanism of the formation of a concept. But first of all, we should dwell on such a point as "definition". Is it a direct concept or not?
What is a definition?
A definition is a sentence that reveals the essence of a certain concept and the main features that accompany it. Definitions are the basis of any training, but at the same time through them it is impossible to convey the whole variety of details that are in concepts. Moreover, definitions may be outdated.
This happened with the definition of the concept of "smartphone" in 2004, which is now transformed into a "miniature computer with the ability to call." As for those distant times, a phone with some computer capabilities was called a smartphone there. And so it happened. Therefore, the definitions are characterized by dynamism. However, as for concepts. And only if you directly comprehend this topic, you can really understand the meaning of a certain term, and not just by looking at the definition.
Nevertheless, all the information in our brain is simply saturated with all sorts of definitions. And this is wonderful, because thanks to them we can briefly explain to another person the meaning of a certain concept. But there will be no complete understanding in his head. However, it is not always necessary.
Education concepts in students or ordinary people
The process of formation of concepts is quite simple. But it must be borne in mind that in order for it to form, it is necessary to study the material carefully. No, a person will have some understanding of the phenomenon under consideration. But only if a detailed understanding is provided, then the formed concept in a person will be of the highest quality.
Concept as a form of thinking. Education concepts
What is needed for the formation of concepts in man? Is there a science that studies the formation of concepts? Logic is here. It is actively used not only among philosophers, but also psychologists. In general, it is very difficult for psychologists to answer the question of how concepts are formed. But at the same time, something is known not only to psychologists, but also to ordinary people. First of all, for the formation of any concept, it is necessary that there is information. Then it passes through the human brain, which provokes the formation of a huge number of connections between neurons.
Moreover, in the brain all this information is streamlined and systematized, which leads to the formation of not one concept, but their huge amount at a time. Moreover, in the brain there are definitions for every word that a person has ever taught. Thanks to this, you can formulate a definition for anything. Actually, this exercise helps you learn a lot of interesting and useful things. Let’s take a closer look at how to form the most detailed concepts in your brain through drawing up definitions.
"Definition" as an effective teaching technique
It is very simple, but at the same time its effectiveness is clearly at the highest level. Here is an instruction on how basic education goes through. The concept should be as accessible as possible to you, but at the same time concise. You must achieve this effect.
- From the very beginning we read in detail the material that we would like to study.
- After that, in the form of a list, graphs or other elements of structuring, we write out the main features associated with the phenomenon under consideration.
- After that we draw up at least five definitions for the concept.
It is important to ensure that they are as large as possible. In this case, a positive effect is achieved during training. Here is such a simple at first glance, but really working teaching methodology that every student or schoolchild can use.