Erik Erikson’s Theory and the Excellent Average: Towards Better Schools and Socieeties

Abstract

This study spins around two seemingly distinct conceptualizations: the excellent average and Erik Erikson’s theory. On the one hand, the excellent average is a notion signifying that the general average of a person, class, school, or society is excellent. Generally speaking, the excellent products of schools lead ultimately to an excellent society, and reforming society requires school reform. On another hand, Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory expounds human psychosocial growth throughout the lifespan. The analysis of the theory, which contains eight stages, can generate many questions about one’s self, identity, psychosocial landscape, emotional maturity, socialization, and selfactualization. This paper explains and employs the theory, specifically the fourth stage, in an attempt to read human psychological, social, and emotional building aiming to understand how schools and societies whose average is excellent are established. The study is mainly theoretical. Therefore, the theoretical analysis reveals that one psychosocial tool to reform the educational system and help students become excellent and industrious is avoiding comparison and unhealthy competition by steering clear of the grade-classifying evaluation systems that several schools apply. Furthermore, holistic and Islamic education are foregrounded as highly potential tracks for school and society reform.