INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATIONAL SCIENCE

Educational science is a field of study that systematically, critically, and reflectively examines education as a process of human development. Education is not merely understood as classroom

teaching, but rather as a conscious effort to help students develop their full potential, including knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and personality. In this sense, educational science serves as a theoretical basis for understanding why education is necessary, how the educational process occurs, who is involved, and what values are intended to be realized through educational activities. Hidayat and Abdillah (2019) emphasize that educational science discusses the concepts, theories, and applications of education in human life, so its study cannot be separated from the relationship between theory, practice, and the goals of human development.

As a science, education has a unique object of study: humans in their growth and development. This object distinguishes educational science from other sciences because humans are not viewed as passive objects, but rather as subjects possessing potential, awareness, freedom, and the ability to develop. Therefore, educational science is not sufficient only to explain the learning process technically, but also examines the philosophical, psychological, social, cultural, moral, and historical dimensions that influence the formation of students.