Anna Freud and education.

This is a study of the central role of the child's ego in the educational process as seen through the life-work of the subject Anna Freud. A brief general introduction and survey of methods (Chapter 1) is followed by an outline of the historical emergence of an ego framework in twentieth-century child analytical science (Chapter 2). A detailed account with interpretative comment is then given (Chapters 3 to 7) on the biographical and professional background of our subject - Anna Freud - whose work has contributed massively to the field of ego psychology. Special consideration is given to ego defence and adaptation (Chapter 8) and to ego development (Chapter 9). The main educational implications of the subject's work are reviewed chronologically (Chapter 10) and this applied approach is then developed into a rigorously-based philosophy of teaching (Chapters 11 and 12). With regard to the 'essential thesis' of this work it is recommended as having the following three central themes: (i) to demonstrate Anna Freud as one of the great pedagogues of the twentieth century, (ii) to assert and substantiate a central role for the ego, and further for 'the personal and interpersonal' as the organising framework par excellence in child education and development, (iii) (ii) to justify and illustrate the potential role of fully practising teachers in establishing a middle ground' between on the one hand academic theorising upon, and on the other hand actual professional involvement in that complex and crucial human activity often referred to simply as 'Teaching'. Behind each of these may be detected a further theme,one altogether wider,more integrative and unifying. This - the quintessential thesis - concerns the power and efficacy of 'A Philosophy of The Middle Way and Its Practice', which is herein illustrated both in the external life and work of our subject and in the psychological role of the ego as mediator.