2 The Origins and Development of Principled Eclecticism in
Teaching
The precursor to what is now known as ”principled eclecticism” in
teaching was initially referred to as the ”eclectic approach,”
originating in the United States during the 1970s. At that time, the
dominant paradigms in foreign language education were structured around
the grammar-translation method, the direct method, and the audio-lingual
method, each representing different educational philosophies:
constructivism, direct instruction, and behaviorism, respectively. Given
that foreign language acquisition is an active process of construction,
where learners build understanding through personal experience and
interpretation, it became evident that integrating multiple teaching
methodologies could leverage the strengths and mitigate the limitations
of each approach. Pioneers in the application of this integrated
approach, such as language education experts Sweet and Palmer, combined
direct teaching methods with explanations of grammar and translation,
setting the stage for the eclectic method (Boswell, 1972; İşcan, 2017).
This initiated a trend where language teachers, based on their
professional judgment and consideration of the diverse and complex
factors influencing the language classroom, began to integrate various
teaching methods into their practice.
However, as the German philosopher Kant articulated, ”Theory without
practice is empty; practice without theory is blind.” This cautionary
perspective reflects the challenges encountered in the practical
application of eclectic teaching. Misinterpretations of the eclectic
approach led some educators to haphazardly combine teaching methods
without a foundational theoretical or empirical basis, resulting in
disorganized and ineffective instruction. This issue was particularly
pronounced when teachers lacked sufficient expertise, making it
difficult to maximize the benefits of any single teaching method and
contributing to a sense of inadequacy within the profession (Weideman,
2001). Consequently, the concept of principled eclecticism in teaching
emerged, advocating for a systematic integration and utilization of the
strengths of different teaching methods, tailored to the goals, needs,
characteristics, and contexts of learners. This conceptual evolution
sparked a significant body of scholarly inquiry into the principles of
eclecticism in foreign language education (Alharbi, 2017; Collins, 2004;
Cushing-Leubner & Bigelow, 2014; Ironsi, 2020;
Mason, 2023; Mellow, 2002; Min,
2009; Paramboor, 2015; Rakrak, 2022; Tabiri, 2016), laying the
groundwork for future research and practice in this area.