Abstract

The emergence of humanistic psychology took place during the 1950s and 1960s within the United States. The school of psychology referred to as the "third force," distinct from the behavioural school and psychoanalysis, was established by Abraham Maslow and championed by Carl Rogers. The emergence of the humanistic learning theory coincided with the ascent of humanistic psychology. Humanism places emphasis on the inherent positivity and worth of human beings, as opposed to directing attention towards the examination of problematic behaviour. Furthermore, it highlights the significance of human growth and development, commonly referred to as self-actualization. The humanistic learning theory offers a comprehensive understanding of the developmental journey of individuals, emphasising the need of holistic education in nurturing and cultivating human nature. It is imperative to prioritise the cultivation of learners' inspiration and creative potential, while also providing guidance on integrating cognition and experience. This approach facilitates the affirmation of their abilities and ultimately leads to the attainment of self-realization. The humanistic learning theory places emphasis on the establishment of a conducive learning environment that enables individuals to experience the world through their own unique lens, foster comprehension of it, and attain the utmost level of self-actualization. This article uses the review method and combines humanistic learning theory to explore the application of humanistic theory in education and concludes that humanism has problems. Only by applying it to practice and continuously developing and improving it can its value be realized. The paper focuses on applying humanism in a few countries or regions, failing to explore fully and ignoring the lack of conditions for comprehensive popularization of primary education in some regions. Therefore, the issues of concern and suggestions given are not universally applicable and feasible on a global scale, and it also attempts to explain why humanistic education has not been widely implemented in China.