The origin of the term ‘didactics’ comes from the Greek terms “didaskein” (to learn), “didaktikos”, (instruction, teaching), “didasko” (learning, education), “„didaktike” (the art of learning/teaching). The signification of the term has further changed.

a)        The famous pedagogue Ian Amos Comenius (1592-1670) in his work „Didactica Magna” attributed Didactics the meaning of the art of teaching, precisely - “the universal art to teach everybody everything”. Comenius considered that to teach somebody means to know something and to make somebody learn in order to know in a quick, pleasant, and solid manner (mainly with the help of examples, rules and special or general applications.) In Comenius’ view, Didactics was the scientific name for Pedagogy.

b)        The German Pedagogue Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776-1841), called ‘the parent of Didactics’ contributed to the consolidation of Didactics as a science with a well delimited sphere of research. Herbart considered Didactics as a compartment of Pedagogy, whose fundamental concern is teaching some contents according to some psychological rules   of their assimilation. In Herbert’s conception the 2 components of the educational process - teaching and assimilation, are in a close relation of inter-dependence.  Placing the concept of teaching on the first plan implies a magistrocentric model of learning, that is, a model in the centre of which the teacher is located.

c)        The modern definition of Didactics essentially differs from the first two definitions. Modern Didactics is an independent scientific discipline, its subject of study being the learning optimisation of specific contents in teaching and training situations. The difference lies in placing the concept of learning on first plan. This fact implies a new pattern of the learning process emphasising on the learner (pupil, student, adult learner).