Progressivism in Education
From: http://lionsden.tec.selu.edu/~jmcintosh1/progres.html
The strongest and most evangelistic movement in American education is known as “progressive education” (Bode 9). Progressive education was an attempt by educational reformers, psychologists, and philosophers to develop a school experience that would benefit the whole child's intellectual, social, artistic, and moral development (Berube 14). Progressivism refers to a movement in education toward learning programs centered on the individuality of the students and carried out in informal classrooms. It can hardly be denied that the progressive movement has contributed great and lasting value to American education (Bode 3). The progressive theory incorporates many of the basic assumptions of the general philosophy of pragmatism. These thoughts will be expounded upon throughout this paper.
John Dewey (1859-1953) was one of America’s most influential philosophers and educators (Gutek 302). Dewey was known as the “Father of Progressive Education.” He coined the phrases “learning by doing,” “the activity method,” “problem solving,” and “children's interests and needs” (qtd. in Gutek 318). He felt that learning involved the experience of dealing with everyday problems. These problems or interactive episodes between the child and the environment would cause thinking to occur and then learning would take place. For Dewey, life itself was problematic. He believed that by resolving these problems thinking would occur and human growth, or progress, would take place (Gutek 313). Basically Dewey felt that learning must be related to the interests of the student and be connected to everyday life. This writer is in agreement with Dewey that learning should be connected to everyday life and be relevant for the student.
This writer notes that there has been no other philosophy of education that has been so viciously attacked as progressivism. Many people have misinterpreted its tenets and this has brought about misconceptions. Other critics believe that progressivism has de-emphasized academic work and placed process above content. As this writer has read numerous books on the philosophy of progressivism, she has learned to appreciate its beliefs. This writer is a firm believer in placing the child at the center of education. She believes that the classroom should be organized and constructed to fit the child and not necessarily the teacher. This writer also believes that the student should have the opportunity to explore and discover answers and questions for himself with assistance from the teacher if needed. This is a hard concept for many teachers in our educational systems of today. This writer feels that teachers have to be ready to change their methods to meet the needs of todays' children. From her educational experience, this writer concludes that too many teachers are using yesterdays' methods to teach todays' students. In our society today, children come to school with many problems that need to be resolved before learning can even begin to take place. The entire child, his mind, his body and his behavior, in and out of the classroom, are factors which influence how he or she learns.
This writer believes that instruction must inspire and motivate students to seek knowledge beyond the classroom and throughout their lives. In his book, Experience and Education John Dewey states,
There is no point in the philosophy of progressive education which is sounder than its emphasis upon the importance of the participation of the learner in the formation of the purposes which direct his activities in the learning process, just as there is no defect in traditional education greater than its failure to secure the active operation of the pupil in construction of the purposes involved in his studying. (77)
Education has changed throughout the years and will continue to change. This writer feels that there are elements of many philosophical schools of thought and educational theories evident throughout education today. Many progressive ideas are still prevalent in todays' schools. The depth of progressivism may have passed but its mark has been made on education everywhere.
This writer feels that the common ground in education should be the emphasis placed on the student. It is commendable that an educator would adapt concepts and ideas from various educational theories and philosophies and create her own personal thoughts and beliefs. It is the belief of this writer that educators need to effectively develop their own ideas to use in their classrooms and to feel competent enough to do this. Using a variety of methods derived from numerous philosophies can create an environment in which the child is the recipient of a well-rounded education. This writer feels that teaching is not essentially performance, but an interactive practice that begins and ends with the student. This writer also feels that a good educator is one who is willing to continue to learn and be open to change. It is the belief of this writer that various elements of progressivism are very useful for teachers of today.
Works Cited
Berube, Maurice R. American School Reform: Progressive, Equity, and Excellence. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1994.
Bode, Boyd H. Progressive Education at the Crossroads. New York: Newsome and
Company, 1938.
Dewey, John. Experience and Education. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1938.
Gutek, Gerald L. Historical Philosophical Foundations of Education. New Jersey: Merrill Prentiss Hall, 2001.
Neill, A. S. Summerhill. New York: Hart Publishing Company, 1960.
Ozmon, H., & Craver, S. Philosophical Foundation of Education. New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall., 1981.
Ward, Florence Elizabeth. The Montessori Method and The American School. New York:
Arno Press & The New York Times, 1971.
Wingo, G. Max. Philosophies of Education: An Introduction.. Massachusetts: D. C. Heath and Company, 2000.
From: http://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/articles/proged.html
A Brief Overview of Progressive Education
During most of the twentieth century, the term "progressive education" has been used to describe ideas and practices that aim to make schools more effective agencies of a democratic society. Although there are numerous differences of style and emphasis among progressive educators, they share the conviction that democracy means active participation by all citizens in social, political and economic decisions that will affect their lives. The education of engaged citizens, according to this perspective, involves two essential elements: (1). Respect for diversity, meaning that each individual should be recognized for his or her own abilities, interests, ideas, needs, and cultural identity, and (2). the development of critical, socially engaged intelligence, which enables individuals to understand and participate effectively in the affairs of their community in a collaborative effort to achieve a common good. These elements of progressive education have been termed "child-centered" and "social reconstructionist" approaches, and while in extreme forms they have sometimes been separated, in the thought of John Dewey and other major theorists they are seen as being necessarily related to each other.
These progressive principles have never been the predominant philosophy in American education. From their inception in the 1830s, state systems of common or public schooling have primarily attempted to achieve cultural uniformity, not diversity, and to educate dutiful, not critical citizens. Furthermore, schooling has been under constant pressure to support the ever-expanding industrial economy by establishing a competitive meritocracy and preparing workers for their vocational roles. The term "progressive" arose from a period (roughly 1890-1920) during which many Americans took a more careful look at the political and social effects of vast concentrations of corporate power and private wealth.
Today, scholars, educators and activists are rediscovering Dewey's work and exploring its relevance to a "postmodern" age, an age of global capitalism and breathtaking cultural change, and an age in which the ecological health of the planet itself is seriously threatened. We are finding that although Dewey wrote a century ago, his insights into democratic culture and meaningful education suggest hopeful alternatives to the regime of standardization and mechanization that more than ever dominate our schools.
2.6.1 What is Progressivism?
Progressivism is a philosophical belief that argues that education must be based on the fact that humans are by nature social and learn best in real-life activities with other people. The person most responsible for progressivism was John Dewey (1859-1952). The progressive movement stimulated American schools to broaden their curriculum, making education more relevant to the needs and interests of students. Dewey wrote extensively on psychology, epistemology (the origin of knowledge), ethics and democracy. But, his philosophy of education laid the foundation for progressivism. In 1896, while a professor at the University of Chicago, Dewey founded the famous Laboratory School to test his educational ideas. His writings and work with the Laboratory School set the stage for the progressive education movement.
According to Dewey, the role of education is to transmit society’s identity by preparing young people for adult life. He was a keen advocate of democracy and for it to flourish, he felt that education should allow learners to realize their interests and potential. Learners should learn to work with others because learning in isolation separates the mind from action. According to him certain abilities and skills can only be learned in a group. Social and intellectual interaction dissolves the artificial barriers of race and class by encouraging communication between various social groups (Dewey, 1920). He described education as a process of growth and experimentation in which thought and reason are applied to the solution of problems. Children should learn as if they were scientists using the scientific method proposed by Dewey (1920):
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To be aware of the problem (e.g. plants need sunlight to grow)
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Define the problem (e.g. can plants grow without sunlight)
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Propose hypotheses to solve it
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Test the hypotheses
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Evaluate the best solution to the problem
Students should be constantly experimenting and solving problems; reconstructing their experiences and creating new knowledge using the proposed five steps. Teachers should not only emphasize drill and practice, but should expose learners to activities that relate to the real life situations of students, emphasizing ‘Learning by doing’.
2.6.2 The Progressive Curriculum
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Progressivists emphasize the study of the natural and social sciences. Teacher should introduce students to new scientific, technological, and social developments. To expand the personal experience of learners, learning should be related to present community life. Believing that people learn best from what they consider most relevant to their lives, the curriculum should center on the experiences, interests, and abilities of students.
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Teachers should plan lessons that arouse curiosity and push students towards higher order thinking and knowledge construction. For example, in addition to reading textbooks, students must learn by doing such as fieldtrips where they can interact with nature and society.
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Students are encouraged to interact with one another and develop social virtues such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view.
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Teachers should not be confined to focusing on one discrete discipline at a time but should introduce lessons that combine several different subjects.
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Students are to be exposed to a more democratic curriculum that recognizes accomplishments of all citizens regardless of race, cultural background or gender. addition,
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By including instruction in industrial arts and home economics, progressivists strive to make schooling both interesting and useful. Ideally, the home, workplace, and schoolhouse blend together to generate a continuous, fulfilling learning experience in life. It is the progressivist dream that the dreary, seemingly irrelevant classroom exercises that so many adults recall from childhood will someday become a thing of the past. Students solve problems in the classroom similar to those they will encounter outside school.
