Progressivism in Education: Presented by

Progressivism
in
Education
Presented by: Alberto Gatdula I

Oscar Francisco Reyes II Joshua Jeremiah Quiazon
Ralph Paolo Beleno
Jhovhen Taguitag
PROGRESSIVISM
Introduction
An introduction to progressivism
The Progressive education philosophy was established

in America from the mid 1920s through the mid 1950s.
John Dewey was its foremost proponent. One of his
tenets was that the school should improve the way of
life of our citizens through experiencing freedom and
democracy in schools. Shared decision making,
planning of teachers with students, student-selected
topics are all aspects. Books are tools, rather than
authority.
Let us begin with this…
What is Progressivism ?
Progressivism is the educational philosophy which is

grounded in the “pure” philosophy of pragmatism
 Pragmatism encourages people to find process that
work in order to achieve their desired ends… action
oriented and experientially grounded
 Pragmatic ontology holds that the reality is in the are
of everyday life and personal experience. Its view is
that ideas should be tested for their utility.
Furthermore…
Progressivism is a theory of education that

is concerned with “learning by doing” and
purports(claims to) that children learn best
when pursuing their own interests and
satisfying their own needs.
And so…
Progressivists believe that people learn best from

what they consider most relevant to their lives.
Progressivists center curriculum on their needs,
experiences, interest and abilities of student, to
provoke curiosity in students.
In other words
Progressivism is the idea that students learn best from what

they consider relevant in their lives.
Students work in groups to learn cooperation and social skills.
Importance on skills that will help them for the rest of their
life not just for tests.
Help students to formulate meaningful questions and devise
strategies to answer these questions.
Major Beliefs, Values, Practices
in Progressivism
Emphasis on learning by doing hands on
(learning by doing rather than by being taught)
Integrated Curriculum focused on thematic units
Strong emphasis on problem solving and critical
thinking
Group work is emphasized
Continuation…
Assessment by evaluation of child’s projects and productions

Education should be life itself, not a preparation for living
Learning should be directly related to the interests of the
child
The teachers role is not to direct but to advise
The school should encourage cooperation rather than
competition
Continuation
Individual growth from within through interaction with a

favourable environment.
A speculative view of knowledge (knowledge is never
static).
Natural learning processes and stages of development.
Continuation…
Sensitivity to the interests, rhythms, and styles of

learning of individual learners.
The learner as a whole person
The social nature of the learner and the development of
healthy relationship with others in the classroom
community.
What do students do?
Work in small groups.

Work on different projects in different groups
What do teachers do?
Instead of talking in front of the room, the

teacher will be walking around.
Teacher would not be worried about
standardized testing.
Teacher will use computer simulations.
People behind
Progressivism
Their Contributions
Forerunners to
Progressive Education
John Locke (1632-1704)
 English philosopher
 “truth and knowledge… are out
of observation and experience
rather than manipulation of accepted
or given ideas.”
Forerunners to
 Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
 French philosopher
 The underlying thesis of all Rousseau’s
writings stresses the natural goodness of man.
It is the society that corrupts and
makes man evil. Rousseau states
that the tutor [educator] can only stand by
at this period of the child’s development,
ensuring that the child does not acquire
any bad habits.
Forerunners to
 Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827)
 Swiss educational reformer
1. Social justice [education for the poor]
2. Everyday life is full of educational opportunities.
3. Education should balance “learning by head,
heart and hand.”
4. Reflective practice
5. Combining education and work
6. Fought against rigid method.
Progressivists
John Dewey
October 20, 1895 - June 1, 1952
John Dewey (1895 – 1952)

 American philosopher,
psychologist, and
educational reformer
 Founder of philosophical
school of “Pragmatism”
 Father of “Functional Psychology”
 “Educational Progressivism”
Educational Progressivism
A. The main principle is that humans are social animals

who learn best in real-time activities
 B. Strong emphasis on problem-based learning to develop

solving and analysis skills (For example, an instructor posing
questions that exercise students’ minds in a practical manner)
 C. Instructors should focus on providing students with the

necessary skills and knowledge to survive and to succeed in our
competitive society
Dewey on Education
“The purpose of education is to enhance

individual effectiveness in society and give
learners practical knowledge and problem-
solving skills”
Based on John Dewey’s model of
learning, instructors should:
I. Become aware of the goal,
II. Define the objectives
III. Propose hypotheses to achieve the goal,
IV. Evaluate the consequences of the hypotheses from
one’s past experience, and
V. Test the most likely solution.
Progressivists
William Heard Kilpatrick (1871-1965)

 Greatest practitioner of Dewey's ideas
 Spread Dewey’s ideas abroad
 Father of “project-based learning”
Project-based learning
is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge

and skills by working for an extended period of time to
investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and
complex question, problem, or challenge.
focuses on developing critical thinking and problem solving
skills in the students.
inquiry-based method of learning to solve the problems
given as projects to the students is a style of active
learning.
Going back…
Progressivism in General
The Goal of Progressivism
The goal of progressivism is for students to

become intelligent problem solvers.
 Students will be socially aware citizens who are
prepared to live comfortably in the world.
Why progressivism?
So that students should not just be taught for a test,

rather, taught to handle themselves in the real world.
So that students may learn social skills which are also
very important in our society.
So that teachers are rest assured that the students are
enjoying what they are doing or learning.
Insights on Progressivism
Pros
 Educates the “whole child” and includes physical and
emotional development
 Student is an active participant in their learning
 Students learning by doing is the key approach
 Promotes active engagement and thinking for
themselves
Continuation…
Insights on Progressivism
Cons
 This philosophy does not favor a routine (as teachers
who work with students with disabilities, this is a very
important part of their school experience)
 May not prepare children for state and district-wide
testing
The Difference between
Traditional Teaching and
Progressive Teaching
In Traditional Education:
– Students sit obediently and memorize knowledge from authentic sources.

– Parents don’t take part in educating their children.
– Community is a different entity from school and is only involved for funding
grants.
– People decide how the school is run via a hierarchy of power, and executed via
administration.
– External criteria are used to assess students’ performance, and is the basis for
the curriculum.
– Students learn in a narrow-minded fashion by compiling knowledge and being
able to use skills effectively.
– Talks, assignments and textbooks transmit knowledge.
– The main direction is straight, and mostly centers around correct responses.
– Subjects and topics, like language and mathematics, are distinct categories.
– Students learn skills carefully and attentively, and are end-points.
– Normal standards from other sources are used in tests to evaluate students,
after which they are ranked.
– Success means rising above the competition in terms of regurgitating
information from memory in a particular time and place.
– Mastery over language and mathematical prowess is the main gauge of
intellectual ability.
– School is a compulsory duty and students have to find ways to cope.
Whereas in Progressive education:
– School isn’t a phase; it is one section of life.

– Students proactively participate in tasks, solve problems, and plan ahead.
– Parents are foremost teachers. They affix goals, plan ahead, and aid students in
their education.
– Community is another part of class.
– All staff participate in the decision making process.
– The graduates’ aims, journey and core beliefs sets the curriculum.
– Learning is multi-dimensional, like a spiral. The objective is to widen and
deepen the scope of learning.
– Playing, experiencing different situations and socialising with others all enable
students to gain knowledge.
– The main questions which children ask are the main directive for what they
learn.
– Students understand how subjects relate to one another because they’re
merged.
– Skills are connected to learning material and are tools.
– Evaluation systems are based on yardsticks, appears in varied forms, and based
on progress.
– Success means learning and gradually practising what students have learnt by
cooperating with others.
– Intellect is viewed as a variety of themes, including artistic pursuits, and is
gauged by resolving real-world problems.
– School is an exciting and enjoyable portion of life.
Points to remember…
Center of gravity is child

Focus of philosophy is learning ,not the
teacher ‘s teaching
Education comes from the experience of
the child.

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Progressivism

Presented by: Alberto Gatdula I

The Progressive education philosophy was established

Progressivism is the educational philosophy which is

Progressivism is a theory of education that

Progressivists believe that people learn best from

Progressivism is the idea that students learn best from what

Assessment by evaluation of child’s projects and productions

Individual growth from within through interaction with a

Sensitivity to the interests, rhythms, and styles of

Work in small groups.

Instead of talking in front of the room, the

John Dewey (1895 – 1952)

A. The main principle is that humans are social animals

 B. Strong emphasis on problem-based learning to develop

 C. Instructors should focus on providing students with the

“The purpose of education is to enhance

William Heard Kilpatrick (1871-1965)

is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge

The goal of progressivism is for students to

So that students should not just be taught for a test,

– Students sit obediently and memorize knowledge from authentic sources.

– School isn’t a phase; it is one section of life.

Center of gravity is child

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