John Dewey's developmental approach to education has some interesting implications for student empowerment and curriculum development. Does this approach still hold resonance today? Can it be expanded upon? Should education go in a different direction?
Justin - John Dewey is still relevant because he changed fundamental approaches to teaching and learning. His ideas about education sprang from a philosophy of pragmatism and were central to the Progressive Movement in schooling. He used pragmatic approach to education based on real life situations and upheld that the practical circumstances provided the bases from which ideals, values and social institutions develop and receive legitimization. The worth of an ideal, value, and institution lies in its potential to serve public and personal interests. He accepted that change in societal elements was inevitable; hence it was not appropriate to attach immutable validity or worth to any ideal, value or institution. Dewey opposed both the prevalent perspective and the method of teaching-learning in favor of student's alertness, focusing on their experiences and the ability to determine the course of life themselves. According to Dewey, schools would do well to develop a curriculum that was integrated with social experiences. He strongly criticized public schools for their learning ability that led to dis-junction between knowledge and lived experiences.
Dr Manzoor Hussain thank you for the detailed answer. If John Dewey were alive today, would he be content with current education systems around the world in actualizing his philosophy? Would he have wanted us to have taken his ideas further, perhaps to apply to some nuances that the 21st century has revealed?
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