John Dewey and Progressive Education Model in the 20th Century Education Reform
Theorist John Dewey highlighted the fundamental tenet of progressive education reform as a 21st C pedagogical function that informs the debate on the contemporary education. The underlie relationship between students and teachers and the extent to which the school system is responsible for the intellectual, social and emotional development of the students marks the basis of 21st C reforms in education. Accordingly, Zilversmit (1993), notes that while test offer valid measures for student learning the focus of the curriculum should be to prepare students for the wider social responsibility. The principles of John Dewey progressive model of education inspire the basic foundation of pedagogy in the 20th C educational reforms.
According to Reese (2001), the principle of 20th C reform in education builds on the inclination for educating to engage he citizens from the dimension of respect for diversity and critical social intelligence. Dewey highlights that from the progressive model, education should enable individual to recognize their interests, abilities, cultural identity, as well as needs. As a result, the trajectory for developing critical thinking and creative perspective allows a concise understanding of social cultural and economic environment leading to an effective participation in the community affairs for the realization of a common good.
The emphasis of the progressive model is to enable educators in manifesting a shared conviction that active participation by all citizens in economic, political and social decision impacts positively on the lives in the society (Zilversmit, 1993).As a result, it is plausible to note that the philosophy of the progressive dimension of education upholds the standard reform in education on the basis of establishing reasonable goals for positive outcomes among students. The implication of the progressive model of education enhances the efficiency in instructional methods, classroom management strategies and assessment criteria to assess the students’ fundamental skills. As a standard measure for achievement, the reforms in the educational sector structured the role of the Federal government in school management through annual assessment, teacher qualification, academic progress, funding reforms as well as report cards.
The integral part of the 20th C progressive reform agenda in education resolved the need to reconstruct the democracy of the American state through cultural and social uplift. According to Reese (2001), it is evident that the promise of education geared towards easing the tension created by political and social economic challenges knitted through the forces of globalization and modernity. The attraction of Dewey characterized the tenets of child-centered approach from which the practices of education embraced the pedagogy of experience-based curriculum (Zilversmit, 1993).
Concerning this, the landscape of the American life benefited from the progressive reform movement to extensive allow schools with the charged opportunity to prepare citizen to take part in the democratic obligations actively. The emphasis of the progressive movement was laid on the importance of democratic relationships in school settings. The principles of classroom management focused on the pedagogical philosophy that the school must meet the needs of students.
References
Reese, W. (2001). "The Origins of Progressive Education." History of Education Quarterly 41:1–24.
Zilversmit, A. (1993). Changing Schools: Progressive Education Theory and Practice, 1930–1960. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
