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Summary/Analysis on Dewey

Myles Ettinger, Vanessa Marcotte, Isabella Xia, Julia Bologna

Department of Education, McGill University

EDEC 260-003

Professor Jason Lister

September 25th, 2020

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The author begins by stating that any philosophy of education should be solution based in

that it is its duty to identify existing problems and consequently devise a plan to resolve such

conflicts. He explains the differences between traditional and progressive education and how

they are built on an “either-or” philosophy meaning opposites. For Dewey, traditional education

stems from what has already been learnt in the past and this knowledge that is already in the

mind’s of educators and in the books of a classroom are then passed on to the next generation.

Moreover, he states that traditional education is based on three characteristics. These

characteristics being, subject-matter wich is about the skills that have been worked on in the past,

then there is the general pattern of school organization which constitutes the school as a kind of

institution that is very different from any other social institutions and finally, he describes the

developed standards and rules of conduct as a moral training consisting of forming habits and

conformity with these rules. These characteristics fix the aims and methods of instructions and

discipline. Dewey is highly critical of the structure and organization of traditional education and

believes the philosophy can be renewed. Dewey later explains the idea of progressive schooling.

This is a form of education in which the belief is that students will ​learn more effectively through

experiences rather than being taught by an authoritative figure. Progressive education focuses on

the present and future and leaves out the past to train students for what is to come rather than

what has already happened. This being said, he also mentions that progressive education contains

its problems. For instance, implementing new strategies may bring possible negative outcomes.

He questions as to where the place and meaning of subject-matter and of organization is within

experience and therefore wonders how the subject-matter can function. His solution would be for

teachers to transfer knowledge as with traditional education, but in a way where the methods of

transmission would be modified so that students can be more active participants in the process of
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learning. Finally, Dewey ends his article by stating his opinion on the matter. In fact, he says:

“What we want and need is education pure and simple, and we shall make surer and faster

progress when we devote ourselves to finding out just what education is and what conditions

have to be satisfied in order that education may be a reality and not a name or a slogan”. What

can be taken from this quote and really the article as a whole that is very important is the idea of

making education a reality. In order for education to produce the benefits it claims to provide, we

need to come to a better understanding of what education actually entails. We have to develop a

philosophy that demonstrates a comprehension of how people learn and what types of

experiences shape our learning in order to then create concrete solutions to solve the issues we

presently face.
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Notes

- Traditional education is considered as static as it is taught as a finished product

- “The rise of new education and progressive schools is of itself a product of discontent

with traditional education”

- Everything in traditional education is being taught of as a fact that is unlikely to change.

- New education emphasizes the freedom of the learner

- “If one attempts to formulate the philosophy of education implicit in the practices of the

newer education, we may discover certain common principles amid the variety of

progressive schools now existing”

- “the fundamental unity of the newer philosophy is found in the idea that there is an

intimate and necessary relation between the processes of actual experience and

education”

- Progressive schools believe that education comes through experience

- rejection of the philosophy and practice of traditional education sets a new type of

difficult educational problem for those who believe in the new type of education.
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- Progressive education = operating blindly and in confusion until “we thoroughly

appreciate that departure from the old solves no problems”

-​Dewey says education should be focused on the present and future and the past should be
forgotten. He also stated that education and experience are TWO DIFFERENT CONCEPTS!!!