Student-centered philosophies are another essential philosophy that educators should be aware of.

By
focusing on the needs of students, teachers are able to assist and teach students within the classroom
ensuring a higher level of student success. In this article three types of student-centered philosophies
will be discussed which are progressivism, social reconstructionism, and existentialism.

Student-centered philosophies focus more on training individual students. These philosophies place
more emphasis on the individuality of students and helping them to realize their potential. A student-
centered classroom may be less rigid or structured, less concerned about past teaching practices and
drilling academics, and more focused on training students for success in an ever-changing world.
Students and teachers typically decide together what should be learned, as well as how this can best be
achieved.

Progressivism is based on the positive changes and problem-solving approach that individuals with
various educational credentials can provide their students. Progressivist educators are outcome focused
and don’t simply impart learned facts. Teachers are less concerned with passing on the existing culture
and strive to allow students to develop an individual approach to tasks provided to them.

John Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and John Dewey (1859–1952) are the guiding minds of
progressivism. Rousseau maintained that people are basically good and that society is responsible for
corrupting them. He supported education in nature, away from the city and the influences of civilization,
where the child’s interests (as opposed to a written set of guidelines) would guide the curriculum.

John Dewey proposed that people learn best by social interaction and problem solvin. Dewey developed
the scientific method of problem solving and experimentalism. As a result of the varied opinions
emerging from the movement, progressivism was not developed into a formalized, documented
educational philosophy. Progressivists did, however, agree that they wanted to move away from certain
characteristics of traditional schools. In particular, they were keen to remove themselves from the
textbook-based curriculum and the idea of teachers as disseminators of information, in favor of viewing
teachers as facilitators of thinking.

The progressivist classroom is about exploration and experience. Teachers act as facilitators in a
classroom where students explore physical, mental, moral, and social growth. Common sights in a
progressivist classroom might include: small groups debating, custom-made activities, and learning
stations. Teachers typically walk freely among the groups, guiding them using suggestions and thought-
provoking questions.
Social reconstructionism is an educational philosophy that views schools as tools to solve social
problems. Social reconstructionists reason that, because all leaders are the product of schools, schools
should provide a curriculum that fosters their development. Reconstructionists not only aim to educate
a generation of problem solvers, but also try to identify and correct many noteworthy social problems
that face our nation, with diverse targets including racism, pollution, homelessness, poverty, and
violence. Rather than a philosophy of education, reconstructionism may be referred to as more of a
remedy for society that seeks to build a more objective social order.

Outraged at the inequity in educational opportunities between the rich and the poor, George Counts
wrote Dare the School Build a New Social Order? in 1932. He called on teachers to educate students to
prepare them for the social changes that would accompany heightened participation in science,
technology, and other fields of learning, without compromising their cultural education. This text was
important in the development of social reconstructionist schools in the United States. For social
reconstructionists, the class becomes an area where societal improvement is an active and measurable
goal.

The reconstructionist classroom contains a teacher who involves the students in discussions of moral
dilemmas to understand the implications of one’s actions. Students individually select their objectives
and social priorities and then, with guidance from the teacher, create a plan of action to make the
change happen.

For example, a class may read an article on texting while driving and watch a documentary on the need
for awareness in school systems. In addition, a police officer or a loved one of someone who has been
affected by texting while driving may speak to the class and describe dangerous and/or fatal events that
have resulted from choosing to text while driving. If the article, the movie, and the speaker inspire them,
the students may take on a long-term awareness project.

One group may choose to analyze the regional news coverage on texting while driving, while another
may choose to conduct a survey, analyzing student viewpoints on the subject. Either or both groups may
schedule meetings with political leaders and create programs or legislation. Alternatively, they might
create a web page and present it to the media. All the while, the teacher advises on research
techniques, writing skills, and public communication methods, building core skills that will be applicable
across a broad range of topics.
An excellent example of social reconstructionism is the 2007 movie Freedom Writers. In the movie the
teacher was determined to get the students interested by requiring them to write. Students were
allowed to write about anything they wanted and were free to express themselves in their journals
however they pleased. The journal writing not only taught basic writing skills; in some individual
instances, it helped to bring students out of a life of crime.

Existentialism promotes attentive personal consideration about personal character, beliefs, and choices.
The primary question existentialists ask is whether they want to define who they are themselves, or
whether they want society to define them. Although freedom and individuality are highly valued
American principles, existentialists argue that there is an underlying message of conformity. Rather than
the belief that the mind needs to understand the universe, existentialists assume that the mind creates
its universe. Their beliefs incorporate the inevitability of death, as the afterlife cannot be experienced
personally with the current senses, focusing on the fact that the experience we have of the world is
temporary and should be appreciated as such.

Education from an existentialist perspective places the primary emphasis on students’ directing their
own learning. Students search for their own meaning and direction in life as well as define what is true
and what is false, what is pleasant and satisfying, what is unpleasant and dissatisfying, and what is right
or wrong. The goal of an existentialist education is to train students to develop their own unique
understanding of life.

An existentialist classroom typically involves the teachers and school laying out what they feel is
important and allowing the students to choose what they study. All students work on different, self-
selected assignments at their own pace. Teachers act as facilitators, directing students in finding the
most appropriate methods of study or materials, and are often seen as an additional resource, alongside
books, computers, television, newspapers, and other materials that are readily available to students.

By focusing on student-centered philosophies school systems and educators will be able to make
necessary changes to create effective and life transforming environments for students.