AN ARTICLE REVIEW ON JOHN DEWEY’S “MY PEDAGOGIC CREED”

Upon reading the article “My Pedagogic Creed” of John Dewey, being a student and
a teacher, I was able to relate my personal observations and experiences in the education
system of our country. I was inclined to believe with the contention and postulations of this
contemporary philosopher thereby seeing that his insights truly apply this era of educational
process. John Dewey’s beliefs and ideas to education greatly influenced and changed the
landscape of education. The traditional approach shifted to progressive and pragmatic
approach to education. Traditional approach to education focused was on curriculum and
heritage defining student’s learning path whereas the progressive approach focused on the
student’s interest rather than that of the teacher or the subject. Education must be learner-
centered rather than subject-centered.
Dewey proposed new educational theory that highlighted the role of experience as
an effective way to learn. According to him, powerful educational experiences are a result of
two fundamental principles: continuity and interaction. Continuity refers to how experiences,
both past and present, influence the future while interaction refers to how one's current
situation influences their experiences. Dewey combined these two principles, stating that
one's present experiences are a direct result of how their previous experiences interact with
and influence their present situation. Dewey stated that human experiences- past, present,
and future- influence the capacity to learn. According to him “Education is a social process.
Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.”
He proposed that educators recognize the relationship between experience and
education. He emphasized that there is an intimate and necessary relation between the
processes of actual experience and education. Recognizing that not all experiences were
educational, Dewey challenged educators to begin providing learners with experiences that
resulted in growth and learning, believing that these experiences would someday result in
growth and creativity in learners' future experiences. In other words, a good experience now
would impact future decisions and experiences. This is what Dewey called the continuity of
experience. He added that education should focus on the quality of experience more than
the information being presented.
School is an avenue and playground of the mind. It should promote democracy and
freedom to the learners. It should eliminate and disregard rote learning. School should put a
premium on meaningful activity in learning and encourage maximum participation of
learners promoting democracy. Dewey insisted that curriculum should be relevant to
students' lives. He saw learning by doing and development of practical life skills as crucial
to children's education.
Dewey believed that knowledge is resultant of action. According to him, change is
the reality of the world. According to him, ‘truth is an instrument used by human beings to
solve their problems’, since problems change, truth changes and therefore there can be no
eternal reality. According to Dewey, change is the basic theory of education. Along this end,
education must aim at creating social efficiency and skill. Pragmatic education aims at
instilling democratic values and ideals in the individual.
Being a pragmatist, he maintains that aims of education should grow out of the
existing situations. It is not to reach at any prefixed final goal. Education therefore, is a
means as well as an end.
 Method of teaching according to Dewey is based on the pragmatic philosophy that
says that education should be about life and growth and teachers should teach students
things that are practical for life and encourage them to grow into better individuals.
Knowledge takes place from concrete and meaningful situations and direct experience is
the basis of all methods. Hence knowledge should be provided to children through
spontaneous activities.
Dewey was very critical of the contemporary methods of dividing knowledge into
separate compartments because, he considered such fragmentation of knowledge as
unnatural and recommended that as far as possible the various subjects in the curriculum
should be harmonized. He advocated the methods like, learning by doing, field visit, project,
problem solving, inquiry and problem-based learning, experimentation, observation, critical
analysis, debate and discussion for a successful teaching learning process.
Almost all of John Dewey’s proposition to education is being adopted by all
education system just like the DepEd. I assent and dwell with the concept of education that
Dewey has. As I observed it, in my almost 10 years as a teacher, compared it with my
experienced as a student before, I can conclude that education evolved at pace with the
evolution of culture. What “clicks” before it doesn’t follow will click today. What I mean is
that the methods and strategies of teaching must adapt with the learning capability and
learning environment of the learners. Making it as a progressive and pragmatic one.
Education is part of culture; hence, culture is dynamic and changing it follows that
education is dynamic and changing. It is a continuing process.
In the Philippines, the ideas and concept of John Dewey is very evident and
apparent. The learner is the center of our lesson. The curriculum was designed based on
the physical and psychological needs of the learners. It was formulated according to the
learners’ experiences. The terms contextualization, localization and indigenization were
integrated to the teaching-learning process.
As culture evolved, changed, and thereby dynamic, technologies are advancing. The
learning environment and culture of the learners were influenced by these technologies. For
this reason it is a must that education system should go at pace with technologies.
Educational technology becomes a deep-seated neurosis. It is a required tool to educate
effectively our learners. Technological integration is a pragmatic approach to teaching-
learning process. As the learning environment changes, which greatly influenced the
behavior and learning style of the learners, our approach to education must really go at
pace with the so-called changed.
Technology plays a crucial and important role in the educational system today.
Whether we like it or not, I hope we like it, technology becomes a need to education. The
quotes that say “If students can’t learn the way we teach, we should teach them the way
they learn”. Teacher, like me, should adapt with the situation in order for me to be effective
and efficient with my chosen career. I should also learn, and continue to learning so that I
could teach with my learners the way the learn. They are the center of my lesson. They are
the end not the means of education.
Thus, technology is important and crucial to the teaching and learning process at this
era. This also becomes my creed. To continue to learn at pace with my learning
environment so that I can survive as a teacher. I should not stop learning in order for me to
teach my client efficiently and effectively. Technology really matters to education.