Progressivism

Jennifer and Jinny

An introduction to progressivism
 Progressive Education in the 1940s
 The Progressive education philosophy was
established in America from the mid 1920s
through the mid 1950s. John Dewey was its
foremost proponent. One of his tenets was
that the school should improve the way of life
of our citizens through experiencing freedom
and democracy in schools. Shared decision
making, planning of teachers with students,
student-selected topics are all aspects. Books
are tools, rather than authority.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=opXKmwg8VQM
Major Beliefs, Values, Practices
 Emphasis on learning by doing-hands on
 Integrated Curriculum focused on
thematic units
 Strong emphasis on problem solving and
critical thinking
 Group work is emphasized
 Assessment by evaluation of child’s
projects and productions
 Progressivism (according to Dewey,
Kilpatrick, Childs)
 Education should be life itself, not a
preparation for living
 Learning should be directly related to the
interests of the child
 The teachers role is not to direct but to
advise
 The school should encourage cooperation
rather than competition
Influence on Curriculum
 Progressive Education- period between
late 19th and mid 20th century
 This educational philosophy stresses that
students should test ideas by active
experimentation.
 Learning is rooted in the questions of
learners that arise through experiencing
the world.
 Effective teachers provide experiences so
that students can learn by doing.
 Curriculum content is derived from
student interests and questions.
 Insists that education must be a
continuous reconstruction of living
experience based on activity directed by
the child
Example
 In a Preschool classroom have themes ,
which are implemented around the
subjects students are learning, most of
the learning/activities in preschool are
active and revolve around a theme many
involve games, movement, and music.
Philosophy's definition of key terms
 The elements of progressive education
have been termed "child-centered" and
"social reconstructionist" approaches.
 More recently Progressivism, has been
viewed as an alternative to the test-
oriented instruction legislated by the No
Child Left Behind educational funding act.
 The term "progressive" was engaged to
distinguish this education from the
traditional curriculum of the 19th century,
which was rooted in classical preparation
for the university
 Despite the variations that exist among the progressive
programs throughout the country, most progressive schools
today are vitalized by these common practices:
 The curriculum is more flexible and is influenced by student
interest
 Teachers are facilitators of learning who encourage
students to use a wide variety of activities to learn
 Progressive teachers use a wider variety of materials
allowing for individual and group research.
 Progressive teachers encourage students to learn by
discovery
 Progressive education programs often include the use of
community resources and encourage service-learning
projects.
Progressivism aligned with Curriculum as
Experience
 Series of things that children and youth must
do and experience (Bobbitt)
 All the experiences children have under the
guidance of teachers (Caswell & Campbell)
 The total experience with which the school
deals in educating young people (Eight Year
Study Report)
 A goal or set of values that is activated
through a development process and
culminates in classroom experiences for
students (Wiles)
Historical context

Led by Dewey, progressive educators opposed

a growing national movement that sought to
separate academic education for the few and
narrow vocational training for the masses.
During the 1920s, when education turned
increasingly to "scientific" techniques such as
intelligence testing and cost-benefit
management, progressive educators insisted
on the importance of the emotional, artistic,
and creative aspects of human development-
-"the most living and essential parts of our
natures,"
Progressivism Overview & impact on
student’s teachers and administrators
 Children should be prepared and motivated to make
themselves the best human beings they are capable of
becoming.

http://www.progressiveliving.org/educat
ion/progressive_education_frameset.ht
m
Progressivism & ODE Content standards

Students develop scientific habits of mind as they use the processes of

scientific inquiry to ask valid questions and to gather and analyze
information. They understand how to develop hypotheses and make
predictions. They are able to reflect on scientific practices as they
develop plans of action to create and evaluate a variety of conclusions.
Students are also able to demonstrate the ability to communicate their
findings to others.

Benchmark A: Ask a testable question.

Kindergarten
Doing Scientific Inquiry
1. Ask “what if” questions.
2. Explore and pursue student-generated “what if” questions.
 Insight into Progressivism
Pros
 Educates the “whole child” and includes
physical and emotional development
 Student is an active participant in their
learning
 Students learning by doing is the key
approach
 Promotes active engagement and thinking
for themselves
Insight Continued
Cons
 This philosophy does not favor a routine
(as teachers who work with students with
disabilities, this is a very important part
of their school experience)
 May not prepare children for state and
district-wide testing
Discussion Questions
 1. How does one determine what the
child’s best interests are? What if the child
them self has not figured out what their
best interests are?
 2. Does progressivism prepare our
students for state and district-wide
testing?
 3. What other methods of testing do you
feel progressivism may promote as
opposed to the state testing?
References
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_
education
 http://www.youtube.com
 http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP
3.html
 http://www.progressiveliving.org/educatio
n/progressive_education_frameset.htm