3.1 John Dewey

Learning Objectives

At the end of this section, the participants will: 

• Understand the main principles of John Dewey's educational philosophy
• Describe John Dewey's contribution to the field of peace education
• Understand how to apply John Dewey's ideas in the classroom

Guiding Questions 

As you read this section, consider the following questions: 

• What is the relationship between democracy and education?
• How can the real-world issues of students be integrated into the curriculum?
• Is an incremental approach the best approach to social change? 

Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.

- John Dewey

Introduction

John Dewey (1859-1952) is one of the most prolific American philosophers and educational theorists.  He is considered to be the founder of the Progressive Movement, a movement based on promoting societal change via incremental change rather than completely overhauling the system.  He is best known for his work on education and democracy. 

Beliefs

Democracy and Education

John Dewey believed that the promise of humanity was limitless, and that the purpose of education was to provide people with the skills and knowledge to use this potential to be the best that they could be as individuals. However, he also believed that humanity had limitless potential in a less positive direction: the limitless potential to demoralize and promote violence.  He saw this potential for harm in the problems of racism, ethnocentrism, in the class system that capitalism promoted, and also in the manner in which schools taught their students.  According to Dewey, the solution to these problems was an education that promoted democracy and peace.  The focus on democracy came from the belief that democracy was the best model for the positive growth of individuals and society.

Creating Positive Environments for Learning

Dewey's philosophy stresses the importance of viewing the classroom as a community centered on learning. Dewey believed that the role of teachers should not be limited to merely transferring information to their students. To be effective, teachers need to structure lessons in a manner that is engaging for the students. This requires that students play a key role in determining the areas they want to explore and concepts they want to learn. This also means that classrooms need to be structured around the idea that teachers and students are co-discoverers in the classroom.

In Dewey's philosophy of learning, the environment is a key element.  He defined environment as curriculum, instructional methods, and physical setting.  With regards to the curriculum, he believed that topics needed to be large enough to challenge the current conceptions of students, but also small enough for students to find familiarity in the topic.  This was a difficult balance to strike, but the objective was that students would feel connected to the topic through the aspect of familiarity while still being challenged by new ideas and experiences.  To make this possible, the teacher – in addition to being a teacher of his/her subject – needs to be also a learner.  Teachers must constantly be aware of their students, both of their state in the present moment as well as their past growth and potential for future growth.  This allowed teachers to incorporate past experiences of their students into their design of lessons.  Learning, according to Dewey, should never be pre-packaged and should always be shaped around the needs and interests of the students.  Additionally, the classroom environment needs to give children opportunities to explore on their own and through the appropriate structuring and guidance from their teachers.

Real-World Problems

Another reason to use the experience of the students is to teach students how to solve genuine problems, which is the primary goal of education for democracy.  Dewey felt that students should be taught how to see issues in the world and respond to them.  Dewey strongly believed that learning in the real world allowed students to undergo a personal transformation. 

Dewey believed that the democratic state was the most peaceful because it best draws out the capacity of individuals, and thus their abilities to contribute best to society. A good education would teach students the skills for effective communication and how to interact with others, which are essential skills for a peaceful democratic society.  All of these areas will lead to a commitment to mutual engagement by all of those in society.

Peace Education

When World War I broke out, Dewey saw the destruction that war could bring, and he began to focus his educational philosophy on the value of peace education.  While his education for democracy was key to promoting peace, his new philosophy was distinctly focused on promoting peace throughout the world.  One of his main critiques of the education system of his time was that it focused on teaching nationalism and patriotism, which in turn promoted more wars.  He proposed, instead, an internationalism that was not bound by patriotism. 

He considered the teaching of history and geography to be the most important subjects through which to teach internationalism and peace.  Teaching geography was designed to teach students about the world community's diverse cultures, habits, and occupations. The teaching of history should not, according to Dewey, be focused on dates and names, but rather should promote peace by providing students with knowledge of the past that contributes effectively to an understanding of the problems that exist in the present and could exist in the future.  He argued that the domestic structures that promote war and inequalities needed to change in order for peace to emerge in the future.

Another key aspect of Dewey's peace curriculum was the idea of world patriotism. According to Dewey, two key ideas – that societies have distinctive differences between them, and that war was inevitable – were destructive and fanned the flames of hatred.  To deconstruct these ideas, he promoted the idea of a global citizen through world patriotism. He also advocated a transnational perspective in which the best attributes of all societies came together to form a broader ideological base for the world.  He wanted to prepare students to be part of a broader international society. 

John Dewey in Action

John Dewey's philosophy of education quickly became popular and served as the influence for many schools across the United States.  However, many people and schools have interpreted Dewey incorrectly, thinking that Dewey advocated for children to do whatever they wish. On the contrary, a school that correctly uses Dewey's influence does not allow children limitless freedom with no guidance or consequences. Rather, teachers use students’ interests and experiences to create relevant activities.  Interdisciplinary and collaborative work is emphasized and information about each subject is supplemented by personal experiences of both teachers and students.  The school, or community of learners, must function as a true democracy in which everyone works for the benefit of their community.  This does not mean that teachers, administrators, and parents do not have leadership roles, but rather that they must work to incorporate students into all aspects of school life, including aspects traditionally reserved for teachers and administrators.

Dewey's peace education, when implemented well, focuses on the roles of teaching history and geography.  When teaching these two subjects, teachers must be conscious to teach about various cultures and the similarities that exist between the cultures of the globe.  Students should be taught how these cultures are relevant to their own lives.  This can be seen through drawing connections between the students' culture(s) and the other culture being studied, or through investigating the influences of the different society on the lives of students. For example, in Nicaragua, where firecrackers are popular, teachers could teach that firecrackers were invented in China. This shows very simply the connections between students in Nicaragua and people in China. With regards to history, teachers need to ensure that students can see how current events that impact their neighborhood or state or country, come from a certain historical trajectory.  Students should also learn how to create and promote peaceful change to solve problems. 

Questions for Comprehension and Reflection 

1. What are the key points of Dewey's educational philosophy?
2. How did Dewey contribute to the field of peace education?
3. How do you create a positive environment for learning in your classroom? Did this section on Dewey contribute to your understanding of how to build inclusive and democratic environments for learning?
4. Would you describe your classroom as democratic? Explain.

References

Hansen, D. T. (2007). "John Dewey on Education and Quality of Life." In D. T. Hansen, (Ed.), Ethical Visions of Education: Philosophies in Practice. New York: Teachers College Press, p. 21-34.

Howlett, C. F. (2008). "John Dewey and Peace Education." Teachers College. Columbia University,. Retrieved from http://www.tc.edu/centers/epe/.../Howlett_ch3_22feb08.pdf