Dewey Progressive Era

The Progressive Era

What would Dewey and other “Pedagogical Progressives” say in response to Hirsch’s critique of progressive education?

Progressive education was a movement based on an emphasis of learning by doing. This style of learning was more about hands-on projects and more experimental learning with groups that will help sharpen social skills. It was a style that allowed teachers to teach the content areas around the needs of the students. John Dewey was a huge supporter and promoter for progressive education. Dewey stated in his journal My Pedagogic Creed, “I believe that the true education comes through the stimulation of the child’s powers by the demands of social situations in which he finds himself.”(Vol. 54 p.77) He believed that all learning took place based on the social situations a kid was presented. Dewey started schools in Chicago that were based on the progressive movements. The school actually combined to teach future teachers this style and approach to education. Dewey stated “This process begins unconsciously almost at birth, and is continually shaping the individual’s powers, saturating his consciousness, forming his habits, training his ideas, and arousing his feelings and emotions.”(Vol.54 p.77) He believed that the set-up of schools should be designed and taught around the real-life and occupational based on community surroundings. Along with the help of other school reformers such as Ella Flag Young, they tried to change school systems throughout the country.

The opposition to school reform and the Progressive School movement is E.D. Hirsch. Hirsch believed more in the traditional learning based system. According to Hirsch political Liberals should oppose progressive educational ideas because the...

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...d if one studies the history of educational methods, one finds that every traditionalist theorist advocates hands-on methods where they lead to good results.” (Traditional Education is Progressive p.43)

The next comparison is the Fragmented vs. Integrated Approach. Again in this comparison Hirsch makes similarities between the two comparisons saying that both sides want organized instruction that show how the pieces fit together, but also reinforces what is being learned.

I feel that Dewey and other progressive educators would disagree with the viewpoints of E.d. Hirsch. I think the views between the two are obviously on different ends of the spectrum when it comes to what style of learning best meets the needs of children. I believe that though the two sides are different in their approach to how students learn there are similar opinions that both sides share.