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Introduction
John Dewey was a prominent philosopher and educator best known for his work in the pragmatism movement, early introductions of functional psychology, and the progression of education in the United States. -
Key Moment: The School and Society
Following his experience and teachings in the educational system, Dewey founded The Laboratory School in Chicago. Providing a site to continue developing his theories on the pedagogical method led to his first major work; The School and Society. This publication discusses the relationship between an effective education system and a functional democracy. Here, Dewey introduces the importance of "doing" rather than just "teaching". He states... (see continuation in Assignment textbox). -
Pragmatism
Pragmatism is a way of thinking that focuses on the practical consequences of an idea or theory, rather than on whether or not it is true or false. John Dewey's contributions to pragmatism result and build off of his works in education. In pragmatism, Dewey is considered an instrumentalist. Instrumentalism states that the scientific theories we know are tools to explain and predict, but not reflect the true nature of reality. -
Continued...
Because John Dewey was an instrumental pragmatist, his teachings reflect that. A commonly known phrase and practice in modern day is, "learn by doing". This originated from Dewey's work because of his stress on engaging students rather than simply lecturing them. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPlbzfo0SpM -
Modern Day Effects
Today, the workings of John Dewey are reflected through experiential learning. In the U.S., the most common processes of instruction in classrooms originate from experiential learning. Methods such as group work, practice, and demonstration show the benefits of experiential learning. Results from an experiment in a research methodology course at Edna Adan University show that these methods increase student engagement, with 75% of participants agreeing that these methods are more retainable. -
Citations
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