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Philosophy of Education Critical Thinking Assignment Author: Padding Hogan and Richard Smith Title: Critical Response: Traditional Vs.. Progressive Education by John Dewey John Dewey, in his article ” Traditional vs.. Progressive Education”, discussing the opposition between the traditional and progressive philosophies of education, acknowledges that education acknowledges that education is development from within rather than, as traditional education maintains, from without.
In traditional education, schools are to transmit bodies of knowledge and skills handed down from he past to the new generation. Dewey maintains that ” the traditional scheme Is. In essence, one of Imposition form above and from outside. It imposes adult standards subject matter, and methods upon those who are only growing slowly toward maturity. (Dewey, Page 18-19). According to Dewey, In traditional education, “teachers are agents through which knowledge and skills are communicated and rules of conduct enforced. (Dewey, Page AS my own educational experience took place based on mainly traditional education, I always felt the hindering effects of the traditional education on the realization of students full potential and ability. In my schools. Teachers were agents who imposed certain knowledge and information on students and also tried to form a set of habits in them. On the other hand, students were not to discover in the meaning in the subject matter independently through personal experience.
They were obedient and receptive learner who were to passively absorb the material delivered to them. In his article, Dewey points out the rise of new education and progressive schools which are “a product of discontent with the traditional education” Dewey, Page 18) and formulates certain principles, such as “expression and cultivation of Individuality, “free activity”, “learning through experience” and “acquaintance with a changing world” (Dewey, Page 19-20), which are common among progressive schools.
TELL 506 ASSIGNMENT While rejecting an extreme “either-or” approach, which does not recognize any Intermediate possibilities, Dewey critiques the new progressive movement that proceeds on the basis of sheer rejection of the old traditional education. He notes that “there is always the danger in a new movement that in rejecting the aims and methods of that which it would supplant, it may develop its principles negatively ratter than positively Ana constructively. (Dewey, ) Dewey rennet’s ten new movement’s approach that completely rejects the principles of organization, the external authority or the value of the knowledge and skill of the mature person. Stressing the importance of experience within education, John Dewey duly argues that the general principles of the new progressive education do not suffice to solve any of the actual problems that the management of progressive schools encounter. The new schools are faced with new problems which need to be dealt with on the basis on a new philosophy of experience. My own view of common flaws in new educational movement does accord with that of Dewey.
Generally, in order to improve the existing education system that does not meet the educational system that does not meet the educational requirements of a society, the new education needs to approach the principles of the old education both critically and constructively. The new education cannot thrive unless it avoids an approach of extreme reaction opposition, which rejects all the valuable achievements of principles and to develop the past. It needs, critically examining its underlying principles, to develop its new philosophy, purposes, method and subject matter based on experience and experiment. 2