Progressivism

Progressivism

This is a child-centered philosophy of education, based on the child himself not on the content or the teacher. It was established in America from the 1920s to 1950s. It is concerned on learning by doing and by experience done by students.

Methods:

This philosophy is based on experiments. It is active not passive, based on group work and thus it develops social skills for the students. The books are the main useful tools rather than authorities, and the curriculum is derived from what students are interested in and from questions and deductions from the students. Students should be encouraged to learn at an early age.

Role of the teacher:

The teacher is a facilitator, helping students to discover the new information. He focuses on questioning and getting the information from the students through real experiences. He uses the scientific method in teaching; that is to perform experiments and ask students to learn through experience: First by observing the experiment results, and then concluding the topic.

Role of a student:

The student is the center of the class here, he is a problem solver; his learning is based on thinking critically and getting solutions for problems throughout active experimentation. The center of the classroom is the student so any deduction must be drawn by him but after a real experience.  

Aims of education:

Education is not the preparation of life, it is life itself. Progressivism emphasizes a curriculum that focuses on the real world problem solving and individual development. Also focuses mostly on the child’s personal interests. Its aim is to bring up an intelligent generation that is prepared to live comfortably in the world.