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Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 4 (53) No. 2 - 2011

JOHN DEWEY AND PROGRESSIVISM IN AMERICAN EDUCATION

Lucian RADU1

Abstract: This paper is focused on Progressivism, as a reaction against the

American traditional school in order to accomplish the purpose of connecting education to the realities imposed by the rapid changes of the American society. Progressivism was developed by John Dewey’s pedagogic theory, being based on Pragmatism, a specific American philosophy, and on instrumentalism, one of its variants to which John Dewey conferred its climax. Experience represented the core concept of his philosophy. After revising this philosophical current, the paper will deal with John Dewey’s pedagogic theory insisting on the method of solving problems as a general method of instruction. The importance of the two schools (Dalton Plan and Winnetka), both based on the progressive theory, will be highlighted. Progressivism opened a new era in American Education based on an active education, which took into account the students’ individualities, stimulating teachers’ creativity and focusing on a practice based education.

Key words: progressivism, pragmatism, instrumentalism, active school.

1. Introduction Progressivism is a constituent part of New Education, based on pragmatism, and it constituted a revolution in American education, with an outstanding specificity. It is an educational current of American origin, and all the other orientations that have been profiled in the second half of the century (humanism, social meliorism, and social efficiency) have emerged as reactions reported to it. Progressivism, an educational movement that occurred at the beginning of the twentieth century as a reaction to the traditional school in the United States of America, sought to establish an educational system adjusted to the pace of the American societal development. It was based on John Dewey's educational theory,...