Posted: May 1st, 2024

Progressive Education

Progressive Education: A Movement for the 21st Century

Progressive education is a pedagogical movement that emerged in the late 19th century and has continued to evolve in various forms until today. It is based on the idea that education should be child-centered, experiential, democratic, and socially responsible. Progressive educators believe that learning is not just a matter of memorizing facts and passing exams, but a process of developing the whole person – intellectually, emotionally, physically, and morally.

What is Progressive Education?

According to the Collins Online Dictionary, progressive education is “an educational system that allows flexibility in learning procedures, based on activities determined by the needs and capacities of the individual child, the aim of which is to integrate academic with social development”.

Progressive education can be traced back to the works of philosophers such as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who advocated for a natural and active approach to education that respected the child’s innate curiosity and potential. In the 18th and 19th centuries, progressive education was influenced by educators such as Johann Pestalozzi, Friedrich Froebel, Maria Montessori, and John Dewey, who experimented with new methods of teaching and learning that emphasized hands-on projects, problem-solving, collaboration, and social justice. In the 20th century, progressive education was further developed by theorists such as Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Paulo Freire, Howard Gardner, and Alfie Kohn, who incorporated insights from psychology, sociology, and neuroscience into their educational philosophies.

Progressive education is not a fixed or uniform doctrine, but rather a diverse and dynamic movement that adapts to changing contexts and needs. However, some common principles that guide progressive education are:

– Learning by doing: Progressive educators value experiential learning over passive transmission of information. They design learning activities that engage students in authentic tasks that connect to their interests and goals. They also encourage students to reflect on their own learning processes and outcomes.
– Integrated curriculum: Progressive educators reject the fragmentation of knowledge into separate subjects and disciplines. They prefer to organize learning around interdisciplinary themes or problems that allow students to explore connections and complexities across different domains of knowledge. They also foster students’ creativity and expression through various forms of art and media.
– Critical thinking: Progressive educators challenge students to think critically about the world around them. They pose open-ended questions that stimulate inquiry and reasoning. They also expose students to multiple perspectives and sources of information that help them develop their own opinions and arguments.
– Group work: Progressive educators promote cooperative learning among students. They facilitate group discussions and projects that require students to share ideas, listen to others, negotiate differences, and collaborate on solutions. They also foster a sense of community and belonging among students and teachers.
– Social responsibility: Progressive educators prepare students to be active and responsible citizens in a democratic society. They emphasize the importance of values such as respect, empathy, diversity, justice, and peace. They also involve students in service learning and civic engagement activities that address real-world issues and needs.

Why is Progressive Education Important?

Progressive education is important because it responds to the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Some of the benefits of progressive education are:

– It develops students’ skills for life-long learning: Progressive education helps students acquire skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and self-regulation that are essential for adapting to a rapidly changing world. It also nurtures students’ curiosity and passion for learning that motivate them to pursue their own interests and goals throughout their lives.
– It prepares students for the future of work: Progressive education equips students with skills that are in high demand in the modern workforce. It also fosters students’ entrepreneurial spirit and innovation that enable them to create new opportunities and solutions for themselves and others.
– It cultivates students’ character and well-being: Progressive education supports students’ holistic development as human beings. It enhances their emotional intelligence and social skills that help them form positive relationships with others. It also fosters their moral awareness and ethical judgment that guide them to make responsible decisions for themselves and society.
– It contributes to social change: Progressive education empowers students to be agents of change in their communities and beyond. It inspires them to care about local and global issues and challenges them to take action for social justice and sustainability.

How Can You Implement Progressive Education?

If you are interested in implementing progressive education in your classroom or school, here are some suggestions:

– Start with your own philosophy: Before you adopt any specific methods or practices of progressive education, you need to clarify your own beliefs and values about education. What is your vision for your students? What are your goals for their learning? What are your assumptions about how they learn best? How do you see your role as a teacher? These questions can help you define your own philosophy of progressive education and guide your decisions and actions.
– Learn from others: You can learn a lot from the experiences and examples of other progressive educators. You can read books and articles, watch videos, listen to podcasts, or attend workshops and conferences that showcase progressive education in action. You can also visit or network with progressive schools and teachers that share your vision and values. You can ask them questions, observe their practices, and exchange ideas and feedback.
– Experiment and reflect: You can try out different strategies and techniques of progressive education in your own classroom or school. You can start small, with one lesson or project, or go big, with a whole unit or curriculum. You can also collaborate with other teachers or students on designing and implementing progressive learning activities. The key is to be flexible and open-minded, and to reflect on what works and what doesn’t, and why. You can also collect evidence of student learning, such as portfolios, journals, presentations, or assessments, that can help you evaluate the effectiveness and impact of progressive education.
– Seek support: You don’t have to implement progressive education alone. You can seek support from various sources, such as your colleagues, administrators, parents, or community partners. You can form a professional learning community or a network of progressive educators that can provide you with resources, advice, encouragement, and feedback. You can also communicate with your stakeholders about the benefits and challenges of progressive education and invite them to participate in your learning journey.

References

: Progressive education – Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_education
: Progressive education | Benefits, Principles & History | Britannica. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2024, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/progressive-education
: Definition of ‘progressive education’ – Collins Online Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2024, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/progressive-education

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