1. PSED 2
Learning by doing means learning from experiences resulting directly from one’s
own actions, as contrasted with learning from watching others perform, reading others’
instructions or descriptions, or listening to others’ instructions or lectures. Of course,
watching, reading, and listening are actions, but they are not the kinds of doing referred
to as learning by doing because they yield direct experience with demonstrations or de-
scriptions of actions rather than with actions the learner actually performs. In classical
psychology and its hangers-on (e.g., Robinson, 1930), “direct experience” meant mental
contact with mental phenomena by introspection; but in the present context, it means
sensory contact with the results of doing.
As a teacher with young learners particularly with the ages three to eight years
old, the learners I have tend to learn best through experiencing things. The theory of
John Dewey’s Learning by doing helps me in accomplishing my objectives of the
lesson. Because they love to learn by doing it, it drives them to be more attentive in the
lesson that I am having. This theory helps me as a teacher in developing the skills that I
wanted to see in and after the lesson. Using Dewey’s theory adds more participation
and response I wanted to my learners. They tend to be more active in the teaching and
learning process rather than just listening and watching me in the discussion.
In this kind of approach, it gives me confidence in achieving my goals but there
are also some issues to be addressed. Using this theory requires much time in giving
them hands-on activities. It requires me lots of time in preparing activities for the
learners. It requires lots of materials to be used and patience in controlling all my

2. learners in every activity. With the learners that I have, they are very eager to participate
in all hands-on activities that we are having. Controlling the eagerness of kids needs
more patience to us teachers.
John Dewey’s theory gives us more help in achieving our objectives but requires
us to be more creative and resourceful in making activities that our learners needed in
order to learn. It might be time consuming in preparing the needed activities and
materials needed, but at the end of the day, your goals in making these activities will be
seen and accomplish.