John Dewey (1859-1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer who is considered one of the founders of functional psychology and the father of pragmatism. Some of his key ideas included learning by doing through hands-on problem solving and experimentation. He believed the curriculum should reflect the social life and activities of children in society. Dewey founded his Experimental School in 1896 to test his progressive ideas about education, where the teacher acted as a facilitator rather than instructor. His works had a significant influence on education in the United States.

1. John Dewey (1859-1952):
Educational Thoughts and Contribution
Dr.M.Deivam
Assistant Professor
Department of Education
The Gandhigram Rural Institute
(Deemed to be University)
Gandhigram, Dindigul District,
Tamil Nadu – 624 302

2. John Dewey (1859-1952)

3. Life history
• John Dewey was born in Vermont in England in
1859. His father was an ordinary shop-keeper.
• He was brought up in rural environment.
• He disliked traditional methods of schooling. He
had always something new and different to say
at the time of discussions.
• In 1879, he graduated from Vermont University.
He got his Ph.D. degree in philosophy at johns
Hopkins University.
• He joined the University at Michigan as a
lecturer in philosophy.

4. Cont.,
• In 1894, he was appointed Head of the
Department of Philosophy in the University of
Chicago. Herein 1896, he founded his
‘Experimental School’ known as laboratory.
• His ideas had a considerable influence over the
American system of education.
• From 1904 to 1930 he worked as a Professor of
Philosophy at Columbia University. During this
time he visited Japan, China, Turkey, Russia and
many other countries.

5. Cont.,
• He contributed articles of different types
for educational journals and magazines.
• After his retirement, he remained as
Professor Emeritus till his death in 1952.

6. Famous books written by John Dewey
• A school and Society,
• The school and the Child,
• School of Tomorrow,
• Democracy and Education,
• The Child and the Curriculum,
• Reconstruction in Philosophy,
• Education Today,
• My Pedagogic Creed,
• Experience and Nature,
• The Quest for Certainty,
• Human Nature and Conduct etc.,
An introduction to Social Psychology.

8. Aims of Education
• To develop an ability to understand and analyse
the problems;
• To develop skills for intelligent application of
knowledge and insight into solving problems
• To arouse interest through planned experiences;
• To help in the adjustment to changing needs and
ideals of society
• School should give moral education through
social related activities.
• School should be the reflection of society. It
should change according to the situation.

9. John Dewey general philosophy
• Everything is tentative or provisional; Nothing is
ultimate (Onthology)
• Truths also change. What is truth today may not be true
tomorrow (Epistomology)
• There is no eternal or absolute values. All values change
with time and space. (Axiology)
• Man’s life is a series of experiments and purposeful
actions.
• Knowledge is always a means, never an end in itself. It is
purely instrumental.
• Knowledge and thinking are related with action;
• Dewey holds that barriers of creed, religion, language,
race, colour and nationality have divided humanity and
separated man from man.

10. Pragmatism
• Founded by Charles S. Peirce(1839-1914), William
James(1842-1910) and John Dewey(1859-1952)
• The term ‘pragmatic’ coined and used by Peirce but
linked pragmatism with education by Dewey.
Fundamental principles of pragmatism
• No ultimate value, formation of value during the
course of activity
• Emphasis on experiment in life for practical
implication
• Emphasis on the principle of practical utility
• Reality always in the making process

11. Functions of Education
• Education is a process of growth
• Education is life and life is education
• Education leads towards social efficiency
• Experience is the basis of his philosophy

12. Teaching methods
• Knowledge and thinking joined with action. Mind is
thinking when problem based.
• Learning by doing
• Hands on problem solving
• Experimenting
• Projects
• Direct Experience and Activity Method ( the
functions of school is to provide an environment and
improvise activities for learning through the use of
their senses)
• Children’s interest (Dewey also emphasised self-
education, self-learning, paly-way technique and
motivation)

13. Curriculum
• No fixed curriculum
• He believed that curriculum should reflect the
social life of the child and his activities in
societies.
• Curriculum should bring the disciplines together
to focus on solving problems in an
interdisciplinary.
• He emphasised life related subjects like
handcraft, science, Economics etc.,
• The curriculum should be constructed keeping in
view the innate tendencies, interest, and
capabilities of the child.

14. Discipline
• Social discipline: Man to think and behave
according to social norms.
• Democratic environment is its freedom
• Self-discipline is the true discipline
• Discipline is to be enforced through social
acceptance or rejection. (Eg. An indiscipline
child will not be allowed by his peers to
participate in games or projects)

15. Role of Teacher
• Teacher to be the servant of the society whose
duty is to lay foundation of a good social life.
• He is the provider of settings, conducive to
learning
• Guide
• Stimulus
• Facilitator

16. Contributions to Educational Practices
• Given a progressive outlook to education
• Living and doing itself is education
• Preparation for life through life experiences
• Social efficiency
• Child centered education
• Core curriculum, integrated curriculum and
activity curriculum
• Democracy in education
• Experimental school

17. Limitation
• The project method advocated by Dewey is highly
expensive and time consuming.
• As the teacher’s function is all expansive, it is very
difficult to get such type of talented teachers
• Knowledge attained by students in the project
method is very slow
• Dewey’s pragmatic approach is severely criticised as it
gave all importance to human purposes in life and
neglected completely the eternal values.

18. “Education is not preparation for life;
education is life itself. Education, therefore, is
a process of living and not a preparation for
future living.”
- John Dewey