John Dewey, American Educator October 20, 1859 - June 1, 1952

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.

--- John Dewey

John Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer. He was one of the most prominent American scholars in the first half of the twentieth century. He was a follower of William James, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Frederich Froebel, and Maria Montessori. His followers including Carl Rogers are the Gestalt Psychologists, the Perceptualists including Carl Rogers, and all of the teachers of the1900s to the present known as Progressivists.

According to Dewey, democracy and education are two sides of the same coin. Both involve and foster self-determination, self-development and participating in the common good, enlightened by intelligent understanding and scientific spirit. Dewey argued that curriculum should be relevant to students' lives. He saw learning by doing and development of practical life skills as crucial to children's education.

We must prepare our children not for the world of the past, not for our world,

but for their world–the world of the future. --- John Dewey

While Dewey used the term ‘progressive education’, this has since been misappropriated to describe, in some cases, a hands-off approach to children’s learning which was not what Dewey proposed. Dewey believed that traditional subject matter was important, but should be integrated with the strengths and interests of the learner.

Dewey’s educational philosophy Dewey believed that successful classroom teachers possess a passion for knowledge and intellectual curiosity in the materials and methods they teach. For Dewey, this propensity is an inherent curiosity and love for learning that differs from one's ability to acquire, recite and reproduce textbook knowledge. "No one," according to Dewey, "can be really successful in performing the duties and meeting these demands [of teaching] who does not retain [her] intellectual curiosity intact throughout [her] entire career - a teacher ought to have an unusual love and aptitude in some one subject: history, mathematics, literature, science, a fine art, or whatever" The classroom teacher does not have to be a scholar in all subjects; rather, genuine love in one will elicit a feel for genuine information and insight in all subjects taught.

Coaching Considerations Coaches must retain their intellectual curiosity intact throughout their entire career - a coach ought to have an unusual love and aptitude in one sport.’" 0r maybe two sports, or maybe three sports. . . And be a constant student and learner of all aspects of the Games.

Dewey’s influence on teaching practice Dewey’s theory has had an impact on a variety of educational practices including individualized instruction, problem-based and integrated learning, dialogic teaching, and critical inquiry. Dewey’s ideas also resonate with ideas of teaching as inquiry.

Coaching Considerations Coaches have to have their players involved in meaning aspects of their game – they have all been listed in Dewey’s theory expressed above.

Teacher's Knowledge Dewey believed that successful teachers possess a passion for knowledge and intellectual curiosity in the materials and methods they teach. For Dewey, this propensity is an inherent curiosity and love for learning that differs from one's ability to acquire, recite and reproduce textbook knowledge. "No one," according to Dewey, "can be really successful in performing the duties and meeting these demands of teaching who does not retain their intellectual curiosity intact throughout their entire career" The teacher does not have to be a scholar in all subjects; rather, genuine love in one will elicit a feel for genuine information and insight in all subjects taught.

Coaching Considerations The Coach and the Players have to love the game they are playing.

Democracy and Society Dewey considered two fundamental elements—schools and civil society—to be major topics needing attention and reconstruction to encourage experimental intelligence and plurality. He asserted that complete democracy was to be obtained not just by extending voting rights but also by ensuring that there exists a fully formed public opinion, accomplished by communication among citizens, experts and politicians.

Coaching Considerations Coaches and their players are partners in the expression of the event we call the Game.

Learning and the Learner John Dewey is credited as founding a philosophical approach to life called ‘pragmatism’. He saw the purpose of education to be the cultivation of thoughtful, critically reflective, socially engaged individuals rather than passive recipients of established knowledge. He rejected the rote-learning approach driven by predetermined curriculum which was the standard teaching method at the time.

Coaching Considerations This is what we Coaches call “Teamwork”.

While he used the term ‘Progressive Education’, this has since been misappropriated to describe, in some cases, a hands-off approach to children’s learning which was not what Dewey proposed. Dewey believed that traditional subject matter was important, but should be integrated with the strengths and interests of the learner.

Experiential Learning Dewey suggested that individuals learn and grow as a result of experiences and interactions with the world. Dewey valued real-life contexts and problems as educative experiences. Students learn best when their interests are engaged. It is important to develop ideas, activities and events that stimulate students’ interest and to which teaching can be geared.

Coaching Considerations You don’t learn much sitting on the bench. Shared activities are an important context for learning and development.

Education is a Democratic Activity. Students should be engaged in active learning and inquiry. Education ought to give students opportunities to discover information and ideas by their own effort in a teacher-structured environment. Dewey was positive about the value of recognizing and appreciating differences as a vehicle through which students can expand their experiences, and open up to new ways of thinking rather than closing off to their own beliefs and habits. Dewey’s ideas about education are evident in approaches where teaching and learning are designed to be responsive to the specific needs, interests, and cultural knowledge of students. Students are encouraged to relate learning to their lives and experiences.

Coaching Considerations

Coaches and their players are deeply involved in a common experience. They must care about each other and together care about their game.

Student Engagement Engagement can be heightened when students have ownership of their learning, for example, by being engaged in curriculum planning and cooperatively build curriculum themes, or by selecting a topic to research rather than being assigned a topic.

Coaching Considerations Learn by doing – Learn by practicing – Learn by Playing

References

Hargraves, Vicki, (2021) John Dewey. The Educator Hub.

Pedagogy4Change John Dewey - Learning by Doing

Pierro, Peter S., (1957) The Appraisal of an Individualized Reading Program. Northern Illinois University.