Do we still practice progressivism in our classroom today?

 

John Dewey is considered to be the “Father of Progressive Education."

He believed that hands-on, experiential learning offers children and adults a deeper understanding of themselves and the environment around them. 

Do we still practice progressivism in our classroom today?

Yes, progressivists view teachers as a facilitator in the classroom. We teachers serve as the classroom facilitator, we directs the students learning, but the students voice is just as important as that of us. For this reason, progressive education is often equated with student-centered instruction.

Within a progressivist classroom, we used these key instructional methods which include: group work and the project method. Group work promotes the experienced-centered focus of the Progressive philosophy. By giving students opportunities to work together, they not only learn critical skills related to cooperation, they are also able to engage in and develop projects that are meaningful and have relevance to their everyday lives.

To support students in finding their own voice, the 21st century teachers take on the role of a guide. Since the student has such an important role in the learning, the teacher needs to guide the students in “learning how to learn” (Labaree, 2005, p. 277). In other words, we teachers need to help students construct the skills they need to understand and process the content.

Promoting the use of project work, centered around the scientific method, also helps students engage in critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making (Webb et. al., 2010). More importantly, the application of the scientific method allows Progressivists to verify experience through investigation.