What is a Progressive Education?

Original Art by Melissa Reese Etheridge

Progressive education is a pedagogical movement that began in the late 19^th century and has persisted in many forms since then. Most recently, it has become a type of education that relies on standards-based testing. A progressive curriculum is distinguished from a more traditional type of education.

One of the hallmarks of progressive education is an emphasis on learning by doing. This type of education is also known as experiential learning. This type of learning is defined as learning through reflection on doing. Learning by doing is very much focused on how an individual learns.

Experiential learning focuses on the learning process for the individual student. One example of experiential learning is going to the zoo and learning through observation and interaction with the zoo environment, as opposed to reading about animals in a book. The student makes discoveries and experiments with knowledge first hand. This type of learning gives students experience in areas in which they are interested.

There are four basic elements of experiential learning. The first is that the learner must be willing to be actively involved in the experience. The learner must be able to reflect on the experience. The learner must possess and use analytical skills to conceptualize the experience. The learner must possess decision making and problem solving skills in order to use the new ideas gained from the experience.

This idea of experiential learning is built around the principle that students learn through discovery and experience. There are four stages to this learning. The first is the concrete stage. This begins with the learner being assigned a task. The key to this stage is active involvement. The second stage is reflective observation. The learner takes a time out from doing the task to reviewing what has been done and experienced. In the second stage, vocabulary is very important. The third stage is abstract conceptualization. The learner must make sense of what has happened. The learner must interpret the events and understand the relationships among them. The final stage of the learning cycle is active experimentation. This stage is where the learner decides how he is going to put what he has learnt into practical use.

So, how does this fit into the middle school writing curriculum? There is a strong connection between the text and task. Students need to do a cold read of the text. The student needs to bring his own background knowledge and experience to the text. To reflect, students must have quiet time to think about what he has just read. The student writes in a learning log or responds to a thought question. The conceptualization comes in the form of the teacher presenting or explaining the information. Finally, the student applies this learning to a new pieces of text.

Some teachers use a hierarchy of skills to teach writing that is text based. First, the student must acquire the basic knowledge: how to write a summary or construct a written response. Secondly, the student must be motivated to use the knowledge. Thirdly, the student must have a purpose in using the knowledge. Then, the student must use the knowledge creatively to solve problems. Finally, the student uses the knowledge to create new knowledge.

There are types of teaching philosophies: teacher centered and student centered. Teacher centered learning focuses on what the teacher wants the student to learn. In this type of learning, the state assessments drive the curriculum. This type of instruction warrants more teacher focused instructional methods. The teacher’s goal is to get the knowledge into the student. The students and teachers are accountable for what the students have learned. In a perennialist classroom, the teacher instructs students in classic literature. The curriculum is text based.

A progressive education is student centered. The curriculum is based on the experiences, interest, and abilities of students. This type of education encourages students to work collaboratively. The teacher uses games, simulations, and web based programs to teach students.

Social order is important in the student centered classroom. Reconstructionist thought encourages a sort of social reform in the classroom. A teacher in this classroom wants to inform students and arouse their emotions and passions. The teacher’s role is to explore social problems and assist students in examining these issues.

There is a third component in the student centered classroom. The student uses his perceptions to make choices and then defends those choices. This is a form of existentialism. Each child is seen as an individual and taught with his own talents in mind.

Educational reform has led to a rise in homeschooling. Homeschooling really came into play during the peak of school reform. Homeschooled students see many benefits as opposed to more traditional schooling. Homeschools offer education freedom within the curriculum. Homeschoolers can more often study subjects that interest them. Homeschoolers also have more freedom to go on field trips to museums and nature centers. Homeschoolers also have more opportunity to include their religious beliefs in their studies. Homeschooling gives parents more control over the curriculum. Some argue that homeschooled children grow up to become more well-rounded citizens. Students who are homeschooled are more likely to be involved in community service. Homeschooling is also a way for parents to keep their children safe.

Education reform as we know it has at its center the goal of changing public education. More recent changes have focused on changing the existing system from one of input to one of output. This output is in the guise of standardized test scores. Education reformers acknowledge that public education is the best way of education American youth. Education reformers today are more interested in accountability. The scores are based on a curriculum that is directly related to standardized test scores. Because of this system, the conception of education is one of equality. It is believed that a market system based on competition will create equality.

Some reform methods have gained advocates and momentum. Many educators believe anything that more closely fits the individual needs of the child is best. Maria Montessori is credited with furthering this reform. More conservative reforms are based on a classical education. The classical education system advocates a form of education based on the traditions of a western culture. The overall framework was designed to teach a wide curriculum in a systematic way. Classical education includes literature, poetry, drama, philosophy, art, and music. There are three phases of modern education linked to classical education: grammar, logic, and rhetoric.