"MY PEDAGOGIC CREED"

"MY PEDAGOGIC CREED"

John Dewey’s My Pedagogic Creed (1897) is a foundational text in progressive education. In this short but influential work, Dewey outlines his beliefs about education’s role in society, the nature of learning, and the responsibilities of teachers.

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PERSONAL COMMENT

OBJECTIVES

JEAN DEWEY

John Dewey (1859–1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer. He was a leading advocate of pragmatism and instrumental in shaping progressive education. Dewey believed that education should be experiential, emphasizing learning through doing rather than rote memorization. His ideas greatly influenced modern educational practices. Born in Burlington, Vermont, Dewey earned his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and later taught at the University of Chicago and Columbia University. He wrote extensively on democracy, ethics, logic, and education, with major works like Democracy and Education (1916) and Experience and Education (1938). Dewey's influence extended beyond academia—his ideas helped reform schools worldwide, promoting critical thinking, problem-solving, and student-centered learning. He remained active in intellectual and social movements until his death in 1952.

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Some key points include:

Education as a Social Process

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

Dewey argues that education is not just about acquiring knowledge but about active participation in a community. Schools should reflect real-life experiences.

Learning by doing

"Give your students something to do, not something to learn."

He emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning rather than passive memorization. Students should engage with real-world problems to develop critical thinking skills.

The Child-Centered Approach

Dewey believes education should be tailored to the child’s interests and needs rather than following rigid curricula.

Teacher as a Guide

''The teacher must calibrate children's freedom because they have the appropriate tools to identify and undertand issues."

Instead of simply transmitting knowledge, teachers should facilitate learning experiences and help students develop problem-solving abilities.

Education and Democracy

''Democracy must be reborn in every generation, and education is its midwife"

Dewey sees education as essential for a democratic society, where individuals think independently and participate actively in civic life.

ART. 1

"I believe that all education proceeds by the participation of the individual in the social consciousness of the race. This process begins unconsciously almost at birth, and is continually shaping the individual's powers, saturating his consciousness, forming his habits, training his ideas, and arousing his feelings and emotions. Through this uncoscious education the individual gradually comes to share in the intellectual and moral resources which humanity has succeeded in getting together. He becomes an inheritor of the funded capital of civilization. The most formal and technical education in the world cannot safely depart from this general process. It can only organize it; or differentiate it in some particular direction."

MY PERSONAL COMMENT

In the first article of his masterpiece, My Pedagogic Creed, J. Dewey highlights the pillars on which the educational experience is based and emphasizes its characteristics. It is an innate process that lasts throughout life, exerting an influence on an individual’s customs and ideals. Education shapes and develops social consciousness to make individuals aware of their belonging to humankind. Regarding the psychological aspect of the educational experience, the author expresses the need to adapt educational content to the learner’s psychological characteristics and interests. On the other hand, education refines the focus on the learner as they interact with others. As the renowned philosopher Hegel stated: "I am self-consciousness if another self-consciousness recognizes me." Thus, the recognition of self-consciousness comes from the encounter with another self-consciousness, which justifies its existence.

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