Deweyian Notions of Experience and the Curriculum in my Milieu

 

Deweyian Notions of Experience and the Curriculum in my Milieu

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

After going through Dewey’s (1938) chapter “Experience and Education”, I realized that it is his analysis of what traditional and progressive education does. He concluded that ‘traditional’ education is more about the curriculum that directs students’ learning processes, whereas progressive education is something that encourages students’ interest rather than the subject itself and is progressive. Spanella (2021) stated that Dewey wasn’t satisfied with the two schools of thought mentioned, and he concluded that one was strict and another was spontaneous, which is too individualized. Thus, Dewey's (1938) chapter supports ‘continuity’ and ‘interaction’ as the better educational theory that provides a powerful educational experience to the learners.

My Interpretations of these two Deweyian Notions of Experience

In my opinion, I feel that Dewey is right when he objected to traditional education by saying that it is about the curriculum that directs students’ learning and is clear with his statement that traditional education is miseducative (Dewey, 1938). The ultimate goals of education should not simply teach the content for academic excellence in the classroom, but it should create human beings through continued education for capacity building and mindful growth (Dewey, 1916/1980). Inigo (n.d.) stated that traditional education includes regimentation that does not cater to the interests of the learners. Moreover, it does not aim fully to give actual learning experiences to the students (WordPress, n.d.). Thus, miseducative purely focused on academic achievement, not other than that. On the other hand, Dewey (1938) referred to progressive education as deceptive, as it allows excessive freedom to the learners in the classroom. The interest is not concentrated on the subject matters but the individualism.

In light of the above-mentioned theories, Dewey wasn’t pleased about its educational philosophy. Therefore, he came up with the idea of new educational theories that work based on the principles of continuity and interaction”. Dewey believes that it is through experience-based learning that students will get meaningful learning experiences because it would be organized learners in the classroom in the progression that properly guides their learning (Wikipedia, 2014). According to him, the main role of teachers is to provide quality experience through the identification of the quality of an experience in which continuity of experiences should be given greater priority (Dewey, 1938). I agree with Dewey because I too believe that continuity of experience is essential during the teaching and learning process. After all, it influences the learner's future through both past and present experiences based on their existing situation. He believes that one should be able to recognize the bond between education and experience because learning happens through experience.  Experiential learners should be provided with activities that engage them to directly relate their learning with their life through the process they follow and the reflection they derive (Spanella, 2021).

Curriculum in my Immediate Milieu or Subject Area

In my case, during the teaching and learning process, I am using experiential learning theory to bring social, spiritual, and emotional development in my students along with cerebral development over a while, and it proved to be more work than traditional. Having gone through Dewey's chapter, In my milieu, I realized that I have fulfilled the principle of interaction from ‘continuity and interaction, as mostly I engaged my students through interaction, sharing, and reflecting. But, now I feel that I need to blend the principle of continuity too so that I can discriminate the process based on educative and miseducative for a better choice to make so that the future is carefully taken into consideration during the educational process. It is because all get some kind of experience during the learning process, but the consideration is, that not all experiences can be educational, experience can be miseducative too, which distracts the future experience and its growth (Dewey, 1938). Thus, learners need quality experiences to let them meet with growth blended with creativity during the acquisition of experience. It enables the teacher to align their practice towards the best direction that the learning experience is directed and can distinguish the type of attitudes that are conducive to the growth that is continuing (Dewey, 1938). It means, both the teachers and the learners will be focused on the set goals.

 

 

                                                                           Reference

Dewey, J. (1916/1980). Democracy and education: An introduction to philosophy of education. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), The middle works: 1899–1924, volume 9, 1916 (pp. 1–370). Carbondale/Edwardsville, IL: Southern Illinois University Press.

Spanella, T. (2021). John Dewey on Education: Theory & Philosophy. Retrieved November 26, 2021 from https://study.com/academy/lesson/john-dewey-on-education-theory-philosophy-quiz.html#:~:text=Dewey%20believed%20in%20the%20continuity,in%20order%20to%20be%20effective

IUnit, R. (n.d.). John Dewey's Philosophy of Experience and Education. Retrieved November 27, 2021 from https://www.academia.edu/8800039/John_Deweys_Philosophy_of_Experience _and_Education

WordPress. (n.d.). Dewey’s Philosophy on Experience and Education. Retrieved November 27, 2021 from https://eiclsresearch.wordpress.com/types-of-styles/teaching-styles/john-dewey/deweys-philosophy-on-experience-and-education/

Wikipedia. (2014). Experience and Education (book). Retrieved November 27, 2021 from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience_and_Education_(book)