Experience and Education

Dewey argues that an educational approach highlighting life experience must base practices on a clear theory or it will be inconsistent and unstable. He reiterates the core importance of the two principles articulated in the previous chapter: continuity of experience and the interaction between internal and objective factors in learning.

He then discusses individual freedom and social control. Even anarchists who reject the authority of government accept there are other, more natural kinds of social control. Children playing a game enforce rules without external imposition. The rules are part of the game, accepted by all players, and define its play. Families also cooperate in ways not based on central control by one individual. Parents sometimes directly control children, but these instances are rare compared to situations in which the entire family takes part in an egalitarian manner.

Social control in these cases comes from a sense of community, not one individual asserting personal will. A well-planned school follows a similar method of organization, with teachers only rarely needing to exercise direct authority over pupils. When teachers do need to assert authority, they should act to further the interests of the entire group, not merely to exhibit personal power. Acting from group interest rather than personal power ensures fairness, which is important to students, even ones too young to verbally articulate the concept. Students faced with unfairness often resent authoritarian teachers.

Traditional schools, premised on the authority of teachers over obedient students, cannot develop as communities held together by mutual participation in activities. Instead, they rely on teachers to keep order. Progressive schools approach education as a social enterprise. All participants contribute, giving everyone a sense of responsibility for learning projects.

Establishing new schools based on mutual responsibility requires planning and careful consideration of subjects and activities. Students may be uncooperative because of negative past experiences. Such students may be rebellious or seek attention by acting out. Educators should deal with uncooperative students individually, striving to understand the specific causes for negative behavior.

The best way to ensure social cohesion in school, Dewey argues, is through thoughtful planning by educators. They must carefully consider the abilities and interests of all students involved in learning projects. Teachers should not be bosses but leaders of group activities.

Dewey discusses the other side of social control in this chapter, examining the nature of freedom. He states that the most important kind of freedom is freedom of intelligence, which he defines as freedom of observation and judgment for worthwhile purposes. People mistakenly think of freedom as independence from external, physical limitations. However, limits on physical freedom, such as those manifested in the layout and regimentation of student movement in traditional schools, curtail intellectual freedom.

Traditional schools encourage student passivity through physical controls and encourage silence as a virtue. This silence prevents teachers from getting to know their students as individuals. Expected to maintain the outward appearance of uniformity, students in these traditional schools often act out as a form of misbehavior, only occasionally detected by teachers.

When progressive schools give students more physical freedom, it is intended to encourage freedom of mental development. Educators must carefully monitor the amount of freedom of activity and quiet reflection that individual students require. Younger learners tend to need more freedom of movement than older students.

Giving students more freedom is not an end unto itself. Instead, it is a way to encourage students to learn how to use their own judgment to evaluate situations before acting. Educators can help students shape their natural impulses and learn the power of self-control, one of the most important goals of progressive education. A person who does not develop self-control is subject to impulses and whims and is therefore not free.