Progressive Education

An approach to teaching and learning based on John Dewey’s early 20th Century writings. Dewey believed that education should be about life rather than merely a preparation for life, and that school should teach democratic values by being democratic themselves. Progressive educators have been accused by conservatives and traditionalists of fostering “permissive” school environments, where academics are downplayed and standards are lax. They respond that a modern democratic society relies on learners who act as full citizens, rather than as “subjects” to be regimented or managed.