R D IG N E A I

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G I I T W N R
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C I A R I T T E M H
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TSTUNED RCNEET
 ESSENTIALISM
AND
PROGRESSIVISM
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ESSENTIALISM (3
R’S)
Educational essentialism is an educational philosophy
whose adherents believe that children should learn
the traditional basic subjects thoroughly. In this
philosophical school of thought, the aim is to instill
students with the "essentials" of academic
knowledge, enacting a back-to-basics approach.
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This is a teacher- centered educational philosophy that

emphasizes learning skills through traditional subjects
like reading, writing, math, and science. In the
classroom, essentialists value a focus on these core
subjects over a wider array of subjects, as they believe
students are able to gain deeper knowledge when
exposed to fewer core subjects.
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To better understand the foundation of Essentialism,

this chapter will begin with an overview of the key
characteristics of Essentialism. Information related to
how this philosophy of education approaches the
curriculum and what it believes about instructional
methods will also be presented.
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CHARACTERISTICS
OF ESSENTIALISM
According to Johnson et. al. (2011), the three
basic principles of essentialism are:

1) a core of information,
2) hard work and mental discipline, and
3) teacher-centered instruction.
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PROGRESSIVISM
This philosophy of education is rooted in the
philosophy of pragmatism. Unlike Perennialism,
which emphasizes a universal truth,
progressivism favors “human experience as the
basis for knowledge rather than authority”
(Johnson et. al., 2011, p. 114). By focusing on
human experience as the basis for knowledge, this
philosophy of education shifts the focus of
educational theory from school to student.
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In order to understand the implications of this

shift, an overview of the key characteristics of
Progressivism will be provided in section one of
this chapter. Information related to the curriculum,
instructional methods, the role of the teacher, and
the role of the learner will be presented in section
two and three. Finally, key educators within
progressivism and their contributions are presented
in section four.
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CHARACTERISTICS
OF PROGRESSIVISM
Progressivism is a very student-centered philosophy of
education. Rooted in pragmatism, the educational focus of
progressivism is on engaging students in real-world
problem- solving activities in a democratic and
cooperative learning environment (Webb et. al., 2010). In
order to solve these problems, students apply the scientific
method. This ensures that they are actively engaged in the
learning process as well as taking a practical approach to
finding answers to real-world problems.
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As previously stated, progressivism focuses on

real-world problem-solving activities.
Consequently, the progressivist curriculum is
focused on providing students with real-world
experiences that are meaningful and relevant to
them rather than rigid subject-matter content.
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Dewey (1963), who is often referred to as the

“father of progressive education,” believed that
all aspects of study (i.e., arithmetic, history,
geography, etc.) need to be linked to materials
based on students every- day life-experiences.
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However, Dewey (1938) cautioned that not all

experiences are equal:

The belief that all genuine education comes about

through experience does not mean that all
experiences are genuinely or equally educative.
Experience and education cannot be directly
equated to each other. For some experiences are
mis-educative. Any experience is mis-education
that has the effect of arresting or distorting the
growth or further experience (p. 25).
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An example of miseducation would be that

of a bank robber. He or she many learn
from the experience of robbing a bank, but
this experience can not be equated with
that of a student learning to apply a history
concept to his or her real-world
experiences.
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PROGRESSIVE
CURRICULUM
There are several key features that distinguish a progressive
curriculum. According to Lerner (1962), some of the key features of
a progressive curriculum include:

A focus on the student

A focus on peers
An emphasis on growth
Action centered
Process and change centered
Equality centered
Community centered
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To successfully apply these features, a progressive

curriculum would feature an open classroom
environment. In this type of environment, students
would “spend considerable time in direct contact with
the community or cultural surroundings beyond the
confines of the classroom or school”
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TEACHERS ROLE
Progressivists view teachers as a facilitator in the classroom. As
the facilitator, the teacher directs the students learning, but the
students voice is just as important as that of the teacher. For this
reason, progressive education is often equated with
student-centered instruction.

To support students in finding their own voice, the teacher takes

on the role of a guide. Since the student has such an important
role in the learning, the teacher needs to guide the students in
“learning how to learn” (Labaree, 2005, p. 277). In other words,
they need to help students construct the skills they need to
understand and process the content.
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In order to do this successfully, the teacher needs to

act as a collaborative partner. As a collaborative
partner, the teachers works with the student to make
group decisions about what will be learned, keeping
in mind the ultimate out- comes that need to be
obtained. The primary aim as a collaborative
partner, according to progressivists, is to help
students “acquire the values of the democratic
system” (Webb et. al., 2010, p. 75).
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STUDENTS ROLE
Students in a progressivist classroom are empowered to take a more active
role in the learning process. In fact, they are encourage to actively
construct their knowledge and understanding by:

Learning by Doing
Interacting with their environment.
Setting objectives for their own learning.
Working together to solve problems.
Learning by doing.
Engaging in cooperative problem solving.
Establishing classroom rules.
Evaluating ideas.
Testing ideas.
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REFLECTION
As a teacher with 21st century learners, I prefer Progressivism
because students nowadays are very different. They have a lot of
tools and technologies that can aid in their learning. Most
learners are acquainted with the type of intelligence they have
and we should be familiar with each. As teacher it is also our job
to tap on that intelligence and help them reach their maximum
potential.
THANK YOU