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Final Philosophy Paper
Final Philosophy Paper
Educational Philosophy
CSU-Chico EDTE-265-72
Emily Hall
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY 2
Educational Philosophy
Progressivism is the educational philosophy that students learn by doing. Much of what I
have learned about progressivism, also referred to often as pragmatism, revolves around the
notion that students are active participants in their own learning. The students’ interests and
experiences are the focus of this educational philosophy. As it relates to my own life, I have
always felt that learning in a hands-on manner was a significant factor in a child’s development. I
have a special education sibling who proved to me that inclusion, cooperation, and overall
importance of student engagement in learning discussions and gives them the responsibility over
their own education. This idea works well for many students, including special needs students,
because it allows them to learn through experimenting, observing, and relating their own
advocated a vibrant school setting with a curriculum that followed the interests and needs of
students, encouraged active learning and problem solving, fostered deep understanding of
observation by well-prepared and caring teachers” (Koch, 2023, p.52). This educational
philosophy concentrates on maintaining learning through engaging the students and letting them
Alongside the hands-on experiments and active participation for student learning, the idea
of progressivism focuses on enabling students to think critically and problem solve. The
This means that students learn to work together and cooperate to solve problems that relate to the
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY 3
assumptions, analyze information, and develop their own ideas and opinions” (Progressivism in
Education, 2023). This philosophy promotes guidance from teachers that are not bound by strict
rules. Instead, the students make decisions based on their interests and apply their own
understanding toward their curriculum. For special needs students, the ability to work-together
with other students to learn critical thinking and problem solving skills is a significant
component in their personal development. This philosophy fosters student learning by pushing
them to be creative and curious. Not only do students get to learn by doing, but they also learn
important skills by seeking new information or answers to questions they have. Life skills, such
individualized opinions are all necessary skills for real-world dilemmas. Progressivism, starting
Final Reflection
All in all, the educational progressivism philosophy promotes student learning through
hands-on activities, life-experiences, and self responsibility. Personally, I have seen factors of
this approach enrich the learning of students and special needs students. I intend to use
participation is very important for student learning. Using this philosophy, I can keep my future
students interested and engaged in what they are learning, so they desire to learn even more. Not
only that, but I will encourage students to work together to develop problem-solving strategies
and critical thinking skills. I will push my students to apply their own ideas, life-experiences, or
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY 4
interests into what they are learning. “For progressive education, experience serves as the source
References
https://philonotes.com/2023/03/progressivism-in-education
Koch, J. (2023). Teach: Introduction to Education [Electronic] (Fifth). SAGE Publications, Inc.
TIPPETT, T. P., & LEE, J. J. (2019). Looking back to move forward: Understanding Progressive