PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

EDUCATION
NOTES ON PRAGMATISM
AN EDUCATIONAL –
PHILOSOPHICAL
THEORY
Introductory Issues
IT IS THE WINDOW FROM WHICH ONE
VIEWS THE WORLD THAT DETERMINES
WHAT HE OR SHE SEES.
ONE’S WORLDVIEW IS DETERMINED BY
THE PREVAILING SITUATION ON THE
GROUND.
TOUNDERSTAND A PARTICULAR
PHILOSOPHIC STANDPOINT ONE
HAS TO LOOK AT THE SITUATION
SURROUNDING THE FOUNDER.
JOHN DEWEY IS RENOWNED AS THE
FIGURE WHO POPULARISED PRAGMATISM
BY TAKING IT TO THE CLASSROOM IN
AMERICA.
THE PREVAILING SITUATION IN AMERICA
DURING THE DAYS OF DEWEY ACT AS A
KEY TO UNLOCK AN UNDERSTANDING OF
THE PRAGMATIC DISCOURSE.
DEFINITION OF PRAGMATISM

KNIGHT (1980) ARGUE THAT

PRAGMATISM IS DERIVED FROM
THE GREEK WORD PRAGMATIKOS .
PRAGMA MEANS ACTION , DEED
OR ACTIVITY.
FROM THE ABOVE SENSE, THE WORD
PRAGMATIKOS POINTS TO PRAXIS OR
PRASSEIN MEANING TO DO OR TO
PERFORM.
IN THIS VEIN, PRAGMATISM IS A
PHILOSOPHY OR A FORM OF ENQUIRY
THAT STRESSES THE NEED TO LINK
THEORY TO PRACTICE.
PRAGMATISTS ARE CONVINCED THAT,
THOUGHTS NOT TRANSLATED INTO
ACTION ARE LIKE AN ABORTED
‘BABY’ THAT DO NOT COUNT IN A
CENSUS.
 ALL MODES OF THINKING THAT DO
NOT TRANSLATE TO PRACTICAL
SOLUTION TO DAILY LIFE
CHALLENGES ARE NOT WORTHY
PURSUING.
FOR PRAGMATISTS KNOWLEDGE IS
ESSENTIAL IF AND ONLY IF IT
TRIGGERS CHANGE AND FOSTER A
DIFFERENCE TO THE DAILY LIFE OF
PEOPLE THROUGH THE PRACTICAL
ELEMEMT.
STUMPF, E (1975) DEFINES THE TERM
PRACTICAL AS THE WAY THOUGHT
WORKS IN ACTION.
 PRAGMATISM IS ALSO KNOWN
AS:
Instrumentalism
Experimentalism
Experientialism
Empiricism
Functionalism
Naturalism.
THEABOVE DESCRIPTIONS
OF PRAGMATISM SUMMARISE
THE MAIN TENNETS/
TEACHINGS OF PRAGMATISM
THOUGH PRAGMATISM WAS
POPULARISED BY JOHN DEWEY , HE
WAS NOT THE PIONEER.
 HE INHERITED THE PHILOSOPHIC
ORIENTATION FROM HIS
CONTEMPORARIES LIKE CHARLES, S.
PEIRCE (1839-1914) AND WILLIAM
JAMES (1842-1910)
DEWEY WAS ALSO INFLUENCED BY
PHILOSOPHERS LIKE JEAN JACQUES
ROUSSEAU (1712-1778),
JOANN PESTALOZZI (1746-1827)
WHO EVEN CAME BEFORE PEIRCE AND
JAMES
DEWEY, JAMES AND PEIRCE ARE
AMERICAN PHILOSOPHERS.
THEIR PRAGMATIC PHILOSOPHY IS
REACTIONARY IN PROFILE.
THEY LOOKED BACK AT THE
PREVAILING SITUATION IN AMERICA
THOSE DAYS.
THAT REFLECTION MOTIVATED THEM
TO INITIATE SOME REFORMS.
THEY REACTED TO THE SOARING
SOCIO- ECONOMIC CHALLENGES THAT
RAVAGED AMERICAN SOCIETY IN THE
LAST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY.
THOUGH THERE ARE MORE NAMES
UNDER PRAGMATISM OUR FOCUS FOR
THIS COURSE WILL BE ON JOHN
DEWEY.
THE INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION IN 19 TH
INDUSTRIALISATION WAS AT ITS
CENTURY AMERICA
PEAK IN 19 CENTURY AMERICA.
TH

THERE WAS MASSIVE

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT.
THE MANUAL AGRARIAN
OPERATIONS / ACTIVITIES WERE
REPLACED BY EMERGING
MASSIVE URBANISATION WAS
WITNESSED
MORE PEOPLE MIGRATED FROM
THE RURAL TO THE URBAN
CENTRES IN SEARCH OF SOME
SOCIO-ECONOMIC COMFORT ZONE.
THE MASSIVE CHANGES CAUGHT
THE PEOPLE UNAWARES.
THE MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN
POPULATION REMAINED CLUELESS
AND CONFUSED.
DEPRESSION ROCKED AMERICA
AND VERY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT
AROSE.
THE KNOWLEDGE THAT EXISTED IN
SOCIETY HAD PROVED TO BE STATIC
AND NEVER DYNAMIC.
 PEOPLE WERE LEARNED BUT UNABLE
TO COPE WITH THE CHALLENGES ON
THE GROUND.
THERE WAS NEED THEREFORE FOR
IMMEDIATE REFORMS TO THE
 THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THE
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
FUNCTIONAL.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS
THAT WERE ON THE GROUND.
THERE WAS NEED FOR AN EDUCATION THAT
COULD EQUIP THE PEOPLE WITH LIFE SKILLS.
THE ABILITY TO BRAVELY FACE LIFE
CHALLENGES AND PROVIDE SOLUTIONS WAS
THE MAIN THRUST
THE PRAGMATIC IDEAS
THE PRAGMATISTS WERE FULLY
CONVINCED THAT,
 INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE ALONE
CAN NOT RESCUE AN INDIVIDUAL
FROM DAILY LIFE CHALLENGES.
 IDEALISM FOR EG PROVIDED VERBAL
CONSISTENCY WITHOUT A PRACTICAL
BENEFIT TO SOCIETY.
 EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD IS IN A
STATE OF CONTINUOUS CHANGE
(FLUX)
SPEAKING OF ABSOLUTE TRUTHS
AND REALITY IN AN EVER CHANGING
WORLD WILL THEREFORE BE MISSING
THE POINT.
ACCEPTANCE OF A FIXED ORDER IS IN
FACT LIVING WITHIN THE CONFINES
THERE WAS NEED FOR A PARADIGM
SHIFT INSTEAD IE EMBRACING IDEAS
THAT OFFER SOLUTIONS TO EXISTING
CHALLENGES.
THE CHALLENGES THAT THE AMERICAN
SOCIETY WAS FACING EG
UNEMPLOYMENT CALLED FOR PRACTICAL
SOLUTIONS NOT MERE THEORISING.
 THE IDEA THAT THERE IS CONSISTENT
CHANGE IN THE UNIVERSE CAN BE
TRACED BACK TO THE GREEK
PHILOSOPHER, LIKE HERACLYTUS (500
B.C)
HERACLYTUS IS POPULAR FOR
REMARKING THAT ‘A PERSON CAN NOT
STEP INTO THE SAME RIVER TWICE’.THE
REMARK SOUNDS ABSURD BUT IS LOADED
WITH CRITICAL THINKING.
THE IMPLICATION IS THAT
EVERYTHING UNDERGOES CHANGE
ALWAYS.
A RIVER IS A BODY OF WATER
FLOWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION
AND IS GUIDED BY A CHANNEL.
AS SUCH THE MOMENT ONE STEPS ON
TO THE WATER IN MOTION , THE
MOMENT HE LIFTS HIS LEG TO STEP
AGAIN , THE BODY OF WATER HE HAD
STEPPED ON WOULD HAVE FLOWN
AWAY.
IF ONE STEPS IN HE WILL BE
STEPPING ON TO A DIFFERENT BODY
FROM A PRAGMATIC PERSPECTIVE
THEREFORE THE WORLD IS NEITHER
DEPENDANT ON OR INDEPENDENT OF
MAN’S IDEA OF IT.
INSTEAD REALITY IN THE WORLD
STEMS FROM THE INTERACTION OF
THE HUMAN BEING WITH THE
ENVIRONMENT.
*REALITY IS IN FACT THE SUM TOTAL
OF WHAT HUMAN BEINGS
EXPERIENCE.
IN THIS RESPECT EXPERIENCE AND
EXPERIMENT BECOMES CRUCIAL IN
THE PROCESS OF KNOWLEDGE
ACQUISITION.
IF THERE ARE NO WAYS OF TESTING
IDEAS BY THEIR EFFECTS ON DAILY LIFE
OF PEOPLE THEN SUCH IDEAS ARE
USELESS, STUMPF (1975:399)
ACCORDING TO PEIRCE SCIENCE IS AN
INTEGRAL PART OF HUMAN LIFE
COMPARED TO BELIEF AND REASON.
SCIENCE IS ROOTED IN REALISTIC
EXPERIENCE.
PRAGMATISTS UNDERSTAND THAT
THERE ARE REAL BEINGS OUT THERE
WHOSE CHARACTERISTICS ARE
ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT OF OUR
OPINIONS ABOUT THEM.
FROM A PRAGMATIC POINT OF VIEW,
 SCIENCE PROVIDES A METHOD THAT
CAN BE FOLLOWED UP UNTIL A
REASONABLE CONCLUSION IS
REACHED.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT FACT THAT
THE METHOD IS ALSO AVAILABLE TO
OTHER PERSONS WHO CAN RETRACE IT
ALSO UNTIL THEY ARE CONVINCED THAT
THE CONCLUSION IS VALID.
WITH THE PROVEN CONCLUSION A
PRACTICAL DECISION CAN THEN BE MADE.
THIS IS INDICATIVE OF THE NATURE OF
SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY EVEN TODAY.
ALL BELIEFS SHOULD BE GUIDED BY
A CLEAR HYPOTHESIS PROPOSED FOR
THAT PARTICULAR BELIEF.
THE HYPOTHESIS GIVE THE BASIS
FOR RESEARCH.
 WITH A HYPOTHESIS IN PLACE
FACTS CAN THEN BE ANALYSED AND
NEW DISCOVERIES FORWARDED.
ADDITIONS
DEWEY WAS THE DIRECTOR OF THE
LABORATORY SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.
DEWEY EXPERIMENTED WIDELY.
 OPERATED IN A CONDUCIVE
ENVIRONMENT FOR LEARNING.
 HE ABANDONED THE TRADITIONAL
APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING
IN WHICH THE LEARNER WAS EXPECTED
TO LEARN BY LISTENING.
DEWEY ENCOURAGED CHILD INITIATIVES.
HE FULLY SUPPORTED INDIVIDUAL
INVOLVEMENT OF STUDENTS IN VARIOUS
PROJECTS.
DEWEY WAS AGAINST THE SPECTATOR
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE .
MUNASHE FURUSA’S (2011) SENTIMENTS
SUMMARISES THE SCOPE OF IDEAL
EDUCATION PROCESS.
HE HAS THE FOLLOWING TO SAY:
‘THE EDUCATION PROCESS CAN BE
ANALOGISED TO A
RITUAL DANCE IN WHICH BOTH THE
DRUMMER (TEACHER)
AND THE DANCERS (LEARNERS )
SHOULD SYNCHRONISE THEIR
ENERGIES TOWARDS A RHYTHM OF
SUCCESS.’
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF THE
LEARNER IS THUS CRUCIAL.
*INTELLIGENCE FOR DEWEY IS NOT A
FIXED SUBSTANCE.
* INSTEAD, INTELLIGENCE IS THE
POWER THAT MAN POSSESSES TO
COPE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
THINKING ALONE CANNOT BE AN
INDEPENDENT AND INDIVIDUAL ACT
CARRIED OUT IN THE PRIVATE OR IN
ISOLATION FROM PRACTICAL
PROBLEMS.
*THINKING ARISES FROM PROBLEM
SITUATIONS .
KNIGHT , (1980:69) ARGUE THAT
MAN HAS AN ACTIVE AND
EXPLORATORY MIND RATHER THAN
ONE THAT IS PASSIVE AND
RECEPTIVE.
 MAN DO NOT SIMPLY RECEIVE
KNOWLEDGE ,
RATHER HE MAKES IT AS HE
INTERACT WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
SEEKING KNOWLEDGE IS THEREFORE A
TRANSACTIONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE
WORLD AROUND.
THINKING ARISES FROM PROBLEM SITUATIONS
ACCORDING TO ESTHER BOSSERUP ‘NECESSITY
IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION.’
THE INTERACTION OF HUMAN NATURE,
CULTURE AS WELL AS THE ENVIRONMENT
OFFERS SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS.
DEWEY IS IN FACT A REFORMIST OR
RECONSTRUCTIONIST AS HE PROFFERED
EDUCATIONAL REFORMS IN AMERICA.
FOR DEWEY THERE IS NOTHING AS
IMPORTANT IN EDUCATION AS
REMOULDING THE SOCIETY.
EDUCATION HAS TO BE EXPERIMENTAL AS
WELL AS EXPERIENTIAL BECAUSE THE
MIND IS FUNDAMENTALLY A PROBLEM
SOLVING INSTRUMENT.
THE PRESUPPOSITIONS OF SCIENCE
SHAPED DEWEY’S ANGLE OF THOUGHT.
DEWEY ARGUES THAT AS A SCIENCE,
EDUCATION SHOULD RECOGNISE THE
INTIMATE CONNECTION BETWEEN ACTION
AND THOUGHT IE BETWEEN EXPERIMENT
AND REFLECTION .
IN SHORT DEWEY’S PRAGMATISM IS A
PHILOSOPHY OF ENTERPRISE,
 ACTIVITY AND OF,
 ACHIEVEMENT.
THOUGHT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT
AS FAR AS IT RELATES TO ACTION/
DEEDS / PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY.
DISCUSSION ACTIVITY
ACCORDING TO KNIGHT (1980)
PRAGMATISM EMPHASISES THAT,
‘ MAN LIVE IN A UNIVERSE WHOSE LID IS
OFF.’
EXPLAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS THE
IMPLICATION OF KNIGHT’S REMARKS TO A
SCIENCE TEACHER?
DEWEY UNDERSTOOD THE UNIVERSE
AS DYNAMIC AND NEVER STATIC,
AS SUCH WHAT IS TRUE TODAY MAY
NOT BE TRUE TOMORROW.
 DEWEY’S PROCESS OF
KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION
*DEWEY GAVE A SYSTEMATIC
APPROACH TO KNOWLEDGE
ACQUISITION :
1. IDENTIFY A PROBLEM.
2. POSTULATE A HYPOTHESIS.
3. REFLECT UPON IT AND GATHER
4. TEST THE VARIABLES THROUGH
EXPERIMENTATION.
5. VALIDATE OR INVALIDATE THE FINDINGS.
6. THEN REACH A REASONABLE
CONCLUSION CAST IN TRUTH.
***TRUTH FOR DEWEY IS THEREFORE WHAT
WORKS.
 SOME EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF
DEWEY’S PRAGMATISM
PRAGMATISM HAS OFTEN BEEN CRITICISED
AS SECULARIST, WORLDLY,
DIRECTIONLESS AND SUPERFICIAL.
A CLOSE LOOK HOWEVER SHOWS THAT
PRAGMATISM IS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE
PROCESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING,
PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO
EDUCATION IS APPLAUDED
FOR BEING LEARNER
CENTRED.
DEWEY IS ACCLAIMED AS THE FATHER OF
CHILD CENTRED EDUCATION.
AS A REFORMIST DEWEY DEVIATED FROM
THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF LEARNING
THROUGH LISTENING INSTEAD THERE
SHOULD BE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION ON
THE PART OF THE LEARNER.
TEACHING AND LEARNING SHOULD BE
LEARNER CENTRED
THE LEARNER SHOULD BE THE CENTRE OF
ATTRACTION .
 THE TEACHER IN A PRAGMATIC SCHOOL
CAN BE SEEN AS A FELLOW LEARNER IN THE
EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AS THE ENTIRE
CLASS FACES A CHANGING WORLD DAILY.
THERE SHOULD BE A SYMBIOTIC
PROCESS IN THE TEACHING
AND LEARNING PROCESS IE GIVE
AND TAKE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN LEARNER AND
TEACHER.
AS AN EXPERIENCED INDIVIDUAL THE
TEACHER SHOULD JUST GUIDE THE
PROCESS.
 THE TEACHER HAS TO ACT AS A
GARDENER WHO MANURES, WATERS
AND HOES THEN LET THE FLOWER
TO GROW ON ITS OWN.
A PRAGMATIC TEACHER IS JUST
ANALOGISED TO A PROJECT
DIRECTOR WHO WATCHES AS THE
PROJECT TAKES SHAPE.
* SUBJECT MATTER MUST BE CHOSEN
WITH AN EYE ON THE NEEDS OF THE
LEARNER.
IT IS IN THIS VEIN THAT THE
ZIMBABWEAN NEW CURRICULUM
LIBERALISED THE LEARNING AREAS
SUCH THAT A LEARNER CHOOSES A
LEARNING PATH TO FOLLOW.
A CHILD IS GIVEN THE PLATFORM TO
CHOOSE OWN CAREER PATH.
THE INNATE CURIOSITY OF THE
LEARNER IS WHAT SHOULD BE
FOLLOWED.
DEWEY ENCOURAGED PARTICIPATORY
METHODOLOGIES
FOR DEWEY TEACHING AND LEARNING
METHODS SHOULD BE SUCH THAT THEY
GIVE THE LEARNER THE HANDS ON
EXPERIENCE AND FREEDOM TO DISCOVER
ON HIS OR HER OWN. (EXPERIENTIAL
LEARNING)
FIELD TRIPS/ OUTDOOR
EXCURSIONS FOR EXAMPLE
HAVE A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE
OVER AUDIO VISUAL
EXPERIENCES WHICH DO NOT
GIVE FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE.
A GOOD EG OF A PRAGMATIC TEACHING
METHOD IS GETTING INTO A FARM.
GO TO THE BARN.
LET THE LEARNER DO THE MILKING.
DRINK AND TASTE THE MILK.
SMELL IT, TOUCH THE COWS AND CALVES
ETC.
SUCHAN EXCURSION FOR
DEWEY, LEAVES A LASTING
IMPRESSION IN THE MIND OF
THE LEARNER THAN WHEN
HE/SHE WAS WATCHING A
VIDEO.
TASK : DISCUSSION

GIVE EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES IN

YOUR SUBJECT AREA, THROUGH
WHICH YOU CAN FACILITATE
FIRST HAND ACQUISITION OF
KNOWLEDGE BY THE LEARNERS
PRAGMATIST REITERATE THE FACT THAT
METHODOLOGY HAS TO APPEAL TO ALL
SENSES OF THE LEARNERS.
THUS IS SUPPORTED BY A CHINESE ADAGE
WHICH SAY,
‘I HEAR I FORGET.
I SEE I DON’T UNDERSTAND.
I TOUCH I REMEMBER.’
METHOD SHOULD NOT INSTIL FEAR IN
LEARNERS INSTEAD IT HAS TO MOTIVATE
THEM.
LEARNING SHOULD BE FROM WHAT THE
LEARNERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH TO THE
UNKNOWN.
LEARNERS’ EXPERIENCE IS CRUCIAL IN
TEACHING AND LEARNING
ACCORDING TO DEWEY ON THE ONSET
OF THE TEACHING AND LEANING
PROCESS, THE LEARNERS SHOULD BE
EXPOSED TO REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES.
TEACHER SHOULD START FROM WHERE
THE LEARNERS ARE AND WHAT THE
ACCESS THROUGH SENSES
THIS HELP THEM TO DEVELOP
SIGNIFICANT KNOWLEDGE BASED ON
EXPERIENCE.
AS THE CHILD GROWS UP AN
INTERACTION WITH SECONDARY SOURCES
LIKE TEXTBOOKS WILL MAKE SENSE.
PRAGMATISM FOSTERS/PROMOTES
SELF SUFFICIENCY

PRAGMATISM EMPOWERS LEARNERS WITH

LIFE SKILLS THAT WILL HELP THEM EARN
A LIVING FROM.
PRAGMATISM THUS PRODUCES SELF
SUFFICIENT AND CONFIDENT GRADUATES
WHO ARE NOT JUST BOOKISH.
THE INDEGINISATION AND
EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES IN
ZIMBABWE FOR INSTANCE
REMAINS MEANINGLESS IF NOT
SUPPORTED BY PRAGMATIC MIND
SETS.
ALSO EDUCATION 5.0
WITHOUT PRAGMATIC MIND SETS
ZIMBABWE’S VISSION 2030 WILL
REMAIN A DRILL AND NEVER REAL
AGRICULTURE, ICT, OTHER
PRACTICAL SUBJECTS AS WELL AS
LIFE SKILLS ARE ENCOURAGED IN THE
ZIMBABWEAN CURRICULA.
THIS TESTIFIES THE ESSENCE OF
PRAGMATISM.
SASAF, DASAF , PASAF, NASAF
PROGRAMMES ENSHRINED IN THE REVISED
SCHOOL CURRICULUM OF ZIMBABWE ARE
AN EFFORT TO GIVE LEARNERS A CHANCE
TO SHOW CASE THEIR CAPABILITIES AND
TALENTS.
THE CASE OF JOHANNE MARANGE
DOCTRINE AS PRAGMATIC
PART OF THE JOHANNE MARANGE
APOSTOLIC CHURCH DOCTRINE IS
PRAGMATIC IN PROFILE AS
MARANGE DISCOURAGED BOOKISH
EDUCATION AND ENCOURAGED
HIS CONGREGANTS TO WORK
WITH THEIR OWN HANDS.
UP TO TODAY MEMBERS OF THIS
CHURCH ARE KNOWN FOR BEING
PRAGMATIC.
IN ZIMBABWE TODAY, IT IS THOSE
WITH PACTICAL SKILLS WHO ARE
SURVIVING.
THROUGH PRAGMATISM
LEARNERS ARE THEREFORE
SUPPOSED TO BE AGENTS FOR
SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND EVEN
ECONOMIC CHANGE.
 PRAGMATISM ENCOURAGES
DEMOCRACY
ALL LEARNERS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN
THE LEARNING AND DECISION MAKING
PROCESS IF PRAGMATIC TEACHING
METHODS ARE EMPLOYED.
 IN THE PROCESS LEARNERS WILL LEARN
THE ART OF BEING CONFIDENT AND
EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
AS A RESULT THEY WILL
CONTRIBUTE PRODUCTIVE IDEAS
TO THE SOCIETY.

DEMOCRACY HELP THE LEARNER

TO COOPERATE WITH OTHERS IN
SOCIETY.
GOOD CHARACTER TRAITS ARE CULTIVATED AS
THE LEARNER ACTIVELY COOPERATE WITH
OTHERS.
CHARACTER TRAITS LIKE BEING OTHER-
REGARDING, HELPFUL, CRITICAL, INTELLIGENT
AND INITIATIVE
PRAGMATISTS ARE CONVINCED THAT
CHANGE IS THE ESSENCE OF REALITY.
AS SUCH SCIENCE EDUCATIONISTS MUST
ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO ALTER
EXISTING KNOWLEDGE OR DISCOVERIES
THROUGH RESEARCH AND
EXPERIMENTATION.
THE TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS
MUST BE FLEXIBLE AND OPEN TO
CONTINUAL REVISION.
PRAGMATISM LINK SUBJECT MATTER
TO PROBLEMS
SUBJECT TAUGHT SHOULD BE ALIGNED
TO IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS THAT THE
LEARNER AND SOCIETY ARE FACING EG
LACK OF INNOVATION LED TO THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF STEM IN ZIMBABWE.
ZIMBABWEAN INDUSTRIES
HAVE CLOSED, BUT MOST
ZIMBABWEAN GRADUATES ARE
FAILING TO CLOSE THE GAP.
IT IS TRUE THAT FUNDING IS A
CRITICAL ELEMENT BUT IT
REMAINS TRUE THAT MOST
ZIMBABWEAN GRADUATES ARE
CRY BABIES
MOST OF THE INDUSTRIAL
PREMISES HAVE BEEN TURNED
INTO CHURCHES .
THE GRADUATES ARE MOVING UP AND
DOWN THE STREETS WITHOUT ANYTHING
TO DO MAYBE BECAUSE THEY ARE
BOOKISH IN PROFILE LACKING THE
PRACTICAL ASPECT.
THEY LACK INNOVATIVENESS.
VOCCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRES IN
ZIMBABWE ARE A WAY OF COMPLYING
WITH THE PRAGMATIC IDEALS.
PROBLEM SOLVING IS ENHANCED
 LEARNERS NEED NOT TO BE STATIC,
INSTEAD THEY HAVE TO BE DYNAMIC.
 THE KEY WORDS FOR DEWEY ARE
EXPERIENCE AND ACTION.
 EXPERIENCE IS INTERACTING WITH THE
ENVIRONMENT.
 LIFE DEPENDS ON THE ABILITY TO SOLVE
LIFE CHALLENGES/ PROBLEMS.
SOCIAL ACTION IS CRUCIAL IN EVERY
SOCIETY ie THE PRACTICAL ASPECT.
OF ESSENCE IS NOT PILLING IDEAS BUT
OFFERING SOLUTIONS TO PRACTICAL
PROBLEMS.
SUMMARYOF DEWEY’S PHILOSOPHY

LEARNER CENTEREDNESS IS CALLED FOR

IE MINIMAL TEACHER INTERRUPTION.
 LEARNER TO BE GIVEN ENOUGH SPACE
TO EXPLORE AND ATTEND TO NEEDS OF
SOCIETY.
KNOWLEDGE COMES
THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING.
 LEARNER SHOULD BE GEARED
TOWARDS SOLVING FUTURE
PROBLEMS.
EDUCATION COMES THROUGH
EXPERIENCE.
APPEAL TO ALL THE SENSES OF THE
LEARNER.
TEACHER TO GO BEYOND THEORY INTO
PRACTICE.
TEACHING METHOD SHOULD NOT INSTIL
FEAR IN LEARNERS.
 LEARNER TO FREELY CHOOSE WHAT HE /
SHE WANT TO PURSUE.
LEARNING MATERIAL SHOULD BE
LOGICALLY ARRANGED .
DEWEY IS FOR SCIENCES-
EXPERIMENTATION IS THUS CRUCIAL
INORDER TO VERIFY KNOWLEDGE CLAIMS.
EDUCATION MUST LEAD TO SOCIETAL
DEVELOPMENT.
CHILDREN TO BE GIVEN SPACE TO
DISPLAY THEIR INITIATIVES.
TEACHER TO BE INNOVATIVE AND
RESOURCEFUL.
EDUCATION IS THE PROCESS OF LIVING
NOT A PREPARATION FOR LIVING.
CURRICULUM CENTRED EDUCATION
TENDS TO BE AUTHORITARIAN.
RIGHTS OF LEARNERS TO BE
RESPECTED.
TEACHING LEARNERS FOR
EMPLOYMENT IS CONDEMNED BY
DEWEY ,
INSTEAD THERE SHOULD BE SELF
SUFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINANCE.
COOPERATIVE LEARNING IS ENCOURAGED.
EDUCATION SHOULD BE HOLISTIC.
SCHOOLS SHOULD BE FREELY AVAILABLE
SO THAT LEARNERS HAVE THE CHANCE
TO EXPLORE.
EDUCATION FOR ALL IS ENCOURAGED.
BEAM,RUZIVO, HIGHER LIFE
FOUNDATION, CARPENAUM TRUST ETC IN
ZIM IS A TESTIMONY.
SCIENTIFIC APPROACH IS CRUCIAL.-
LABORATORY TYPE OF EDUCATION.
THE RESULTS IN THE CULTURE OF THE
CHILD BEARS TESTIMONY TO THE
PRAGMATIC APPROACH.
CRITIC TO DEWEY’S PRAGMATISM

DISCOVERY LEARNING IS TIME

CONSUMING.
TEACHER PUPIL RATIOS IN
ZIMBABWEAN SCHOOLS IMPEDES
DISCOVERY LEARNING.
SYLLABI COVERAGE MAYBE
DIFFICULT GIVEN THAT THERE
WILL BE EXAMS AT THE END .
IT IS DIFFICULT FOR TEACHERS TO BE
FACILITATORS OF LEARNING ONLY
WITHOUT INFLUENCING THE LEARNER
EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY,
WILLINGLY OR UNWILLINGLY.
DEWEY SAYS TEACHER SHOULD
FOLLOW INITIATIVES OF THE
LEARNERS BUT BY VIRTUE OF HIS
OR HER TRAINING,
 THE TEACHER IS MORE
KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN THE
LEARNER..
 THEREFORE TEACHER DECIDES ON
LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND
CONTENT TO BE LEARNT.
IGNORING CURRICULUM DICTATES
LEADS TO FAILURE OF LEARNERS IN
AN EXAM ORIENTED EDUCATION
SYSTEM
Dewey is not more concerned with the
teaching of religion ie beliefs and morals
yet these are crucial in shaping the
character of the learner.

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ACCOMPANIED BY MUNYONGA, A