Written by Annamarie Bollino
John Dewey is one of the most prolific educational thinkers of the 20th century. Dewey’s educational implications were far-reaching and were considered progressive for his time. Interestingly, his combined theoretical and pragmatic ideas share many of the philosophical foundations that are often applied in the process of music teaching and learning. For example, Dewey believed students are at the center of their learning. Specifically, students learn by doing. To help elucidate this issue, it is important to explore three of Dewey’s educational implications.
Dewey believed that students should be actively engaged in their topics of study. This is done through four basic paths: (a) construction, (b) inquiry, (c) expression (including artistic expression) and (d) communication (Elliott & Silverman, 2015, p. 135). There should be a thoughtfully planned curriculum, as well as projects that allow students to solve challenging problems that stimulate and nourish their growth. Learning is not about the teacher being the keeper of the information or knowledge. Rather, students must have the opportunity to inquire and communicate. It is not enough to have students simply follow the instruction or lesson of the teacher in order to acquire basic academic skills, including the memorization of facts and knowledge. The teacher’s role, while still integral to the learning process, is more as a facilitator. A teacher guides the knowledge for students, questioning them to think critically. Unfortunately, those criticizing Dewey’s writings may feel that classroom order and the teacher’s authority would disappear as a result of this structure. However, I believe these four parts align nicely with several current curriculum and trends in education, including project-based learning and constructivist theory.
When students are constructing their own knowledge and meaning, they are personally invested in their work. By learning through doing and using inquiry to problem-solve, students are engaged in personal, meaningful, and deeply satisfying work. This meaningful work is meant to support the growth of students towards “the good life,” where students thrive on “being endlessly challenged and endlessly dissatisfied with the limitations of the present” (Elliott & Silverman, 2015, p. 135).
Dewey argued that the curriculum must be relevant for students, connecting to social or cultural ideas, as well as the development of practical life skills. In this way, education is also designed for students to be able to work together in a democratic environment. There is an essence of collaboration that is inherent in Dewey’s teachings.
Dewey’s writings speak of the importance of utilizing students’ prior experiences and knowledge in order to construct personal meaning and solve meaningful problems. This connection between the integration of students’ current learning with their prior experiences and knowledge has been proven to be an effective route in learning that builds memory and makes physical connections in the brain.
Finally, I want to focus on Dewey’s ideas regarding social interaction and the social construction of knowledge. According to Dewey, education is a means of social transformation; a way of continuing democracy. Dewey believed that education is a social process. In order to embrace this point thoroughly, students must be understood as persons. These processes inform our intelligence, knowing, learning, ethical habits, and growth.
While Dewey’s ideas are profound and primarily student-centered, the implementation of them in our current setting of standardized testing, cookie-cutter curriculum is haphazard at best. I also think our inability to fully fund or prioritize education is a barrier to the implementation of a more differentiated, personalized approach to learning. Dewey’s ideas are relevant to what most teachers want for their students, but can’t seem to find the time nor the structure to provide this type of learning environment. While Dewey’s ideas may be viewed as utopian and difficult to implement, I believe they have withstood the test of time, are supported by current research and educational trends, and can provide a model for successful educational practices.
References
Elliott, D. J., & Silverman, M. 2015). Music matters: A philosophy of music education. New York, New York: Oxford University Press.
Philosophy of Music 