California State University, Northridge



Purpose of Education

Miha Lee

1. Dewey, Hutchins and Adler are Philosophers. What is their method of knowing? What do they add to the discussion of the purpose of education?

|Philosophers |method of knowing |the purpose of education |

|Dewey |active learning through concrete social experience |Social, emotional, and mental development |

|(Progressivism) |such as problem-solving, discovery learning or |full experiential growth of the individual to meet |

|(Pragmatism) |inquiry approach |immediate needs and desires of students |

|Hutchins |acquisition of knowledge of the most important |Liberal education |

|(Liberal education) |subjects such as philosophy, history, literature, and|Development of intellectual powers to realize human |

|(Essentialism) |art |potential |

| |learning by having experiences to fully understand |Improvement of human by help students understand, |

| |the subject matter that require experiences |establish, and live by a hierarchy of values |

| | |Provision of the habits, ideas, and techniques that |

| | |students need to continue to educate themselves |

| | |throughout their lives |

| | |Promotion of political freedom or social reform by |

| | |development of understanding and judgment |

|Adler |Active learning with the whole mind |General and liberal education |

|(Perennialism) |Didactic instruction, lecturing, and textbooks |Providing ample opportunity for personal development |

| |Coaching, exercises, supervised practice |Preparing students for the political duties and |

| |Maieutic or Socratic questioning and active |responsibilities of citizenship with all the trained |

| |participation |intelligence |

| | |Preparing students for earning a living, not by specific|

| | |training for specific job. |

2. Are the ideas of these three alive in schools today? Where? What concepts?

← Dewey’s idea of social experience is still alive in science education where inquiry or project based learning are emphasized as learning method. The detracking of curriculum is another way to implement his idea.

← Hutchins’ idea of liberal education is carried out by imposing such subjects on elementary education and requisites on college education.

← Adler’ idea of curriculum based on standards exists in the National Educational Standards.

3. Where do Dewey and Hutchins differ the most? On what do they agree?

Both Dewey and Hutchins view organized education as a tool of adaptation and preparation of the individual for future life. What they agree on is the primary purpose of the organized education that is to prepare the young for future responsibilities and for success in life, by means of acquisition of the organized bodies of information and prepared forms of skill which comprehend the material of instruction. They value the maintenance and reform of society by providing public education. Thus, both of them acknowledge the importance of subject matter, organization of educational system, and guidance by the mature (teacher).

Where Dewey and Hutchins differ the most is their view point of realm of school education. Dewey saw the goal of education as social-emotional-metal growth. By contrast, Hutchins only focused on intellectual training.

They also differ in their standpoint of the nature of human and society. Dewey thought of human to have natural endowment to learn from his/her experiences. So, he stressed the student-centered learning. He criticized the traditional education as imposition from above and outside of adult standards and methods on those who are only growing slowly toward maturity. Instead, he suggested that students actively participate in the development of what is taught. From his perspective, education is a development within, by, and for experience.

In addition, he saw the nature of society as change from a perspective of relativism. Thus, every society has its own needs that require different roles of its members as acitizen. Thus, he insisted that experiences provided by schools should be meaningful extensions of the normal social activities of learners. He contended that we may reject knowledge of the past as the “end” of education and thereby only emphasize its importance as a “means.” He was concerned about the selection of kinds of present experiences that live fruitfully and creatively in subsequent experiences. Educative experiences should be connected and organized

On the other hand, Hutchins sees that human nature is constant and functions as a free man the same in every society. He focused on improvement of human as a free individual, not a citizen in a current society. Good moral and intellectual habits are required for the fullest development of the nature of man. However, he thought of the role of schools as dealing with only intellectual powers of men. The moral and spiritual powers are the spheres of the family and the church. He insisted that the intellectual power can be improved by acquiring knowledge of the most important subjects including philosophy, history, literature, and art.

Moreover, he believed that there is a hierarchy of values as a man in every society. Our democratic society requires its member to maintain his/her political freedom by acquiring knowledge to improve his/her understanding and judgment in social affairs.

4. What does Adler recommend? How does it differ from Dewey and Hutchins?

Adler contended that basic schooling should promote the principle of equal educational opportunity by providing a completely on-track system of schooling. He also cared about the quality of education, criticizing deplorable deterioration of schooling. He pointed out the necessity of improving the quality of basic schooling for all and the quality of advanced schooling for some. So, he suggested the idea of uniform standard which requires certain subject matters as media for teaching universal qualities that promote metal and characterological development. He recommended a single, required, 12-year course of study for all, with mo electives except foreign language. He also suggested that teacher education should provide the same general, liberal learning at advanced levels for preservice teacher students.

His idea of three different kinds of learning and teaching depending on the goals of education is totally unique from the ideas of Dewey and Hutchins who insisted mainly one method.

Adler is different from Dewey in that Adler denied incidental learning and student choice. However, Adler’s idea of active, aided discovery learning is very similar to Dewey’s idea of active learning.

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