The rise and fall of progressive education in the U.S. during the early 20th-century
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John Dewey's Laboratory School
John Dewey's experimental school for testing progressive principles of education opened and enrollment grew quickly. Children ages 4-14 learned by working together in small groups and by teachers following the lead of the students' interests. The entire curriculum was centered around the child and the outgrowth of the child's interests. -
Montessori Method
Italian physician Maria Montessori opened a school with the purpose to create learning environments that were based on the child's developmental level and readiness to learn with the goal being not only to develop the child's knowledge but also their confidence and self-discipline. Instruction was highly individualized and student-guided. This method of education spread throughout the world. -
America at war and criticism of progressive education
Around the beginning of World War II, progressive education methods started receiving public criticism and were blamed for most of the deficiencies in the American education system. Much of the public did not believe that progressive education was meeting their current needs. Education started to become more standardized and then become better funded when the schools provided evidence that they were teaching the children subjects in a standardized matter. -
The end of progressive education curriculums in U.S. schools
With the end of World War II and the start of the cold war, the country had different views on education and what the products of it should be. In 1955, the Progressive Education Association disbanded- resulting in a lack of advocacy for progressive teaching practices. -
Defense Education Act and other government acts resulting in standardized education
During the cold war and after Russia made it to space, education was seen as a national security issue. The Defense Education Act, signed by Eisenhower, provided funding to schools that put emphasis on math and science. Throughout the rest of the 20th century and into the 21st century, many government acts and educational reforms have taken place that increased the importance of standardized education and testing, which also has marginalized and hurt many students, schools, and communities. -
References
Parkay, F. (2020). Historical foundations of U.S. education. In C.
Robb, Revamipre LLC.(Eds.), Becoming a teacher. Pearson
Education.
Do standardized tests accurately show students' abilities?:
Resilient educator. ResilientEducator. (2018, May 5).
Lakritz, T. (2022, August 17). How schools have changed over the last 80 years. Insider. Retrieved October 19, 2022Roth, B. (2021, July 12). -
References cont.
Roth, B. (2021, July 12). Intervention in civil wars symposium:
Intervention and emerging popular sovereignty norms. Opinio Juris.
Balagué, F. (2018, April 30). The contribution of the Montessori method to an uncertain world. CCCB LAB.
Philosophy and history of education. College of Education and Human Ecology. (n.d.).