March 1, 2016 - 14:05
Dewey and the Importance of Student’s Voices in Their Own Education
By: Sophie Webb
In John Dewey’s book about educational theory called Experience and Education, he describes and elaborates on many of his theories and ideas about progressive education. Dewey’s writing is a bit dense, but through all the words, the heart of what he is saying shines through. In chapter six, titled The Meaning of Purpose, Dewey talks about the importance of including students in the formation of their own educational experiences. He says on page sixty-seven that “there is… no point… sounder… [than] the importance of participation of the learners in the formation of the purposes which direct the activities in the learning process.” In this sentence, Dewey is essentially expressing his belief that the learners, must have a role in creating their own education in order for it to be a meaningful and successful one. Of course what Dewey is getting at is more complex than that. In order to help the reader further understand and unpack what he is saying, Dewey delves into what he means by purpose.
Dewey lightly defines this idea of “purpose” as “an end-view” (67). I interpret this as the bigger picture or idea that the learner should end up at when the lesson or activity is said and done. Dewey describes this idea of purpose by outlining it as more of a process than a set entity. He begins by saying that this concept of purpose begins with an impulse by the learner to do something, which quickly turns into a desire. This desire and inherent interest is at the heart of arriving at the end view of purpose. The learner must be invested in some way in what they are learning and exploring. Dewey next says that once this desire is present and identified, the learner must have foresight of the consequences of the beginning impulse. These consequences are perceived through observation, and once the consequences are foreseen and observed, the learner must interpret the significance of what they observe. Before arriving at the final purpose, or end-view, the learner must judge the observations and the significance.
This process of learning that Dewey describes through the lense of purpose, pulls together aspects of education that are not always connected, and puts them together. In science class we observe, in art we create what we desire, in history we look at consequences of past actions, but seldom do we wrap these skills and processes up into one holistic learning experience. What Dewey calls “purpose,” I think of as critical thinking. All throughout my education I was challenged to ask why, to prod deeper into what was given to me, and to take things with a grain of salt. I think this idea of critical thinking may stem from Dewey’s idea of purpose.
Drawing from my own educational autobiography, there is one experience that comes to mind that seems to encapsulate quite perfectly the theory of student involved purposes, and the processes of purpose. I attended a small high school in rural New Hampshire. At my school there was a project called “Power of One,” which all Freshman students participated in. It was often viewed as a rite of passage. The project was the brainchild of one of the social studies teachers at the school and as an incoming freshman I was absolutely in love with the idea of the project. The goal of the project was for each first year student to choose a specific cause or issue in the world that was important to them and to do something about it. So inherently, the project was very student driven.
The first ingredient for Dewey’s purpose was there: inpulse/desire. Students were directed to draw upon their own personal experiences to find a cause that was important to them and that they connected with. Following the initial choosing of the topics was a lengthy research process where students observed the nature of the problem their cause was addressing and the consequences it raised for a certain affected group. Once enough information had been collected through observation, students had to analyze how best they could help remedy the problem. Some students committed to volunteer work, others held events to raise awareness, and others collected money or donations for their cause. For my project I started with a desire to help people who need glasses but didn’t have the resources to obtain them. I was able to draw on my own personal and past experiences of wearing glasses and knowing what it was like to be without them to choose my topic. I then had to observe and research the world around me, before judging how I could best help. The purpose or end-view of this project came to fruition at the event at the end of the semester when every student showcased their projects to the community during “Power of One Night.” It was here that classmates got to show “The World” what they had accomplished, and feel empowered by the change they were making. They also got to see what their classmates did, and to become inspired in ways they never were before.
This project was one of the most valuable experiences of my educational career and something that I still carry with me today. It was more than just researching a global issue or problem that the teacher assigned to me. It was driven by my passions and my experience, and it was a process that was seen through to its purpose. I think Dewey would be pleased with this project that my classmates and I participated in. It was facilitated by the teacher in the ways it needed to be, but it left ample freedom for each student to make it something that was their own.