John Dewey and the Challenge of Progressive Education

It is clear that new educational trends need to be understood in relation to the global network context, where economic concerns are driving non-economic educational values. The privatization of public education and the imposition of standardized testing are splintering support for democratic public education. This has in turn weakened the democratic role of national governments and has granted corporations inappropriate influence over educational policy (Dewey, 2013).

Furthermore, different groups in contemporary society have been forming conflicting, postmodern identities, which makes forging a democratic consensus more challenging. The current project of ensuring equal access to high-technology educational opportunities and forming effective teaching methods for learners from disadvantaged groups only addresses the question of fair access to knowledge in the global economy but neglects the question of power in setting the future of society.

The author suggests that building upon and directing new educational trends to realize the contemporary democratic aspirations of a global network society requires a comprehensive and collective effort from public intellectuals, educational leaders, and the democratic public. To achieve this goal, the author suggests:

1. Developing a new vision of democracy that is suitable for the global network era.
2. Balancing economic concerns with shared noneconomic educational values, such as civic aims, to                      prevent public education from being privatized and controlled by corporations.
3. Fostering a democratic consensus among different groups in contemporary society by addressing their             conflicting, postmodern identities and providing shared social and human ideals.
4. Addressing the question of power in setting the future orientation of society by confronting the growth of         corporate power over the democratic state and its public functions.
5. Ensuring that the project of fair access to schooling also addresses the wage-spreading and social                        polarization resulting from global capitalism.

Overall, building upon and directing new educational trends to realize contemporary democratic aspirations requires a renewed commitment to the democratic role of education and a recognition of its central importance in shaping the future orientation of society.

References

Waks, L. (2013). John Dewey and the Challenge of Progressive Education. International Journal of Progressive Education, 9(1), 73-83.