Philosophy of Education:
A Historical Perspective
Erin Foley
John Dewey
1859-1952
Experiential Education
 Education has a social purpose; the goal
is to create a better society
 Learning takes place through realistic
tasks and challenges
“Education is
life itself.”
 Experiences offer a learning moment,
whether positive or negative
--John Dewey
 Teaching and curriculum need to take
into account the individual personalities
and experiences of students
Source: John Dewey, the Modern Father of Experiential
Education by James Neill,
http://wilderdom.com/experiential/ExperientialDewey.html
Maria Montessori
1870-1952
Founder of the Montessori Method
 Montessori Principles:
 Individualized Liberty of the Child
 Observation of the Directress
 Preparation of the Environment
 Learning develops through discovery
 Idea of the work period, where students choose activities
and work until they are done
 Materials are specifically designed so the students can use
them independently
 Children teach themselves; the teacher is the facilitator in
the learning process
 Education should serve the whole of each individual child
Source: Montessori Philosophy, www.casadimir.org
John Piaget
1896-1980
Cognitive Development
 Learning is an active process
 Theory of assimilation and accommodation: concepts are
introduced to the cognitive structure and then the
structure is redesigned to incorporate the new
information
 Teachers act as facilitators to guide and stimulate
students
 Instruction should be individualized
 Readiness approach: children must reach certain
milestones of maturity before they can learn
certain concepts
 Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development
Source: Piaget by Wanda Y. Ginn, http://www.sk.com.br/sk-piage.html
Similarities
 All three philosophers believed in an exciting,
active learning environment that will engage
students in the learning process
 Montessori, Dewey and Piaget believed that the
teacher works as a facilitator and guide, not as
the lone lecturer at the front of the room
 Students drive instruction and teaching should be
individualized to accommodate each student and
their experiences and maturation
 Montessori and Piaget believed the learning
process progresses through a series of
developmental steps
Differences
While Dewey emphasized the importance of
meeting the needs of each child, he was a
strong proponent in the belief that the
purpose of education is to build a strong
society through socialization
Montessori specifically focused on
improving the individual person, rather
than society as a whole
My Philosophy
 Like Dewey, Piaget and Montessori, I believe
children learn best when fully engaged; therefore
school should be an interesting environment that
incorporates activities children find intriguing
 Like Dewey and Piaget, I believe materials and
instruction should be developed for the individual
needs of each child or small group of children, not
the pre-determined goals set by curriculum
companies
 Like Dewey, I believe materials and instruction
should be relatable for children and reflect reallife tasks for students
Works Cited
 Brick, Blanche. “Changing Concepts of Equal Educational
Opportunity: A Comparison of the Views of Thomas Jefferson,
Horace Mann and John Dewey.” American Educational
History Journal 32.2 (2005): 166-173. Print.
 Ginn, Wanda Y. Piaget. 5 September, 2010.
<http://www.sk.com.br/sk-piage.html>.
 Shortridge, P. Donohue. “Maria Montessori and Educational
Forces in America.” Montessori Life 1 (2007): 34-47. Print.
 Neil, James. John Dewey, the Modern Father of Experiential
Education. Wilderom: A Project in Natural Living and
Transformations, 2005. Web. 4 September, 2010.
 Wilhelmi, S.V. Montessori Philosophy. Casa Di Mir
Montessori School. 4 September, 2010.
<http://www.casadimir.org/montessoriphilosophy.htm>.