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A Response to John Deweys Experience and Education

By Chris
Stern

Portrait of John Dewey, philosopher and educator, at tailor shop, at age 90

John Deweys Experience and Education (1938) is a concise yet remarkably thorough examination of
experience and its relation to traditional and progressive methods of education. Dewey advocates for a more
robust comprehension of experience and points to the importance of this comprehension for informing ones
philosophy of education. There are differing opinions on this matter, particularly from a postmodernist perspective,
and both sides are worth investigating.

The Place of Experience in Education

Dewey explained that the principles of continuity and interaction are fundamental aspects of experience.
Continuity and interaction are the ways in which successive experiences can propel ones understanding forward,
and knowledge accumulates on the foundation of said experience. The emphasis placed on personal experiences
also lends itself to the modernistic ideal of the individuals mind over transcendent spirituality. The concern of the
educator, Dewey noted, must be the situations in which such interactions or experiences take place. Therefore,
Dewey argued, proper education is tasked not only with determining environments conducive for individuals
needs and learning capacities but most importantly, there must be a reason for thinking that they [materials and
methods] will function in generating an experience that has educative quality with particular individuals at a
particular time (p. 46). This recognition is a pedagogical emergence from the traditional school of thought, which
lacked a contextualized perspective of education.
In addition to fostering an educative experience, Dewey worked through an analysis of social control, likening
educative leadership principles to
games
, sports, etc. The rules are intrinsic to the game being played and govern the participants; without the rules, the
game could not exist. Even when participants object to a decision or call, it is not a denial of the rule but rather a
claim on the perceived violation of the rule. Dewey concluded this example by pointing out that the control of
individual actions is effected by the whole situation in which individuals are involved, in which they share and of
which they are co-operative or interacting parts (p. 53). This helpfully paralleled Deweys point for how education
should function, in the sense that students should not feel dictated to by a teacher but rather, that there should be
a communal participation in learning.
The principle that experience is developed through interaction necessitates a social educative environment.
Dewey argued that the role of the teacher in the traditional method of schooling was primarily as an outsider with
the students functioning as a class instead of as a communal group. However, when education is based upon
experience and educative experience is seen to be a social process, the situation changes radically (Dewey,
1938, p. 59) allowing episodic leadership. This allows the teacher a greater understanding of the students which
results in better learning situations (or opportunities for interaction) and therefore, quality learning experiences
on which to continue to build.
The social classroom, Dewey reminded us, is meaningless without purpose. The formation of purpose, Dewey
explained, was through observation (synthesizing experiences and knowledge from the past) and judgment, which
gleaned meaning from observations. Teachers must guide their students to exercise their own intelligence
(building on what they already know through experience) and pursue learning which will shape their futures and
benefit society. This belief and pursuit of progress are highly valued and serve as defining themes for Dewey. The
purpose and development of the student grow through these experiences of social intelligence.

Postmodernist Disagreement to Dewey

In stark contrast to Deweys philosophy of education, Hirsch (2013, read the article here) posits an educational
philosophy that champions structure, factual knowledge, and a set curriculum across the grades. Hirschs article, A
Wealth of Words, is a fascinating argument for the importance of expanding ones vocabulary to achieve upward
mobility and educational competence. There are key differences between Hirsch and Dewey which warrant
examination.
It is immediately apparent in Hirschs article that he disagrees with Dewey (albeit without naming names) as he
considers the conception of education that began in the 20s and 30s and reached its peak (in terms of test
scores) in 1967 but since then has led to a steady decline in scores that have remained low since the 1980s.
Particularly disagreeable to Hirsch was this movements optimism about childrens natural development, a belief
in the unimportance of factual knowledge and book learning, and a corresponding belief in the importance of
training the mind through hands-on practical experience (A Wealth of Words, para. 4). Hirsch strongly advocated
against the how-to-ism of Deweys philosophy, explaining that giving students the intellectual tools to assimilate
new knowledge has failed due to improper recognition of skills (A Wealth of Words, para. 30). Dewey stated that
it is a mistake to suppose that acquisition of skills in reading and figuring will automatically constitute preparation
for their right and effective use under conditions very unlike those in which they were acquired (p. 47). Hirsch
disagreed with this assertion, claiming that a students breadth of vocabulary was the strongest indicator of ones
general competence and knowledge. While Dewey would align with a more pragmatic, scientific-method
pedagogy, Hirsch believed that teaching students a robust vocabulary was the key to competence and upward
mobility.
Hirsch also explained that broadening ones vocabulary was a universal method for increasing knowledge. This is
opposed to Deweys pragmatic approach which sought to take into consideration each students past experiences
and tailor new experiences to promote further learning and growth (e.g. not every student is going to benefit or
learn from the same thing). However, Hirsch put forth recommendations for a constructed reality through which
schools and teachers would seek to expand the vocabularies of students through coherent sequential curriculum
(A wealth of Words, para. 18). This also has a ring of meta-narrative to it as Hirsch prescribes nation-wide
educational practices.
More specifically, another point of contention that Hirsch had was with Deweys argument for the contextualization
of curriculum. Hirsch discounts this notion without pause, arguing that every student must learn vocabulary
according to a predetermined timeline and not when the student is deemed ready for such instruction. The
material should be presented uniformly, as a set curriculum and in a very specific sequential manner (A Wealth
of Words, para. 18) and therefore, there is no need for contextualization to the individual student.
The last point of disagreement between Hirsch and Dewey that I will address is their different perspective on the
role of the teacher. Dewey wanted collaboration in the classroom and saw dialogue and student participation as a
valuable part of learning. Hirsch disagreed, viewing teachers as imparters of facts and believing that classroom
instruction and books have richer vocabulary than everyday conversation and dialogue. Hirsch saw Deweys
socially interactive classroom as inhibiting learning and interrupting the educational regimen he envisioned.

Impact on Higher Education

The difference between Hirsch and Dewey is intriguing, particularly when contemplating the effects of this
difference on the study of science in higher education. Hirschs commitment to understanding vocabulary
becomes challenging when encountering the theoretical, hypothetical, and deductive reasoning needed for
learning the sciences. Hirsch praised the idea of students reading and studying texts from a variety of disciplines,
seeing this as beneficial to students reading abilities. I think this emphasis on well-rounded reading is important
when it comes to science because the pervasive nature of science in our daily lives merits a holistic approach.
However, Hirschs model is not one that emphasizes critical thinking or analysis (skills born out of question asking
and participatory learning), and I believe this is detrimental to a students ability to engage creatively within the
realm of science. I believe Hirschs departure from experiential learning (in favor of teacher to student instruction),
especially in early adolescence, could prove harmful when introducing students to the complexities and

experimentation related to science. Hirsch does acknowledge a progression of education and scientific context for
vocabulary needs to be developed but the thinking skills needed to probe the depths of science will not
automatically be fostered through focusing primarily on understanding the meaning of words.

Conclusion
It was helpful to study both the modernist and postmodernist perspectives represented by Dewey (1938) and
Hirsch (2013) respectively. I gained a new respect for the complexity of designing and implementing a thoughtful
pedagogy. I do not side fully with either position, but I do think that each perspective contains valuable insights
that are worth considering. Experiential learning is made more meaningful by having an informed language (e.g.
vocabulary) with which to understand our experiences because experiences without interpretation provide little in
the way of education. These perspectives on education have piqued my interest in the subject and have made me
realize my own need to think more deeply on this important topic.

References
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience & education. New York, NY: Touchstone.
Hirsch, E.D. (2013). A wealth of words: The key to increasing upward mobility is expanding vocabulary. City
Journal, volume 23 (1). Retrieved from: http://www.city-journal.org/2013/23_1_vocabulary.html
Slider Image source: Portrait of John Dewey by Anthony Hare

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