BIFE1033

CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY

WEEK 4
Topic 3: Philosophies of Education:

• Progressive Spectrum
What is progressive spectrum?
• Humans are social animals who learn best in real-time activities.
• Strong emphasis on problem-based learning to develop solving and
analysis skills.
• Instructors should focus on providing students with the necessary skills and
knowledge to survive and to succeed in our competitive society.
• Learning as a life-long process.
• Involves each of its students in a personalized, action-oriented curriculum
throughout all development levels.
• Multi-age groupings provide appropriate and essential social interactions
to ensure that each student progresses at his/her own developmental
pace.
The principles of progressive spectrum
• Freedom to Develop Naturally
• Interest, the Motive of all Work
• The Teacher a Guide, not a Task-Master
• Scientific Study of Pupil Development
• Greater Attention to all that Affects the Child’s Physical Development
• Co-Operation Between School & Home to Meet the Needs of Child-
Life
• The Progressive School a Leader in Educational Movements
Freedom to Develop Naturally
• The conduct of the pupil should be governed by himself according to
the social needs of his community, rather than by arbitrary laws.
• Full opportunity for initiative and self-expression should be provided,
together with an environment rich in interesting material that is
available for the free use of every pupil.
Interest, the Motive of all Work
• Interest should be satisfied and developed through:
Direct and indirect contact with the world and its activities, and use
of the experience thus gained.
Application of knowledge gained, and correlation between different
subjects.
The consciousness of achievement.
The Teacher a Guide, not a Task-Master
• Latitude for the development of initiative and originality.
• Progressive teachers will encourage the use of all the senses, training
the pupils in both observation and judgment; and instead of hearing
recitations only, will spend most of the time teaching how to use
various sources of information, including life activities as well as
books; how to reason about the information thus acquired; and how
to express forcefully and logically the conclusions reached.
• Ideal teaching conditions demand that classes be small, especially in
the elementary school years.
Scientific Study of Pupil Development
• Authentic assessment, include both objective and subjective reports
on those physical, mental, moral and social characteristics which
affect both school and adult life, and which can be influenced by the
school and at home.
• Such records should be used as a guide for the treatment of each
pupil, and should also serve to focus the attention of the teacher on
the all-important work of development rather than on simply
teaching subject matter.
Greater Attention to all that Affects the
Child’s Physical Development
• One of the first considerations of Progressive Education is the health
of the pupils.
• Much more room in which to move about, better light and air, clean
and well ventilated buildings, easier access to the out-of-doors and
greater use of it, are all necessary.
Co-Operation Between School & Home to
Meet the Needs of Child-Life
• The school should provide, with the home, as much as is possible of
all that the natural interests and activities of the child demand,
especially during the elementary school years.
• These conditions can come about only through intelligent co-
operation between parents and teachers.
The Progressive School a Leader in
Educational Movements
• The Progressive School should be a leader in educational movements.
• It should be a laboratory where new ideas, if worthy, meet
encouragement; where tradition alone does not rule, but the best of
the past is leavened with the discoveries of today, and the result is
freely added to the sum of educational knowledge.
Progressive teaching methods
• Inquiry
• Experimentation
• field work
• Project
• use of tools like computers
• Discussion
• Demonstration
• Groupwork
• role play
• Research
• Simulation
• Drama
• Debate
A Comparison of Two Educational Models
Traditional Schools Model Progressive Schools Model
Instruction: Instruction
Teacher-centered, direct instruction by the teacher; Child-centered, self-directed learning, discovery
with homogeneous grouping. learning, working cooperatively with others;
heterogeneous grouping.

Assessment: Assessment.
Quantitative evaluation (numerical testing). Authentic Assessment
Reliance on periodic testing with norm-referenced, Reliance on portfolios which feature individual and
objective tests. collaborative projects.

Grades: Grades:
Assigned by comparing performance with age/grade Downplayed in favor of teacher comments on
peers. progress
Cont…….
Outcomes: Outcomes:
Product-oriented Process-oriented
Emphasizes academic skills as demonstrated in the Emphasizes the psychological, social, and cultural
traditional core areas. aspects of child development.

Curriculum: Curriculum:
Basic learning In-depth learning
Focuses on academic areas. Encompasses a range of issues; a balance between
Isolated curriculum (subjects are taught separately) academic and social concerns.
Integrated curriculum (students learn many subjects in
one lesson)

Standards: Standards:
All children seek the same level of minimal Adjusted to recognize differences among individual
competency. learners.
Cont…….
Teaching method: Teaching method:
Learning of skills by repetition. Learning by various activities.
Concepts are presented as facts to memorize. Concepts are presented as questions to be
investigated .
Teacher’s role: Teacher’s role:
academic instructor, source of knowledge, authority facilitator, counselor, and mentor.
figure.