A theory of experience in John Dewey: contributions and contradictions

Abstract

The article addresses the thinking of John Dewey (1859-1952), American educator and philosopher of the 20th century, highlighting his contributions and contradictions. The approach, eminently qualitative, is a bibliographic research, defining, as its goal, as an explanatory research. In this sense, it revisits the author's works, as well as critics and defenders of his philosophy, to weave an image of his pedagogy in the academic environment. It situates the author's work from two dimensions: the historical triptych of the 20th century and the conception of a pedagogical idea that lives up to Dewey's theory. It concludes that Dewey's work presents positions and concepts for understanding the relationship between school and society as it bases a procedural perspective of experience, however, its application finds limits in some conjunctural and structural contradictions.

Keywords

• experiential continuum
• progressive education
• traditional school
• bibliographic research