Dewey's Theory

Dewey's thoughts on education, originally published in his 1938 work 'Experience and Education,' analyzed bothtraditional and progressive education. Traditional education's focus was more on curriculum and heritage; progressive education focused on the student's interest rather than that of the instructor or subject. In Dewey's opinion, neither of these schools of thought were sufficient. Dewey believed that traditional education was too strict and progressive education too spontaneous. He believed that traditional education left little regard for the learner's interests and progressive education was too individualized.

Not being fully pleased with either philosophy, Dewey proposed a new educational theory, which specifically highlighted the role experience plays in education. According to Dewey, powerful educational experiences are a result of two fundamental principals: continuity and interaction.

Continuity refers to the way experiences, both past and present, influence the future. Interaction refers to how one's current situation influences their experiences. This means that one's present experiences are a direct result of how their previous experiences interact with and influence their present situation. Confusing? Maybe... Simply put, this means that human experiences- past, present, and future- influence the capacity to learn.