Progressive Education Philosophy Essay

Educational philosophy and teaching styles are two aspects of adult learning that influence the teaching-learning transaction in colleges and universities. The educational philosophy can inform the educator with strategies and methods for implementing adult learning principles. Floyd (2010) described the importance of educators knowing their educational philosophy because self-examination and critical inspection of practices will create a consciousness of some unconscious beliefs that affect teaching practice.(1,2) The literature on educational philosophy explains, “When an adult educator engages in the practice of education, certain beliefs about life in general are applied to the practice” . Therefore, educators hold beliefs about how adults learn, how they should be taught, and what instructional practice should look like. Furthermore, a basic assumption underlying the teaching/learning process is that the purpose of education is to

The desires and understanding of the learner are at the core of the progressive education movement. Learners ascertain problems and identify solutions in order to enhance their aptitude through experience based education and skills acquisition. In progressive education, programs are focused on learners, and should be adjusted continually in order to address the specific needs and circumstances adults face. Progressive educators, to ascertain important truths about the student’s environment, use a mixture of experimental and scientific techniques. The purpose of Progressive Adult Education is to: promote societal well-being; enhance individual effectiveness in society; and to give learners practical knowledge and problem solving skills. The educator's role is to be an organizer, to stimulate, to investigate and to evaluate the learning