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Educational Philosophy of a Pragmatist
Elizabeth Walden
Education 604
Dr. Sarah Hutter
Liberty University
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Abstract
Pragmatic education strays from the current state of schooling that serves to prepare
students for a standard test. Pragmatism is a philosophy of education that believes learning is
best done through exploration and experiences. Pragmatists believe in the probability of concepts
such as truth and reality. The method of teaching in pragmatism is on the child, and not on the
book, the standards, the teacher, or the subject. The style of learning should fit the child and their
way of learning, not to be taught to standards and a test. Pragmatists believe that all children’s
minds are different, therefore not one singular method of teaching can be useful to all students in
all scenarios. At its essence, pragmatism philosophy of education is not the score on a test, but to
prepare students for society.
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Educational Philosophy of a Pragmatist
Throughout the history of education there are many beliefs and philosophies that have
come to fruition as the study of education continues to develop over time. Through the
development of education and learning more and children and cognitive development, many
different styles of learning suggest different forms of learning and the best way to learn. One
approach to learning, as a philosophy of education, is pragmatism. Pragmatism believes that
learning is best done through exploration and experiences within the environment. While each
base of philosophy in education is different, each philosophy is set up to encourage the highest
form of learning and to use that learning technique to drive the style at which teaching is used to
lead that learning. Pragmatism portrays that education should be about the student's life and
growth and that real life experiences should be used to make education relevant to the learner.
Summary and Historical Context
Pragmatism as a whole is the belief in using “practice” or “action” as a means to learn.
Pragmatists believe in the probability of concepts such as truth and reality and other relative
terms that are not concrete or absolute (Rai & Lama, 2022). Pragmatism lean toward the idea that
if something is true, or fact, it must continue to be that way in the future. Some leaders of
Pragmatism include learning techniques from C.B. Pierce, Archie J. Balm, John Dewey, William
James, Will Durrant and Shiller (Rai & Lama, 2022).
Pragmatism is the belief that we can learn as we explore and interact with the
environment. Thinking and learning is thought of as problem solving and exploring. Pragmatists
have an understanding that certainty is unattainable. What is more likely, or the probability, is a
more understanding approach to learning. Pragmatists believe that no truth is set and permanent
as it is ever changing from time to place and from ever changing circumstances. Pragmatists rely
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largely on experience and learning from that experience. According to the text, pragmatism is
believing that “knowing comes from a transaction—a process—between the learner and the
environment” (Ornstein et. al., 2017).
According to the ideas and thoughts of a Pragmatist, education is directly connected with
human life, so the purpose must help the children to fulfill their biological and social needs.
Education through the eyes of a pragmatist gives value and understanding to their life. It helps
them develop a purpose and understanding of things larger than themselves. It is the belief of a
pragmatist that things are not definite, but probable.
The philosophy of pragmatists is to use experiences through place and circumstance
without a predetermined set of learning standards. Learning comes as the situations arise where
the learning is to occur in real time and to real experiences . “Pragmatic philosophy is a practical
philosophy having no fixed or absolute standards'' (Rai & Lama, 2022). A student is always
experiencing new situations that can create new values and understanding. Education can lead to
those discussing and discoveries through the way of a pragmatist point of view.
Critical Analysis
When teaching the foundations of education, many people do not believe in the concepts
of pragmatism. Pragmatism allows for learning through experiences and life as the opportunity
comes to you. While people think that action based learning is essential to creating value in one’s
life, some believe that those experiences should not come until later in life. Basic foundations of
learning in Reading, Writing, and Math needs to be concrete in preparation for experiences that
can help students create their own beliefs and values. Other beliefs, including idealists and
realists, believe students must first gain the knowledge base by studying and understanding each
organized subject area before the different concepts can be applied to possible interdisciplinary
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approaches. Through the current education system, it is hard to give students the ability to
explore to be able to learn and teach. Instead, the current system in place follows timelines and
standards that must be taught to the standardized tests.
Pragmatists will use an education model that integrates all different areas of learning
rather than a curriculum that is separated by subject matter. When a student, or person, is faced
with an issue, a pragmatist would want to research and find the information needed to fix the
issue no matter what area of education is needed. A pragmatist believes in the use of all
encompassing education at what is needed and not just information from a specific subject
matter. “A pragmatically educated person knows how to research and apply information from
multiple sources to the problem”(Ornstein et. al., 2017).
John Dewey was a big pioneer of the pragmatist approach to learning and education.
Dewey found the interactions of humans and their environment to lead to how education should
be developed. John Dewey saw ]the development of concepts of our world as “tentative” and
“flexible” (Ornstein et. al., 2017). He believed that reality was ever changing and concepts and
values should change as the reality changes in the experiences. These changes can lead a person
to a “revision”, or “reconstruction”, of an existing belief or to a new belief (Ornstein et. al.,
2017) .
Comparison of Educational Philosophy with Personal Educational Beliefs
I agree with utilizing the pragmatic approach to learning. There are many things that
cannot be truly learned until you experience them. A child first learns in the world through
problem solving when there is a need for things. Real life situations are what make a person
understand the world around them and use those experiences to learn and grow. Many people
have a hard time understanding something being certain and without fault. Understanding the
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probability of something and the likeliness of it is how people can learn. Based on Dewey’s
proclamations, “he is more concerned with how human beings interact with the environment and
construct tentative and flexible conceptions about a changing reality” (Ornstein et. al., 2017).
Assumptions about the world and our experiences can lead to more testing and further lead to
revision or reconstruction, but we can always grow upon our initial thoughts of our experiences.
When faced with a problem, it is important to be able to reach all the information needed to
come to a conclusion, as a pragmatist would.
While I see the significance of learning through situations and experiences, I also see the
importance of being given the foundations upon which to work through those situations and
know how to solve the problem. Problem solving is essential in the world we live in today, but
by giving students some basic level knowledge to grow upon their learning, they are able to take
that knowledge further and have the basis of the meaning of a concept that is presented to them
through real life situations.
As teachers and educators, part of the curriculum is to challenge students to do more than
memorize. Educators want them to experience and use those experiences to gain knowledge.
There are many things that cannot be fully processed until given a real life scenario to see it in
real time. Understanding the probability of something and the likeliness of it is how people can
learn. While educators use a curriculum to be a framework for lessons, students are encouraged
to explore and understand it on their own accord. This fits the pragmatist approach to learning.
Implication for Today’s Education and Classroom
A significant topic of discussion in the current education system is the presence of
pragmatist education in the classroom. From observation of the current education system, there is
little evidence of pragmatism in teaching. The concepts brought about by John Dewey are not
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regularly referenced in the school curriculum. The traditional curriculum that involves strict
standards and accountability through standardized tests currently is used in school systems and
most efforts of pragmatist inquiry are not used in day to day lessons. Students are expected to
learn in a certain way through a certain lens without wavering or exploring.
Some areas of learning are used more seamlessly with a process of learning by doing.
Science and Social Studies can be taught using collaboration, experiments, and project based
learning. Learning by applying and project based learning methods are an essential part to the
teaching philosophy of pragmatists. “All learning must come as a product of action” (Rai &
Lama, 2022). When a student is able to learn through projects and completing the task
themselves, they are using creativity. They are able to develop confidence and ownership, as well
as cooperation with others. Pragmatism in education puts great emphasis on discovery and
inquiry within learning techniques.
Pragmatists believe in doing away with the traditional, or conventional, method of
teaching that involves a concreting teaching and learning process. Instead, a pragmatist approach
to learning is student based on their explorations. Practicality to learning is important. By giving
the learner a reason behind what they are learning, then there is ownership and value to the
content learned. It is relevant to their lives.
Conclusion
The main philosophy of education to a pragmatist is for a child to learn through making
and action. The method of teaching in pragmatism is on the child, and not on the book, the
standards, the teacher, or the subject. The style of learning should fit the child and their way of
learning, not to be taught to standards and a test. Pragmatists believe that the minds of different
children are different, therefore not one singular method of teaching can be useful to all students
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in all scenarios. At its essence, a pragmatist's philosophy of education is not the score on a test,
but to prepare students for society. Students are given coping strategies and problem solving
skills to deal with all different kinds of situations in the real world.
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