Analyzing John Dewey 1
Analyzing the Methodologies of John Dewey
Name
School of Education, Liberty University
Abstract
John Dewey’s influence on the American education system cannot be overstated, as it
transformed modern education throughout its inception. He incorporated the scientific method
to allow students to be independent and develop their own beliefs, experiences, and truths. His
use of pragmatic methods has taken hold and endured, and is still implemented in today’s
school systems through critical thinking and problem-solving. His idea of connecting knowledge
Analyzing John Dewey 2
with real-life situations was the center of his view, as he grew up during the Civil War and
through the Industrial Revolution. This helped shape the belief in the scientific method without
incorporating religion into his studies. With this system, he had removed our Christianity from
the equation, something that church individuals cannot get behind. He believed that
experiences did not require a belief in God.
Analyzing John Dewey 3
John Dewey’s Understanding
John Dewey, known as the philosopher of freedom in American education, reshaped
how schools functioned during a time of rapid industrial and social change. He believed that
traditional teaching was too rigid for a modern democracy and instead promoted learning
through experience and the scientific method. This approach helped students develop
problemsolving skills rather than simply retaining instructional information. Dewey also
emphasized that the teacher’s role is to guide students from passive learning to imaginative and
critical thinking through interaction with the environment and life experiences. His philosophy
established education as a tool for empowering individuals to participate actively in a
democratic society, particularly during the rapid changes of his time.
Summary and Historical Context
Dewey was born during the time of the Civil War and the Industrial Revolution, which
helped shape his theories and philosophy. “Dewey’s pragmatic philosophy, which encouraged
progressive reforms, incorporated elements of the theories of evolution and relativity (Ornstein
et. al, 2017, section 4.7)”. He demonstrated that more critical thinking was needed to enable
people to progress further in life through the scientific method. Everyone who can put their
minds to work on factual issues would enable society to be more responsive to change, unlike
other countries that have failed. With his philosophy and method, everyone could think
critically and grow both socially and personally through interaction.
He emphasized that truth was evolving daily in response to the constantly changing
environment. John Dewey worried that the rise of city life was erasing practical, hands-on
learning, so he argued that schools needed to go beyond basic subjects and foster creativity,
problem-solving, and cooperation. For Dewey, working together was viewed as the embodiment
of growth and change that characterized democracy. He envisioned democracy as an ongoing
process requiring active participation from all people. His philosophy of pragmatism provided a
tool for building this society by encouraging growth through the intelligent overcoming of
Analyzing John Dewey 4
challenges. This idea reflected scientific thinking, optimism about progress, and faith in human
creativity—three traditions that profoundly shaped Dewey’s thought (Moore, 2024).
John Dewey’s educational model shifted teachers from a facilitator role in the classroom
to a more managerial role, guiding children to learn through experiences. Rather than learning a
particular language, [teachers] need to learn how to think critically to solve complex and wicked
problems in collaboration with others (Anja et al., 2021, p. 238). The teacher's sole purpose is to
help students achieve the best outcome by applying the facts they have acquired and passed
down to the students or the knowledge the students have gathered to make informed decisions
while working with other students, either on the same problem set or by gaining knowledge
from others who have encountered a similar problem.
Critical Analysis
When examining Dewey’s philosophy from a broader perspective, his pragmatist view
does not seem so unfavorable for teachers to be instructing students. Everyone develops a form
of critical thinking at a young age, having been taught it through experience or by their parents
or other adults. A reality is constructed through cognitive and social processes rather than being
discovered in an external reality (Richardson & Slife, 2013). The issues arise when Dewey
removes all references to Christianity from his philosophy, as the outcomes of these actions
suggest that his method is factual and not based on Christianity. Nowhere in any of the articles
does he mention Christ, but he acknowledges the fact and value that students can derive from
the scientific method as a source of truth.
He acknowledged God/Christ as an ideal, which was described out of fear for the
uncontrollable forces that were not backed by scientific evidence. At the same time, John
Dewey insisted that a “common faith” can be held only in shared ideas. His ideas were based on
ones that guided conduct and not unnatural forces. His shift from a religious backing to a more
defined position has created debated notions throughout schools where Christianity is
prevalent.
Analyzing John Dewey 5
(Richardson & Slife, 2013). This results in a denial of Christ as the absolute truth
John Dewey’s teaching has been applied every day, even though a Christian backing is
not present, as most parents can relate to a system supported by scientific evidence. This has
made parents furious when they understand the background of Mr. Dewey's teaching that is
being taught in today's schools. To that in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask
God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you”. Our role as
educators, parents, and adults is to spread the word of the Lord, even if it means disagreeing
with the educational system of our society.
While the pragmatics philosophy proved effective during Dewey's lifetime and in
subsequent decades, it has some flaws, including the absence of a Christian foundation. As
modern schools currently require standardized testing, larger-than-expected class sizes, and
strict curricula, these factors limit the aspects that enable students to become independent and
critical thinkers. Secondly, social interaction is often nonexistent or one-sided when teachers fail
to allow students to have equitable participation, which derails the classroom. Finally, students
learn differently, especially if English is a second language, and students with special needs
require more time to understand such concepts in a diverse classroom.
In today’s society, many educational institutions no longer teach from a Christian
perspective. Some of this is because of the public school, where they no longer approve of it.
There are still a few private institutions that allow for a Christian perspective, especially in the
private sector or through homeschooling, that are not hamstrung by public school rules.
Everyone has a worldview, whether they are aware of it or not. It is simply how people view a
picture of reality, which affects everything they do. Like the Bible, God revealed Himself through
the insights into how He viewed the world (Smith, 2015). Educators can teach about truth and
Christian views, as God’s word provides the only answer to our existence.
Analyzing John Dewey 6
Conclusion
John Dewey’s philosophy emphasized growth and active participation in a democratic
society based on interaction with the environment, social development, and the scientific
method. His pragmatic views rejected the traditional teaching norm, which limited students by
requiring them to memorize facts rather than encouraging critical thinking. His views enabled
students to seek out knowledge by considering social, environmental, and other factors in their
everyday lives. This is why he envisioned teachers as facilitators, rather than instructors, to help
students build upon their knowledge and understanding to solve problems in society.
While this philosophy is still taught in today’s educational structures, it has and will
always have controversy due to Christianity not being the foundation of his teachings. His truth
is factual by experience rather than the divinity of Christ’s authority. The ideas that have
sparked debate continue to influence teachers' teaching practices today, as they are guided by
problemsolving, cooperation, social interactions, and other factors related to their interactions
with the environment in which they live. Dewey’s tools have reshaped education by enabling
students and teachers alike to think critically and analyze, contributing to and discussing how
and why our society has changed and will continue to change in the future.
John Dewey laid the foundation for students to accept the truth as tangible, whereas
Christianity was perceived as intangible. By doing this, he replaced God from the educational
foundation, which limited students to seeing the truth in having only one real teacher. When
teachers fail to understand the background of the philosophy they are teaching, they put
students' foundation of Christianity at risk.
Analyzing John Dewey 7
References
Anja Overgaard Thomassen, Kenneth Mølbjerg Jørgensen; John Dewey and Continuing
Management Education: Problem-Based Learning for Organizational
Sustainability. Journal of Workplace Learning 24 May 2021; 33 (3): 229–
242. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-05-2020-0080
Bible Gateway passage: James 1:5 - King James Version. Bible Gateway. (n.d.).
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A16-18&version=KJV
Howley-Rouse, A. (2021, April 13). Dewey’s educational philosophy. THE EDUCATION HUB.
https://theeducationhub.org.nz/deweys-educational-philosophy/
Moore, P. B. (2024). John Dewey : prophet of an educated democracy. Routeldge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003300137
Ornstein, A. C., Levine, D. U., Gutek, G. L., & Vocke, D. E. (2017). Foundations of
Education (13th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Richardson, M. J., & Slife, B. D. (2013). A 'narrowing of inquiry' in American moral psychology
and education. Journal of Moral Education, 42(2), 193-
208. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2013.776953
Smith, C. F. (2015). Developing a Biblical Worldview: Seeing Things God’s Way. B & H
Academic.
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