John Dewey and Character Education

Abstract

Some of the character education programmes that were implemented in American public schools during the first three decades of this century are examined. The educational theory underlying these programmes is contrasted to John Dewey's ideas on moral education. Character education programmes reflected a trait‐inspired approach to morality: character was assumed to be a structure of virtues and vices. Dewey's conception of morality was broader; he held that character embraced all the purposes, desires, and habits that affect human conduct. Dewey's recommendations for moral education differed significantly from those put forward by the advocates of character education, as Dewey,’s proposals were basically proposals for school reform. Because character education programmes were aimed at developing specific virtues in students, the programmes were narrowly conceived and were unable to affect major changes in educational practice.     

John Dewey and the Artful Life

REPRESENTATIVE AMERICAN SPEECHES: 1952–1953. Edited by A. Craig Baird. New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1953; pp. 199. $1.75.

IT TAKES TIME: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION. By Marie I. Rasey. New York: Harper &; Brothers, 1953; pp. 204. $3.00.

YOUR VOICE AND SPEECH. By Letitia Raubicheck. New York: Prentice‐Hall, Inc., 1953; pp. 376. $4.05.

HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL EMCEE. By Le‐Roy Stahl. Minneapolis: T. S. Denison and Co., 1953; pp. 200. $2.75.

GROUPS IN HARMONY AND TENSION. By Muzafer Sherif and Carolyn W. Sherif. New York: Harper &; Brothers, 1953; pp. 316. $3.50.

EFFECTIVE READING. By Lawrence H. Feigenbaun. New York: Globe Book Company, 1953: pp. 224. $2.00.

READING SKILLS. By William D. Baker. New York: Prentice‐Hall, Inc., 1953; pp. 120. $1.50.

WEBSTER'S NEW WORLD DICTIONARY. Cleveland and New York: World Publishing Co., 1953; pp. xxxvi+1724. $5.00 plain edges, $6.00 thumb‐indexed.

THE ROMANCE OF THE ENGLISH THEATRE. By Donald Brook. (Revised Edition). London: Rockliff (Macmillan), 1953; pp. 222. $4.50.

REPRESENTATIVE AMERICAN PLAYS, FROM 1767 TO THE PRESENT. Edited by Arthur Hobson Quinn. (Seventh Edition). New York: Appleton‐Century‐Crofts, Inc., 1953: pp. 1248. $6.50.

APPROACHES TO POETRY. By Walter Blair and W. K. Chandler. (Second Edition). New York: Appleton‐Century‐Crofts, 1953; pp. 734. $3.90.

POEMS FOR STUDY. By Leonard Unger and William Van O'Connor. New York: Rinehart, 1953: pp. xxi+743. $4.75.

THE BURLESQUE TRADITION IN THE ENGLISH THEATRE AFTER 1660. By V. C. Clinton‐Baddeley. London: Methuen &; Co., 1952; pp. xvi+152. $4.00.

THESAURUS OF ENGLISH WORDS AND PHRASES. Revised from Peter Roget by D. C. Browning. New York: E. P. Dutton &; Co., Inc., 1953; pp. 572. $3.75.     

约翰·杜威论审美知觉

在杜威看来,审美知觉是对关系的认知,是一种创造性的过程,在审美知觉中始终渗透着想像与情感.如何充分利用各种教育合力丰富与培养学生的审美知觉不仅应是艺术教育的前提,更应是它的核心.     

论杜威与中国教育改革

杜威在五四运动前后对中国的历史性访问极大地促进了中国社会与教育的民主化进程。他直接参与了1922年新学制与新课程改革,以及新教育改革。在中国面对启蒙与救亡两大历史主题的紧要关头,杜威的选择是:以启蒙为目的,为救亡而努力,像中国人那样思考,追求东方教育民主。在保守主义与激进主义两大思潮的对垒中,杜威选择了"第三哲学",由此促进了中国式自由主义的发展。杜威的民主思想和教育哲学与我国百年教育改革的历史发展存在内在联系。杜威依然"活在"今日中国。创造性阐释杜威对我国在信息时代实现"东方启蒙"和"东方教育民主"具有重大意义。     

约翰·杜威的职业教育思想

约翰·杜威(John Dewey,1859-1952)是美国著名的哲学家、教育家,他所处的时代正值美国由农业社会向工业社会的转型时期。杜威出生后不久,美国就爆发了南北战争,战后加快了工业化发展进程,到1900年,美国一跃而成为世界第一经济大国。工业经济的发展吸引了大量农村劳动力和新移民,他们定居在城市,加快了美国城市化的步伐。于是,美国产生了一种全新的文明——城市工业文明。在社会转型的背景下,美国涌现出了大量的问题,教育就是其中的一个重要方面。美国经济的迅猛发展,虽然为19世纪末20世纪初的教育提供了良好的物质条件。然而,面对新形势,美国传统教育的弊端不断暴露出来:学校与社会脱节,课程与现实生活脱节,教学模式呆板……杜威在对美国社会转型对教育提出的新要求进行深思熟虑的基础上,以实用主义哲学为基础,结合自己的教育实践,提出了实用主义教育思想,形成了实用主义教育理论体系。其中,职业教育思想是实用主义教育思想的一个重要内容。     

经济全球化与文化多元主义

在当今世界体系的变动中,一个突出的现象就是经济和文化呈现全球化的趋势,经济和技术的巨大转变正在模糊国家间的界限,也在缩小民族间的差异,但是文化传统和意识形态造成的对立却又在加强,成为一企我法解脱的悖论,那些受全球经济影响的国家也将利用世界多极化趋势来重新塑造自己,阐明相互之间的权利和责任。虽然全球化已成为难以逆转的时代大潮,但种种迹象表明,意识形态和国家利益的冲突仍会占据主要地位,它与文化差异纠缠在一起,变得更加偏执,也更加难以改变。