The Evolutional History Of The Pedagogy In The United States(1832-1957)

In this paper, the author systematically studies the development history of pedagogy in the United States from 1832-1957, and comprehensively researches its historical evolution during the one hundred and twenty five years. There were significant changes taken place in American society from the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, then American people, when facing with the great social changes in reality, began to build pedagogy of their own by efforts full of creativity. The actual needs of teacher training injected vitality into the development of the pedagogy of the United States. In the process of evolution of American pedagogy, the sole status accorded to normal schools has lost in American pedagogy gradually, while the universities began to play main role. After entering the universities in the form of discipline, the scientific research on pedagogy of the United States was recognized as part of teaching in universities by degrees. Under the framework of American universities, the disciplinary construction of the pedagogy of the United States tended to improve bit by bit, its professionalism got enhancement, its content got expanded, its research methods got updated, the theoretical discussion on it was also deeper and deeper. In fact, the status of the pedagogy of the United States as discipline was not stable, and it was always challenged for its scientific features. This question about its value and utility has affected the development of the pedagogy of the United States all the time, and caused the changing of its fortune bewteen ups and downs. Even so, the pedagogy of the United States develops with the alteration of teacher education.The pedagogy of the United States was introduced from Europe, and was especially affected by Herbart's pedagogy. For the living environment which is multivariant in American society, the Americans have no way to copy the pedagogy from Europe like sheep. So, they make necessary changes on European pedagogy on basis of social culture reality in America. The pedagogy of the United States obtains a benefit from European educationists, but the Americans are not limited to the doctrine of those European educationists. The pedagogy of the United States has the courage to question any authority continuously, and this quality provides strength for development of pedagogy of the United States in spirit. While teacher education offers driving force for development of pedagogy of the United States in practice. There were two times for Americans to learn from European pedagogy in large scale.The first was about Pestalozz's pedagogy, and Herbart's was the second one which has greater influence than the former one, so the paper mainly centers on Herbart's pedagogy. While as society goes, Herbart's pedagogy can not meet the need of pratical American education any more, then the pedagogy of the United States has surpast Herbart's pedagogy successfully under hard-working of American educationists.By the American educationists as a group making transformation of pedagogy that is exotic with team efforts, pedagogy of the United States has been founded step by step. Parker has been a key person in peroid of transition for pedagogy of the United States from its period attached to European pedagogy to unattached, and Harris has made outstanding contribution to broadening theoretical principle of American pedagogy, while Hall has tried hard to build American pedagogy on scientific basis. Dewey, who has adopted many advantages of others'theories into his own, has set up integrated theory system on basis of American reality which is constructive. As the most important figure in foundation of pedagogy of the United States, Dewey confirmed that pedagogy is a discipline in university, and there is no independent science on pedagogy, even if there is pedagogy which is scientific, it is no kind of science that is purely deduced, but an experimental science. American educationists headed by Thorndike advocate that pedagogy which can be studied by philosophy of measurement. Judd also considers measurement should be taken as foundation of pedagogy to ensure its scientificity. After entering the 20th century, the evolution of pedagogy of the United States has shown more and more prominent in philosophy orientation, scientific orientation and social orientation. What's more, the three kinds of value orientation present alternate developing trend.In term of its organization construction, lectures of pedagogy appeared in universities at the beginning of 19th century, and at the end of 19th century, pedagogy specialism came into being. In term of its theory construction, wether pedagogy is a field of science has become focal issue gradually. With a number of professors engaged in education study, the pedagogy of the United States has upgraded to a professional, also academic disipline, the pedagogical theory has enriched too. Pedagogy has been a disipline in American universities, but that doesn't mean completeness of its institutionalization. Status of pedagogy in American universities is not firm, but crisis-ridden. And we can see this from fate of pedagogy in University of Chicago, Columbia University and Stanford University.The development of pedagogy of the United States is accompanied by difficulties all the time, but it has great vitality, and then caused much influence all over the world. Pragmatistic pedagogy had already begun to spread in China before Dewey's visit to China. And his visit in China has played a driving role in spreading of pragmatistic pedagogy. On the base of Dewey's pedagogy, the followers of Dewey in China who were also his pupils, have built education theory with Chinese characteristics. Furthermore, Dewey's pedagogy has also made influence in Japan, Turkey, Mexico, the Soviet Union and so on.The examination of the evoation of American pedagogy can provide historical foundations to the analysis, screening, reflection and evaluation of the theories of the pedagogy of the United States for us, it can also provide useful inspiration to the development of pedagogy of our country.