Society-Oriented Theory Of Education

In China John Dewey has been labeled an individual-oriented theorist because of his child-centered theory for a long time. Such an idea is proved a misunderstanding or a misinterpretation in this dissertation by the historical investigation and the literature analysis. The research demonstrates that John Dewey unified child-centered theory and society-oriented theory into the education by his unitary philosophy theory. In terms of educational means, forms and course, he is a child-centered theorist, while considering educational aims, contents and results, he is a society-oriented theorist.Firstly the paper explores the times of the formation and development of John Dewey's educational thoughts. John Dewey lived in such a period, during which the western world was transiting from competitive capitalism to monopoly capitalism and American was transforming from traditional agricultural society to modern industrial society. His educational thoughts therefore were deeply influenced by the worldwide socialistic thoughts and individualism in America. He constructed a philosophy theory that individual and the society are unitary.Then by systematically and comprehensively analyzing of John Dewey's educational works, we find that John Dewey justified education as a necessity to the continuation and renewing of social life, and argued the possibility of education from the social function and mechanism of communication in community. He regarded education as a kind of self-direction of society. Moreover, he emphasized education upon social aims and focused curriculum on its social nature. In his opinion, school is a kind of social institution, school life is the rudiment of social life, and the content of school life should reproduce the fundamental spirits of social life, the learning and teaching methods should also embody the general spirits of society. Although he has ever put forward the idea that children and their activity should be the center in the relationship of student and various specific measures in education, he still stood on his consistent society-oriented position that children should be the carrier of life experience of community, the trustee of social resources and ideals, and the only means or instruments by which to realize moral ideals. By analysis and generalization of John Dewey's society-oriented theory the thesis corrects unilateral view of some scholars who talked about his society-oriented theory only considering his educational aims.Finally the realistic significance of John Dewey's society-oriented theory of education is expounded. In terms of individualism in the educational reform in China, the followings are brought forward: Insisting on the social direction about the individual all-around development; caring for and enlightening children as social members; fully bringing social value of the curriculum into play; attaching importance to the social spirit of the teaching methods; reconstructing social living of school life, etc. It may enlighten us to balance the relationship of individual to society in education, instead of overcorrecting and lapsing into a beaten track of individual orientation.