15 John Dewey Quotes on Education, Experience and Teaching –

15 John Dewey Quotes on Education, Experience, and Teaching

by TeachingThe Staff of Thought

John Dewey (1859–1952) was an influential American philosopher, psychologist, and reformer who helped develop the concept of pragmatism, a philosophical perspective emphasizing the practical consequences of ideas.

Who was John Dewey?

Considered one of the founders of modern publishing in the United States, his work has had a significant impact on education, promoting the idea that learning should be experiential and focused on problem-solving rather than rote memorization.

He believed in the importance of democratic values ​​and advocated for education that promotes active citizenship and social progress. Dewey’s ideas continue to shape modern educational theory and practice, and his contributions span diverse fields, including psychology, ethics, and political philosophy.

In The pedagogy of John Deweywe said that “Dewey believed that learning was socially constructed and that brain-based pedagogy should emphasize active, experiential learning.”

In My educational credo Through Dewey, we went on to say that (Dewey) believed that psychological and social aspects are linked and that “education cannot be considered a compromise between the two.”

Next, let’s take a look at some of his ideas expressed through simple quotes.

John Dewey Quotes on Education, Experience and Teaching

“I believe that the only true education comes through the stimulation of the child’s powers by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself.”

“I believe that this educational process has two sides – a psychological and a sociological; and that neither can be subordinated to the other or neglected without bad results ensuing.

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.

“We don’t learn from experience…we learn by reflecting on experience. »

“The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through a choice of action. »

“Failure is instructive. He who really thinks learns as much from his failures as from his successes.

“Give students something to do, not something to learn; and doing so is likely to require reflection; learning happens naturally.

“Society not only continues to exist by transmission, by communication, but we can rightly say that it exists by transmission, by communication. »

“Interest in the subject in question is the best stimulus for learning.”

“The purpose of education is to enable individuals to continue their studies. »

“Education is a social process; education is growth; education is not a preparation for life but it is life itself.

“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s students, we are robbing them of tomorrow. »

“Every great scientific progress is born from a new audacity of imagination. »

“Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of learners’ activity.

“The only freedom of lasting importance is the freedom of intelligence, that is, the freedom of observation and judgment. »

“The good man is the man who, even if he has been morally unworthy, strives to become better. »

“The teacher is not at the school to impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of the community to select the influences which will affect the child and to help you respond correctly to these influences. »

“We must also be able to project them into the future to see what their outcome and end will be. »

“Education must therefore begin with a psychological understanding of the child’s abilities, interests and habits. It must be controlled at all points with reference to these same considerations. These powers, interests and habits must be continually interpreted – we must know what they mean. They must be translated in terms of their social equivalents – in terms of what they are capable of in terms of social service.

John Dewey Quotes: Quotes on Education, Learning and Life