John Dewey and the Democratic Role of Higher Education in England

Abstract

Education policy in England has been criticized for an overemphasis on narrow performance targets and the adoption of private sector principles. Universities and colleges have increasingly been viewed in terms of their value for the U.K. economy. This article argues that there are sound ethical (philosophical), political, and pedagogical reasons for a more rounded approach. To reassert a broader vision of education we require an ethical base, which we argue is provided by political philosophy in the writings of John Dewey. For Dewey, education must be viewed in the context of its role in democratic society. The article identifies basic principles that relate to Dewey's belief in democratic education and develops general indicators to test these principles. These indicators are then used to evaluate higher education and political science education in England.

Democratic Education: A Theoretical Review (2006–2017)

“…Participatory democrats argue for a strong democracy based on an "aristocracy of everyone" (Barber, 1994; see also Feu et al, 2017;Lan, 2013;Meens & Howe, 2016;Zyngier et al, 2015), where democratic practices are not limited to politics (Evans, 2010) but rather, as posed by Dewey, they become the general way of "associated living" (MW.9.94). 8 There are numerous overlaps between deliberative and participatory understandings of democratic education-likely deriving from Dewey's defense of both principles (Bacon & Sloam, 2010;Lim, 2011;Narey, 2012). But whereas deliberative democrats privilege communication and consensus, participatory democrats privilege action and praxis.…”

“…Fourth, participation is also educative. Learning is conceived as experiential (Bacon & Sloam, 2010;Fallace, 2016) and thus, only by participating in democracy can one learn about it (Biesta, 2007;Bradshaw, 2014;Sünker, 2007). Participation and education are intrinsically connected.…”

“…Generally, students are expected to be able to openly participate in educational activities, raising their voices and having their views taken into account (Brough, 2012). In the literature, this is often defined as open class, climate, and ethos pedagogies (Bacon & Sloam, 2010;Zyngier et al, 2015). Participation in class, school, and youth councils is often emphasized as a priority (Engel, 2008;McCowan, 2010).…”

“…In between these two approaches, those who favor Dewey's pragmatism-neither traditionalist nor progressive- (Bacon & Sloam, 2010), argue for an education "through" democracy (Biesta, 2007). Education is not considered child-centered or a preparation for life, but rather as social life itself (Biesta, 2007;Bradshaw, 2014).…”

Examining the experiences of students, teachers and leaders at Educate Together second-level schools

“…Generally, students are expected to be able to openly participate in educational activities, raising their voices and having their views taken into account (Brough, 2012). In the literature, this is often defined as open class, climate, and ethos pedagogies (Bacon and Sloam, 2010;Zyngier et al, 2015). Participation in class, school, and youth councils is often emphasised as a priority (Engel, 2008;McCowan, 2010).…”