The Progressive Era 2: Social Efficiency
I. The Progressive
Movement
A.
Political Progressivism (the larger version of progressivism)
1. Expand political participation
2. Regulate monopolies
3. Improve life for urban poor
4. Eliminate corruption via reforms
5. Equitable taxation
B.
Educational Progressivism
1. Goals
a. Make schools more humane
b. Kinder, more responsive
teaching
c.
Schools for social activism and reform rather than for academics
d.
Turn education into a true profession
2. Values
a. Traditional schools were elitist
b.
Schools should be democratic (& the only way they can be is by introducing
a practical curriculum)
c.
Programs should fit students’ needs
d.
Education should sort students by their needs
C. Ed Progressives’ claims (in support of reform)
1. High schools only teach the academic curriculum
2. Kids are dropping out because of that
curriculum
3. Believed immigrants
a. Lacked the intellect for academic
work
b.
Should not be encouraged to have high aspirations
4.
“Equality” (all will have the opportunity to receive an education suited to
their destinies)
D.
John Dewey
1. Schools should be instruments of
social reform
2. Schools should focus on problems
& processes, not academic subjects
3.
Hugely influential (still is); largely misunderstood & misrepresented
E.
Four main thread of Ed Progressivism
1.
The mental
testing movement
2.
The child-centered
movement
3.
The social
efficiency movement
4.
The social
reconstruction movement
II. Attacking “Mental
Discipline”
A. Faculty psychology
B.
Edward Thorndike 1901
1.
“Tested” these faculties: “found” that they could not be strengthened; nor do
they generalize to other areas
2.
They are fixed and innate
C.
Reformers: “therefore” the academic curriculum is a waste of time for virtually
all students
E.
Critics
1. Alex Meikljohn’s “yellow hammer”
2. Pedro Orata: Thorndike’s studies
were flawed
III. Romanticism
& the Child Study Movement
A. G. Stanley Hall
IV. Social Efficiency
(NEA, 1903)
A. Schools’ efficiency = helping kids adjust to society’s
needs
B.
David Snedden: four main ideas
Elementary
school teachers should sort the kids.
“We
will try to give the people what they think they want.” (in Ravitch, p. 86)
Or