From "Learning by Doing" to "Participation": John Dewey's Challenge to Contemporary Chinese Teaching Reform

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Abstract

This article provided three arguments: First, 'learning by doing' is a summary of progressive education provided by Dewey, and cannot represents Dewey's own teaching ideas. Second, the concept of participation has been widely used in Dewey's discussion of knowledge, ethics and aesthetic issues. Third, to discuss the challenges provided by Dewey's theory of participation. As a conclusion, the possible consequences of 'learning by doing' in Chinese classroom is almost predictable like 1950s America. Second, 'learning by participation' requires balancing student lie inside and outside the school. Contemporary Chinese children lack the opportunity to participate in the majority of social life, which is the biggest challenge that Dewey's participation theory provided to us.

Author

• Daoyong Ding, Beijing Normal University