Transnational Deweyans: African Intellectuals and the Making of Progressive Education for Nation-Building

• In Event: Deweyan Responses to Authoritarianism, Artificial Intelligence, and Threats to Democratic Education

Abstract

This study examines how four African intellectuals—James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey (Ghana), Nnamdi Azikiwe (Nigeria), Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), and Julius Nyerere (Tanzania)—adapted John Dewey’s progressive educational philosophy to support anti-colonial liberation and postcolonial nation-building. Using historical, comparative, and discourse analysis, the research examines how their reforms integrated experiential learning, civic education, and indigenous values. While their influence shaped early national curricula, the long-term impact varies: Tanzania retains strong ideological continuity, while Nigeria and Ghana reflect mixed outcomes. The study contributes to global intellectual history by highlighting how African leaders reimagined progressive education as a tool for cultural reclamation, democratic participation, and social transformation. Their legacy remains vital in current debates on curriculum reform and educational equity in Africa.

Author

• Toyosi Stephen Adedara, Baylor University