Implementation of John Dewey’s Pragmatic Philosophy at the University Level: Perspective of University Teachers

Abstract

Aim of the Study: The purpose of the present study was to know whether John Dewey's pragmatic philosophy was implemented at the university level because students at this level are expected to be problem solvers who can critically analyse things and reflect on logical reasoning and abstract thinking in their daily lives.

Methodology: All university teachers teaching at public sector universities of Lahore were considered the population of the study. A total of (N=160) teachers were selected as participants in the study through a stratified random sampling technique. The descriptive research design was used for the study. An already developed research instrument, "John Dewey's Educational Philosophy Questionnaire" by Khasawenh (2014), was used to collect data from the participants.

Findings: Generally, university teachers perceived that the philosophy of John Dewey was implemented at the university level in terms of the provision of help to students to become responsible citizens, freedom to students’ opinions, and emphasizing students to discover knowledge through experimentation. However, teachers were less agreed that the university implements Dewey's pragmatic philosophy in terms of reflecting outside reality in the educational process of the university, considering classes as laboratories rather than lecture rooms, and addressing real needs rather than indulging in the past. Moreover, significant difference found between the perspective of teachers with reference to their teaching experience and different disciplines. However, no significant difference ascertained based on their designation.

Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, more focus might be given to outside realities because schools are expected to prepare students for accepting the outside realities that exist in society and performing their roles accordingly. Moreover, the educational process might be modified by considering students' present and future needs to bridge the gap between the demands of society and the school.