Democratic education

Did You Know?

• Israel's Institute for Democratic Education and Kibbutzim College offer a Bachelor of Education with a Specialization Certificate in Democratic Education.
• Matthew Arnold investigated popular education in France and other countries to determine what form of education suited a democratic age.

History

In 1693, John Locke published Some Thoughts Concerning Education, arguing that children should not have learning imposed as a task, as this makes it irksome. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Émile, published in 1762, described a pupil who learned only what he found useful, through discovery rather than precept, and without substituting books for personal experience. John Dewey, a highly influential American educationalist, advocated progressive education to prepare for democracy and founded the University of Chicago laboratory schools to test his ideas. Dewey emphasized implementing democratic procedures in schools and the role of schools in educating citizens for a healthy democracy, trying out some of his ideas at his laboratory school.

Teaching principles

Democratic learning environments employ several principles to develop student autonomy. Project-Based Learning has students investigate complex, authentic issues by choosing a theme or question and creating a final output individually or in groups. Committees are teams formed during school meetings to organize space and complete routine tasks for the community. Study groups form around student- or educator-proposed themes, with a facilitator guiding the process.

Self-assessment involves students evaluating their own learning based on criteria defined with the educator. Mentoring addresses goals, aspirations, and relationships, not just academic performance. Study guides are documents planned by educators to assist autonomous study. Unschooling and self-directed education let learners choose activities from life experiences.

Frontal instruction remains common in some Democratic Schools despite progressive education's emphasis on exploratory learning.

Theory

The goals of democratic education vary by participants, location, and resources, unlike civic education where staff define goals. There is no unified body of literature on democratic education, but theories exist from several perspectives. Jean Lave argued against functionalist psychology, viewing learning as a process within a specific context where skills are not reliably transferable. John Locke believed children are capable of reasoning at a young age, while Rousseau disagreed, advocating force with children and reasoning with men.

Democratic education supports the belief that humans are innately curious and that the drive to learn motivates children to become effective adults. However, the human brain is not fully developed until around age 25, and teenagers may be prone to impulsive behavior. Democracy can be valued on ethical grounds, and democratic education is consistent with the cultural theory that learning in school must be continuous with life outside.

In practice

A striking feature of Democratic Schools is the ubiquity of play, considered essential for learning and fostering creativity; attempts to limit play must be democratically approved. Interest in learning to read occurs across a wide range of ages, and progressive educators emphasize student choice in reading and writing topics. Stephen Krashen and others highlight the role of libraries in promoting democratic education, while Judy Blume has spoken against censorship.

A study of a homeschool resource center and a Democratic School found no significant decline in motivation to learn with age, unlike in conventional schools. A similar study in Israel showed no decline in interest in science in democratic schools. A UK study of 12 schools indicated greater motivation and self-esteem. Studies of Sudbury school students in the US found they were highly successful in higher education and careers, reporting advantages from personal responsibility, self-control, and democratic values.