Radu, (2011:85) provides the background of progressivism as an educational movement that occurred at the beginning of the twentieth century as a reaction to the traditional school in the United States of America, seeking to establish an educational system adjusted to the pace of American societal development. As the father of the progressivism philosophy of education, in defining progressivism, Dewey (1938:43) refers to progressivism as “a product of discontent with traditional education” which was irrelevant and filled with curriculum imposition in terms of subject matter, and methodologies. According to Dewey, this product (progressivism) is education that involves socially engaging learning experiences that are developmentally appropriate for students. This progressivism education is effective only if it is characterized by social interactions and the school setting should be considered a social institution (Flinders & Thornton, 2013). This definition discloses that progressivism was birthed on dissatisfaction with the traditional education system in the US at the time. Thus, this paper aims at exploring factors that characterizes the legendary progressivism philosophy of education in order to provide the alternative modus operandi in fixing the South African curriculum system.
Learning from the definition of progressivism education above, it is vivid that the introduction of a progressivism curriculum system design would emanate from dissatisfaction with the current curriculum system. The establishment of a progressivism curriculum system will emanate from the attempts to ensure socially accepted education standards – a curriculum system communicated and dictated by the society from which students find themselves. That is why Flinders & Thornton, (2013) reveal that Dewey was of the idea that abruptly introducing too much academic content out of context with students’ social lives, bordered on unethical teaching behavior. Again, the curriculum system embedded in progressivism will ensure that its pedagogy is derived from real-life situations, and schools and classrooms as representatives of real-life situations as well, allowing students to participate in learning activities interchangeably and flexibly in a variety of social settings. This is in concurrence with Chasunah (2023) when explaining the progressive curriculum vision that the idea of curriculum as a dynamic process and transformational outcomes-based education will encourage students to develop their skills highly and equip them with knowledge, competence, and orientations needed for success after they leave school. Chasunah, (2023) further posits that this vision will also develop students’ critical and reflective thinking, and build students’ self-reflection, self-awareness, and self- development, resulting in students playing an active role in the reconstruction of society.
Currently, the manner in which the curriculum system in South Africa operates is in total contrary with this progressivism education philosophy as severe curriculum imposition is evident. Students under the CAPS curriculum system are compelled to choose from the common official list of subjects to formulate individual curricula (Department of Education, 2021). This list excludes critical subjects that are relevant to the majority of learners` desired future career paths. Aspiring Journalists are still not doing Multimedia Journalism, Photojournalism, Investigative Journalism, Political Studies, etc. Sports Coaching, Sporting Directorship, Sports Journalism, Sports Data Analysis, etc as subjects are still not offered for students interested in sports careers in school. Aspiring lawyers are still made to believe the fallacy that English and History subjects are relevant for a law degree at the expense of subjects like Family law, Constitutional law, Introduction to Legal Studies, Politics, etc. Such curriculum irrelevancy is against the progressivism philosophy of education as academic relevancy towards students’
future career paths is blatantly shoved under the carpet. It is for this reason that Xaba, (2023) in ” A pragmatic curriculum system is needed in South Africa”, argued against the CAPS positing that the curriculum system fails to identify diverse career interests learners bring to the education table and delivers content in accordance with diverse future interests of learners – meaningless and needless and utterly directionless.
Failure to introduce student–centered curriculum system tailored to serve the educational needs and interests of students in an individualistic manner, as the progressivism philosophy of education demands, will always result in curriculum issues associated with irrelevancies like distorted curriculum distribution and so forth. Schiro, (2013) reveals that it is the same Dewey, the father of progressivism who viewed the classroom as a social entity for students to learn and problem-solve together as a community. In these classrooms, Dewey believed that students are viewed as unique individuals; students can be found busy constructing their own knowledge through personal meaning, rather than teacher-imposed knowledge and teacher-directed activities.
The above narrative is totally the opposite of the curriculum system in place in South Africa as the curricular subjects are irrelevant and students` individualistic traits are overlooked and mass affair content delivery is the only standard of academic delivery. To further prove this opposite narrative, Schiro, (2013) shares a holistic qualitative academic measure where he argues that when educators plan for instruction, student interests will be considered and curricular subjects will be integrated with an emphasis on project learning. The educational experience encompasses the intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth of the whole child, not just academic growth. These holistic qualitative academic measures are not adhered to under the CAPS curriculum. Failure to adhere to this signals the work that lies ahead to reform this system for the beneficiation of society.
If the in-depth analysis of all educational philosophies is critically exploited, including progressivism, it is clear that these education philosophies successfully thrive within the personalized education curriculum system. Education philosophies like essentialism, perennialism, social reconstructionism, and progressivism barely survive if applied within a mass affair, and one size fits all curriculum systems like the one under which South Africa is operating. That is why the educational philosophy underpinning the education system of South Africa is not explicitly identified and defined, this is because; of all the educational philosophies; there is not one that fits like a glove within the objectives of the curriculum. In an instance where the curriculum system is personalized in accordance with the career paths of students as individuals, a single education philosophy is easy to implement, even the blended version of integrated education philosophies can be implemented to drive one curriculum system. This reality prompts the question: Out of all education philosophies, which education philosophy under which CAPS curriculum is operating?
It is for critical questions such as these that the Personalized Education Curriculum System (PECS) has been established to lead the way on matters of curriculum relevancy. Just like the birth of progressivism, PECS is also the product of discontent with the operating curriculum system in South Africa. The PECS is intended to save students from the monstrous curriculum that fails to implement progressivism and strike differentiation learning to accommodate all students. Just like progressivism in the past, PECS is a disruptive education curriculum system
that, by design, will end the confusion surrounding curricular disagreements. PECS is clear on the 50% pass requirement standards. PECS aspires to restore the worth and dignity of our educational system through proper adherence to the demands of society. PECS seeks to allow students to taste a glimpse of workplace experience while in school. That makes PECS unique and highly relevant to inspire the education community of our nation, South Africa, and the whole of Africa. And that is how we believe the education system can be fixed.
Know more about PECS: https://simnandisolutions.co.za/personalized-education/.
Please answer these 3 questions and submit them: https://simnandisolutions.co.za/pecs.
– Questionnaires
Cite this publication: XABA, S.S. (2023). Progressivism embedded curriculum system-the eliminator of curriculum irrelevancies. https://simnandisolutions.co.za/post/.
Bibliography:
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Macmillan.
Flinders, D., & Thornton, S. (2013). The curriculum studies reader. (4th Ed.). New York: Routledge.
Schiro, M. S. (2012). Curriculum theory: Conflicting visions and enduring concerns. (2nd Ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Department of basic education. (2021). Subject choice and career pathing. https://www.education.gov.za/Informationfor/Learners/SubjectChoiceandCareerPathing/tabid/98 0/Default.aspx#:~:text=The%20four%20compulsory%20subjects%20are,additional%20lang.
XABA, S.S. (2023). A pragmatic curriculum system is needed in South Africa. https://simnandisolutions.co.za/2023/01/15/a-pragmatic-curriculum-system-is-needed-in-south- africa/. Date of Access: 26 APRIL 2023