Chinese educational development through the lens of John Dewey

Chinese educational development through the lens of John Dewey

Creators Yamashita Daiki

This paper aims to examine John Dewey's lens on Chinese educational development. Dewey is one of the key founders of pragmatist phisolophy in the United States. After World War I,he travelled to China at the request of former Chinese students at Columbia University. Coincidentally,just after his arrival there,the May Fourth Movement took place in Beijing. During his over two-year stay,he commented on the trend of ongoing educational reform through his lectures. At the same time,as an inner China visitor,he contributes many essays on Chinese education to American journals. Since he visited China after his stay in Japan,his perspective included a cross-cultural comparative approach between China and Japan. Therefore,it is not only important to understand how Dewey's philosophy was accepted in China,but also how Dewey himself interpreted Chinese educational development.