Traditional and Progressive Curriculum

This paper shall address the comparison of traditional to the progressive

curriculum of education in relation to the shaping of the future of the children
Education. The basic principle behind the concept of progressive curriculum of
education entails ideas as well as practices designed in a manner that was
potentially capable to enliven the process of teaching as well as learning. Its
application has been taken for the implication of new type or a good way of
education

Comparison of Progressive to Traditional Curriculum

The traditional curriculum was set in a manner that the students had to memories
facts as well as formulas that were never ending. This academic curriculum was
dreary as well as remote based on the view point of the youthful interests. The
students were exposed to a situation of listening to recitations only. Lead
discussions were a nightmare in the traditional curriculum. There was an austere
type of life in the entire classroom. The rules as well as the regulations
governing the conducts of the students were established in unilateral manner by the
teachers. The misconduct of the students was met by severely harsh punishments.

Contrary to the traditional curriculum unflattering sketch, progressive curriculum

was accompanied a practical type of education that was even more pleasant as well
as interesting to the students. This type of curriculum was in a position to offer
an education that was centered to the interests of the child. This is in contrast
to the traditional type of curriculum that was practically grounded on authority
based on ponderous text books as well as a very stern teacher. The condition of the
traditional curriculum made the students less willful. The students also resembled
some obstreperous creatures in need of a kind of taming. The students were also
naturally curios as well as creative. They exhibited worthwhile interest of a very
wide range. The interests qualified for honor by humane pedagogy as well as a
broader curriculum.

The concept of educating the whole child has important implication in the steady
expansion of the scope of the curriculum in the schools. This was especially
evident at the early part of the 20th century ( ). There was the multiplication of
the opportunities in the field of music, recreation, art as well as drama. Junior
high schools were meant for the purpose of the education of the students in their
early adolescent stages. The justification for this is the unique requirements
associated with this age. On the other hand there were high schools reserved for
the older teens. This was based on the requirements for the �tracks� as well as
study programs such as the vocational training, commercial education, academic as
well as the general knowledge. Progressive curriculum also offered for the growth
in the students� extracurricular activities during each of the levels in school
life including teams as well as clubs. There were also notable improvements in the
field of health care as well as social services for the purpose of satisfaction of
the physical as well as emotional needs of the students.

The introduction of progressive curriculum came with a shift in the procedures of

instructions as well as delivery of materials to the students. This curriculum was
responsible for the envisioning of the teacher in form of a facilitator. This
quality contributes to the encouragement of the students to rake active role in the
class discussions as well as the group projects. This made the whole process of
learning to become fun therefore improving the morale of the students. The
introduction of the field trips as well as the films in the progressive curriculum
blurs the boundary of class work and student play. The curriculum also demands the
patience of the teacher and not being strict as well as staying aloof. This makes
the class atmosphere to be community that is democratic with fair rules and a
chance for all to speak and therefore comfort and success ensues. This is
consequential to the reduction of the students drop out from the schools and this
has important implications in the future life of the students. The large as well as
diverse body of the students results to great improvements in the capacity of the
students to learn.

Progressive curriculum was responsible for addressing the three developments of

significance in the life of the Americans. Th most important of these is the
ability to meet the needs of the employers. This also coincided with the time of
the surging of the demand of the semi skilled as well as clerical vacancies. This
curriculum has a provision for the vocations as well as commercial training, which
forms a track with the majority of the students. There was an observed improvement
in the preparation of the graduates for the purpose of meeting the requirements of
the expanding labor market.

The second development relate to the issue of immigration from the urban schools
filled with the Europeans in massive as well as unprecedented numbers. These
students had a requirement for the non academic type of training for them to be the
loyal, the virtuous as well as productive citizens. The third of these developments
is the strength drawn by the progressive curriculum to the relatively expansive
notions with respect to the intervention of the government. This ahs the
implication of the fostering the child�s wellbeing the advocacy of this particular
type of kinder as well as broader schooling in a progressive manner is in line with
the spirit of the interventions responsible for the saving of the children in
diverse regions all over America.

The progressive curriculum has some elements of scientific approach to education.

The decision making process of the 1880 to 1890 urban schools deploration of the
haphazard management was based on partisan considerations ( ) This usually led to
wasteful as well as corrupt policies in most of the situations. With the
introduction of the progressive curriculum, properly trained managers were
appointed for the purpose of overseeing the rapid expansion of the schools. For an
administrator in the progressive curriculum of education to be considered as
competent, virtues such as expertise, the individual�s rationality, the method of
standardization as well as predictability were the traits of important value worth
consideration. This clearly reflects to the expected outcomes of the students
undergoing this curriculum as compared with the traditional curriculum and the
competence of the student in handling matters in the future.

The progressive curriculum also aimed at certainty thus marking the support for the
intelligence testing. There was a requirement to measure the student�s inherent
mental abilities. This was actually a rigorous as well as a fair way for the
assignment of the students to specific courses as well as tracks. The idea to group
the childrens based on their abilities appeared to be more democratic in the
progressive curriculum relative the traditional curriculum that allowed for the
holding of all of the students as having similar standards. The progressive
curriculum also facilitated for the application of the IQ tests for the students
although not all of them were in favor of the tests. However, all skeptics were in
favor of the �child study� dealing with continuous as well as detailed scrutiny the
intellectual growth, the social growth as well as the emotional development of
young students.

The table below is a comparison of the elements of traditional curriculum in

relation to the progressive curriculum. The elements indicate the expected outcomes
of each curriculum and its effectiveness in the shaping of the future status of the
student