Abstract

Education curricula have been guided by different philosophies of education. Such philosophies are based on the ideas of different philosophers throughout history. These include ideas by Plato, Comenius, Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Dewey, Montessouri, Marx and Paulo Freire among others. Apart from the influence of the political ideology of those in power, the educational ideas of these philosophers have influenced contemporary education in many ways. This paper examines the Philosophy of Progressivism within the context of the contributions by Dewey and Rousseau. The paper discusses the main views of the Philosophy of Progressivism, in terms of how these educational ideas are reflected in the Zimbabwean education curriculum. The paper also analysizes the extent to which the Philosophy of Progressivism can be applied in education. Its application is examined in terms of the roles of the teacher, the school and child in the teaching and learning process. While some of the ideas by Dewey and Rousseau can be criticised for being rather extreme, they remain relevant in terms of how the school should contribute to the development of the child. The paper gives an analysis of the Zimbabwean Early Childhood Development (ECD) curriculum as a way of examining the extent to which it has been influenced by the Philosophy of Progressivism. The paper concludes that the Philosophy of Progressivism has influenced curriculum design and implementation at ECD level in Zimbabwe. Keywords: Philosophy, Progressivism, Curriculum, Education Practice, Early Childhood Development

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