What is Progressive Education?
Picture your ideal classroom. What do you see? A line of desks, concentrated students diligently solving math problems? Or do you envision something different?
- Perhaps you picture a classroom electric with energy.
- Small groups of students stand on whiteboards around the classroom, debating, arguing, and trying to figure out the best approach to a difficult math problem.
- A teacher circulates, asking questions and making observations.
- And suddenly, there was a flash of celebration as the students arrived at the solution.
- They鈥檙e active; they鈥檙e engaged; they鈥檙e motivated. And they鈥檙e learning.
This is the promise of progressive education.

What is Progressive Education?
Arising from the ideas of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the focuses on the process of learning over the rote memorization of facts.
- Beginning in the 19th century, progressive educators such as John Dewey, Rudolf Steiner, and Maria Montessori began to develop a philosophy of education that became progressive education as we know it today.
- A true definition of progressive education is admittedly difficult to pin down 鈥 the field is broad and contains many schools of thought. However, several values are shared by the progressive education community.
This video offers an overview of in Switzerland.
Attending to the Whole Child
Progressive educators are concerned with the holistic development of the child.

