Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Progressive and
Traditional International
Schools in the
Philippines
Learning Experience
Student learning is every school’s primary priority, but how students are taught is
where it all starts to differ. Students in traditional schools, for example, learn
disciplines separately while those in progressive schools integrate them all together as
a connected whole. Students taught in the traditional approach are expected to learn as
soon as the information is given to them: the teacher is the central figure of the
traditional learning experience. In the progressive approach however, learning is
something that students themselves must experience through the guidance of their
teachers and the environment. There is no structured curriculum, tests, grades, and
homework. Students learn mostly through experiences, collaboration, and play.
Basically, the main difference between the two lies in where student learning is
centered. Traditional schools focus on the teacher and what they teach while
progressive schools focus on the students and how they can learn.
Teacher’s Duty
Teachers in traditional schools are seen as authoritative figures in the classroom and
as main sources of information. Oftentimes, their teaching style involves rigidity and
directness as they gauge learning on whether or not a student can pass exams or fulfill
a particular academic standard. This means that the learning process of traditional
schools deals more with pass or fail and rote learning. On the other hand, teachers are
seen as facilitators in progressive schools. Instead of being figures of authority, they
serve as guides to students as they learn and think inside and outside of the classroom.
Teachers are not always the experts because knowledge is everywhere. Thus, students
are free to acquire and process information from any number of sources, which
include but are not limited to their personal experiences, social interactions, and play.
Students’ Experiences
In a traditional school, students are not seen as active participants in the learning
process. Learning is more passive. Teachers are mediums through which information
is disseminated, and students are graded based on their perceived understanding of
subject matter. On the other hand, progressive schools have less structure, as seen in
their experiential curriculum and the absence of homework, tests, and grades. Subjects
themselves are also treated differently between the two types of learning approaches.
The traditional method prefers to keep disciplines separate whereas the progressive
method integrates them all together, allowing students to draw connections between
them together.
Both Traditional and Progressive approaches have their advantages and
disadvantages. But wouldn’t it be amazing for parents to finally see a school that
combines the best qualities of both approaches?