The Educational Impact on the Future Society

Abstract

How does education impact society? In order to positively impact a student’s future, William Chandler Bagley believed that education must be highly emphasized. He was an educational philosopher who reflected on his own background to become a life-long advocate. Bagley’s beliefs centered around reflective teaching, a common curriculum with a hands-on learning approach, as well as the need for a teacher preparation program to increase instructional effectiveness (Gutek, 2011).

He believed in equal education for all students as it would allow students to overcome barriers in their future (Watras, 2012).

While Bagley closely aligned his beliefs to other philosophers during this time, he shaped his beliefs through various experiences. He then influenced those that came later. He understood the big picture of education and the path that it needed to follow. Bagley worked his entire career to fulfill his mission of impacting all learners through education.

William Chandler Bagley was an educational philosopher who made a significant impact on the world of education.

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Being a professor, as well as a principal, allowed him a better understanding of the impact curriculum would have on learning from elementary school through college. He also believed that schools needed to properly prepare teachers in order to effectively instruct children (Gutek, 2011). Gutek (2011) stated that Bagley’s mission was to ensure students were given the “academic transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next” (p. 380). He understood that in order for children to be successful in their future and be productive citizen, education was crucial.

He would agree that being trained in common curriculum would benefit students with future jobs. This would be key to breaking any barriers that stood in the way (Watras, 2012). When schools have reflective teachers, who understand and can effectively teach common curriculum, there is a positive impact on the future of society.

Background and Cultural Context

Bagley was born in 1874 in Detroit, Michigan. His father was the superintendent of a hospital, his mother was a homemaker, and his sister was a professor. When he was seven years old, his family moved to Massachusetts where he attended elementary school (Null, 2003). The schools were heavily influenced by Francis Wayland Parker. Parker was well known for leading schools by beginning each morning with a campus meeting. During this meeting, students were able to share what they had been learning building a sense of community and relationships. Parker also believed that pedagogy was important and having effective teachers were needed in schools (Schmitt, 2010).

Bagley was “taught by teachers who used innovative, Parker-inspired instructional methods” (Null, 2003). During his secondary school career, Bagley continued to have teachers who challenged him through an instructional rich and highly rigorous curriculum. His family moved back to Detroit where he graduated from high school. After graduation, he decided to pursue a farming degree. He obtained his degree but owned no land in order to begin farming. He then began to contemplate his future. He was heading back to college to begin a law degree but was offered a job as a teacher. Accepting this position changed his future (Null, 2003). Though he had not intended to take the path of education, he became a model for reflective thinking. He thought about his best teachers he had in school, their instructional methods, and applied the background knowledge that he had gleaned through his experiences into his teaching (Gutek, 2011).

Not only was Bagley a teacher, he began to learn the “art and science of teaching” (Null, 2003). He later went on to receive a master’s degree in Psychology and marry his wife who was also studying psychology. They held the same philosophies on education and psychology. He then became a principal for an elementary school and finally a professor at several colleges. During this time, he continued to educate teachers on effective instructional strategies (Gutek, 2011).

He worked in Illinois during his career and helped to establish the Department of Education which became recognized across America. He also wrote several books during his life. Several included how to incorporate psychology into all aspects of education (Null, n.d.).

William Chandler Bagley was one of the forward-thinking philosophers who made significant contributions to progressive education in academic content. He worked to change the image of education because he felt that the systems in place at the current time were inadequate for the children. He claimed that education in America had fallen behind other countries. Bagley believed that through certain subjects, students would be exposed to experiences that would later serve them as functioning members of society. These experiences would be facilitated by educators shaping student behaviors to better serve them as adult citizens. He believed that teaching common core subjects, such as arithmetic and grammar, were vital (Watras, 2012). He did not agree that vocational skills needed to be included in these experiences, as a common curriculum should be the primary focus (Ediger, 1997). As a result, a general curriculum was developed that would be used across many states, earning Bagley the designation as an essential philosopher.

According to Gutek (2011), essentialists would disagree that teaching morals and values were more important than basic skills. Instruction had to be deliberate to ensure that knowledge was transferred across generations. If this did not take place, society’s sustainability would be in jeopardy. Essentialist philosophers also concluded that in order for this knowledge to be transferred, it had to be intentional, thoroughly planned, and effectively presented (Gutek, 2011).

Other principles of essentialism included students’ demonstrating mastery of skills on tests, schools being a place of order with strong discipline, and one that would portray democracy (Gutek, 2011). The end result of a school, according to essentialists, was to “build a shared source of character education characterized by ethics and civility” (Gutek, 2011, p. 374).

Bagley’s beliefs also aligned to the fact that all students should have an opportunity for education. Bagley believed education was the key to break the environment or stigma from which a student was raised. All students deserved the opportunity to break barriers and make a better life for themselves. Through education, students would be given a chance to experience equality and democracy (Watras, 2012). According to Null (2003, p. 305), Bagley was certain “the promise of democracy could be realized best through the placement of liberally educated, academically minded, competent, demanding, caring, professionally educated teachers in classrooms throughout the country.” Bagley pursued ways to continue what he felt were reliable and valid teaching methods for education, while simultaneously ensuring teachers had effective preparation for students’ future success (Null, 2003).

Theory to Practice

Bagley considered teachers, an influential necessity of education. During his early years as a teacher, his mission was to improve the teaching field. He determined that teachers needed to be able to identify the natural instincts of the students they taught (Watras, 2012). Though he believed that this would impact students positively, he also noted that lessons did not need to be adapted to the needs of students. He was not concerned with students being interested in the content, as their goal was to learn and demonstrate high levels of mastery on all skills. Teachers should have the autonomy to present the information in any format; however, the use of a balanced classroom approach would be essential to their success (Ediger, 1997).

Bagley also believed that teachers should be reflective educators. When he began teaching, he remembered the teachers that significantly impacted his education, the qualities that made them great, as well as the instructional practices they used (Gutek, 2011). Bagley determined that shaping student behavior took place through four specific instructional strategies: imitation, repetition, accommodating student curiosity and allowing time for play (Watras, 2012). He determined that schools needed to use mixed ability grouping, which was in stark contrast of what Plato had proposed (Ediger, 1997). Understanding how students learned and utilized these instructional practices has proven to be effective over time and increased success.

Bagley stated that students should be well-trained in listening and following directions, so teachers could instruct. The implementation of effective school discipline would aid teachers in this endeavor (Ediger, 1997).

William Bagley was a part of the Department of Education for Illinois and created the School of Education for the University of Illinois This school was designed in order to prepare teachers for the high levels of teaching necessary to help students to be successful in their future. He was also instrumental in building a school where veteran teachers who demonstrated high levels of teaching were observed by aspiring educators. He also initiated the Kappa Delta Pi to honor students in education. Bagley thought that through this honor society, which continues to thrive to this day, the teaching profession would be revered in society (Null, n.d.). Bagley would argue that teaching was the most important job.

Perspectives on Diversity

Bagley’s perspective on diversity is different than other philosophers. He believed that all students deserved the opportunity to have an education (Watras, 2012). However, he did not believe in meeting students where they were. He would leave it to the teacher to decide how to teach the various skills while ensuring students were demonstrating the skill at a high level of mastery. He did not believe that race impacted the ability to learn at these high levels. He recognized that when teachers have the instinctive art to teach, all students would be challenged and able to exhibit mastery of skills as long as they possessed determination (Ediger, 1997). He also went on to explain that intelligence tests are given to students only proved the experiences to which students had been exposed, not necessarily the capability of the individual student (Null, n.d.).

When referencing No Child Left Behind at the National Education Association convention, Bagley’s 1912 speech served as a reminder that problems could not be solved in one day. He knew that teachers needed to be reflective and work systematically on best practices. Although he also wanted common curriculum to help improve learning, he knew universal systems would not be the right answer. Bagley understood that education was complex and had its own complications and problems (Garrett, 2007). However, he sums it up well in his speech of 1912 when he stated, “to keep this clear perspective must be our constant struggle” (Garrett, 2007, p. xii).

Critical Analysis

Bagley, though being considered an essentialist, also closely followed the progressive movement. John Dewey was considered a progressive educator and set the foundation for some thoughts Bagley perpetuated. Dewey believed that through experiences, students would be able to acquire academic content. He also believed in utilizing textbooks as a resource to develop activities that were used in the classroom. He would also agree that education was the means of supporting society by helping children become self-sufficient, productive members of society (Watras, 2012).

In contrast, Boyd Bode who started his career by applying Bagley’s philosophies did not agree with all of John Dewey’s practices. Though Boyd agreed with Bagley for much of his career, he ended up moving away from Bagley’s teachings and began his own educational philosophy. He believed that the environment in which students were raised were would influence their social skills as well as their interest. Bode believed in helping teachers connect skills to student interest. This was not a practice of Bagley; however, Bode believed that without this connection, students’ educational growth would not follow (Watras, 2012).

Tackett (2006) states that a world view “affects your response to every area of life: from philosophy to science, theology and anthropology to economics, law, politics, art and social order — everything”. Bagley was a testament to this statement. Every aspect of his life led back to his beliefs of education and what he proposed to change. He considered all qualities that would help a student be successful and have an impact on the future of society. His influence on education continued until he passed away in 1946 (Null, n.d.).

Implications and Conclusions

Bagley was a philosopher who understood the bigger picture and sacrificed his time and effort to help education progress. Many times, people choose a profession based on interest and do the job day routinely, but do not make it their main mission. It is typically a job that helps pay bills. Bagley embodied what it was to be a reflective thinker in doing what was best in the classroom. When there is not common curriculum nor training to help teachers understand what they will be facing in a classroom, education and student success will not occur. Bagley’s influence can be seen in today’s education.

Today, through Bagley’s influence, states have adopted a common curriculum to be taught in all schools. He was able to see the bigger picture and understand that without higher levels of rigor in the classroom, children would not experience success later in life.

Teacher preparation is something that the world of education gleaned from Bagley. He recognized the need for teachers to practice as well as be given opportunities to observe those who were currently effectively teaching students. Colleges today have students enrolled as student teachers, instructing in various grade-level content to gain a true understanding. Hearing lectures about the art of teaching in a college classroom is not as engaging as experiencing the hands-on learning which Bagley thought most impactful. Even in alternative teaching programs, teachers are asked to get observation hours or student teach under the tutelage of a supervisor. The supervisor would observe at various times to provide feedback and help the teacher be reflective in his or her instructional strategies.

Bagley also influenced the world of education through the effective execution of instructional strategies that have been tested over time. Students might not be working on the current grade level and teachers want a quick fix to help. Unfortunately, this does not work. Instead, Bagley wanted teachers to reflect on the best strategy to teach children (Gutek, 2011). By offering observation of other veteran teachers, as well as better teacher preparation, the strategies that helped students be the most successful could be shared and learned (Null, 2003).

Another way in which Bagley helped education was bringing awareness to the need of hands-on learning experiences within the curriculum. Even today, students are given the opportunities through centers, stations, and labs to experience different parts of the curriculum. Math uses manipulatives to help students bridge abstract and concrete content. Science also lends itself for hands-on learning as tools are introduced and skills are taught.

With as many contributions as Bagley had on education, many disagree with on three major points. First, Bagley did not believe that teachers needed to adjust instruction to meet the needs of students (Ediger, 1997). He felt that if a teacher was effective with instruction, students would all be able to demonstrate high levels of mastery. However, not all students go to school with the same ability levels, whether it comes from their environment or a disability.

Teachers cannot expect to provide a one-size-fits-all lesson and ensure high levels of mastery without considering where students are currently performing. Second, Bagley proposed that a common curriculum needed to be implemented, but vocational skills were not necessary (Ediger, 1997). In today’s society, many jobs are vocational jobs. Some students do not feel that college should be their next experience. Instead, they want to be able to be a productive member in the workforce. To do this, many high schools offer vocational skills so that education is reaching all students and not the select few that do decide to pursue college.

Third, Bagley disagreed in connecting instruction and skills to student interest (Ediger, 1997). Without students being able to connect to skills and understand how it applies in the real world, it is difficult for some to comprehend. When one is able to make these connections and get students excited about learning, the outcomes are limitless. Having a highly rigorous education impacts the future of each individual student.