A STUDY ON THE DIFFUSION OF "PRACTICAL INTELLIGENCE" DURING THE PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION PERIOD IN AMERICA

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The main thesis of this study is to examine that the idea of "practical intelligence, "the fundamental ideal of American education, was diffused and widely accepted by the school education during the first half of the twentieth century. The research results during the three years are as follows :1. The idea of practical intelligence, though severely criticised by "radical revisionists" in education, should be evaluated as a foundation for creating "cooperative communalism" based not on narrow partizanship but on open inquiry.2. Freedom of inquiry, proposed by such a progressive as Dewey, has been criticied as unstable "servant of power." However, some philosophers started to pay attention to his rebellious, advanced liberalism as a touchstone for developing a new social philosophy.3. The importance of practical intelligence, or an education based on "inquiry, " was recogized by an experiment of "Eight-year Study" during the 1930s. Now this type of education is widely known as an "education responding to students' individualities." However, we should avoid the pitfall of sorting the students into two different tracks : one for independence and excellent research ability and the other for subordination and low self-esteem.4. Our schools, where the foundation and tradition of "inquiry-based education" is still fragile, should adopt the basic methods of inquiry, a matrix for cultivationg "multiple personal systems of meanings" through dialogue and cooperation in the "public space creating care, ligature, and mutual self-respect."Our next task is to investigate the significance of "cooperative inquiry" both in the Progressive Education and Japanese education.