Martin Heidegger In American Educational Philosophy

American educational philosophy was dominated for nearly sixty years by John Dewey. Almost all the researchers and school personnel continue to function as if that were still the case. This author, however, argues that the landscape of influence has been and is still shifting from John Dewey to Martin Heidegger in the last 40 to 50 years. However, little existing literature is available to acknowledge and address this subtle but sure change. The purpose of this research is to verify that this change is indeed occurring.Data collection consisted of two sources of information. First, the original works of John Dewey and Martin Heidegger were examined as the primary sources of data. Second, the common curriculum and pedagogies employed in American classrooms were examined to look for influence of these two thinkers and where the shift became clear. Additionally, the role of the court system was discussed as a catalyst for changing educational philosophy.Data analyses used both the primary and secondary sources of information to examine the impact of changing education philosophy upon the American school curriculum following its history from John Dewey to the present with an emphasis upon the slow, organic changes that have occurred in American educational philosophy but that until now had been unobserved and that have developed as a result of changing societal norms and educational expectations.Analyses reflected that the change observed was a shift from the Pragmatism of John Dewey to a Postmodern framework based upon the Existentialism of Martin Heidegger. It was found that the works of Heidegger had entered American educational philosophy specifically through the term "Constructivism" because of its ability to be integrated into the Deweyan concept of experiential education. This process though well underway has remained unobserved. Data also reflected that because Constructivism is an...