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Title	The Mormon response to early progressive education, 1892-1920
Publication Type	dissertation
School or College	College of Education
Department	Educational Leadership & Policy
Author	Payne, Allan Dean
Date	1977
Description	This dissertation is an historical investigation of the Mormon response to progressive reform in Utah's schools between 1892 and 1920. It is limited to the educational thought and practice of church leaders and Mormon educators responsible for the church and public schools in Utah's three principal cities: Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Provo. More specifically, liThe Mormon Response to Early Progressive Education" examines the degree to which r1ormon educators and members of the hierarchy understood, rejected, adopted, or adapted progressive credo. Besides describing the historical facts and inferences associated with the Mormon response to the various strands of progressive education, this dissertation suggests explanations for the specific Mormon reactions. Considering its isolation from progressive centers in the Midwest and East and considering its relatively few professional educators at the century's turn, Mormonism enjoyed surprisingly frequent contacts with progressive education's brightest luminaries, including visits from Francis W. Parker, John Dewey, G. Stanley Hall, and William Wirt. The number of Mormon educators who studied in the Midwest and East, coupled with the eastern non-ttormon faculty members who taught at Utah's two leading normal schools, was equally impressive. The frequency and quality of these contacts helped initiate and sustain a progressive environment often praised by some of the nation's most perceptive educational observers. Practical education (manual training, vocational and industrial preparation, domestic arts and science) was widely accepted by members of the hierarchy and by professional educators as well. The child-his interests, needs, play, activity, hygiene and physical well-being-also became a focal point of education for Mormon educators and, to a lesser degree, for members of the hierarchy. Correlation of subjects and correlation of school and out-of-school experience figured prominently in the Mormon response to the new education. Finally, immediate, palliative social reform of the sort espoused by Jane Addams was not viewed as relevant for Utah society. Instead, the emphasis was placed upon community building and subjection of the physical environment as part of establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. Mormonism spawned numerous educators and programs reflecting what was most typical in progressive education during its formative years. Many educators in the church system and in the public schools were steeped in progressive theory, techniques, and aims. They applauded the valuable results of thoughtfully employed practical education, child-centeredness, and correlation; but they also realized that progressive education was (or underscored) a process of learning which emphasized creativity, self-expression, activity, observation, and experimentation. While members of the hierarchy could distinguish between traditional and progressive education, they did not always understand the mechanics; they were more impressed by results of the new education than by processes involved.
Type	Text
Publisher	University of Utah
Subject	Latter Day Saints -- Education
Dissertation Name	Doctor of Philosophy
Language	eng
Rights Management	© Allan Dean Payne
Format	application/pdf
Format Medium	application/pdf
ARK	ark:/87278/s61w0h8k
Setname	ir_etd
ID	1528016
Reference URL	https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s61w0h8k

Page Metadata

Title	Page 133
Format	application/pdf
Setname	ir_etd
ID	1528149
OCR Text	Show 124 hygiene, and the school their attention by Mormons fill environment and, these on areas. Calvin Fletcher's ideas result, focused much of on on these publications the value of art are in education is education"--especially ly provides exercise in child spontaneity. most perhaps Special practical more concern Church He further notes that art Throughout was the hierarchy demonstrated their publications and new grades, becom- the child matures.49 for child welfare church and public educators. members of the as notable. expression--important art and construction work ought to be play-like in the early ing progressively subjects early progressive education. acknowledges that "the child idea" that the "new asserts a the Utah Educational Review and other which reflect the Mormon response to Fletcher as At least articles by no means limited to early progressive period, interest in children. like the Juvenile Instructor, the Improvement Era, and the Younq Woman's Journal, among others, have been important media Mormon through which church fathers organizations Sunday School Primary, and of young people as such in Mormon stake conferences, as have the Mutual were spoken regarding children. Improvement Association, also originated to meet the needs society. Semi-annual conferences Sunday services, and family home as well evenings (weekly 49Calvin Fletcher, "Art in the High School and College--A Efficiency," Utah Educational RevievJ 6 (January Scheme for Greater in Education," Utah Educa For additional references to the tional Reviev.J 1 (tay 1908):9-10. Mormon perceptions or physical education, hygiene, school environment, Educational etc., see Charlotte Stev.Jart, "Physical Education," Utah Rev i ew 6 (March 1913):26-28; E. G. Gowans, "The Boy Probl em," Improve mentEra 11 (ttarcb 1908):369-74;and "Health Educat i on ," Utah Educa tional Review 11 (February 1918):21-23; A. C. Nelson, "The Physical Utah Educational Review 4 (December 1910):17-18. Welfare of February 1913):10-12 and "The Value of Art People,"
Reference URL	https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s61w0h8k/1528149