John Dewey's Pragmatism: A Catalyst for Educational Development in Nigeria

Résumé

Education helps in the development of any nation. The approach of the average contemporary Nigerian to education does not really portray the aim of education and its importance. The contemporary Nigerian

education system tends to define education as a means of acquiring certificate in order to earnn money for living but this is not the essence of education and this gives people a wrong mentality about school. School in this sense, is seen as a place where certificate is being given and not where knowledge is gained for an end to the problem of the society. This mentality has brought about dysfunctionality in Nigeria's educational system. This dysfunctionality has become a source of worry to many Nigerians as education system has failed to address the issues in the nation’s life. All these are against the thought of John Dewey who sees education as the only way of redeeming the society. Hence, the ideas of Dewey are not outdated. They are still relevant to the present time. The purpose of this paper is to apply John Dewey's pragmatism to Nigeria's educational system. The method of research adopted in this research is critical and analytic. The study reveals that Dewey's ideas resonate profoundly with the current challenges and opportunities facing education in contemporary Nigerian society. The study concluded that the Nigerian education system should prioritize practicality and underscore the development of students' social problem-solving abilities