The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Pragmatist Approach to Educational Management

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant proffesor of Educational Administration Department, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Pragmatism in educational management emphasizes the practical effectiveness of beliefs and theories. Drawing on Dewey and James, this article examines the theoretical foundations and applications of pragmatism in educational administration. From this view, the value of any idea depends on its practical consequences, and truth is not fixed or absolute but constructed through experience and interaction with the environment. Pragmatic educational management offers key benefits: it moves managers beyond a merely administrative role to become facilitators, learning leaders, and agents of change, and transforms schools into learning organizations where teachers and students achieve continuous improvement through interaction, reflection, and practical experimentation. However, it also has limitations: relativism in ethical and religious values, lack of fixed criteria and excessive variability in decisions, strong dependence on managers' abilities, difficulty evaluating long-term educational outcomes such as morality and responsibility, and the risk of short-term objectives overshadowing long-term, quality-oriented goals. The article concludes that despite its high effectiveness in addressing real and dynamic challenges in educational systems, successful implementation requires managers with strong analytical, leadership, and communication skills, and must be accompanied by a critical perspective and attention to ethical and long-term concerns to avoid the traps of relativism and short-term decision-making.

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References

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Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 20, Issue 56 - Serial Number 56
Articles
Issue 56, Autumn 2026
October 2026
Pages 711-722

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