Dewey’s and Freire’s Ideas About Dialogue and Communication and Their Implications for Student Engagement in Applied Learning

In this paper, we examine the discourse and communication theories of John Dewey and Paulo Freire, particularly their impact on student engagement and the quality of education in applied learning. A research question is addressed: How can Freire and Dewey’s philosophy of dialogue and communication enhance student engagement and, therefore, improve the quality of education. The study synthesizes Dewey’s and Freire’s doctrines using the Analytic-Synthetic Approach in order to provide a comprehensive interpretation. Both Dewey and Freire advocated a democratic and cooperative model of education, highlighting dialogue and communication as central elements. Freire emphasized the importance of a dialogical pedagogy, whereas Dewey emphasized experiential learning and problem-solving. By facilitating student participation in dialogues and communication processes, the paper concludes that student engagement and critical thinking are enhanced, deeper content understanding is cultivated, and personal and academic growth is enhanced. In addition to disrupting existing power hierarchies, a participatory environment such as this can trigger the emergence of transformative learning. There are significant implications for the improvement of educational quality as a result of these findings. As a means of fostering a more inclusive and effective learning environment, they argue for an instructional approach that values dialogue and communication as a lever to elevate educational standards.