There are few, if any, other educational philosophers that have left their mark internationally as John Dewey has. Author of 40 books and no less than 700 articles that appeared in over 140 journals, Dewey’s work has been translated into at least 35 languages. His landmark Democracy and Education – published over a century ago in 1916 – is one of the most cited educational texts ever.

Dewey has inspired educators and provoked controversies in his day, and still does so today. This volume sets out to engage with Dewey’s educational thought, especially as it relates to its circulation in the countries bordering on the Mediterranean. Authors consider his enduring influence, and reflect on the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ forces that served to anchor progressivism, in its multiple manifestations, in the region. The notion of a unidirectional force – personified by Dewey – that is somehow absorbed by the ‘receiving’ country is problematised by most if not all chapters in this volume. Rather, contributors carefully show how context affects a process marked by active appropriation, re-interpretation, adaptation, as well as resistance.

Sometimes a vibrant presence that still needs to be reckoned with, at other times a ghostly figure nevertheless serving to sustain democratic aspirations in and through education, Dewey and his message resonate, challenge, and demand a response.