The pedagogical ideas of American teacher and philosopher John Dewey in the domestic pedagogical discourse, in particular, in the fundamental scientific research of leading specialists in the field of innovative pedagogical science, lays the foundations for the civilization development of the educational system of Ukraine, in the content of which the educational paradigm of pragmatism is an effective tool for influencing the change of approaches to traditional educational practices, providing an opportunity for individual development in the modern educational system. The essence of the social and pedagogical heritage of the American philosopher, who defined learning as an active, creative process of personal development, is justified. It focuses on methodological principles of the social and educational concept of the scientist in the sense of modernization of historical education. On the basis of the study of historical sources, the leading directions of pedagogical activity of the teacher have been identified, and a comparative description of teaching methods in the traditional educational system and pedagogical theory of John Dewey has been made. The basic principles of learning (behind John Dewey) are highlighted: problems, interactivity, orientation towards personal development of students. It has been established that the idea of developing a child, according to John Dewey, should be in the interests of the child and directed to the formation of his or her progressive and active personality; focus it on identifying personal interest in acquiring new knowledge and its scope of application in one's own life. It is stated that the most important task of the teacher is to create conditions for the student's interest in obtaining new knowledge, to promote the education of active, proactive, independent and responsible people who are ready to plan, make decisions and be responsible for them. John Dewey's views have been proven to be an alternative to the traditional education System developed by the system of argument, which is based on exclusion from well-established norms of social growth, an orientation towards decision-making based on one 's own experience, which is more orderly and meaningful in content to shape the individual. It was concluded that in the context of the reform of historical education, interest in the philosophical and educational heritage of John Dewey, who proposed a model of a socially oriented school based on the development of a child, is again growing.