Dewey wrote many educational books and papers in his life. His main works are My Educational Credo, School and Society, Children and Curriculum, Democracy and Education, Experience and Education, Education Today, Human Issues, etc. Among them, Democracy and Education is the most systematic and concentrated exposition of Dewey's pragmatic education thought. As the guiding program of American pragmatism education movement, it has far-reaching influence and is also a classic in the history of world education.

Pragmatic philosophy is the main theoretical basis of Dewey's educational theory. Dewey fully absorbed the pragmatic philosophical views of Pierce and James, and it has a new meaning: the role of his emotional philosophy as a thinking tool. He regards philosophy as a tool for people to adapt to the environment and organize their experiences. He believes that philosophy must be related to people's real life and must be aimed at promoting social and political development. Dewey analyzed that only through educational activities can the world outlook and methodology advocated by pragmatic philosophy be deeply rooted in people's hearts and be generally accepted by people, and philosophy can play its greatest role.

Dewey once defined education as "the transformation or reorganization of experience". He believes that all learning comes from experience; Education must proceed from experience, that is, always from the century life experience of ancient people.