“教育即指导”是杜威教育思想的重要组成部分，也是杜威在透析教育本质的基础上提出的方法论。“指导”是对“疏导”的方向性帮助和对“控制”的调节，“教育即指导”是儿童在解放教育生活的过程中来实现自我。有意义的教育指导需要教育者理智地思考儿童所处的环境和习惯，在教育沟通中进行,帮助他们树立民主生活的信念。“教育即指导”是杜威用来缝合教育与生活之间断裂、辨析教育目的与判断教育价值、透析教育与民主的关系和深化教育主体认识的新尝试。

“Education as direction” is an important educational idea of John Dewey, which is based on the methodology of educational essence. “Direction” is used to an orientated help of “guidance” and regulation of the “control” . “Education as direction” is in the process of education living to realize self-perfection. Meaningful educational direction need to communicate with the other person, and think rationally the habits and the environment in which the children live, and help them establish the faith of democratic life. John Dewey used “education as direction” to suture the breakage between education and life, to analyze the educational aims and judge the educational value, to understand the relationship between education and democracy and educational subjects deeply.