Curriculum Theory: Conflicting Visions and Enduring Concerns/Michael Stephen Schiro.—2Nd Ed
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2 EDITION curriculum theory Conflicting Visions and Enduring Concerns MICHAEL STEPHEN SCHIRO Boston College FOR INFORMATION: SAGE Publications, Inc. 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320 E-mail: [email protected] SAGE Publications Ltd. 1 Oliver's Yard 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP United Kingdom SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd. B 1/I 1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 044 India SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte. Ltd. 3 Church Street #10-04 Samsung Hub Singapore 049483 Acquisitions Editor: Brian Normoyle Editorial Assistant: Megan Koraly Production Editor: Eric Garner Copy Editor: Diana Breti Typesetter: C&M Digitals (P) Ltd. Proofreader: Jennifer Gritt Indexer: Rick Hurd Cover Designer: Anupama Krishnan Marketing Manager: Terra Schultz Permissions Editor: Adele Hutchinson Copyright © 2013 by SAGE Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Schiro, Michael. Curriculum theory: conflicting visions and enduring concerns/Michael Stephen Schiro.—2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4129-8890-2 (pbk.) 1. Education— Curricula—Philosophy. 2. Education—Curricula—United States—Philosophy. I. Title. LB1570.S333 2013 375'.001—dc23 2012003921 This book is printed on acid-free paper. 12 13 14 15 16 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Brief Contents Preface Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Introduction to the Curriculum Ideologies Chapter 2: Scholar Academic Ideology Chapter 3: Social Efficiency Ideology Chapter 4: Learner Centered Ideology Chapter 5: Social Reconstruction Ideology Chapter 6: A Comparative Overview of the Curriculum Ideologies Chapter 7: Individual Perspectives on the Curriculum Ideologies Appendix: Curriculum Ideologies Inventory References Index About the Author Detailed Contents Preface Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Introduction to the Curriculum Ideologies Your Beliefs About Curriculum The Curriculum Ideologies The Scholar Academic Ideology The Social Efficiency Ideology The Learner Centered Ideology The Social Reconstruction Ideology Historical Perspective on the Ideologies Curriculum Workers The Nature of the Curriculum Ideologies Chapter 2: Scholar Academic Ideology Scholar Academic Curricula UICSM and SMSG School Mathematics Man: A Course of Study Curriculum and the Disciplines Initiation Into the Disciplines Grounding Curriculum in a Discipline Drawing Upon the Discipline's Knowledge Priorities Disciplines, Intellect, Knowledge: An Assumed Equivalence Education as an Extension of Disciplines, Intellect, Knowledge Disciplines, Intellect, Knowledge: Global Considerations Disciplines, Intellect, Knowledge: Local Considerations The Academic Disciplines The Discipline as a Community The Discipline as a Hierarchical Community The Learning ↔ Teaching Dynamic of the Discipline The Educative Process Within the Academic Community Curriculum Issues Classification and Selection of Disciplines Curriculum as a Reflection of the Discipline Curriculum Improvement Historical Context Aims Knowledge The Nature of Knowledge The Form of Knowledge The Origin of Curriculum Knowledge Knowledge and Objective Reality The Child The Child as Mind The Child as Memory and Reason The Incomplete Child Learning The Learning ↔ Teaching Dynamic Direction Within the Learning ↔ Teaching Dynamic Transmitting and Receiving Agents of the Learning ↔ Teaching Dynamic Learning Theory as Reflection of the Discipline Lack of Concern With Formal Learning Theory Many Theories of Learning Learning to Parallel Inquiry Readiness Teaching Teachers as Members of a Discipline Teachers as Transmitters, Mediators, or Translators Teaching Methods Evaluation Student Evaluation Curriculum Evaluation Concluding Perspective Chapter 3: Social Efficiency Ideology A Scientific Technique of Curriculum Making Programmed Curriculum and the Behavioral Engineer Programmed Curriculum Behavioral Engineering The Analogy Objectives and Standards Education Scientific Instrumentalism Social Orientation Society People in Society Educating People to Live in Society Education for a Better Society Objectives The Form of Objectives Gathering Terminal Objectives Acquiring Progressive Objectives Atomism Objective Reality Causality Ends, Means, and Instrumental Values Historical Context Social Reform Utilitarian Education Behavioral Psychology Scientific Methodology A Century of Forgetting Accountability Movement: From Educational to Administrative and Political Initiatives Aims Knowledge The Nature of Knowledge Knowledge and Objective Reality Learning A Behavioral Viewpoint Assumptions About Learning Readiness The Child Lack of Concern The Child as a Worker Individualized Programmed Instruction Teaching Role of the Teacher Consequences Evaluation Reasons for Evaluation The Nature of Evaluation Objectivity and Atomization Appropriateness of Evaluation Concluding Perspective Chapter 4: Learner Centered Ideology Ideal Schools Ideal Schools for All Learners A Learner Centered Curriculum The Ideal School The Learner-Centered School The Activity School The Organic School The Integrated School Learners The Learner as Central Focus The Nature of the Learner The Growing Individual The Learner in the Present Tense Learning Developmental Viewpoint Learning Theory Learning Leads to Knowledge Teaching and Learning in Instructional Environments The Person in an Environment The Learning Environment Structure of the Learning Environment Teaching Freedom, Individualism, and Shared Responsibility The Curriculum: Unit of Work Versus School Subject Scope Sequence Flexibility Concern for the Whole Person Movement From the Concrete to the Abstract Responsibility Historical Context Aims The Child The Child as an Integrated Person The Child as a Meaning-Making Organism The Child's Subjective Being Learning Learning as Natural The Mechanics of Learning Stages of Learning Teaching The Teacher as Diagnostician The Teacher as Provider of the Environment for Learning The Teacher as Facilitator of Learning Characteristics of the Teacher Knowledge Personal Meaning and Knowledge Construction Knowledge and Experience Knowledge as a Derivative Concept Knowledge and Reality Evaluation Assessment for Growth Standardized Objective Testing Grading Student Evaluation Curriculum Evaluation Concluding Perspective Chapter 5: Social Reconstruction Ideology Highlander Sixth-Grade Social Reconstruction Mathematics Projects Instructional Procedures Start Where Students Are Personal Experience Intense Discussion Follow-Up Vision and Social Action Academics Society and Reconstruction Social Perspective Deep Social Structures The Individual in Society Society, Change, and Crisis Reconstruction and Vision Social Dynamics Reconstruction Through Education The School as the Institution of Change Education as a Social Process Educational Methods: Group Discussion and Experience Education and Language Education and Social Change Civic Responsibility Education and Politics Education and Socialization Historical Context Aims The Child Children as Social Agents Children as Meaning Makers Children in Society Learning Meaning Making Meaning Structure The Nature of Learning Teaching The Discussion Method The Experience Method The Teacher as Colleague Characteristics of Teaching Characteristics of Teachers Knowledge The Social Construction of Knowledge Knowledge and Value Knowledge and Reality The Creation of Knowledge Characteristics of Knowledge Evaluation Student and Curriculum Evaluation Perspective on Increased Student Testing Concluding Perspective Chapter 6: A Comparative Overview of the Curriculum Ideologies Comparative Summary Aims Play Aims Comparison Knowledge Play Knowledge Comparison Learning Play Learning Comparison The Child Play The Child Comparison Teaching Play Teaching Comparison Evaluation Play Evaluation Comparison Other Parameters Freedom Time Social Improvement Multicultural Education Teacher Education Concluding Perspective Chapter 7: Individual Perspectives on the Curriculum Ideologies Curriculum Life Histories Can People Believe in More Than One Ideology? More Than One Ideology Posture Toward Different Ideologies Why Do Educators Change Ideologies? Concluding Perspective Appendix: Curriculum Ideologies Inventory References Index About the Author Preface Intentions Curriculum Theory: Conflicting Visions and Enduring Concerns is intended to help both experienced and preservice educators understand the educational philosophies (or ideologies) they are likely to encounter in their everyday lives. To accomplish this, four visions of what curriculum should consist of are presented and analyzed in a way that will enable readers to reflect on their own educational beliefs. Curriculum Theory goes beyond introducing educators to the conflicting visions of education that exist today. It considers those visions in the historical context in which they have developed over the last century—because concerns about education are not new, and we need to realize that many of today's new issues and “fads” are related to enduring educational concerns that have long been debated. This book also attempts to help educators understand how their own personal educational philosophies have been shaped during their lives and how their beliefs might evolve during the future span