ED 6000 - Historical, Social, and Philosophical Foundations of Education

Credits: 3

Description This course examines the historical development of American education in the context of the nation’s social and philosophical traditions. Special attention will be given to the major social forces and movements that have shaped, and continue to shape, educational practice. We will explore the relationship between schools and society in the colonial period to the origins of the public (common) school to contemporary trends in constructivist ways of knowing. An important feature of this course is to understand and interpret the contribution that both social movements and the discipline of philosophy have contributed to the origin and development of modern education and schooling. We will pay particular attention to the conflicting interpretations regarding the role of schools in society, and how the various social movements and philosophical traditions that we will study struggled to address issues of cultural diversity in American education.