In seeking the most effective presentation of the liberal arts in curricula such as the heavily technical and professional curricula at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, which leave little room for general education, general education course design must capture the imagination of students and motivate them for continuing self-education. Development of…

Discusses the history of debate about the roles of indoctrination versus free inquiry in the classroom in American education. Many present-day theorists may discover what educators of the 1930s found: that there is no contradiction between transmitting democratic values while opposing censorship and indoctrination. (MD)

Growing public concern with student discipline, increases in student suicide rates, homicides, and high pregnancy rates of teenage girls are causing educators to give renewed attention to the concept of "character development" in public education. (MD)

Several different philosophical approaches to general educational development in higher education are discussed and compared, including (1) positivist epistemology, a pragmatic, empirical perspective; (2) development of curricula promoting interpretation based on understanding; and (3) critical theory, which espouses development of people in…

Criticizes reports on educational reform for possessing an ideological climate in which inquiry and dissent are quieted, and vocationalism (packaged as academic courses) is rampant. The reports compromise between influence and insight and neglect fundamental problems such as inability of schools to provide students with critical abilities needed…

Over the past few decades, educators have witnessed a slowly growing but significant change in the way they approach their work. Professional curriculum debate now tends to be over procedures, not over what counts as legitimate knowledge. This book aims to reintegrate the ethical, personal, and political into curriculum discourse and decision…

Policy issues and their implications in the introduction of computer technology in the Northwest and Pacific schools are examined. Eight issues, focused on instructional uses of computer technology, are covered. (1) Establishing an overall state education agency (SEA) position will set the tone for statewide development of instructional…