Forest kindergartens are a new idea in the United States but have been around in Germany, Norway, and other European countries for decades. Forest "kindergartens" are preschools for children ages 3-6 and focus on being outdoors and learning through interacting with nature. Instead of building with blocks or doing puzzles at a table…

Formal mathematical methods remain, for most high school students, mysterious, artificial and not a part of their regular intuitive thinking. The authors develop some themes that could lead to a radically new approach. According to this thesis, the teaching of programming languages as a regular part of academic progress can contribute effectively…

A history and analysis of science curriculum development is presented. Factors which influence the selection and organization of content in a science curriculum are discussed, including Macdonald's curriculum development models, propositions for curriculum development, and changes made in science curricula during the last century. (CJ)

Despite national variation in political, economic, and social structures, elementary school curricula are very similar throughout the world. Argues that mass curricula are closely linked to the expansion of the nation-state system and the increasing dominance of standardized models. (DM)

Examines the historical development of the expanding environments sequence in the elementary social studies curriculum. Concludes that the sequence is obsolete because it is based on the discredited idea that children relive the cultural history of their race as they develop. Argues for abandonment of expanding environments sequence because of its…

Describes the evolution and growth in popularity of the expanding environments framework for elementary social studies. Its reliance on developmental psychology and its portrayal of an artificial, conflict-free world suggest flaws of major dimensions. Concludes that the near-universal adoption of the expanding environments approach may sustain its…

Describes curricular and pedagogical experimentation in humanities and social studies instruction conducted in New Zealand immediately after World War II. Compares such developments with the Freyberg Integrated Studies Project, a later three-year curriculum development and research program. Concludes that the Freyberg model provides support for…

Exemplary curriculum designs from the past that have provided models for implementation are reviewed in order to lend perspective to designs for today's and tomorrow's curricula. (MT)

The American Educational Research Association's (AERA) Special Interest Group (SIG) on "Creation and Utilization of Curriculum Knowledge" was formed in 1971 by researchers whose work focused upon the advancement of knowledge in curriculum. The interest area for this SIG centered on generic knowledge about: (1) curriculum definitions; (2)…

The problems of traditional overspecialization in British universities and current efforts to liberalize the curriculum are discussed in the context of the historical development of the university and curriculum structure. (MSE)

Argues that traditional English methods of deciding what to teach have been more pragmatic than either U.S. "Curriculum Theory" or German "Didaktik," both emphasizing principled arguments about educational goals. Observes that English schooling continues to be shaped by discussion of subject-based methods rather than…

An analysis is provided of the internal and external pressures which affect the community college curriculum. Following introductory comments, chapter I traces the history of the contemporary community college and the changes that its curriculum has undergone. Chapter II provides an overview of four philosophical influences on education:…

Going back to the late 1800s, this article characterizes the various attempts which have been made to establish a social studies scope and sequence for public schools in the United States. The article concludes by listing six categories of individuals who will continue to try to change the prevailing scope and sequence model. (JDH)

The past and current condition of general education in the two-year college is examined in this four-part monograph. Part 1 reviews the history of general education, tracing its roots in the European tradition of liberal education from Greco-Roman antiquity to the end of the 19th century in America. In addition, the 20th century general education…

Reviews the history of a college English department from the 1960s through the mid-1980s. (MM)