On Monday, September 17, 1787, 39 delegates to the Federal Convention in Philadelphia signed the Constitution of the United States, along with Major William Jackson, who had served as the secretary of the Convention. That same day, Jackson received instructions to leave for New York City on Tuesday and carry the document to Congress. All of these…

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…

In 1878, Senator Aaron A. Sargent of California introduced to the Senate an amendment to the Constitution "Conferring upon Women the Right of Suffrage." Drafted by Susan B. Anthony, this same amendment would be introduced on a near-yearly basis until its final passage by Congress on May 19, 1919. Varying degrees of voting rights presented an…

The philosophical roots of the concept of lifelong learning are considered in relation to the views of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They pioneered in their analyses of intellectual development and in the importance of the use of the mind throughout the life span. Plato and Aristotle added metaphysical arguments to support their systems of…

Presents some of the early history of instructional development models; discusses the role of models in instructional development; reviews some of the more influential models; and discusses the possible impact of selected trends on future models of instructional development, including electronic performance support systems and rapid prototyping.…

This article examines the attitudes of the colonial and metropolitan governments towards the promotion of English-language education on Hong Kong Island between 1842 and 1860. The study, which draws on a range of unpublished primary sources, was conducted in response to Whitehead's recent call for detailed case studies of colonial education…

This paper examines, through historical analysis, the values and beliefs underpinning the early theories and applications of problem-based learning and contrasts these with current theory and practice. This study focuses on the first three decades of the twentieth century, because, during this time period, the use of projects in education became…

Basic methods of learning, most of which have been used through centuries of recorded thought, are discussed, along with learning as a lifelong process, and ways to enhance and diversify modern education. Numerous learning processes are studied by examining the lives of great individuals who have exemplified innovative and multifaceted approaches…

This article gives a brief historical account of the principal rationales of drama in education in England, pursuing the notion of distortion of the nature of drama itself. By looking at past mistakes, we may better assess the place of drama in today's curriculum. (MT)

This article traces the evolution of Gandhi's exemplary relationship with nature through vignettes from his long life. Annotated are the religious roots and the environmental origins of his philosophical development, his contact with vegetarians and theosophists, and his responses to a variety of issues raised by the cohabitation of humans with…

Currently advocated agriculture teaching in the elementary classroom has historical precedents. Elementary agriculture curriculum in the early 20th century often followed Pestalozzi's recommendations and used hands-on activities such as nature study. By 1951, 21 states required agricultural education in rural elementary schools. (SK)

A summary is given of 20 years of research on learning intellectual skills, with emphasis on Australian contributions. The review covers historical development of the research, learning hierarchies, shifts in experimental paradigm in investigating teaching methods, methods for studying cognitive structure, and suggestions for research. (MSE)

Gives an impression of the way Freudenthal worked on mathematics education during the period after World War II, until the early seventies. Shows how Freudenthal approached research, both in education and in mathematics education. Examines two core themes in detail--learning mathematics and developing mathematics education. (Contains 52…

Provides the text of the Howard Davis Memorial Lecture, which was presented to the Knowledge Utilization Society in 1991. The lecture describes the work of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, which was active in Great Britain the nineteenth century and compares it with current practices in the field of knowledge utilization. (12…

A common pattern in all studies of adult learning is that informal learning seems to be a very normal, very natural human activity. A 30-year old study and the 1998 Livingstone study show parallel findings. One of the most important findings is that about 90 percent of people had done some sort of intentional learning in the last year. The 10…