Discusses (1) what is meant by educational practice and empirically based theory; (2) the mutual dependence and independence of social based scientific theoretical formulations; and (3) the differences between theory and practice on the problem created by their similarities. (SA)

Contends that conventional teaching and textbooks fail to promote a critical analysis of the content they convey. Argues that failure to examine the meanings of words and ideas dehumanizes education, divorces knowledge from power, and promotes viewpoints which are both parochial and ahistoric. Describes how critical reading and the use of…

Defines curriculum along with introduction to structural thought. Reviews why the study of curriculum has been so turbulent. Describes the movement to teach structure of the disciplines during the 1960's and analyzes this time frame from the post-structual perspectives of Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida. Summarizes the meaning of curriculum…

This paper addresses the following problem: how do power relationships constrain what counts as knowledge in social studies education and thus constitute the field? By looking at speech acts performed in a given socio-linguistic community one can get insight into discursive practices of that community. The present concern is with power relations…

Curriculum theory must attend to three problem areas: educational practice, ethical criteria, and content. Educational practice includes questions about predictions, explanations, and descriptions. Ethical criteria are used to clarify improvements in values. Substantive content ranges across areas of human inquiry from the humanities to natural…

Profiles a few of the affinities between pragmatists and scientific realists, and indicates a few dramatic differences dividing these schools of thought. Pragmatic research is driven by anticipated consequences. Scientific realists hope to find the truth about what the world is really like. (SLD)

The purposes of this paper are threefold: 1) to explore several ways in which rational policy-making can be approached; 2) to discuss various plausible explanations for the findings and intervention strategies which seem to be consequent with those explanations; and 3) to determine the strengths and weaknesses of various specific intervention…

Within the last decade research and development activity in the social studies has ranged from curriculum development projects to innovations in instructional strategies. Little effort has been expended, however, to justify these changes in curriculum and instructional strategies. The author suggests in this essay some purposes for social…

This paper focuses on a comparative analysis of the normative and empirical elements of four approaches to political education. The analysis is conducted by identifying the central assumptions, value commitments and the empirical theoretical structure of each approach and by making comparisons across alternatives. The findings of the analysis…