This article illustrates imaginative ways in which the building blocks of a liberal education (the systematic intellectual disciplines) can be assembled into a school curriculum. The advocacy of liberal education as the distinctive work of schools does not require a curriculum of isolated academic subjects. The historic ideal of the school as a…

The commentary reflects similarities and differences of the United States and foreign programs presented at the January, 1975 Multinational Workshop on Adult Education (Washington, D. C.). Attention is directed to educational philosophy, concept integration, learner's role, process versus product orientation, social-cultural factors, program…

The author compares two philosophies of language instruction (medical and behavioral models); evaluates four major elements of the teaching/learning process (stimulus, pupil response, consequation, and feedback); as critical variables in developing a lesson plan; and discusses the effects of selection of pupils, teachers and space on language…

Developed as part of the Indiana Least Restrictive Environment Project, this document is concerned with issues relating to the education and community integration of persons with substantial handicaps. The paper traces the development of the movement to provide those special education services necessary to integrate the disabled into the general…

After recapitulating certain problems with current conceptions of the profession of adult education and stating a design problem for the reinvention of the field, this paper argues that adult education can best be seen as "self-education." A beginning definition and concept of that term is described, along with a model and supporting guides for…

This paper aims to accomplish several purposes through conceptual analysis, story telling and interpretation, excursions into philosophy, and recent studies of teachers' professional development. First, the paper identifies limitations and confusions in current conceptions of teachers' professional thinking: equating teacher thinking with planning…

Maurice Merleau-Ponty's philosophy offers an existential phenomenological interpretation of subjectivity and the shared world. He offers a perceptually based philosophy which can be mined for implications and interpretations for a new style of teaching relevant to the contemporary social and educational scene. This paper analyzes Merleau-Ponty's…

The conceptual framework for this teacher education program is based upon the notion that the actions of individuals and/or organizations either consciously or unconsciously flow from their beliefs. This description of the conceptual framework for the program at the university discusses the justifications for actions and statements in the…

Intended for teachers of college composition, this history of major and minor developments in the teaching of writing in twentieth-century American colleges employs a taxonomy of theories based on the three epistemological categories (objective, subjective, and transactional) dominating rhetorical theory and practice. The first section of the book…

This paper looks at science from a sociological perspective while still trying to retain the aim of improving rationality. The paper claims that it is rational to have a methodological division of labor in science, in particular in the social sciences, and concludes that mono-methodological Crusonian rationality should be replaced by…

Through a series of workshops and meetings held in Michigan during the 2 years from April 1987 to May 1989, leaders from the fields of education, government, and business developed a consensus around a "Quest for a Vision"--a scenario focused on winning in which education has been completely integrated into all aspects of society's behavior and is…

Concern for coherence in European teacher education is fueled by changes in political organization and teacher mobility. "Coherence" is a value-laden concept, yet its meaning is unclear. In the United States, advocates of coherence assume that a tightly connected set of experiences is needed to give teacher education programs sufficient power.…

This paper contributes to the debate over whether the university disciplines are the best sources of knowledge for the school curriculum. Among the problematic issues raised in the paper are the distinctions between the university disciplines on one hand and the arts, crafts, trades, and sports on the other, and the distinction between enabling…

This paper traces the history of adult education through some 50 years. The study includes the early turn-of-the-century beginnings of adult education efforts, such as immigrant schools. However, it primarily traces the emergence and growth of the American Association for Adult Education (AAAE), the parallel and intertwining history of the Adult…

The success of critical thinking courses poses a significant threat to the conception and status of the humanities. In an effort to remediate deficiencies in the writing and reading skills of students attempting to undertake college-level work, courses have been developed which aim to improve the cognitive skills needed for effective…