Curriculum History (E-Journal)
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German Pietism and the Pedagogic Reformation of Human Nature
No full textIn recent years, interest in the origins and influence of German educational thought has focused attention on the pedagogic innovations developed by August Herman Francke at the University of Halle. In line with the theological reforms promoted by Jacob Spener, Francke developed a program of clerical and teacher training designed to initiate a new era of religious piety. The centerpiece of his energetic and ever-expanding mission was the Halle Foundation, a “Godly City,” where students could perfect the instructional skills necessary to promote spiritual conversion and practical Christianity. Following Comenius, Francke adhered to a Biblically based account of nature. But his focus went beyond the rational understanding of Creation to the perfection of the soul through the transformative power of the Holy Word. The emotionally evocative passages of Scripture had to be employed to sculpt and secure a person’s love of God and their neighbor. The result was a powerful pedagogy of psychological control with obvious political implications for the management of an inherently volatile population
Introduction
No full textEvolving from Post-Reformation visions of religious piety, Prussia and other German states looked to the expansion of public schooling to improve literacy and promote practical Christianity. This necessitated instruction grounded in a theocentric conception of human nature and the social good. Reason and action had to be guided by the dictates of Scripture and a Biblically sanctioned knowledge of Creation. Enlightenment thought brought a profound shift in ideas about mind and society, initiating what might best be described as a Copernican Revolution in pedagogy. Rather than imposing order from without, educators now looked to the development of the innate potential within. Educability and the notion of Bildung—variously applied to the instruction of different social classes—justified humanistic ideals of individual autonomy and the historical progress of civilization. Papers in this special issue examine these changing visions of pedagogy and explore how they were exported to the world as a panacea for the social ills that beset modern society. 
Righteous Pledge: : The Pledge of Allegiance and the Implicit Curriculum of American Civil Religion in the Eisenhower Era
No full textThe insertion of the words “under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance in 1950’s represents the implicit curriculum of American Civil Religion during the Eisenhower Era and attempts to preserve the place of religion in America’s public schools during the Cold War. This article examines efforts to amend the Pledge against the backdrop of trends in American society during the 1950’s and how it impacted the patriotic curriculum of both public and parochial schools
Analyzing Curriculum Models from the 20th Century: A focus on Integration
No full textThis article explores ways that bringing curriculum together integrates knowledge and the popular integrative approaches across the 20th century. Through the development of a Disciplinary Scale, the author explores ways to distinguish between single subject, correlation, fusion, multidisciplinary, broad fields, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. Analysis of each approach, using the Disciplinary Scale, provides critical information for educators and leaders considering integrating curriculum
Comenius and the Didactic Order of a Godly Society
No full textFor many Europeans Comenius is revered as an apostle of enlightenment reason who promoted universal schooling as an instrument of peace and tolerance in an era of political and religious turmoil. This reading abstracts Comenius’s work from his overarching theological mission—to initiate a second reformation through the reform of human nature and regulation of thought in accord with scripturally sanctioned knowledge. Less the “Father of Modern Education” than a modern-day Elijah, Comenius drew upon doctrines of church discipline to design a didactic state that would ensure the reign of religious piety promised in Biblical prophecy
Victor Cousin, Sarah Austin, and the Cause of National Education
No full textVictor Cousin’s Report on Prussian schooling served as a blueprint for the “Guizot Law” of 1833, which established a system of elementary education across France. Translated into English the following year by Sarah Austin, it also played a pivotal role in both the British movement for national education and the common school revival that resulted in the establishment of the Massachusetts Board of Education. Central to Cousin’s account was a description of Pestalozzian pedagogy and its potential to ensure political rights and preserve social order by instilling principles of practical Christianity in the population. This answered the prayer of English reformers facing a volatile working class and American clerics concerned by the erosion of religious piety. But Cousin’s Report also extolled a second educational aim; the humanistic concept of Bildung, which would become the guiding ideal for the more philosophically minded John Stuart Mill (Austin’s closest associate in reform) and Edward Everett, the Massachusetts governor who shepherded the Board of Education into law. Taken together, these sister concepts reveal the extensive impact of German ideas about history, culture, and the importance of education for the progress of civilization
J. F. Herbart on the Art of Teaching: Bildsamkeit and Pedagogical Tact
No full textJohann Friedrich Herbart (1776-1841) was a profound systematic thinker of early 19th century Germany whose work on pedagogical tact and educability speaks to the history and historiography of the foundations of modern education. His uncompromising commitment to pedagogy for and with the enlightened human being informs current policy developments toward systems of accountability and standardized instruction by invigorating a humanistic view of teaching and learning grounded in Enlightenment philosophy
“Turning of the Wheel”: A Perennialist’s Answer to 1970s Curricular Debates
No full textThis paper utilizes archival sources and publications to underscore Harry S. Broudy’s responses to 1970s curricular shifting providing a window into Curriculum Reconceptualist debates of the 1970s whilst offering Broudy, Smith, Burnett’s (1964) curriculum study as an informative curriculum precursor. Ultimately, the author argues the Democracy and Excellence in American Secondary Education offers a valuable antecedent to numerous curriculum debates of the era
More than a theologian: Friedrich Schleiermacher\u27s mark on education
No full textFriedrich Schleiermacher is regarded as one of the foremost Protestant theologians. Yet he also left an indelible mark on the field of education. This paper outlines this impact by retracing his biography and analyzing how personal circumstance and geopolitical developments led him to contribute to the founding of the University of Berlin in 1810, to the reform of Prussian schools, and to establishing education as an independent academic discipline
Problems of Democracy Textbooks of the 1920s: How Well Did They Meet the Mark?
No full textIn 1916, a new social studies course, Problems of Democracy, was introduced in the US to provide an integrated social sciences approach and to develop informed. This paper examines the extent to which textbooks published for this curriculum reflect the goals of and discourse surrounding the course. Findings signify variations in the substance of these texts which ultimately indicates a disparity as to whether the purposes of the course were truly being met