Curriculum Theory

Michael Stephen Schiro has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. He received his bachelorate from Tufts University and his doctorate from Harvard University. In the 1960's he worked for school desegregation n North Carolina. In the 1970's he worked to improve urban education in Lowell, Massachusetts. He was chair of the Department of Teacher Education and School Administration at Boston College in the 1980's. He specializes in mathematics education and curriculum theory, and taught courses in mathematics education, curriculum theory, computer education, literacy, and multicultural education at Boston College from 1974 to 2009, when he retired. He published eleven books with such diverse titles as Integrating Children's Literature and Mathematics in the Classroom, Oral Story Telling and Teaching Mathematics, Mega-Fun Math Games, Curriculum for Better Schools: The Great Ideological Debate, and Tan and the Shape Changer.

Preface 1. Introduction to Curriculum Ideologies Your Beliefs About Curriculum The Curriculum Ideologies Curriculum Workers The Nature of the Curriculum Ideologies 2. Scholar Academic Ideology Scholar Academic Curricula Curriculum and the Disciplines The Academic Disciplines Curriculum Issues Historical Context Aims Knowledge The Child Learning Teaching Evaluation Concluding Perspective 3. Social Efficiency Ideology A Scientific Technique of Curriculum Making Programmed Curriculum and the Behavioral Engineer The Analogy Social Orientation Objectives Historical Context Aims Knowledge Learning The Child Teaching Evaluation Concluding Perspective 4. Learner Centered Ideology The Ideal School Learners The Growing Individual The Learning Person The Curriculum: Unit of Work Versus School Subject Historical Context Aims The Child Learning Teaching Knowledge Evaluation Concluding Perspective 5. Social Reconstruction Ideology Highlander Sixth-Grade Social Reconstruction Mathematics Society and Reconstruction Reconstruction Through Education Historical Context Aims The Child Learning Teaching Knowledge Evaluation Concluding Perspective 6. A Comparative Overview of Curriculum Ideologies Comparative Summary Other Parameters Concluding Perspective 7. Individual Perspectives on Curriculum Ideologies Curriculum Life Histories Can People Believe in More Than One Ideology? Why Do Educators Change Ideologies? Concluding Perspective Appendix: Curriculum Ideologies Inventory References Index About the Author

"Provides readers with a clear, sympathetic and unbiased understanding of the four conflicting visions of curriculum that will enable them to more productively interact with educators who might hold different beliefs. The book stimulates readers to better understand their own beliefs and also to provide them with an understanding of alternate ways of thinking about the fundamental goals of education" -SIRREADALOT.ORG -- Savannah Jones * SirReadaLot.org * "Schiro (Boston College) has written a text that examines curriculum theory for experience and pre-service educators with the purpose of understanding educational philosohpies or ideologies that they are likely to encounter in their teaching." -- H.B. Arnold * CHOICE * "Not only are the chapters extremely comprehensive, the organization of the book is extremely thoughtful and provides a variety of activities for the neophyte and experienced teacher." -- Colin J. Marsh * Curriculum Perspectives * "This is the perfect book for both undergraduate and 'graduate' students of education and curriculum studies (yes, graduate students!). In fact, it is one of the best books I have read detailing the four main `ideologies' of curricula, namely, the Essentialist, the Social Efficiency, the Progressive, and the Social Reconstruction models of curriculum. The back of the book contains the following quotation: "A clear, unbiased, and rigorous description of the major curriculum philosophies that have influenced educators and schooling over the last century..." It is all of this, and more! (1) It is written to appeal to theorists (academics) and practitioners. Although it is a thorough and in-depth study of the ideologies, it is devoid of dense, academic jargon; the idiom is clear, direct, and accessible (all technical terminology is thoroughly explained). E.g., students and practitioners having difficulty with the convoluted writings of contemporary scholars of curriculum, will find this book a welcome change! (2) It adopts a `historicist' approach to the presentation of its subject-matter, which means that the author defines and analyzes the various `ideologies' in light of their contextual emergence and importance. This book is not simply presenting `facts' for memorization; the positions `live,' as it were, as historical realities! (3) It provides the rigorous foundational knowledge needed in order for students to truly grasp the writings of contemporary philosophers of education and curriculum studies, e.g., when juxtaposing these `ideologies' a student sees more clearly `why' it is that proponents of the `scholar academic ideology' are opposed to the `child-centered ideology.' This allows the student to situate the views of Adler and Dewey within a legitimate historical context, which emerge as a product of a particular ideological world-view, of which education and curriculum are inextricably a part. If you're a curriculum planner, evaluator, advocate, developer, or burgeoning theorist, you must have this book! " -- J.M. Magrini