The History of Education in the Western World Since 1500
Overview
Major themes include: scholarly approaches to the study of education; the rise and transformation of educational institutions; the relationship between schools, professions, and society; the professionalization of teaching; educational policy, curriculum and pedagogy; the politics of education; streaming, vocationalism, testing, and inclusivity; and the ways in which gender, social class, and ethnocultural identity have shaped the experiences of students and teachers.
A sample course outline may include the following topics.
Note: Content may vary according to the instructor’s selection of topics.
- Introduction
- The Transformation of Education from the Classical World to the Renaissance
- Literacy, the Printing Press and the Transformation of Learning
- Education, the Enlightenment, and the Nature of Childhood
- Common Schooling and Elite Education
- Education, Aculturation and Assimilation in an Industrial Era
- Progressive Education: Child-Centred Education and Scientific Management
- Separate and Unequal: Indigenous Children and Schooling
- Schools, Militarism, Nationalism, and Education for Democracy
- Becoming a Teacher
- School and Society in the Cold War Era
- Education for the Workplace, Education for the Professions
- Contested Terrain: Contemporary Debates
- Histories of Education in the Twenty-First Century
Classroom instruction will include both lectures and seminar discussions. Lectures will provide instruction on weekly topics with opportunities for student inquiry and discussion. Seminars will encourage active class participation in the analysis of assigned primary and secondary readings. Classroom instruction may also include facilitation of student-led projects, student presentations on specific readings and/or topics, and other types of student-led activities. Classroom instruction may also include tutorials and workshops on transferrable skills, including research methods, academic citation practice, and presentation skills.