ELPS 757: Education in American Society

Credits: 3

Key Skills: academic policy, policy writing, grant writing, education environment, actions of educators, social environment of education, American education system

Description: The Education in American Society class introduces you to classical and contemporary academic and policy writings on the interaction of education with other forces in its environment. It is designed to help you uncover your own and others’ assumptions and beliefs about education and society. The topics extend beyond just education in America, but do center about it as the central tenet of exploration. It addresses a number of important questions: Why do people go to school? Why do some succeed more? What factors outside of education play a role in this? How? Why are certain schools more effective than others? What forces determine the structure, curricular features, and pedagogical techniques used in different schools? Answers to such questions often remain implicit, although they pervade the actions and choices of educational professionals, researchers, and the public at large.