CSI Curriculum and Social Inquiry

This course examines the historical, philosophical, and political contexts under which curriculum theories were shaped in the United States from 1890-1970. Students explore the changing and broadening concepts of curriculum. They examine the interest groups and ideologies that have been at the center of historical struggles for control. The course draws upon the work of influential curriculum scholars, capturing central and often contentious debates among them about the aims, directions, and goals of education. Students deliberate on perennial questions: What knowledge is of most worth? Whose interests are served? Who controls the distribution and assessment of "knowledge?" Prerequisite(s): Doctoral student or permission of instructor 3 semester hours

This course examines school communities as complex socio--cultural settings affected by political, sociological and historical contexts. Students will integrate theoretical readings with fieldwork to analyze dynamics that affect teaching and learning within the institutional settings of schools, families, and communities. 3 semester hours

Students in the course consider curriculum theories 1970-present in relation to the assumptions and implications and the social, cultural, political and historical movements in which they are embedded. Curriculum studies as a field is explored, as is it's intersections with related fields of study (e.g. disability studies, gender studies, race studies). Students explore ways in which curriculum theory can be transformative for educational practice and policy. A field component is included in the requirements of this course. Prerequisite(s): Doctoral standing or consent of instructor 3 semester hours

Students will identify, analyze, and critique theoretical frameworks and practical applications of multiple perspectives on curriculum planning, organization, and evaluation. Aspects of official, enacted, overt, hidden, null, and out-of-school curricula will be explored. All perspectives will be considered through critical examination of contemporary curriculum concepts, practices, and proposals that are dominant at the time the course is offered. The course will involve a 15-hour field research project as well as group deliberation regarding the ways in which various forms of curriculum analysis can be used to understand and enhance ongoing curriculum plans in a school, district, or other educational setting. Prerequisite(s): Admission to CSI doctoral program OR permission of instructor 3 semester hours

This course focuses on the nature, dimensions, and contexts of professional development in the field of education. Such professional development is examined within a framework of school change and recent history of school reform efforts. The course explores the instructional implications of professional development within this context. 3 semester hours

Curriculum Seminar provides doctoral students with an opportunity to further immerse themselves in curriculum and social inquiry studies through selected readings, discussions, speakers, and related activities. Seminar also provides students with an ongoing community as they engage in scholarly work. Seminar is taken for 1 semester hour per quarter for a total of 6 SH. Three of the 6 SH must be completed in consecutive quarters. All 6 SH must be completed prior to the final dissertation hearing. Seminar is taken for a Pass or Fail grade which will be assigned after the completion of all 6 SH. 1 semester hour