Students study the myriad relationships between formal systems of education and the dominant characteristics of post-industrial society. Content is derived from current thought and writing in sociology and educational theory and practice. Students study political and educational processes in relation to such problems as state and community development, social identification and political participation, pressure groups, indoctrination, academic freedom, and political change and educational planning. Students examine U.S. educational thought and practice emphasizing developments in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Special attention is paid to recent works in the field that emphasize the social purpose and context of the U.S. public school.
Students analyze theoretical models and psychological bases of instructional techniques.
Research on the psychology of instruction is evaluated critically. Theoretical issues and implications for education are addressed. Students examine the application of social psychology to educational problems and practice, including evaluating research on cultural factors in socialization and personality. Students examine interaction process and patterns of verbal and nonverbal communication in the classroom that are designed to increase awareness of teacher-student emotional environments as an influence on the learning process. The course focuses on the interaction of physical, cognitive, and social development from 5 to 18 years of age.