Module 2: Read/Watch | Purposes of Education
Read & Watch
Introduction
What are we reading this week?
This week we will focus on a variety of ideas about the purposes of education generally and schooling specifically. We will be thinking about questions such as, why should people go to school? What should be taught in schools? Why is education important? What things are important for people to know, understand, and have the skills to do?
Why should I care about these topics?
Beliefs about the purposes of education influence every aspect of schooling, from what we teach, how we teach it, how we measure learning, and so on. Therefore, it is important to understand some of the major beliefs that have shaped today’s educational systems and how many of the current issues in education are related to differences in opinion about the purpose of schooling.
Reading Assignments
Please read:
- What is Education For? Download What is Education For?
- Why Understanding the Historical Purposes of Modern Schooling Matters Today Download Why Understanding the Historical Purposes of Modern Schooling Matters Today (Qargha & Morris, 2023)
Watch Assignments
Instructor Video/Slide Presentation: Purposes of Education
Guided Reading Questions
Specific information about the concepts you should focus upon are found in the class notebook. Refer to the OneNote notebook page for this module for guided reading/watching questions.