Two persistent dilemmas haunt school reform: curriculum politics and classroom constancy. Both undermined the 1960s' new social studies, a dynamic reform movement centered on inquiry, issues, and social activism. Dramatic academic freedom controversies ended reform and led to a conservative restoration. On one side were teachers and curriculum developers; on the other, conservative activists determined to undo the revolutions of the 1960s. The episode brought a return to traditional history, a turn away from questioning, and the re-imposition of authority. Engagingly written and thoroughly researched, The Tragedy of American School Reform offers a provocative perspective on current trends.

Autorentext
Ronald W. Evans is Professor of Education at San Diego State University, USA.

Inhalt
Challenges of Curriculum Development * The New Social Studies * The Newer Social Studies * Larger Trends in Schools * Aftermath: "We Face a National Conspiracy * The MACOS Controversy and Beyond * The Conservative Restoration * Can We Transcend the Grammar of Social Studies? * Reflections on Education for Democracy