Courses Offered, Educational Foundations

Undergraduate

EDF 362. Foundations of Education I: Social, Historical, and Philosophical. An examination of the historical, social, philosophical, and comparative foundations of contemporary American education.

Graduate

EDF 600. Urban Education. An examination of the historical, social, political, and economic factors that shape urban education in America.

EDF 601. History of the American Curricular Thought. An examination of American educational history using primary source documents to provide insight into the evolution of curriculum, policy, and educational practice.

EDF 602. Critical Social Issues in American Education. An examination of contemporary social issues facing American schools, from politics and policy, school structure, and curriculum to pedagogical practice. The relationship of the school to society is also addressed.

EDF 603/703. Philosophy and Education. An examination of various philosophical schools of thought, their application to the field of education, and their relevance to teaching, learning, and life.

EDF 604. Social Philosophies and Education. An examination of various schools of social and political philosophy and theories pursuant to contemporary educational problems. Topics may include class structure, the cultural context of schooling, identity politics, ecological issues, physical and mental health issues, and the history of social theory related to educational policy and practice.

EDF 606/706. Social Movements in Education. An examination of how the Progressive education movement, along with other major social movements in recent history have shaped American education. The history of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham and its impact on schools, communities, and the lives of educators and students are of special interest.

EDF 608/711. Theories of Knowledge. An examination of the various philosophical and cultural conceptions of knowledge, and how these inform and impact research, educational practice, and lived experience.

EDF 616. Comparative Education. An examination of the cultural forces influencing the structure and function of education in selected countries. Cultural forces influencing structure and function of educational system in selected countries.

EDF 620/720. Culture and American Education: Race, Class, and Gender. An examination of the interlocking influences and socially constructed meanings and understandings of culture, race, ethnicity, class, and gender in American education.

EDF 624/724. Ethics and Education. The focus of this course is twofold: first, it covers some of the foundational materials in the philosophy of ethics, and their application to the field of education; second, it looks at the present moral context of schools and the problems and potentials of morally directed education.

EDF 703. Selected Topics In Educational Philosophy. A topical advanced seminar in the philosophy of education.

EDF 713. History of Educational Philosophy. A historically sequenced survey of educational philosophy from the ancient Greeks, 18^th century enlightenment thought, American pragmatism, and existentialism to postmodernism.

EDF 797. Independent Study. Independent readings under the direction and supervision of EDF faculty. Doctoral status and the permission of the instructor are required.