An Evaluation of a Secondary School Course in “Contemporary Problems” from Certain Stated Points of View

Abstract

The interest in the curriculum has given rise to many new courses of study and programs of instruction. The mere introduction of such courses does not, however, establish their effectiveness. As Barr1 pointed out recently, it would appear, now that we have these new courses of study, that we should study them carefully in operation. The reasoned guess that these new formulations will improve instruction must not, of course, be accepted as an accomplished fact merely because they appear to be promising. Each new formulation in the field of curriculum construction opens an important field of research for the field worker. The purpose of the study here reported is to evaluate in operation one of these newer curricula. School authorities have for many years empha sized the need of developing in students the ability to read and think effec tively about contemporary social issues, to observe and analyze the functions of government and other social institutions, and above all to acquire habit and skill in critical evaluation of individual and group practice. That this need has been sensed to some extent is evidenced by the inclusion of the traditional current day periodically set aside in various social studies courses for this purpose. Valuable as these events days are, they are not wholly adequate. The course of Contemporary Problems here reported upon was developed in the hope that a more adequate method of meeting the needs of better citizenship training might be designed. PROCEDURE