ERIC Number: ED016666
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1967
Pages: 22
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
UNIVERSAL ISSUES OF HUMAN LIFE, A PENNSYLVANIA HUMANITIES REPORT.
Pennsylvania State Dept. of Public Instruction, Harrisburg.
TO TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A CURRICULUM GUIDE TO BE USED AS THE BASIS FOR HUMANITIES COURSES, THE PENNSYLVANIA HUMANITIES COMMISSION ENCOURAGED VOLUNTARY AND SELF-DIRECTIVE PILOT STUDIES IN 10 SCHOOLS DURING 1965-66. CLASSROOM SESSIONS WERE OBSERVED AND SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, HUMANITIES TEACHERS, AND SMALL GROUP OF PARTICIPATING STUDENTS WERE INTERVIEWED. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE HUMANITIES COURSE WAS REQUIRED IN TWO OF THE SCHOOLS AND OFFERED AS AN ELECTIVE IN THE REMAINING EIGHT, THAT IT WAS TAKEN MOST OFTEN BY SENIORS IN A COLLEGE-PREPARATION PROGRAM, THAT COURSES LASTED TWO SEMESTERS, AND THAT CLASSES MET TWO, THREE, OR FIVE TIMES A WEEK. TEACHERS GENERALLY HAD ENGLISH OR SOCIAL STUDIES BACKGROUNDS AND MOST HAD ATTENED A WORKSHOP IN THE TEACHING OF THE HUMANITIES. ALL BUT ONE OF THE PROGRAMS OFFERED SOME TYPE OF TEAM-TEACHING APPROACH. GRADES WERE MOST OFTEN BASED ON RESEARCH PAPERS AND ORAL PRESENTATIONS. STUDENTS GENERALLY RATED THE HUMANITIES COURSE AS AMONG THE BEST OF THE COURSES THEY HAD TAKEN, THOUGH THEY WANTED FEWER TEACHER LECTURES AND MORE GUEST LECTURES, STUDENT PARTICIPATION, AND FIELD TRIPS. (INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT ARE CASE STUDIES OF EIGHT OF THE 10 SCHOOLS WHICH PARTICPATED IN THE HUMANITIES PILOT STUDY.) (DL)
Descriptors: Course Content, Course Organization, Curriculum Evaluation, Curriculum Guides, English Instruction, Experimental Curriculum, Grading, Humanities, Humanities Instruction, Lecture Method, Pilot Projects, Secondary Education, Student Attitudes, Teacher Background, Teaching Methods, Team Teaching
Publication Type: N/A
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Pennsylvania State Dept. of Public Instruction, Harrisburg.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A