FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION - 3 Units
TE 402, Fall, 2013.
Instructor: Dr. Richard Neumann, Faculty West Building 159, Office Phone: 760.768.5539
Best way to contact is via email: Richard.Neumann@sdsu.edu (be sure to put TE 402 in the
subject of your message, otherwise it may get deleted without being opened and viewed).
Office Hours: Thursdays 3:00 to 4:00, and by appointment.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to historical, philosophical, psychological, and social science
perspectives on the institution of public K-12 education and process of schooling in America.
The course also involves development of students’ ability to investigate and evaluate
information, concepts, theories, ideas, and teaching practices critically, which is central to the
SDSU, IV Teacher Education Program focus on cultivation of reflective practitioners.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Approaches to Teaching (5th Edition). by Fenstermacher and Soltis. Teachers College Press
(2009).
American Education (16th Edition). by Joel Spring. McGraw-Hill (2013).
Resources for TE 402 such as PowerPoints and outlines are available on TaskStream.com
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
1. explain political, social, and economic purposes of education; the role of education in a
democratic society; public verses private goals; and provide examples of ideological/
political conflict in education. (TPE 12)
2. explain the function of education system in society from sociological perspectives of
functionalist theory, conflict/critical theory, and interpretivist theory. (TPEs, 11 & 12)
3. describe major transitions in the goals, structures, and processes of schooling from the
Colonial Period to the present. (TPE 12)
4. define and explain concepts of meritocracy and equality of educational opportunity and
discuss them in relation to handicapping conditions and linguistic, cultural, gender,
and socioeconomic differences among students; explain requirements for learning
environments and activities that are consistent with principles of educational equity for
diverse learners. (TPE 4)
5. identify forces that influence curriculum and characterize conflicts in curriculum decisionmaking. (TPEs 12 & 13)
6. characterize the diverse cultural, familial, socioeconomic and classroom conditions in
which students live and learn, the relationship of these diverse conditions or factors to
human growth, and their implications for provision of equal educational opportunity. (TPE
8, 11, 12)
7. characterize contemporary education reform issues such as school choice, vouchers, sitebased management, teacher empowerment, national standards and testing and their
implications for schooling. (TPE 12)
8. characterize the philosophical orientation of “executive, facilitator, and liberationist”
approaches to teaching and their underlying assumptions about human
cognitive/intellectual growth. (TPE 6)
COURSE REQUIREMENTS, GRADING, AND POLICIES
1. Students are expected to read and prepare all assignments consistent with the course syllabus,
attend all classes, and participate in discussions and activities.
2. Attendance and Participation (25 percent of course grade): Each class session is valued at 7
points for full attendance and participation in class discussions and small group activities
related to course topics and readings. A total of 100 points is awarded for perfect attendance
and full participation (-7 deducted from 100 for an absence).
3. Quizzes and Exams (75 percent of course grade): Exam dates are scheduled. Unannounced
quizzes on course readings and lectures may be administered during the semester. The
average of all quiz scores will count for one exam grade. Exams and quizzes will each be
valued and scored on a scale of 0-100. Note: Your essay(s) for each exam must be
submitted at Taskstream.com by midnight of the day on which the respective exam is
scheduled. Once your grade for the exam is calculated you will receive your exam score
on Taskstream.com and an evaluation of your grade as it relates to certain Teacher
Performance Expectations associated with the content assessed in the exam.
4. Grading: A student’s course grade will be calculated as the mean average of all exam
scores—75% of grade—and the total attendance and participation points—25% of grade. The
grade scale is as follows: A (92-100); A- (90-91); B+ (87-89); B (83-86); B- (80-82); C+ (7779); C (73-76); C- (70-72); D+ (67-69); D (63-66); D- (60-62); F (Below 60).
Note: A student who has a mean average score of 90 or above for all exams and quizzes will
receive an A or A- grade for the course regardless of his or her attendance record.
5. Related Course Information and Policies:
Attendance Policy: Attendance points will be deducted for late arrival, early departure, a
personal break, or late return from class break. Any request for an excused absence from
class must be submitted in writing—a letter. Some acceptable reasons for absence include
attendance at a conference or meeting required by a school, and illness; these types of
requests must include a letter from your school principal describing the reason for absence, or
a letter from your doctor for illness. Only one excused absence will be allowed for a workrelated function for a public school.
Cell Phones: Phones must be turned off before entering the classroom.
Student Work: Any material submitted to meet requirements of this course must be original
work prepared by the student and may not have been submitted for requirements in another
course. Late submission of exam essays or other work—up to seven days after due date—
will result in a 20% reduction from total possible score prior to grading of the assignment;
partial submission of an assignment counts as late. The grade for exam essays and other
work submitted more than seven days after the due date will be reduced 25%; all late work is
due by final exam date. If you expect to be absent on the date an assignment is due, you are
responsible for making arrangements to have the work (an exam essay, a film review, etc.)
submitted on the due date. Students are responsible for obtaining all notes, assignments, and
exams for a class that he or she did not attend.
Students with disabilities: Students who need accommodation of their disabilities should
contact me privately to discuss specific accommodations for which they have received
authorization. If you have a disability but have not contacted Barbara Romero (768-5509) or
Miguel Rahiotis (768-5507), please do so before making an appointment to see me.
COURSE SCHEDULE
DATE TOPIC
8/29 Course Requirements; Concepts of Education
#1
and Schooling; Purposes of Public Education
ASSIGNMENT DUE
9/5
#2
Purposes of Public Ed. Continued:
Political Goals
Chapter 1 Spring.
Articles: Neumann
1 and 2.
9/12
#3
Purposes of Public Ed. Continued:
Economic Goals
Chapter 4 Spring
Articles: The Jobs
Council; McKinsey;
Mokoto Rich; Common
Core State Standards
9/19
#4
Purposes of Public Ed. Continued:
Social Goals, Personal/Developmental
Chapter 2 Spring
Articles: Anderson
9/26
#5
The Reflective Practitioner:
Philosophies of Education & Approaches
To Teaching
Chapters 1-3 in
Fenstermacher
10/3
#6
Philosophies of Education & Approaches
to Teaching Continued
Psychological Perspectives: Human
Development and Cognition—Behaviorism,
Cognitivism, Constructivism
Chapters 4-6
Fenstermacher
Article:
Ertmer & Newby
10/10 The History of Public Schooling:
#7
Rise of the Common School
17th-19th Century
Exam #1
10/17 History of Public Schooling:
#8
20th Century to present
Article:
Tyack & James
10/24 Power and Control of Schooling:
#9
State and National Levels;
Politics of Education
Spring Chapt. 9
Articles: McKinley
Freire; Bigelow
10/31 The Sociology of Education: Functional Theory,
#10 Conflict/Critical Theory, Interpretivist Theory.
• Social Class Differences in Ed Achievement
COURSE SCHEDULE
Articles: Anyon;
Oakes; Zwick.
DATE TOPIC
ASSIGNMENT DUE
11/7
#11
Sociocultural Roots of “Problem” Students
View Freedom
Writers at home;
submit film questions
at beginning of class
11/14 Equality of Educational Opportunity:
#12 School Funding Structure
Exam #2
11/21 Equality of Educational Opportunity:
#13 Models of Schooling
Chapter 3 Spring.
Articles: Evans;
Burris & Welner
11/28 Equality of Educational Opportunity:
#14 Race, Gender, Special Needs;
Poverty
Chapter 5 Spring
Article: Berliner
12/5 Educational Reform: Standards & Testing;
#15 Site-based Management; School Choice
Articles: Brady,
Amrein & Berliner,
Boaler, Glickman,
Nathan & Boyd
12/12 Final Exam
#16
Exam #3