The public educational system is comprised of diverse demographics wherein each student has a distinct cultural personal history (O'Brien, 1998). In America, the traditional perception was that a melting pot society existed. But deMarrais and LeCompte (1999) maintain that a stew pot or salad bowl would be a more appropriate analogy. Melting pot…

The values, goals, and organization of general education have been highly controversial subjects in higher education for years. Two different perspectives are provided by B. Lamar Johnson's "General Education in Action" (1952) and Miami-Dade Community College's (MDCC's) "General Education in a Changing Society" (1978). Concerns…

Four national educational reform initiatives (national goals for schools, core curriculum, national student examination system, and teacher certification processes) are examined and policy implications discussed. It is argued that, although these initiatives are progressing, they will not succeed without sustained commitment on the parts of the…

As traditional medical school curricula began to be criticized in the 1950s, various alternatives were proposed, including the organ-system based curriculum (organized around the organ systems of the body) and the problem-based curriculum (organized around clinical problems). From an open systems perspective, any such medical school curriculum…

The degree of professionalization of the field of higher education was investigated. To determine if higher education possesses unique knowledge and skills, a curriculum analysis was undertaken at Indiana University, Columbia University's Teachers College, and the University of Michigan. Using student transcripts, program handbooks, and university…