ERIC Number: EJ770513
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2003
Pages: 28
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0272
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Available Date: N/A
Using Ambiguity and Entertainment to Win Compliance in a Lower-Level US History Class
Pace, Judith L.
Journal of Curriculum Studies, v35 n1 p83-110 2003
This paper examines the dynamics of authority relationships and curriculum enactment in a lower-level, college-preparatory US History class. It explains how a teacher and his students construct a relaxed order shaped by uncertain educational goals, the use of entertainment, and students' wants. Ambiguity and entertainment in the teacher's practise signal tensions within the school's moral order, and reflect the values of egalitarianism, individualism, and anti-intellectualism. This approach wins compliance and popularity; it also perpetuates ambivalence towards schooling and low investment in educational aims. (Contains 9 notes.)
Descriptors: Figurative Language, Educational Objectives, United States History, High Schools, Student Motivation, Case Studies, Anti Intellectualism, Teacher Effectiveness, Intellectual Freedom, Role of Education, Secondary School Curriculum, Course Content, Power Structure, Teacher Student Relationship, Classroom Techniques, Teacher Expectations of Students, Self Concept
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A