Course Catalog

EDUC 200

Analyzing Schools

This course introduces the study of schooling within an interdisciplinary framework. Drawing upon sociology, we investigate the resources, structures, and social contexts which influence student opportunities and outcomes in the United States and other countries. Drawing upon psychology, we contrast theories of learning, both in the abstract and in practice. Drawing upon philosophy, we examine competing educational goals and their underlying assumptions regarding human nature, justice, and democracy. In addition, a community learning component, where students observe and participate in nearby K-12 classrooms for three hours per week, will be integrated with course readings and written assignments.

1.25 units, Lecture

AMST 208

Schooling in America

An examination of different conceptions of the experience of schooling in this country. Does schooling contribute to equality of educational opportunity or limit further the opportunities of those who have little to begin with? Does schooling promote or repress free expression? This course will weigh arguments and evidence supporting each of these possibilities. Topics include desegregation, the distribution of educational resources and their effectiveness, tracking, grading systems, and the exercise of teacher authority.

1.00 units, Lecture

EDUC 215

Education and Social Change Across the Globe

Through a comparative framework, this course examines the relationship between education and social change in various regions of the world. How do governments use schooling to produce certain kinds of citizens, and how do grassroots movements use education to resist these agendas? What role does education play in promoting democracy versus social and economic inequality? This course is highly recommended for students who are preparing to attend or returning from study abroad programs, particularly the Trinity Global Learning Sites. Assignments will require students to draw upon personal reflections and research to contribute to the comparative framework.
Not open to first-year students.

1.00 units, Lecture

ANTH 234

Multicltrlsm & Ethnicity

What are the prospects for achieving social integration and equal opportunity in a diverse society through education? This course explores the cultural and social bases of learning and achievement among linguistic, cultural, and 'racial' minorities in the United States and other societies, using case studies and research findings. Bilingualism, multiculturalism, cultural pluralism and other programs and approaches which address the specific needs, concerns, and interests of African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, Native American and immigrant American learners will be debated.

1.00 units, Lecture

WMST 234

Gender and Education

What is gender equity in schooling and what impact does this have on gender equity more broadly? Different disciplinary perspectives on the impact of gender in learning, school experience, performance and achievement will be explored in elementary, secondary, post-secondary, and informal educational settings. The legal and public policy implications of these findings (such as gender-segregated schooling, men's and women's studies programs, curriculum reform, Title IX, affirmative action and other proposed remedies) will be explored. Findings on socialization and schooling in the U.S. will be contrasted with those from other cultures.

1.00 units, Lecture

AMST 235

Gender and Education

1.00 units, Lecture

ANTH 235

Gender and Education

1.00 units, Lecture

EDUC 235

Gender and Education

What is gender equity in schooling and what impact does this have on gender equity more broadly? Different disciplinary perspectives on the impact of gender in learning, school experience, performance and achievement will be explored in elementary, secondary, post-secondary, and informal educational settings. The legal and public policy implications of these findings (such as gender-segregated schooling, men's and women's studies programs, curriculum reform, Title IX, affirmative action and other proposed remedies) will be explored. Findings on socialization and schooling in the United States will be contrasted with those from other cultures. Enrollment Limited.

1.00 units, Lecture

AMST 236

Multicltrlsm & Ethnicity

1.00 units, Lecture

EDUC 300

Education Reform: Past and Present

How do we explain the rise and decline of education reform movements? How do we evaluate their level of “success” from different sources of evidence? Drawing upon primary source materials and historical interpretations, this course examines a broad array of elementary, secondary, and higher education reform movements from the mid-19th century to the present, analyzing social, material, and ideological contexts. This intermediate-level seminar explores a topic common to all branches of educational studies from both theoretical and comparative perspectives.
Prerequisite: C- or Better in EDUC200 or American Studies Major or Public Policy and Law Major.

1.00 units, Lecture

EDUC 305

Immigrants and Education

How have schools played a role in the experiences of diverse immigrant communities in the United States? How have immigrants and their children encountered U.S. culture and policies through schools and, trhough the encounters, negotiated their own roles in U.S. culture and society. In this class, we will examine both historical and contemporary efforts by educational institutions to address linguistic, cultural and religious practices, race and academic opportunity in relation to a variety of immigrant communities. The course will include a community learning component in which students will conduct interviews with immigrants who have been involved in U.S. education institutions.
A prior course in Educational Studies or International Studies or Permission of Instructor.

1.00 units, Lecture

EDUC 307

Latinos in Education: Local Realities, Transnational Perspectives

This course investigates the education of Latinos, the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States. By examining both the domestic and transnational contexts, we explore these central questions: How do cultural constructions of Latinos (as immigrants and natives, citizens and non-citizens) shape educational policy and teaching practices? What views of citizenship and identity underlie school programs such as bilingual education, as well as Latino responses to them? This course fulfills the related field requirement for Hispanic studies majors. It will also include a community learning component involving a qualitative research project in a Hartford school or community organization.
Prerequisite: EDUC200 or INTS/LACS majors or Hispanic Studies majors or Anthropology majors or Permission of Instructor.

1.00 units, Lecture

EDUC 308

Cities, Suburbs, and Schools

How did city dwellers’ dreams of better schooling, along with public policy decisions in housing and transportation, contribute to the rise of suburbia in the 20th century? How do city-suburban disparities affect teaching and learning in classrooms today? What promise do Sheff v O’Neill remedies for racial isolation, such as magnet schools at the Learning Corridor, hold for the future? Students will investigate these questions while developing their skills in oral history, ethnographic fieldwork, and geographical information system (GIS) software. Community learning experiences will be integrated with seminar readings and research projects.
Prerequisite: C- or better in Educational Studies 200 or Psychology 225 or participation in The Cities Program or Permission of Instructor.

1.00 units, Seminar

EDUC 309

Race, Class, and Educational Policy

How do competing theories explain educational inequality? How do different policies attempt to address it? Topics include economic and cultural capital, racial identity formation, desegregation, multiculturalism, detracking, school choice, school-family relationships, and affirmative action. Student groups will expand upon the readings by proposing, implementing, and presenting their research analysis from a community learning project. Enrollment limited.
Prerequisite: Educational Studies 200 or juniors / seniors with permission of instructor.

1.00 units, Seminar

EDUC 315

Higher Education in America

America has developed one of the largest and most diverse systems of higher education in the world, with curricula that range from the study of Greek, Latin, and antiquity to the decorating of cakes. Despite this diffuseness, American higher education enjoys an enviable global reputation and each year the number of students from around the world applying to colleges and universities in the United States far surpasses the number of American students seeking to matriculate abroad. This course will examine the forces that shaped the development of American higher education from its origins to the present, and then focus on several salient issues (such as diversity, student misbehavior, academic freedom, and athletics) that vex and enrich modern institutions. Students will be required to conduct a field research project that analyzes a current issue and compares how two or more institutions have reacted.
Prerequisite: Educational Studies 200 or juniors / seniors with permission of instructor.

1.00 units, Seminar

EDUC 316

Education and Social Change Across the Globe

Through a comparative framework, this course examines the relationship between education and social change in various regions of the world. How do governments use schooling to produce certain kinds of citizens, and how do grassroots movements use education to resist these agendas? What role does education play in promoting democracy versus social and economic inequality? Students will conduct independent research on education in a country of their choice to contribute to the comparative framework.
Prerequisite: A grade of C- or better in a prior Educational Studies or International Studies course, or consent of instructor.

1.00 units, Lecture

EDUC 318

Special Education

How are children labeled (or mislabeled) as having learning and developmental disabilities, autism, or attention deficit disorder? How have definitions and diagnoses of learning disorders changed over time? How does the law seek to ensure the accommodation of the needs of individuals with learning disabilities? Students will critically analyze current research on disorders, examine special education case law and advocacy, and explore issues through community learning placements and interviews with teachers and parents.
Prerequisite: C- or better in Educational Studies 200 or Psychology 295 or permission of the instructor.

1.00 units, Seminar

EDUC 320

Anthropology and Education

The anthropology of education has a rich history of investigating the links between culture, learning, and schooling. Anthropologists studying education have sought to illuminate learning and educational achievement as social processes and cultural products that cannot be understood apart from the socio-cultural contexts in which they occur. In this upper-level seminar, we will explore selected works in the anthropology of education, both classic and contemporary, in order to understand the unique contributions anthropology makes to the study of education, and in particular, the experience of minority groups in education. We will explore topics such as race, gender, and language in education and how they have been addressed by anthropologists. Students will have an opportunity to read critically a variety of detailed ethnographic and qualitative studies focusing on formal schooling and informal education in the United States and in other countries. Reviewing these studies, we will explore the central questions: What is a cultural analysis of schooling? What unique insights does ethnography (anthropology's signature method) offer into key educational problems? And finally, how can a cultural analysis of schooling inform efforts to create a more socially just educational system?
Prerequisite: A C- or better in Education 200 or Anthropology 201or permission of the instructor.

1.00 units, Seminar

EDUC 350

Teaching and Learning

This seminar will explore theoretical, policy, and practical issues of teaching and learning. Who should teach in public schools, and what kind of preparation is necessary? What type of curriculum should be taught, and how do different interest groups shape that decision? How should we assess the quality of student learning? Finally, how do debates on all of these questions influence the nature of teachers’ work and classroom life? For the community learning component, students will design, teach, and evaluate curricular units in cooperation with neighborhood schools and after school programs.
Prerequisite: Educational Studies 200 or juniors / seniors with permission of instructor.

1.00 units, Seminar

EDUC 400

Senior Research Seminar

To fulfill the senior exercise requirement, students carry out an independent research project that builds upon acquired skills and evolving interests. The weekly seminar provides a thematic focus as well as a continuous forum for both support and critical feedback from peers, in preparation for a public presentation of the student’s work at the end of the semester. Each year, the seminar will be organized around a broad theme in educational studies.
This seminar open to senior Educational Studies majors only.

1.00 units, Seminar

EDUC 466

Teaching Assistantship

Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and director are required for enrollment.

0.50 units min / 1.00 units max, Independent Study

EDUC 491

Student Teaching

No Course Description Available.

1.00 units, Lecture

EDUC 497

Senior Thesis

May be taken in continuation of Educational Studies 400 Senior Seminar, if the student has completed a project with a grade of B+ or better. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and director are required for enrollment.

1.00 units, Independent Study